A heartbreaking little glimpse at an old social institution: The foundling hospital. The most affecting room at one of my favourite Paris Museums documented the history and fallout of the institutionalisation of child-dumping, complete with lazy-Susanesque “foundling wheels” for easy (and anonymous) drop-offs. One display case showed letters from distraught parents, torn in zigzags, saying […]
Tag Archives: history
Martin Dardis
I’m rewatching All the President’s Men (for the umpteenth time) and in my usual movie-watching mode, I’m pausing every 5 minutes to look stuff up on Wikipedia. Fans of the book/movie/conspiracy will find this little tidbit amazing: During World War II, on December 29, 1944, Dardis was a gunner with the 468th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic […]
Tribune Tower
Prior to the building of the Tribune Tower, correspondents for the Chicago Tribune brought back rocks and bricks from a variety of historically important sites throughout the world at the request of Colonel McCormick. Many of these reliefs have been incorporated into the lowest levels of the building and are labeled with their location of […]
Richard III Found?
Not sure how this didn’t get more press, though admittedly I’ve been ill this month and slept through a lot of radio news reports. Archaeologists searching for the grave of Richard III have said “strong circumstantial evidence” points to a skeleton being the lost king. The English king died at the battle of Bosworth in […]
“We Shall Overcome”
The link to this might have disappeared, but it’s an interesting article worth digging for. The Occupy movement benefitted from this kind of organised alliance of oppressed groups. Shame they weren’t able to effect much change. Now the story of these Jewish refugees, taken in by black communities in the segregated South, is being told. […]
Battles and conflicts without fatalities
A carry over from my Turbot War readings. Of course the Pig War is on here. Wikipedia is so awesome. Would that the list was longer, though! Category:Battles and conflicts without fatalities – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Statue Molestation
I’ve linked to this before, I’m sure, but Jimmy Carter getting his bronzed perve on is too good not to link to again. 25 People Molesting Statues | SMOSH.
The Turbot War
I clearly remember the Turbot Scandal, but had no idea it was an actual war. Fantastically nerdy. Even nerdier was this little tidbit, which I love: Territorial seas have changed over time, having begun with a 3 nautical mile 6 km “cannon shot” territorial sea, followed by the long standing extension to a 12 nautical mile […]
“Hidden Doggerland underworld uncovered”
Doggerland was an area between Northern Scotland, Denmark and the Channel Islands. It was believed to have been home to tens of thousands of people before it disappeared underwater. Now its history has been pieced together by artefacts recovered from the seabed and displayed in London. Thousands of Brits reading this headline were disappointed to […]
TED Talk: Music and emotion through time
This is a bit more rambling than I would’ve liked, but some of the points he makes are wonderful. Such as the minute change in hertz that makes a sad minor chord become a happy major one. Michael Tilson Thomas: Music and emotion through time | Video on TED.com.