Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Hersey, John Richard

(Encyclopedia)Hersey, John Richard hûrˈsē [key], 1914–93, American author, b. China, grad. Yale, 1936, where he later taught writing (1965–84); studied Cambridge. Reflecting his experiences as a war correspo...

Hidatsa

(Encyclopedia)Hidatsa hēdätˈsä [key], Native North Americans, also known as the Minitari and the Gros Ventre. Their language belongs to the Siouan branch of the Hokan-Siouan linguistic stock (see Native America...

Jaipur

(Encyclopedia)Jaipur jīˈpo͝or [key], former native state, W India. It is now part of Rajasthan state. The region of Jaipur is semiarid and mostly level, with scattered rocky hills. Despite light rainfall, fair c...

Drew, Daniel

(Encyclopedia)Drew, Daniel, 1797–1879, American railroad speculator, b. Carmel, N.Y. He became a cattle dealer in early life and by 1834 was successful enough to engage in the steamboat business on the Hudson, wh...

altar

(Encyclopedia)altar, table or platform for the performance of religious sacrifice. In its simplest form the altar is a small pile, with a square or circular surface, made of stone or wood. Its features vary accordi...

Soleri, Paolo

(Encyclopedia)Soleri, Paolo, 1919–2013, Italian-American architect. He studied architecture in his native Turin (Ph.D., 1946). Soleri's works have been influenced by both Frank Lloyd Wright, with whom he apprenti...

wallpaper

(Encyclopedia)wallpaper was used in Europe in the 16th and 17th cent. as an inexpensive substitute for costly hangings. The French developed marbled papers, introduced from the East via Italy and used at first for ...

Cartagena, city, Colombia

(Encyclopedia)Cartagena kärtähāˈnä [key], city, capital of Bolívar dept., NW Colombia, a port on the ...

Bontecou, Lee

(Encyclopedia)Bontecou, Lee bŏnˈtəko͞o [key], 1931–, American artist, b. Providence, R.I. Bontecou is best known for the abstract sculptures she created from 1959–1967, three-dimensional wall reliefs made o...

scene design and stage lighting

(Encyclopedia)scene design and stage lighting, settings and illumination designed for theatrical productions. See also drama, Western; Asian drama; theater; directing; acting. Scene designers in the early 20th ce...

Browse by Subject