Category Archives: History

In the Garden of Beasts

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin In 1933, the quiet, scholarly history professor William E. Dodd accepted his first (and last) diplomatic post and became the United States Ambassador to Germany. His … Continue reading

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Women of Science

I love this Smithsonian photograph of Elizabeth Lee Hazen (1888-1975) and Rachel Brown (1898-1980.) It was taken in 1955 when they won the first Squibb Award for Achievements in Chemotherapy. Women like this were my role models when I was … Continue reading

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Did Your Mother Come from Ireland?

Or your grandfather or your great grandparents? If so, you should check out the National Library of Ireland, the newest member of the Flickr Commons. They have an interesting collection of photographs and will be adding more. The Flickr Commons … Continue reading

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On This Day in History: September 19

Up, Up and Away! On September 19, 1783, the Montgolfier Brothers launched the first hot air balloon carrying passengers: a sheep, a duck and a rooster. The balloon was launched from the gardens of the Palace of Versailles and witnessed … Continue reading

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In Flanders Field

No Mans Land, Flanders Field, France, 1919 In Flanders Field In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the … Continue reading

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Commenting the Commons

Every time the Library of Congress adds new photographs to their Flickr Commons site, I jump right on them, flipping through looking for interesting photographs. I especially love the News in the 1910s set, black-and-white news photographs from the Bain … Continue reading

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Suffrage Pageant Flower Girls

Here’s a great photograph of suffragists to kick off Women’s History Month. It’s from the Library of Congress collection on Flickr. The Library of Congress was the first participant in The Commons on Flickr, a project where cultural institutions share … Continue reading

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Any Bonds Today?

In honor of Memorial Day, I put together this little video of Any Bonds Today, a song by Irving Berlin, sung by Barry Wood, with images from the Library of Congress and National Archives. Just a first attempt at using … Continue reading

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Howard Street Cemetery: Salem, Mass.

Salem is a city that values its history, if only as a salable commodity. But a visit to the Howard Street Cemetery doesn’t speak well for the community. This historic cemetery is right downtown, near the train station, near the … Continue reading

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