Nerds Republic

Social media is a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it lets us connect with people all over the world and stay in touch with the friends and relatives we might otherwise lose contact with. On the other, it can be a terrifying swamp of embarrassing photos and oversharing. But there’s one thing that it surprisingly isn’t. And that’s new.

How can social media not be new? How can it not require the Internet? In fact, analogue versions of LinkedIn and Facebook have been around for centuries. They existed in the form of paper books called alba amicorum, in which people collected messages and images from friends and colleagues. They’ve been around for hundreds of years. Dutch historian Sophie Reinders studies these fascinating pieces of history.

These books were used by young men and women in Northern Europe to record and keep track of friendships and professional relationships.

The practice is thought to have begun in about 1560.

Alba amicorum literally means “friend book” in Latin.

These books were used by both boys and girls, but because of how society functioned in the 1600s, they used them for different reasons.

Boys were routinely sent on tours of Europe to study at famous universities and institutions, and to meet with great thinkers and scholars. They used their friend books kind of like the way we use LinkedIn — as a way of gaining professional connections.

These images come from the book of Michael van der Meer, who recorded his travels with impressive illustrations.

Some images depict members of the aristocracy.

And he apparently spent time with pretty ladies.

This might be an early version of the “It’s Complicated” relationship option.

While boys toured the continent, girls were usually sent to spend time in convents or to serve as ladies-in-waiting, which helped them break into the best social circles. They didn’t travel much, but they still used friend books.

Instead of notes from scientists and artists, the girls’ books were filled with correspondences between friends and admirers, inside jokes, and detailed accounts of social events. If the boys’ books were like LinkedIn, then the girls’ were like Facebook.

Juliana de Roussel’s friend book was beautifully decorated as well.

This one belonged to Jacoba Cornelia Bolten, who was a socialite during that time period.

These books are striking in their similarity to Facebook — it’s just that the technology was a bit different. Pictures were drawn, and instead of sharing articles, they wrote down their favorite proverbs, song lyrics, and poems. Many women even wrote their own poetry.

Married couples could also “update their status” by writing a joint note. (That’s right. Joint social media was a nauseating problem back then, too.)

Pages like this one from Margaretha Haghen’s book show guests recounting their time at a party.

One passage reads, “In Shrovetide, on day two / We guests wrote this for you / And could not leave for home / So tipsy we’d become / Love made us so besotted / We left nothing in the bottle.” I guess things haven’t really changed that much.

(via MessyNessyChic)

These networks between people help historians develop a clearer picture of what life was really like during this time period. From the connections in their books, they can even piece together 400-year-old relationships.

Next time you want to complain about those darn kids on Facebook, remember that people have been posting silly things for hundreds of years. You can learn more about them on Reinders’ website, and through the National Library of the Netherlands’ digitized collection of books.

The work of artist Patrik Svensson is deceptively simple. At first glance, broad areas of color and clear lines make these minimalist images seem straightforward. After all, with such a simple style, what else could possibly be going on?

Well, a lot. Svensson manages to capture layers of meaning in his illustrations by encapsulating complex ideas and themes into strikingly simple images. Working from his studio in Gothenburg, Sweden, his clients have included huge names like Starbucks and Airbnb. His artwork has also been featured in major magazines worldwide.

This illustration for the Washington Post covered a festival that hightlighted the work of female playwrights.

And this one for Men’s Health was about the benefits of a 45-minute workout.

Icon commissioned this piece to accompany an article about speaking to animals.

Svensson’s illustrations often include some kind of visual pun — a hidden message that lends deeper meaning to the image — which makes his work all the more interesting.

Others are beautiful in their simplicity.

His Flippable series features pictures that can be viewed from different angles. Each piece is essentially two images in one.

You can check out more of Svensson’s work, both personal and professional, on his website. If you like what you see, be sure to keep up with his latest pieces on Instagram and Tumblr.

Getting a portrait of your pet is nothing new. You can have them photographed, painted, or otherwise immortalized. They are, after all, important members of the family. But one artist goes beyond mere physical representations of the furry friends that bring us so much joy.

This artist also captures their personalities. Her name is Chris Beetow, and she’s known for her ability to capture the “inner pet.”

Her portraits capture the personalities of her sitters, and often reference things that only their humans know about.

By including these personality traits, Beetow creates a more complete image of each furry friend.

To create these highly personal portraits, Beetow has pet owners send detailed descriptions of their pets’ personalities, complete with their quirks and endearing little habits. After all, these are the things we love most about our companions.

The artist then works tirelessly to incorporate those traits into fun, multi-faceted portraits.

“It is my goal to capture who your pet is, not just what they look like,” she says.

“What makes these pieces so important to my clients is that they visualize how they feel about their animal friends — and that is a pretty special thing.”

And creating the portraits is great for Beetow, too.

“The pet portrait commissions are so rewarding because of the genuine happiness they bring clients,” she says.

“I get so many cool stories from people about their pets and how their pet has changed their lives, and I feel pretty fortunate to be able to translate that into something special.”

When she’s not creating pet portraits, Beetow works as an illustrator. You can see more of her work on her website, as well as on Facebook.

Everyone knows the famous smile of the Starbucks mermaid. She’s just about everywhere. But while most people look at her and think of sweet, sweet caffeine, Seoul-based artist Soo Min Kim sees endless opportunities for humor in the green lady.

Using a perfectly matched green marker, correction fluid, and some scissors, he explores the secret life of the Starbucks mermaid.

Using pieces of the original image, Kim creates new compositions.

The mermaid can take on many forms.

Kim also experiments with 3-D images to create eye-catching pieces like this.

Nothing lewd to see here, people!

At times, the artist leaves very little trace of the original mermaid.

The possibilities really are endless!

Just like the ideal supply of Starbucks lattes, am I right?

(via Ufunk)

You can see more of Kim’s artwork, both Starbucks-based and otherwise, on his Facebook page. In the meantime, treat yourself to a cappuccino!