Flashbak
Primates Express Deep Emotions In These Fabulous Photos
“From my perspective I can say they have distinct personalities just like people” – Pawel Bogumil ...
3 hours ago
“From my perspective I can say they have distinct personalities just like people” – Pawel Bogumil Man, the naked ape, has the brain power to acquire things and shape the word in his desire for more. Propelled by reason, atavistic impulses, vanity and validation, humanity pushes...
Flashbak
Artist Creates Brilliant Surreal Animations from Archival Photos and Film
California-based artist Bill Domonkos takes old photos and footage and turns them into surreal,...
yesterday
California-based artist Bill Domonkos takes old photos and footage and turns them into surreal, witty GIF mash-ups. As he says of his multimedia collages: I experiment by combining, altering, editing and reassembling using digital technology, special effects and animation to...
Classical Wisdom
Sparta and… Scotland?
Laconic wit through the centuries
yesterday
Laconic wit through the centuries
Patterns in Humanity
Out-of-Europe: History of Migrations to the United States
Following the Renaissance period, a transition started occurring in West Europe, with rapid...
2 days ago
Following the Renaissance period, a transition started occurring in West Europe, with rapid advancements in science and technology happening in the 1400s. With improvements in cartography, ship and other maritime technology, and an increased desire to understand and discover...
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup
Plutarch and Pleasure
2 days ago
African History...
A history of the Majeerteen Sultanate: 1700-1927.
Maritime trade and diplomacy in the northern Horn of Africa.
2 days ago
Maritime trade and diplomacy in the northern Horn of Africa.
Flashbak
The Art of Tidying Up : Artist Deconstructs Famous Paintings And Brings Life To Order
Ursus Wehrli, a Swiss comedian and experimental artist, puts things in order. In his ‘Tidying Up...
2 days ago
Ursus Wehrli, a Swiss comedian and experimental artist, puts things in order. In his ‘Tidying Up Art’ series, he rearranges paintings by artists like Jasper Johns, Pablo Picasso and Paul Klee into blocks of colour, shapes and body parts. In The Art of Cleaning Up, he sorts out...
Flashbak
Madonna Goes Punk – Hear the Dance Music Superstar Sing with Her First Band in 1979
In 1979 Madonna had been in New York City for around a year. The aspiring dancer was living with her...
3 days ago
In 1979 Madonna had been in New York City for around a year. The aspiring dancer was living with her boyfriend Dan Gilroy and his brother Ed, both of the band The Breakfast Club. Home was a converted synagogue in Corona, Queens. Gilroy taught her to play the drums. Music became...
Dreams of Space -...
Dream to Meet(1958)
A very pictorial Russian book, Dream to Meet, is basically the size of a paperback book but loaded...
4 days ago
A very pictorial Russian book, Dream to Meet, is basically the size of a paperback book but loaded with illustrations. I thought you would enjoy these images.
Lyapunov, B. Illustrated by Seleznev, E. Навстречу Мечте (Dream to Meet.)
Moscow: All-Union Educational Pedagogical...
Flashbak
War in America: The Newark Riots of 1967
“Wounded by gunshot. Joe Bass Jr., 12, lies in a Newark Street” – Newark, New Jersey, July 1967 “To...
4 days ago
“Wounded by gunshot. Joe Bass Jr., 12, lies in a Newark Street” – Newark, New Jersey, July 1967 “To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage, almost all the time” – James Baldwin In July 1967 America was at war with itself. The … Continue...
Classical Wisdom
Socrates' Wayward Student
...and the Philosophy of Pleasure
4 days ago
...and the Philosophy of Pleasure
weird medieval guys
Explore medieval life and death with these 5 brilliant interactive maps!
Travels, murders, and......eels?!!
5 days ago
Travels, murders, and......eels?!!
Flashbak
The Beauty of Vintage Czeckosolvakian Record Sleeves
The Supraphon record label opened in Czechoslovakia in 1932, selling work by the country’s artists...
5 days ago
The Supraphon record label opened in Czechoslovakia in 1932, selling work by the country’s artists produced for export by the Ultraphon company. Post World War II, Ultraphon was nationalised and changed its name to Gramofonové závody. In 1961 the name was changed to Gramofonové...
Flashbak
The Beauty of Vintage Czechoslovakian Record Sleeves
The Supraphon record label opened in Czechoslovakia in 1932, selling work by the country’s artists...
5 days ago
The Supraphon record label opened in Czechoslovakia in 1932, selling work by the country’s artists produced for export by the Ultraphon company. Post World War II, Ultraphon was nationalised and changed its name to Gramofonové závody. In 1961 the name was changed to Gramofonové...
Trying to Understand...
The Rise of Extractive Politics
It's about having small expectations.
6 days ago
It's about having small expectations.
Classical Wisdom
Jews in the Roman Bathhouse
Is it time to rethink the relationship between Judaism and Greco-Roman society?
a week ago
Is it time to rethink the relationship between Judaism and Greco-Roman society?
Flashbak
14 Neglected Beatles’ Gems
Now that The Beatles catalogue has been re-mastered in mono and stereo, attention is once again...
a week ago
Now that The Beatles catalogue has been re-mastered in mono and stereo, attention is once again focussed on The Beatles' masterpieces...
The post 14 Neglected Beatles’ Gems appeared first on Flashbak.
Flashbak
BLADE, King of Graffiti: On The Streets of NYC 1972-1984
“Before New York City made graffiti world famous, BLADE was one of the people who made it famous in...
a week ago
“Before New York City made graffiti world famous, BLADE was one of the people who made it famous in New York.” – Roger Gastman BLADE (nee Steven Ogburn; January 23rd, 1957) tagged his first train in New York city when Hondo 1 took him to Baychester layup in the Bronx to paint...
Classical Wisdom
Do You Listen Well?
Lessons on Listening from Plutarch
a week ago
Lessons on Listening from Plutarch
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup
Last Chance!
a week ago
Flashbak
The Art of Portugal Fish Cans
November 15 is the Portuguese National Day of Canned Fish. In June, Lisbon hosts a raucous Sardine...
a week ago
November 15 is the Portuguese National Day of Canned Fish. In June, Lisbon hosts a raucous Sardine Festival, an event dedicated to the city’s patron saint, St. Anthony. The county has a rich history with fish, especially those in tins. The first Portuguese company to sell...
Dreams of Space -...
The Young Adventurer's Pocket Book of Space Travel (1954)
Another illustration intensive book. This one is only 3" tall and 2 " wide so you might have missed...
a week ago
Another illustration intensive book. This one is only 3" tall and 2 " wide so you might have missed it :) . It was a premium with Mickey Mouse Weekly magazine. Evidently the magazine came with some pages that you could fold up into a tiny book. The others I have found evidence of...
Flashbak
How Child Refugees Drew The Spanish Civil War in 1936
Housed at the Southworth Spanish Civil War Collection are over 600 drawings made during the Spanish...
a week ago
Housed at the Southworth Spanish Civil War Collection are over 600 drawings made during the Spanish Civil War by Spanish school children, both in Spain and in refugee centres in France. Made from pencil, crayon, ink, and watercolours, the drawings were collected by the Spanish...
Classical Wisdom
Artemisia of Caria
Commander, Queen, and Eva Green
a week ago
Commander, Queen, and Eva Green
Flashbak
Tina Turner Sizzles For Playboy And The Rolling Stones in 1969
On 3 December 1969, The Sensational Ike And Tina Turner Revue appeared on the Hugh Hefner’s Playboy...
a week ago
On 3 December 1969, The Sensational Ike And Tina Turner Revue appeared on the Hugh Hefner’s Playboy After Dark TV show. They performed I Want To Take You Higher, Come Together, Proud Mary and Honky Tonk Woman. Hosted by Hefner, the show was aired from 1969 to 1970. It was...
Trying to Understand...
We Are All Civilisational States
It's just that some people don't realise it.
a week ago
It's just that some people don't realise it.
African History...
Persian myths and realities on the Swahili coast: contextualizing the 'Shirazi' civilization.
Why geneticists found what archeologists and historians had failed to locate.
a week ago
Why geneticists found what archeologists and historians had failed to locate.
Flashbak
Maria Reiche and the Mystery of the Nazca Lines
“If I had a hundred lifetimes, I would have given them to Nazca. And if I had to make a thousand...
a week ago
“If I had a hundred lifetimes, I would have given them to Nazca. And if I had to make a thousand sacrifices, I would have made them, if for Nazca.” – Maria Reiche Maria Reiche (15 May 1903 – 8 June 1998) was the ‘Lady of the Lines’. The German-born Peruvian mathematician,...
Classical Wisdom
Should We Follow Silly Laws?
And what happens when we don’t?
2 weeks ago
And what happens when we don’t?
Flashbak
Sol LeWitt: Variations of Incomplete Cubes, 1974
“The idea becomes a machine that makes the art” – Sol Lewitt, Paragraphs on Conceptual Art, 1967 ...
2 weeks ago
“The idea becomes a machine that makes the art” – Sol Lewitt, Paragraphs on Conceptual Art, 1967 In his Variations of Incomplete Cubes (1974), American artist Sol Lewitt (September 9, 1928 – April 8, 2007) looked at seriality and variation through a collection of 122 frame...
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup
The Best of the Best
2 weeks ago
Classical Wisdom
How to Celebrate the Love of Learning
Give a Graduate the Greatest Gift!
2 weeks ago
Give a Graduate the Greatest Gift!
Dreams of Space -...
Blast Off (1973)
This is also one of my favorite picture books, very hard to find, so I would like to share the full...
2 weeks ago
This is also one of my favorite picture books, very hard to find, so I would like to share the full book with you. And Blast Off!
Cain, Linda C. and Susan Rosenbaum. Illustrated by Dillon, Leo and Diane. Blast Off. Lexington, MA: Ginn. (24 p.) 1973.
Flashbak
Vintage Japanese Boomboxes from the 1980s
Junichi Matsuzaki collects Japanese boomboxes from the 1980s. At Design Underground Shibuya-Base in...
2 weeks ago
Junichi Matsuzaki collects Japanese boomboxes from the 1980s. At Design Underground Shibuya-Base in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, he sells new and used cassette tapes. Matsuzaki sees cassettes as a retro fashion that produces great analog sound. Unlike downloads, you actually own the...
Classical Wisdom
The Two Trojan Wars
Secret Origins
2 weeks ago
Flashbak
Richard and Mildred Loving: The Husband and Wife Whose Marriage Changed America
On July 11, 1958, Richard and Mildred Loving were pulled from their bed and arrested. The newlyweds...
2 weeks ago
On July 11, 1958, Richard and Mildred Loving were pulled from their bed and arrested. The newlyweds were accused of “miscegenation”, a crime under Virginia law and each sentenced to a year in prison, with the sentence suspended on condition that the couple leave Virginia and not...
Flashbak
Strangely Familiar: Visitors’ Views of Britain Since The 1930s
To see yourself as others see you is a gift. These pictures by international photographers reflect...
2 weeks ago
To see yourself as others see you is a gift. These pictures by international photographers reflect how they saw the place on visits to Britain since the 1930s. As the title of the show at London’s Barbican tells it, Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed by International...
Trying to Understand...
Into the Waste Land
Nothing connects.
2 weeks ago
Flashbak
Artists’ Illustrated Love Letters from the Archives
Reading other people’s love letters might be an act of voyeurism. These are personal communications...
2 weeks ago
Reading other people’s love letters might be an act of voyeurism. These are personal communications between two beating hearts. Should we look? Of course we should. The lives of others is always fascinating. Pulled from the collections of the Archives of American Art, the...
Classical Wisdom
Can We Choose NOT to Be Harmed?
How can we train Resilience?
3 weeks ago
How can we train Resilience?
Flashbak
In Your Face: Mark Cohen’s Dark Knees
“I would have loved to have been like Dorothea Lange – socially concerned. But when I was trapped in...
3 weeks ago
“I would have loved to have been like Dorothea Lange – socially concerned. But when I was trapped in Wilkes-Barre for the next fifty years, I became a surrealist.” – Mark Cohen Mark Cohen’s Dark Knees photo book continues his association with Wilkes-Barre, the small...
African History...
A history of the Rozvi kingdom (1680-1830)
From Changamire's expulsion of the Portuguese to the ruined cities of Zimbabwe.
3 weeks ago
From Changamire's expulsion of the Portuguese to the ruined cities of Zimbabwe.
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup
Sacred Flames and Divine Philosophers
3 weeks ago
Sacred Flames and Divine Philosophers
Flashbak
Selling Sex in Soho in the 1980s
You can buy sex by the minute. Which is why what are euphemistically called ‘adult’ videos sold so...
3 weeks ago
You can buy sex by the minute. Which is why what are euphemistically called ‘adult’ videos sold so well before the internet made them free to air. London’s Soho was once a centre of the trade in pornographic films on VHS, and Betamax for kinkier onanists. Seedy Soho has long been...
Dreams of Space -...
One, Two (1965)
The next few posts are some of my favorite picture books. The 1st from 1965 is a very basic counting...
3 weeks ago
The next few posts are some of my favorite picture books. The 1st from 1965 is a very basic counting book about spaceflight. I hope that you find it as charming as I do.
DeCaprio, Annie and David Krieger. Illustrated by Nydorf, Seymour. One, Two. New York: Wonder Books. (24 p.)...
Classical Wisdom
Empedocles
The Philosopher God?
3 weeks ago
Flashbak
27 Fantastic Vintage Photos of Birds
Birds sing because they enjoy singing. The more they do it, the better at it they get. And birds are...
3 weeks ago
Birds sing because they enjoy singing. The more they do it, the better at it they get. And birds are great singers. It’s one of the reasons people like them as pets. In this gallery of photos from the collection of Robert E. Jackson, we see people with birds. As ever, let’s...
Flashbak
Truman Capote In Brooklyn – A Photo Story from 1959
“I live in Brooklyn. By choice” – Truman Capote Truman Capote (1924–1984) put Brooklyn, New...
3 weeks ago
“I live in Brooklyn. By choice” – Truman Capote Truman Capote (1924–1984) put Brooklyn, New York, on the literary map when in 1959 he wrote the essay Brooklyn Heights, a Personal Memoir about his adopted home neighbourhood for Holiday magazine. David Attie (1920–1982) was...
Trying to Understand...
Honesty: What's In It For Me?
First, do lots of harm.
3 weeks ago
Classical Wisdom
Why Should We Care About Children?
Bringing History to the Future
3 weeks ago
Bringing History to the Future
weird medieval guys
Why did medieval people invent so many collective nouns?
A pride of lions, a paddling of ducks, and....a herd of harlots?
4 weeks ago
A pride of lions, a paddling of ducks, and....a herd of harlots?
Flashbak
Georgia O’Keeffe Photographs – Seeing Infinity
“It is only by selection, by elimination, by emphasis that we get at the real meaning of things.” –...
4 weeks ago
“It is only by selection, by elimination, by emphasis that we get at the real meaning of things.” – Georgia O’Keeffe The show Georgia O’Keeffe, Photographer at the Cincinnati Art Museum features around 100 of the artist’s photographs, many taken of her New Mexico home and the...
Classical Wisdom
Why Did Rome Fall?
& Which Lesson Should We Take Away?
4 weeks ago
& Which Lesson Should We Take Away?
Flashbak
The Cage – The Boovie Visual-Novel by Martin Vaughn-James, 1975
British artist Martin Vaughn-James (December 5, 1943 – July 3, 2009) is arguably best remembered for...
a month ago
British artist Martin Vaughn-James (December 5, 1943 – July 3, 2009) is arguably best remembered for a series of graphic novels he published while living in Toronto and Montreal in the 1970s: Elephant (1970), The Projector (1971), The Park (1972) and The Cage (1975) – works that...
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup
Lost and Found
a month ago
African History...
A history of the Loango kingdom (ca.1500-1883) : Power, Ivory and Art in west-central Africa.
Africa's past carved in ivory
a month ago
Africa's past carved in ivory
Flashbak
Photographs of A Coronation Street Party in 1953
On 2 June 1953, photographer John Chillingworth was on Morpeth Street in London’s Bethnal Green. The...
a month ago
On 2 June 1953, photographer John Chillingworth was on Morpeth Street in London’s Bethnal Green. The residents of this road in the East End were out in force. They’d come to enjoy themselves. They had good reason to. Not long enough before, the Germans had bombed the area. The...
Flashbak
See The Gilded Cage and Other Decorations for Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation – 1953
Hugh Casson’s (23 May 1910 – 15 August 1999) role as Consultant Architect for street decorations in...
a month ago
Hugh Casson’s (23 May 1910 – 15 August 1999) role as Consultant Architect for street decorations in Westminster to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953 saw him create designs in tune with the streets they would adorn. His mantra was: “The Queen will have...
Dreams of Space -...
Exploring Space (Hebrew) (1960)
The Hebrew version of Exploring Space. If you notice it opens right to left. So you will see a few...
a month ago
The Hebrew version of Exploring Space. If you notice it opens right to left. So you will see a few pages where the Hebrew version "switches" sides. Because this is such a charming book I have loaded the whole thing. As an additional treat I own some of the original illustration...
Classical Wisdom
Ancient Greece's Master Sculptor
The Life and Work of Pheidias
a month ago
The Life and Work of Pheidias
Flashbak
Special Instructions To Players – 1898
In 1898, Major League Baseball teams received the following memo. John Brush (June 15, 1845 –...
a month ago
In 1898, Major League Baseball teams received the following memo. John Brush (June 15, 1845 – November 26, 1912), an American baseball executive and later principal owner of the New York Giants franchise in Major League Baseball wanted to rid the sport of filthy language. The...
Flashbak
30 Fabulous Vintage Photos of Dogs
In 2020, we shared Libby Hall’s photography collection of people and their Jack Russell terriers....
a month ago
In 2020, we shared Libby Hall’s photography collection of people and their Jack Russell terriers. Between 1966 and 2008, native New Yorker Libby Hall collected over 900 photographs of dogs circa 1850 to 1940. You might have seen them in her five books? Libby donated her...
Flashbak
People on the Streets of New York City – 1970s, 80s, 90s
“I have always been more interested in the subtle and familiar moments of everyday life, not the big...
a month ago
“I have always been more interested in the subtle and familiar moments of everyday life, not the big news stories. They are telling in different ways and just as powerful. Nothing was scripted but played out right before me.” – Carrie Boretz Carrie Boretzs show us New York City...
Trying to Understand...
War Is Complicated.
And not just the fighting bit.
a month ago
And not just the fighting bit.
Classical Wisdom
12 Ancient Greek Terms that Should Totally Make a Comeback
Eudaimonia, Arete, and much more...
a month ago
Eudaimonia, Arete, and much more...
Flashbak
London Garages In The 1980s And 90s
Many of London’s garages have now gone. Peter Marshall captured a few on camera as he strolled about...
a month ago
Many of London’s garages have now gone. Peter Marshall captured a few on camera as he strolled about the city in the 1980s and 90s. The Romans founded London in 43 AD, and brought roads with them. As the hub of Roman Britain, straight road suited to invading marching up and...
African History...
A history of the south-western Saharan towns of Tichitt, Walata, Wadan and Chinguetti (800-1912)
Trade and civilization on west-africa's desert frontier
a month ago
Trade and civilization on west-africa's desert frontier
African History...
A history of the south-western Saharan towns of Tichitt, Walata, Wadan and Chinguetti (800-1912)
Trade and civilization on west-africa's desert frontier
a month ago
Trade and civilization on west-africa's desert frontier
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup
Marcus Aurelius' Birthday Celebrations
a month ago
Marcus Aurelius' Birthday Celebrations
Flashbak
Paul Sougy : Luminous Illustrations Of Animals – c. 1952
A whole back we looked at Paul Sougy’s mid-Century scientific illustrations of the human body....
a month ago
A whole back we looked at Paul Sougy’s mid-Century scientific illustrations of the human body. Designed as large pull down charts for French classroom walls, Sougy also illustrated animals and plants. The Library at Artois University features a large collection of his work. But...
Flashbak
Francesca Woodman’s Recipe for Frizzy Omelette – Rome, 1978
Francesca Woodman (April 3, 1958 – January 19, 1981) was an American photographer best known for her...
a month ago
Francesca Woodman (April 3, 1958 – January 19, 1981) was an American photographer best known for her black and white pictures featuring either herself or female models. Many of her photographs show the subjects blurred, merging with their surroundings, or whose faces are...
Dreams of Space -...
Satellites As A Hobby (1962)
Satellites as a Hobby was a children's book from Hammond (the atlas people) They commissioned and...
a month ago
Satellites as a Hobby was a children's book from Hammond (the atlas people) They commissioned and created a space map in 1958 (see Sept 8, 2011 blog post). They reused these illustration in several publication which may explain why they seem a little "dated" for 1962. This book...
Classical Wisdom
The Myth of the Minotaur
Journey Into the Labyrinth
a month ago
Journey Into the Labyrinth
Flashbak
Found Photos of People And Their Television Sets
In the pre-internet mid-Century, owning a TV set was a source of pride. It connected you to...
a month ago
In the pre-internet mid-Century, owning a TV set was a source of pride. It connected you to knowledge presented by people who seemed too big to be on it – not by girth, rather by style and more keenly substance. And it filled a corner in the living room and duly turned up in...
Flashbak
Guerrilla Girls Posters in the 1980s – The Art Of Shaming The System
The Guerrilla Girls movement against sexism and racism in the art world began in 1984. The Museum of...
a month ago
The Guerrilla Girls movement against sexism and racism in the art world began in 1984. The Museum of Modern Art in New York City was showing an International Survey of Recent Painting and Sculpture. Of the group show’s 165 featured artists, just 13 were women. Outraged by the...
Trying to Understand...
Let's Hear It For The "Underlying Causes."
Here's the answer. What was the question again?
a month ago
Here's the answer. What was the question again?
Classical Wisdom
[Ebook] The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius The Meditations (or Things to One’s Self) of Marcus Aurelius...
a month ago
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius The Meditations (or Things to One’s Self) of Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD) gives you a prescribed way in which you can actually reduce genuine suffering in your life because Rome’s great “philosopher king” lays out a very compelling, very...
Flashbak
The First Photograph of People Enjoying a Drink – An Edinburgh Pub, 1843
Robert Adamson (26 April 1821 – 14 January 1848) was a Scottish chemist and pioneer photographer who...
a month ago
Robert Adamson (26 April 1821 – 14 January 1848) was a Scottish chemist and pioneer photographer who together with painter David Octavius Hill (20 May 1802 – 17 May 1870) in 1843 – just four years after the invention of photography had been announced – formed Hill & Adamson, a...
Flashbak
Photographs of a Tourist’s Trip to Africa in August 1970
In August 1970, Allan Hailstone left London for holiday in Cape Town, Cairo, Nairobi, Pretoria,...
a month ago
In August 1970, Allan Hailstone left London for holiday in Cape Town, Cairo, Nairobi, Pretoria, Johannesburg and Salisbury in Rhodesia (now Harare in Zimbabwe). There were no UK consular links in Rhodesia. The only air link to it was from apartheid South Africa so he had to...
Classical Wisdom
Marcus Aurelius VS Diogenes
Comparing the Stoics and the Cynics...
a month ago
Comparing the Stoics and the Cynics...
Flashbak
Highlights From The Artist Book Collection at the John F Flaxman Library – 1960-Present Day
Housed at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Library & Special Collections, The Joan Flasch...
a month ago
Housed at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Library & Special Collections, The Joan Flasch Artists’ Book Collection (JFABC) features over 12,000 artists’ books, zines, multiples, video and audio recordings, digital works, periodicals, and other intimate works of art and...
Patterns in Humanity
When few do great harm
Power laws in criminal behavior
a month ago
Power laws in criminal behavior
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup
Blindspots and Biographies
a month ago
Blindspots and Biographies
African History...
The complete history of Kano (999-1903)
journal of African cities chapter 9
a month ago
journal of African cities chapter 9
African History...
The complete history of Kano (999-1903)
journal of African cities chapter 9
a month ago
journal of African cities chapter 9
weird medieval guys
What does a biblically accurate angel actually look like?
Sexy? Scary? Both?
a month ago
Flashbak
The Industrial Beauty of Vintage Gas Pumps
On the outskirts of Milan, Italy, the Fisogni museum is dedicated to petrol / gas station pumps and...
a month ago
On the outskirts of Milan, Italy, the Fisogni museum is dedicated to petrol / gas station pumps and ephemera. The pumps are gorgeous. We like things with buttons, dials. Paint them in vivid colours and decorate them with fonts designed by leading graphic designers, and you’ve got...
Dreams of Space -...
Collier's Encyclopedia Space Articles (1959)
This is a pamphlet distributed to schools to convince student and teachers to buy their...
a month ago
This is a pamphlet distributed to schools to convince student and teachers to buy their encyclopedia. It was also a nice "free" classroom supplement for teachers trying to teach about the coming space age.
This last essay is actually from 1952, it is a nice...
Flashbak
Bethnal Green In Colour – 1986-1993
“Don’t tell them where you live” – Esther Cohen to her daughter Sadie, Brady Street Dwellings,...
a month ago
“Don’t tell them where you live” – Esther Cohen to her daughter Sadie, Brady Street Dwellings, Bethnal Green, East London, c. 1908 Brady Street in Whitechapel, East London, runs from Whitechapel Road in the south to Three Colts Lane, near Bethnal Green Tube station, in the...
Classical Wisdom
The First Biographers
...and the Surprising Legacy of Ancient Literature
a month ago
...and the Surprising Legacy of Ancient Literature
Flashbak
First Men To The Moon by Rocketeer Wernher von Braun – 1960
As the space race heated up, in 1960 rocketeer Wernher von Braun (23 March 1912 – 16 June 1977)...
a month ago
As the space race heated up, in 1960 rocketeer Wernher von Braun (23 March 1912 – 16 June 1977) published First Men To The Moon, a fictional book based on two astronauts of the future bound for the Moon. As the book’s dedication page notes: “To Iris and Margrit [von Braun’s...
Trying to Understand...
If We Had More Than a Hammer ...
We might not be in this mess.
a month ago
We might not be in this mess.
Classical Wisdom
[Video] Roundtable Discussion with Mary Naples
Watch now (60 min) | Cult of the Capture Bride: How Ancient Women Took Power
a month ago
Watch now (60 min) | Cult of the Capture Bride: How Ancient Women Took Power
Flashbak
I Was a Mid-Century Look Away Knitting Pattern Model
A while back we introduced readers to the University of Southhampton’s online Knitting Reference...
a month ago
A while back we introduced readers to the University of Southhampton’s online Knitting Reference Library, a treasure trove of knitting patterns, knitting journals, ‘stitchionaries’, knitting magazines and knitting books from 1849 to the present day. But before you get to the...
Flashbak
Exercise Your Brain With An Antilibrary Of Unread Books And Why Umberto Eco Kept One
“Knowledge sets us free, art sets us free. A great library is freedom” – Ursula K. Le Guin Ever...
a month ago
“Knowledge sets us free, art sets us free. A great library is freedom” – Ursula K. Le Guin Ever buy a book and not read it? The Japanese have a word for amassing books and leaving them unread. It’s tsundoku (積ん読), which literally means reading pile (積ん読). It’s no bad thing to...
Classical Wisdom
Events Listing
Ancient Women, Marcus Aurelius, Economics and Resilience...
a month ago
Ancient Women, Marcus Aurelius, Economics and Resilience...
Flashbak
Photos of London’s Cinemas in the 1980s
They don’t make them like they used to. Not only the films, but the cinemas, too. London was once...
a month ago
They don’t make them like they used to. Not only the films, but the cinemas, too. London was once replete with picture palaces built in Deco and neo-classic fashion in successful bids to stand out on the high street, with many buildings that once housed them like the Brixton...
weird medieval guys
No, the King doesn't own all the swans in Britain
So who does?
a month ago
African History...
A history of the west African diaspora in Arabia and Jerusalem before 1900
The legacy of west African travel to Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.
a month ago
The legacy of west African travel to Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.
African History...
A history of the west African diaspora in Arabia and Jerusalem before 1900
The legacy of west African travel to Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.
a month ago
The legacy of west African travel to Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.
Flashbak
A Medieval Archbishop’s Graphic Poems Of Jesus and The Cross (810-814)
Rabanus Maurus (also called Hrabanus Magnentius), (born c. 780, Mainz, Franconia—died Feb. 4, 856,...
a month ago
Rabanus Maurus (also called Hrabanus Magnentius), (born c. 780, Mainz, Franconia—died Feb. 4, 856, Winkel),) was an eniment teacher, Benedictine abbot, archbishop of Mainz and encyclopedist. Among a rich body of work, (treatises, military texts and missives), he wrote De laudibus...
Dreams of Space -...
The Conquest of Space (1962?)
I last blogged about this book in 2015 so it is time for a revisit. I got a second copy that has a...
a month ago
I last blogged about this book in 2015 so it is time for a revisit. I got a second copy that has a couple of things I had not seen before. The Conquest of Space is a 1962 (?) Australian stamp album. It is intended for children to collect paper stamps they get in Nestle chocolate...
Dreams of Space -...
Yuri's Night is April 12th!
Dream About Gagarin (1961)
Celebrating "Yuri's Night." This is the celebration of Yuri...
a month ago
Dream About Gagarin (1961)
Celebrating "Yuri's Night." This is the celebration of Yuri Gagarin 1st manned flight into space in Vostok 1, which completed one orbit of Earth on 12 April 1961. So this book is also from 1961 suggesting that children should dream of this...
Trying to Understand...
Teach Your Children ....
Not to be afraid of moral relativism.
a month ago
Not to be afraid of moral relativism.
African History...
Join me on Notes
"On the Zanzibari envoy to 11th century china and the recent Swahili-Persian DNA study"
a month ago
"On the Zanzibari envoy to 11th century china and the recent Swahili-Persian DNA study"
African History...
Join me on Notes
"On the Zanzibari envoy to 11th century china and the recent Swahili-Persian DNA study"
a month ago
"On the Zanzibari envoy to 11th century china and the recent Swahili-Persian DNA study"
weird medieval guys
Do you have less free time than a medieval peasant?
A look at the source and historical background behind a notorious claim
a month ago
A look at the source and historical background behind a notorious claim
African History...
The complete history of Gondar: Africa's city of castles (1636-1900)
Journal of African cities chapter 8
a month ago
Journal of African cities chapter 8
African History...
The complete history of Gondar: Africa's city of castles (1636-1900)
Journal of African cities chapter 8
a month ago
Journal of African cities chapter 8
Dreams of Space -...
The Man Who Sold The Moon (1951 edition)
This is a 1951 paperback collection of 4 Robert Heinlein stories. Normally I would not blog about a...
2 months ago
This is a 1951 paperback collection of 4 Robert Heinlein stories. Normally I would not blog about a science fiction collection but I found this charming. I imagined some older avid child finding this collection and devouring it. Both the title and cover have a lot of appeal and...
weird medieval guys
The coolest medieval woman you've never heard of
Christine de Pizan on Circe, Medusa, and other virtuous ladies
2 months ago
Christine de Pizan on Circe, Medusa, and other virtuous ladies
Trying to Understand...
Macron is Safe for the Moment
But the future worries me.
2 months ago
But the future worries me.
weird medieval guys
Medieval Muslims loved their cats so much
Cat shelters, cat shoes, cat jewellery, and more from the Islamic Middle Ages
2 months ago
Cat shelters, cat shoes, cat jewellery, and more from the Islamic Middle Ages
African History...
When Africa discovered Europe
*my article for New Lines Magazine
2 months ago
*my article for New Lines Magazine
African History...
When Africa discovered Europe
*my article for New Lines Magazine
2 months ago
*my article for New Lines Magazine
Dreams of Space -...
Das Neue Universum, Volume 67 (1950)
Das Neue Universum (The New Universe) was a German science annual series aimed at older...
2 months ago
Das Neue Universum (The New Universe) was a German science annual series aimed at older children.
From the German Wikipedia site (translated) : "The New Universe is a German children's literature series with themes in the fields of knowledge , research , adventure and...
weird medieval guys
Why medieval artists drew ancient Romans in medieval clothes
Or, how the French stole Julius Caesar in 1200 AD
2 months ago
Or, how the French stole Julius Caesar in 1200 AD
Trying to Understand...
The Threat of Back to Normal
Global power has always been distributed.
2 months ago
Global power has always been distributed.
Patterns in Humanity
The Rise of the West
I track the historical rise of West Europe by quantitatively analyzing the birth of notable people...
2 months ago
I track the historical rise of West Europe by quantitatively analyzing the birth of notable people of science, and then I put it in context with other indicators of historical development. The data together show that West Europe had developmentally surpassed the rest of the world...
African History...
A history of Zanzibar before the Omanis (600-1873)
Journal of African cities chapter 7
2 months ago
Journal of African cities chapter 7
African History...
A history of Zanzibar before the Omanis (600-1873)
Journal of African cities chapter 7
2 months ago
Journal of African cities chapter 7
Dreams of Space -...
The Solar System Pop-up Book (1978?)
My first Greek space book. This is a fun pop-up book I found recently. It is pretty basic but I...
2 months ago
My first Greek space book. This is a fun pop-up book I found recently. It is pretty basic but I really like space pop-up books for their design and impact.
Adelva. The Solar System Pop-up Book. Greece: Dotam International. 12 pp. 1978
Trying to Understand...
Understanding What's Happening in France.
The kinetic phase may come next.
2 months ago
The kinetic phase may come next.
African History...
The desert town of Southern Africa: A history of Khauxanas 1780-1906
A view of pre-colonial Namibia from the khoisan town of ||Khauxa!nas.
2 months ago
A view of pre-colonial Namibia from the khoisan town of ||Khauxa!nas.
African History...
The desert town of Southern Africa: A history of Khauxanas 1780-1906
A view of pre-colonial Namibia from the khoisan town of ||Khauxa!nas.
2 months ago
A view of pre-colonial Namibia from the khoisan town of ||Khauxa!nas.
Dreams of Space -...
Gumby and Pokey Coloring Book (1966)
Since part of this blog is reliving the joys of my childhood I need to talk about Gumby and Pokey....
2 months ago
Since part of this blog is reliving the joys of my childhood I need to talk about Gumby and Pokey. Gumby was a television show for children that ran (at least for me) from 1953-1969. It was stop-motion animated adventures of two figure made of "clay." It was a highlight of my...
Trying to Understand...
Their Enemies The Russians
But what about the rest of us?
2 months ago
But what about the rest of us?
African History...
A complete history of Dogon country: Bandiagara from 1900BC to 1900AD
demystifying an ancient African society
2 months ago
demystifying an ancient African society
African History...
A complete history of Dogon country: Bandiagara from 1900BC to 1900AD
demystifying an ancient African society
2 months ago
demystifying an ancient African society
Dreams of Space -...
Building Reading Skills (1951)
Today is a series of school spelling workbooks. What does that have to do with space? They chose an...
2 months ago
Today is a series of school spelling workbooks. What does that have to do with space? They chose an aerospace theme for their series of books and since spaceflight was the trend for children they "branded" them. Truly these are pretty dull books even with a couple of space...
Trying to Understand...
Let's Be Enemies
Since it seems to be the fashion these days.
3 months ago
Since it seems to be the fashion these days.
African History...
A complete history of Jenne: 250BC-1893AD
Journal of African cities chapter 6
3 months ago
Journal of African cities chapter 6
African History...
A complete history of Jenne: 250BC-1893AD
Journal of African cities chapter 6
3 months ago
Journal of African cities chapter 6
Trying to Understand...
You And Whose Army?
NATO would do well to stay out of Ukraine.
3 months ago
NATO would do well to stay out of Ukraine.
African History...
A political history of the Kotoko city states (ca. 1000-1900)
Urbanism and state building in the lake chad basin..
3 months ago
Urbanism and state building in the lake chad basin..
African History...
A political history of the Kotoko city states (ca. 1000-1900)
Urbanism and state building in the lake chad basin..
3 months ago
Urbanism and state building in the lake chad basin..
Dreams of Space -...
Into Space: Man's First Controlled Space Flight (1961)
A bit of ephemera today. This is a pamphlet from a Revell Model Kit. They issued this kit quickly to...
3 months ago
A bit of ephemera today. This is a pamphlet from a Revell Model Kit. They issued this kit quickly to take advantage of the excitement about this launch. So they had to include a booklet to explain why this slightly inaccurate model was so special. Imagine opening the model kit...
Trying to Understand...
In Praise of the Preterite
Or, why you should read "Gravity’s Rainbow" fifty years later.
3 months ago
Or, why you should read "Gravity’s Rainbow" fifty years later.
African History...
The pyramids of ancient Nubia and Meroe: death on the Nile and the mortuary architecture of Kush
a complete history of an African monument
3 months ago
a complete history of an African monument
African History...
The pyramids of ancient Nubia and Meroe: death on the Nile and the mortuary architecture of Kush
a complete history of an African monument
3 months ago
a complete history of an African monument
Patterns in Humanity
The Effects of Immigration in Denmark
First, I briefly summarize statistics on the fiscal impact of immigration in Denmark, taken from an...
3 months ago
First, I briefly summarize statistics on the fiscal impact of immigration in Denmark, taken from an official government report. Second, I add my own analysis on violent crime conviction rates by nation of origin. Together they give a more complete overview of immigration in...
Dr Alun Withey
The Health Risks of Travel in Early-Modern Britain
As I start to make some progress on my new research project on travel, health and risk I am turning...
3 months ago
As I start to make some progress on my new research project on travel, health and risk I am turning my attention to the sorts of things that early modern travellers were fearful of. As a bit of a nervous traveller myself, it’s quite comforting to know that there is actually a...
Trying to Understand...
How About a Victory for the Left Occasionally?
Here are a few modest ideas.
3 months ago
Here are a few modest ideas.
Patterns in Humanity
Mental Health and Social Stratification
In this post I summarize some research on the importance of mental health for social outcomes and...
3 months ago
In this post I summarize some research on the importance of mental health for social outcomes and discuss some of the implications for social stratification. Mental Disorders in the Labor Market Mental disorder is a great burden for the people who suffer from them and for
African History...
Economic growth and social transformation in 19th century Somalia.
Desert caravans, coastal cities and population movements
3 months ago
Desert caravans, coastal cities and population movements
African History...
Economic growth and social transformation in 19th century Somalia.
Desert caravans, coastal cities and population movements
3 months ago
Desert caravans, coastal cities and population movements
Trying to Understand...
Will it Bend or Will it Break?
The international system, that is.
3 months ago
The international system, that is.
African History...
The Dahlak islands and the African dynasty of Yemen
a complete history of a cosmopolitan archipelago in the red sea (4th-19th century)
4 months ago
a complete history of a cosmopolitan archipelago in the red sea (4th-19th century)
African History...
The Dahlak islands and the African dynasty of Yemen
a complete history of a cosmopolitan archipelago in the red sea (4th-19th century)
4 months ago
a complete history of a cosmopolitan archipelago in the red sea (4th-19th century)
Trying to Understand...
Everything is (Somewhat) Connected.
But some things are more connected than others.
4 months ago
But some things are more connected than others.
African History...
A social history of the Lamu city-state (1370-1885)
Journal of African cities chapter 5
4 months ago
Journal of African cities chapter 5
African History...
A social history of the Lamu city-state (1370-1885)
Journal of African cities chapter 5
4 months ago
Journal of African cities chapter 5
Dreams of Space -...
Telstar: Communication Break-through by Satellite (1962)
Sorry to skip a week, it may happen again next week.
Here is a straight history book of an current...
4 months ago
Sorry to skip a week, it may happen again next week.
Here is a straight history book of an current (at the time) and wonderful event in global communication. We has lost track of how satellites have changed our lives and made the earth a smaller place. It is a little dull in...
Trying to Understand...
They Say They Want Rearmament ....
We-ell, you know ....
4 months ago
African History...
An episode of Naval warfare on the East African coast: the Sakalava invasions of 1792-1817
Between Madagascar and the Swahili world.
4 months ago
Between Madagascar and the Swahili world.
African History...
An episode of Naval warfare on the East African coast: the Sakalava invasions of 1792-1817
Between Madagascar and the Swahili world.
4 months ago
Between Madagascar and the Swahili world.
Trying to Understand...
Russia/Ukraine is not a sports competition.
Victory in war requires a bit of thought.
4 months ago
Victory in war requires a bit of thought.
Patterns in Humanity
Constructing Missing Crime Tables
Here I take the raw data from the National Crime Victimization Surveys and construct summary results...
4 months ago
Here I take the raw data from the National Crime Victimization Surveys and construct summary results missing from recent reports. Introduction The National Crime Victimization Survey is the primary source of information on criminal victimization in the United States. The survey...
African History...
The Swazi kingdom and its neighbours in the 19th century: from the rise of Zulu to the British
an island in the maelstrom
4 months ago
an island in the maelstrom
African History...
The Swazi kingdom and its neighbours in the 19th century: from the rise of Zulu to the British
an island in the maelstrom
4 months ago
an island in the maelstrom
Trying to Understand...
And Now for Something Completely Different.
Am I me? Are You you? ?
4 months ago
Dreams of Space -...
Hombres Del Espacio (1960)
So a fun one today. This is so silly and dated that I almost feel like apologizing, but I won't....
4 months ago
So a fun one today. This is so silly and dated that I almost feel like apologizing, but I won't. This is the story of the exploration of space and has to be seen! It might have been assembled from stills from a Spanish film (I don't recognize it so feel free to tell me). But...
Trying to Understand...
No Cheers for Authoritarianism
Remind me what it was, exactly ....
4 months ago
Remind me what it was, exactly ....
African History...
The kingdom of Ndongo and the Portuguese: Queen Njinga and the dynasty of women sovereigns...
The effects of early colonial warfare in central Africa
4 months ago
The effects of early colonial warfare in central Africa
African History...
The kingdom of Ndongo and the Portuguese: Queen Njinga and the dynasty of women sovereigns...
The effects of early colonial warfare in central Africa
4 months ago
The effects of early colonial warfare in central Africa
Trying to Understand...
The West is Weak Where it Matters ...
...and some of the consequences are not obvious.
5 months ago
...and some of the consequences are not obvious.
Patterns in Humanity
Which European Nations Are Overrepresented in the History of Science?
Here I investigate whether the differences in number of notable people across Europe can be...
5 months ago
Here I investigate whether the differences in number of notable people across Europe can be attributed to differences in population sizes. In an earlier blog post, I tracked the European geographical distribution of over 5,000 notable people in science born between 1000 and 1850...
Dreams of Space -...
What the Moon Is Like (1963)
Happy 2023, this book is 60 years old this year and still seems as fresh as ever since we are...
5 months ago
Happy 2023, this book is 60 years old this year and still seems as fresh as ever since we are exploring the Moon again.
What the Moon is Like is another book by the children's science writer Franklyn Branley. He wrote many children's non-fiction books with a variety of...
African History...
Mansa Musa and the royal pilgrimage tradition of west Africa: 11th-18th century
Why Africa's caravans of gold stopped travelling to Arabia.
5 months ago
Why Africa's caravans of gold stopped travelling to Arabia.
African History...
Mansa Musa and the royal pilgrimage tradition of west Africa: 11th-18th century
Why Africa's caravans of gold stopped travelling to Arabia.
5 months ago
Why Africa's caravans of gold stopped travelling to Arabia.
Dreams of Space -...
Utazas a vilagurbe/ Into Space (1978)
A little out of my defined time period but too good not to share. This pop-up book was part of the...
5 months ago
A little out of my defined time period but too good not to share. This pop-up book was part of the burst in Russian children's publishing in 1978. It was originally published in Russian but I have seen copies in English and this one in Hungarian. The pop-ups are wonderful and...
Trying to Understand...
The Year's Midnight.
Kindness can be a revolutionary act.
5 months ago
Kindness can be a revolutionary act.
African History...
Empire building and Government in the Yorubaland: a history of Oyo (1600-1836)
Why Africa's internal political processes explain African history better than external actors.
5 months ago
Why Africa's internal political processes explain African history better than external actors.
African History...
Empire building and Government in the Yorubaland: a history of Oyo (1600-1836)
Why Africa's internal political processes explain African history better than external actors.
5 months ago
Why Africa's internal political processes explain African history better than external actors.
Dreams of Space -...
Women's Day -August (1953) Part 3
From the same 1953 Women's Day issue comes my final posting from this "space packed" issue. For an...
5 months ago
From the same 1953 Women's Day issue comes my final posting from this "space packed" issue. For an early Christmas present to yourself or a craft project to make the perfect present for someone else, here are the plans for making some nifty space helmets!
Trying to Understand...
Ukraine and the end of "Europe."
Nation-states were the problem: supranationality was not the answer.
5 months ago
Nation-states were the problem: supranationality was not the answer.
African History...
An African civilization in the heart of the Sahara: the Kawar oasis-towns from 850-1913
castles, salt and dates
5 months ago
Dreams of Space -...
Women's Day -August (1953) Part 2
Another article that appeared in this August 1953 issue is about the current fictional space flight...
5 months ago
Another article that appeared in this August 1953 issue is about the current fictional space flight programs on TV: Rocket-Bye Baby.
Trying to Understand...
Peter Pan goes to Ukraine
Some people never grow up.
6 months ago
Some people never grow up.
Patterns in Humanity
Geographical Distribution of Ancestry in the U.S.
This post illustrates the geographical distributions of self-reported race, ethnicity and ancestry...
6 months ago
This post illustrates the geographical distributions of self-reported race, ethnicity and ancestry in the United States. In the United States, demographic statistics are often reported and discussed at the state level. But counties, totaling more than 3,000 nationally, represent...
African History...
A complete history of Harar; the city of Saints (1050-1887 AD)
Journal of African cities chapter-4
6 months ago
Journal of African cities chapter-4
Dreams of Space -...
Women's Day -August (1953) Part 1
Women's Day magazine also got involved in the spaceflight fad in the early 1950s. This 1953 (August)...
6 months ago
Women's Day magazine also got involved in the spaceflight fad in the early 1950s. This 1953 (August) issue had a number of space related articles including: Will Your Child Visit The Moon? The article makes the case to the mothers of America that travel into space and the Moon is...
Trying to Understand...
Don't Give Peace Too Many Chances.
Nothing is more dangerous than a flawed peace treaty.
6 months ago
Nothing is more dangerous than a flawed peace treaty.
African History...
Demystifying the land of Punt and locating ancient Egypt's place in African History
On early state formation in the northern Horn of Africa (2700BC-800BC)
6 months ago
On early state formation in the northern Horn of Africa (2700BC-800BC)
Dreams of Space -...
Searching In Science (1965)
To continue with my post from last week, Searching in Science was another science textbook that also...
6 months ago
To continue with my post from last week, Searching in Science was another science textbook that also issued booklets of content. These were more astronomy than manned space flight but also had some very nice illustrations.
The Moon
The Milky Way and The...
Trying to Understand...
It's War, Josep, But Not As We Know It
Trying to understand what Ukraine is all about.
6 months ago
Trying to understand what Ukraine is all about.
African History...
The stone ruins of Bokoni: egalitarian systems and agricultural technology in pre-colonial South...
challenging conventional narratives on pre-colonial Africa's social order and agricultural...
6 months ago
challenging conventional narratives on pre-colonial Africa's social order and agricultural practices.
Patterns in Humanity
Notable People in Science, Europe 1000-1850
Based on a publicly available dataset, I track the European geographical distribution of notable...
6 months ago
Based on a publicly available dataset, I track the European geographical distribution of notable scientists, philosophers, and other intellectuals from 1000 AD until the Industrial Revolution. Here I give a brief overview of the analysis and then I list the particularly...
Dreams of Space -...
Looking Into Science (1965)
Here is a re-post, with new scans, of one of my most popular series of books. There was a 1965...
6 months ago
Here is a re-post, with new scans, of one of my most popular series of books. There was a 1965 textbook for children call Looking Into Science. They reused the contents in a series of booklets that I would like to share with you. There were a large number of these booklets...
African History...
State archives and scribal practices in central Africa: A literary history of Kahenda (1677-1926)
Exercising and negotiating power through writing.
6 months ago
Exercising and negotiating power through writing.
Dreams of Space -...
I See The Earth! (1968)
I See The Earth! was a young adult/adult book about what technology would be like in the future. It...
6 months ago
I See The Earth! was a young adult/adult book about what technology would be like in the future. It included exploring and farming the ocean, monorails, huge cities and space exploration. The illustration in the margins are small but I rather enjoyed the space flight...
African History...
An enigmatic west African Art tradition: The 9th century bronze-works of Igbo Ukwu.
grave-goods of a priest-king
7 months ago
grave-goods of a priest-king
Dreams of Space -...
Moon Fleet Log Book (1966)
The Moon Fleet Log Book was a book distributed by Wall's Ice Cream to collect space cards that came...
7 months ago
The Moon Fleet Log Book was a book distributed by Wall's Ice Cream to collect space cards that came with the ice cream. There were spaces for 24 cards. This book was incomplete but still worth sharing with you.
African History...
The invention of writing in an African kingdom: a history of the Bamum script (1897-1931)
"Our memories are fallible. We need a way to keep the word, in a way that it will speak for us, even...
7 months ago
"Our memories are fallible. We need a way to keep the word, in a way that it will speak for us, even in our absence"
Dreams of Space -...
Rockets - The Magazine of Space Flight (May 1947)
Continuing with my post from last week, some excerpts from the May 1947 issue of Rockets - The...
7 months ago
Continuing with my post from last week, some excerpts from the May 1947 issue of Rockets - The Magazine of Space Flight.
African History...
The desert kingdom of Africa: A complete history of Wadai (1611-1912)
On the Myths and Misconceptions of Trans-Saharan trade.
7 months ago
On the Myths and Misconceptions of Trans-Saharan trade.
Dreams of Space -...
Rockets - The Magazine of Space Flight (Feb and Dec 1946)
The Rockets Journal was a post-war publication of the United States Rocket Society. There are...
7 months ago
The Rockets Journal was a post-war publication of the United States Rocket Society. There are several online issues here
https://fanac.org/fanzines/Rockets/
Here is a biography of the controversial editor:
https://www.joshuablubuhs.com/blog/robert-l-farnsworth-as-a-fortean
I...
Patterns in Humanity
Quantifying Racial Disparities in Homicide Perpetration
The FBI keeps track of homicide statistics, including the race of victims and offenders. However, a...
7 months ago
The FBI keeps track of homicide statistics, including the race of victims and offenders. However, a substantial number of homicides have unknown offenders. Herein I develop a method that combines CDC victimization data and FBI perpetrator data to produce more reliable homicide...
African History...
Maritime trade, Shipbuilding and African sailors in the indian ocean: a complete history of East...
from Aksum to the Swahili coast
7 months ago
from Aksum to the Swahili coast
Dreams of Space -...
Cosmonaut-2 (1964)
Cosmonaut-2 was a Russian pamphlet for older children about Gherman Titov. It has some lovely...
7 months ago
Cosmonaut-2 was a Russian pamphlet for older children about Gherman Titov. It has some lovely illustration about the 2nd manned Russian space launch. At age 25 Titov remains the youngest man to fly in Earth orbit. Vostok 2 was launched on August 6, 1961.
Cosmonaut-2, 1964. 38 p....
African History...
An African kingdom's existential war against the British colonial empire: the Anglo-Bunyoro wars...
A little-known extermination campaign by colonial armies in East-Africa
8 months ago
A little-known extermination campaign by colonial armies in East-Africa
Patterns in Humanity
Understanding Greater Male Variability
The Greater Male Variability Hypothesis (GMVH) suggests that males exhibit greater variance than...
8 months ago
The Greater Male Variability Hypothesis (GMVH) suggests that males exhibit greater variance than females in their cognitive abilities. I present some relevant empirical findings and make a suggestion for how the hypothesis should be conceptualized and evaluated.
Dreams of Space -...
Mole Rocket (1965)
Mole Rocket is a Czechoslovakian children's book about a mole finding a rocket. It is a silly piece...
8 months ago
Mole Rocket is a Czechoslovakian children's book about a mole finding a rocket. It is a silly piece of fiction but since it does have adventuring in a rocket it seemed worth sharing.
Miler. Mole Rocket, 1965.
When the mole crash lands, the rocket breaks apart in...
African History...
The complete history of Aksum: an ancient African metropolis (50-1900AD)
Journal of African cities chapter-3
8 months ago
Journal of African cities chapter-3
African History...
The Art of Power in central Africa: the political and artistic history of the Kuba kingdom...
an iconography of authority.
8 months ago
an iconography of authority.
Dr Alun Withey
Packing the Essentials!: Preparing to Travel in the 18th Century.
Now that Covid restrictions have finally been lifted, and summer is at least theoretically here –...
12 months ago
Now that Covid restrictions have finally been lifted, and summer is at least theoretically here – it’s raining outside as I write! – many people are returning to travel and undertaking the holidays that have had to be postponed over the past couple of years. The pandemic aside,...
Dr Alun Withey
Are Beards Over? A Historical Perspective.
Recently I spoke with the Guardian journalist Tim Dowling for an excellent article he was writing...
a year ago
Recently I spoke with the Guardian journalist Tim Dowling for an excellent article he was writing (published last week) about whether beards are finally ‘over’, and I thought it would be interesting to reflect on some of this. Since re-emerging around 2014, gaining popularity...
Dr Alun Withey
Health and the Habitual Traveller in the 19th Century
Recently I’ve been contributing to a new series of stories, drawing on the archives of Lloyds’...
a year ago
Recently I’ve been contributing to a new series of stories, drawing on the archives of Lloyds’ Register – a fantastic archive, with a wealth of sources on many aspects of maritime, but also broader social, history. The full series can be found here:...
Dr Alun Withey
Cuts, Rashes & Chatter! The Pain of the 18th-century Shave!
Unless there are particular reasons, for example a skin condition, or a faulty razor, shaving today...
over a year ago
Unless there are particular reasons, for example a skin condition, or a faulty razor, shaving today is usually a pretty mundane – if not a pleasant – experience. Indeed, the rise of traditional barbershops over the past few years, offering shaving as an experience, together with...
Dr Alun Withey
How Much?! Barbers & the Price of Shaving.
One of the central themes of my new book is how the practice of shaving has changed over time and,...
over a year ago
One of the central themes of my new book is how the practice of shaving has changed over time and, more importantly, who has been responsible for it. From the second half of the eighteenth century, individual men began to take more responsibility for shaving themselves, helped on...
Dr Alun Withey
Barbers and (the lack of!) Polite Advertising
Over the past few years, I have spent much time looking at ‘polite’ advertising in the 18th century....
over a year ago
Over the past few years, I have spent much time looking at ‘polite’ advertising in the 18th century. During this period, a whole range of retailers advertised their goods and services to appeal to ladies and gentlemen of taste. Without discussing anything so base as price or...
Dr Alun Withey
The ‘Celebrated Inventions’ of Alexander Ross.
One thing that has continually fascinated me throughout all of my research on medical practitioners,...
over a year ago
One thing that has continually fascinated me throughout all of my research on medical practitioners, barbers and retailers in the long eighteenth century, is the extent of what historians call ‘occupational diversity’. Rather than having one occupation, people might have...
Dr Alun Withey
Finding Your Beard Style in the 19th Century
In the previous post I noted the variety of facial hair styles that were worn by men in the...
over a year ago
In the previous post I noted the variety of facial hair styles that were worn by men in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, depending on factors including status, location and age. Rather than each age having one particular style of facial hair that was ubiquitous, the...
Dr Alun Withey
Beard Fashions and Class
Over the past few centuries, fashions in facial hair have changed substantially. In the mid...
over a year ago
Over the past few centuries, fashions in facial hair have changed substantially. In the mid seventeenth century many men wore the ‘Van Dyke’ style of a small, pointy beard and moustaches. By the end of the 1600s, beards were in decline, leaving many men with just moustaches. The...
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