Fleeting Internet Fame

For some time I have been fascinated by how quickly an idea or site can spread across the Internet. Over the last 48 hours, I've had the opportunity to see the phenomenon first-hand as my husband's Mustaches of the 19th Century blog has spread.

Jason has pointed out that BoingBoing is like the Today Show of the Internet. It's true that since his "appearance" he has gone from two to at least 30 readers and counting. And keep in mind that the blog is just about mustaches--19th century ones at that. He's been contacted directly by archivists at other schools, congratulating him on celebrating National Archives Month in a fun and creative way. The blog has been saved, linked to, commented upon, and shared by hundreds and that number continues to grow with each hour (including participants on the Beard Community Bulletin Board and students celebrating Octobeard).

I'm pleased about all this attention for several reasons. In addition to the obvious ones, "Mustaches of the 19th Century" will be one of six exhibits displayed on the video windows at the Hub starting Monday. All six exhibits are from our AV and University Archives and focus on the theme of leisure. In addition to mustaches, we'll have exhibits focused on movie theaters, the circus, campus recreation, yearbook cartoons, as well as "curiosities and wonders" from the local paper throughout the 20th century. I'll plan to post a few images next week. Thanks to Jason and Deirdre for putting together the exhibit.

UPDATE: The press release for the exhibit which is now on display.

(Photos by Alice Wasielewski)