Category: Historical
A Little Lesson in Irish Names
I have long known names can be tricky. Sources like a census, or even newspaper articles were often based upon oral descriptions, such as the subject telling the census taker the names of his family members. So it isn’t uncommon to find names misspelled, or abbreviated such as Jas. for James, or Jorg for George. Especially in the United States where there were large numbers of people immigrating each year, a census taker whose native language was not English might completely misinterpret the spelling, for example in an 1900 census of in Minnesota, Emily Craven becomes Emelie Greaven. Of course,… more
Turkey Day Politics: What’s Old Becomes New Again
I veer away from political discussions most of the time, but I think this is something easy for all of us to relate to. It is a political cartoon from a New Orleans newspaper published in 1907 in reference to the Panic of 1907. The Turkey is overcoming obstacles and headed toward prosperity, a sign that despite the Panic, hope was never far off. I’m sure as the holidays grow near and the looming financial pressure many of us are under appears to remain bleak, this speaks to many of our hearts. Don’t you love how you can find recurrant… more
Red Cross 1942
For all of you history buffs who are knitting fanatics, too. (C’mon, I know I’m not the only one!) I thought you’d find this as fantastic as I did! It is a collection of patterns from the Red Cross for soldiers at war during World War II. I love propaganda posters. I love how they become timeless emblems of a nation united for a cause. more
September
It seems like fall is always irrationally busy for us and something about spending all your time neck deep in old books while the leaves are turning feels right. While we’re hard at work, sometimes this little piece of online real estate can get a little neglected. But I promise, we won’t forget all about it! In the meanwhile, for any who might be interested, I have posted my most recent publication on the website under the “About Us – The Founder” section. It’s a fascinating story about an old police uniform held in the collection of the Dakota County… more
The Clark Mystery
Recently msnbc.com has been posting a really interesting series of stories about the heiress, Huguette Clark, of a fortune made by a copper baron in the 1800s. According to the articles, her father, William Andrews Clark, for whom Clark County, Nevada (the county in which Las Vegas is located) was named, lavishly doted upon his daughter and wife. Huguette, an eccentric woman, now 104 years old, after the death of her sister in her teens, a short-lived failed marriage has long since abandoned her three mansions for a hospital bed, she hasn’t been seen or heard from in decades. This series… more
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