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The power of History Pin is captured with this 1856 photo of the Champs Elysee in Paris laid over a present-day photo. I've stumbled across three different labors of love online recently that all shared a common link: they're committed to protecting things in great danger of disappearing forever. To top it off, these efforts are fun and rewarding history lessons, almost like history as entertainment (or is it the other way around?).
Having dug into my own little history project, I'm familiar with the thrill these kinds of personal projects bring others. So I know exactly what inspired others to put in the time to launch these three awesome projects:
- History Pin, an interactive site that allows anyone to upload historical photos and stories onto a Google Earth interface. The end result are collections of images shot at the same location but perhaps many years apart. The site is just out of beta, and has draw uploads from museums. Those institutions help seed the foundation but it's awesome to see everyday people digging into their shoeboxes and uploading their own personal stories behind their snapshots, many of which are fantastic bits of history.
Handwritten cassette covers are your only guide to the songs and artists in the digital versions of the Mississippi Records samplers. That's OK, makes it fun. Mississippi Records music samplers: What were born as cassettes played as background music in an eclectic Portland record store are now digitized artifacts. I know I use the word "great" too often but these collections are not your normal mixtapes. It's hard to knock my socks off when it comes to music but I feel like I've discovered Shangri-La with each new Mississippi Records edition. These collections aren't just filled with great music but great music from bands you've never heard of -- nor will likely ever hear from of again. They're raw, the production quality is uneven -- but afficionados will be stunned by the pacing, the curation and the constant sense of surprise. Can't recommend these enough. You can download digital files of all 68 tapes from Rootstrata; navigation is difficult so just search for "Mississippi" then search from there. The audio files are not segmented by artist so it's up to you to consult handwritten cassette covers for song titles and artists. Love it. 
Joe Brussard (photo from www.vidics.eu) "Country Classics" podcasts of extremely rare -- in many cases one-of-a-kind -- country, bluegrass, blues and gospel records from the personal collection of Joe Bussard (download the show free from iTunes). Fans of NPR may remember the "All Things Considered" piece on Brussard, legendary for the size and scope of his personal record collection and the road trips he takes in search of more rare gems. Thank heavens he's had the time and energy to 1) save these treasures from the landfill and 2) have the energy to share them with us.
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So with these three inspiring projects to pondor, that brings me to you: What burning interest do you have to share with us?