( I + P )

London-based artist Paul St George recently unveiled an exhibit called The Telectroscope.  In the piece, giant, steam-punk style telescopes embedded in the pedestrian walkways in London and NYC provides onlookers with a real-time view of people on the other side.  Even more impressive is the story as to how this idea came about.

While today's version is done with video streaming technology, it's a whimsical piece and worth checking out if you're in either town. Here's an excerpt from the story page:

Some years ago an artist by the name of Paul St George happened upon a packet of dusty papers in a trunk in his grandmother’s attic. On further inspection he discovered that they had been the property of his great-grandfather, an eccentric Victorian engineer, Alexander Stanhope St George.

Paul began to read through the papers and discovered a veritable treasure trove: diaries, diagrams, correspondence, scribbled calculations, and even one or two photographs. At first, Paul felt a detached interest in this first hand account of social and cultural history. But as he read on, he became more and more absorbed, until, with a sudden thrill, he realised that these papers could have a greater significance than was at first apparent.

The notebooks were full of intricate drawings and passages of writing describing a strange machine. This device looked like an enormous telescope with a strange bee-hive shaped cowl at one end containing a complex configuration of mirrors and lenses. Alexander seemed to be suggesting that this invention, which he called a Telectroscope, would act as a visual amplifier, allowing people to see through a tunnel of immense length… a tunnel, the drawings implied, stretching from one side of the world to the other.

Cherry blossoms at Brooklyn Botanical Garden are in peak bloom. Check the out if you're in town. Great time-lapse video below.

Every now and then, you can catch the Convos team at a coworking session. What is coworking?  Essentially, a group of entrepreneurs meet at a fellow coworker's apartment to work on their own projects, share ideas, and meet new people.

Check out the video below to learn more about coworking and Jelly, an international coworking group that takes place in 20+ cities.

I will be attending the Jelly coworking session in Brooklyn next Friday.  Hope to see you there!

Coffee is an absolute staple for any startup pulling long hours in the cold months of NYC. I recently started brewing a locally roasted brand of coffee that is really excellent. They're called Gorilla Coffee and their Brooklyn based operation roasts fresh beans on a daily basis. It's a great way to kick-off the day or an all night working session.

Check them out here.

Every morning, I walk past an eyeglass store that looks like it's been there for ages.  It's called Moscot and they make amazing eyeglasses, many of which are based on their original designs from the 1940s. After a little digging on their website, I found a little history about how they started. In an age where Internet startups pop up every day, I find the stories of pre-Internet age startups to be much more fascinating.

The Moscot optical roots were first planted by Sol Moscot’s father Hyman. After his arrival from Eastern Europe via Ellis Island in 1899, he began selling ready-made eyeglasses from a pushcart on Orchard Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. After establishing himself in the neighborhood as one of the local opticians he rented a retail space at 94 Rivington Street in 1915.

Hyman’s son, Sol began helping his father in the store as a young boy. This would mark the beginning of Sol’s passion for people and opticianry. Sol’s expertise developed quickly and he soon took over the family business and Sol Moscot Opticians, as it is known today, was thus established. From its original location on Rivington Street, the business changed locations until 1951 when it settled at 118 Orchard Street at the corner of Delancey Street, a location that remains the company’s flagship store today.