Atlas meets Archimedes through the lens of Asahel Curtis. What an elegant moment of pure wonder from May 1914 at Summit School in Seattle. Think about how that globe has changed in the 100 years since that boy puzzled over its geography and imagined its distances in days and months of travel. Sure, he has been posed by the photographer and the boy at his desk is probably more awkward about having his picture taken than he is skeptical about big questions of science and geopolitics. Still the photo tells a story, like a Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post cover or a meme on Instagram, about the way curiosity is learned and great adventures float right in front of us. On his tablet in pencil the boy has likely just imagined himself on a long voyage across an ocean. I’m going to hit the “Post” button now and this intense, thoughtful study will circle the world faster that the shutter speed of glass plate view camera.
tacoma history 