Vintage Celestial Maps

These lovely old star maps from the Smithsonian Institution's collections really make the constellations come to life! I've always wanted to put a set of these on a wall in a living room or hallway. They would look wonderful all lined up in a row or a square!

See them larger here.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Winners

Finalists from the travel section of the Smithsonian Magazine's 6th Annual Photo Contest, taken in China, England, and India (respectively).

The first photo, "In the early morning, fishermen clean their nets by Erhai Lake", won the Grand Prize. It looks like a diptych, but it's just one photo. The way the photographer caught the light shining through the trees onto the fishing nets is just incredible!