Mortsafes were contraptions designed to protect graves from disturbance. Resurrectionists had supplied the schools of anatomy in Scotland since the early 18th century. This was due to the necessity for medical students to learn anatomy by attending dissections of human subjects, which was frustrated by the very limited allowance of dead bodies – for example the corpses of executed criminals – granted by the government, which controlled the supply.

Bao Bao the panda, one of the National Zoological Park’s cutest inhabitants in Washington, D.C., recently celebrated her first birthday on August 23rd. As part of the celebration, Bao Bao got her very own cake. The large tiered cake showcased a big number 1.

Photographer Howard Schatz had an idea: place actors in a series of roles and dramatic situations to reveal the essence of their characters. Such was the premise behind his book, In Character: Actors Acting, which captures some of Hollywood’s most emotive stars in the act of, well, making faces. Luckily for us, he continued the tradition for Vanity Fair. Here are some of the best.

The Zelda Project is a Los Angeles, CA based group of friends who seek to bring to life the characters, settings, and overall feel of Ocarina of Time through photography and film. Our ultimate goal is to create the characters as they would appear in reality to the best of our abilities, placing them in beautiful sceneries true to their Hyrulean counterparts, and creating elaborate photosets utilizing art ranging from costuming to 3D CGI.

“KRANG from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! This oversized belt buckle is BIG, but more comfortable and wearable than you would expect. Cast in urethane resin from an original clay sculpture, hand-painted, and hard-coated with polyurethane clear coat, it's durable too. The best part is with just a few more items, this buckle is the perfect size to be used as part of a Krang costume for toddlers on Halloween or at comic conventions”.

Meeting of Hawaii artist, John Al Hogue. Known as the "Modern Master of Light", he is one of the best selling nature artists in Hawaii, Florida, and Japan. Al uses light and detailed brush strokes to allow you, the viewer, to experience the feeling of stepping into his paintings. His artwork features seascapes, cityscapes, moonscapes, sunsets, wildlife and seal life subjects.

In this publication you can see some best pictures of photographer Chris Hondros, who was killed on April 20, 2011 by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) in Misrata, Libya.

Photo: “Getty Images” photographer Chris Hondros (1970–2011) walks the ruins of a building August 21, 2006 in southern Beirut, Lebanon. (Photo by Getty Images)