When conflict erupts around the world, both governments and the public seek information about events as they unfold in the news. Today many retrieve news through social media and online articles. A century ago, those wanting information about current events found it in printed daily newspapers and magazines...
Pin-ups can be fun and entertaining, and many people enjoy flipping through a picture book filled with pin-ups, whether they are photographs like the iconic WWII pin-up of American actress Betty Grable or the hand drawn pin-ups of Earle Bergey. Pin-ups have been studied by...
In the history of the United States, religious freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment have frequently come under fire. In the 1920s, the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in concert with restrictive immigration legislation, educational prohibitions, and economic scapegoating, resulted in growing anti-Semitism against Jews...
Naturism, or Nudism, is a social movement that advocates and practices social nudity in an effort to encourage self-respect and respect for others. Advocates believe that they came into the world in the nude and therefore they feel closer to nature and the earth when they are in the nude. They also believe that by removing clothing, which establishes social status...
When presented with the idea of 19th century whaling, most people think of Moby-Dick, Ishmael, and Ahab; or perhaps a hand-thrown harpoon or scrimshaw. Others see full rigging and square sails; ships, barques, and schooners; whaleboats manned by rowers and a harpooner; or the less romantic side of whaling...
Many believe that the modern Spiritualist Movement can trace its beginnings to a series of supernatural events which occurred near Rochester, New York in 1848. As legend has it, John Fox and his family moved into their Hydesville farmhouse in December 1947. Over the next few months the family was repeatedly frightened by unexplainable rapping, tapping, and other strange sounds...
Archeological discoveries have suggested that the art of tattooing may have been practiced as early as the Stone Age. Twenty-five years ago in the Otztal Alps, located between Austria and Italy, physical evidence of tattooing was discovered on Otzi, the ice man. In addition to his shoes, clothing, and a quiver...
Refugees are individuals who are outside the boundaries of their home nations, and are unable to return there safely. Some are forced to leave, while others flee for their own safety. Refugees are most commonly unable to return to their home countries because of persecution based on their race, ethnicity, or religion; because of their political affiliations; or because their home ....
Many people enjoy fishing as a relaxing and tranquil recreational activity. Everyone who likes to fish has their own special ways of doing things with particular equipment and tools. Special Collections and Archives has several books that highlight fishing as a hobby and...
Johannes Gutenberg chose the Bible to be the first book he would print on his new printing press in the 15th century. As such, the Bible is the first mass-produced book in the world. Before the invention of the printing press, bibles and other books were written and illustrated by hand. It could take several years ....
