ClassicPics@History_Pics

I love history and love photography.  I guess it's no surprise that one of my favorite things to follow on twitter is ClassicPics@History_Pics.  






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A Fun Way to Learn History: History Detectives PBS

I have always loved to learn about history through "the story" of a person or community.  I think this is why I like historical fiction.  I read about the story of a character or family, but set in a period of history that is intriguing and perhaps new to me. 

I recently found History Detectives on PBS.  It is not a new show, but a new discovery for me.  Each hour long show includes 3 historical mysteries that are investigated.  Rather than a story of a person, the investigation centers around a piece of memorabilia, document, artwork etc that may have some connection to an important part of American history.  Some of the episodes include pieces from the old west, the suffragette movement, the Titanic, and the earliest airplanes.  It is somewhat reminiscent of Antiques Roadshow in that people bring in things that have passed down their family or things they purchased at estate sales, but in this case you actually learn the story behind the antique or piece of memorabilia presented and its place in history.  All past episodes of History Detectives are available at this link.

The Retro Gal: Things I Used That Make My Son Say "Huh?"

I have had a few strange "retro" experiences lately.  First, because of the availability of streaming for some older TV series, I was watching old spy TV shows from the 80's recently.  These are ones I watched in high school that seemed very cutting edge.  Well, not so much anymore!  The funniest thing about watching the shows now is seeing the outdated technology.  No cell phones...huge computers with computer paper!  Much of the storyline even centers around things like not being able to find a phone and not being able to get intel for weeks (things we could find out in seconds now!). 

Second, I was showing the famous chocolate factory clip from I Love Lucy to a group of medical students the other day to illustrate a concept related to thinking quickly, and no one in the room had ever seen it or even seemed to know what I Love Lucy is!  I have become retro (not old)!

It made me stop and think of other things that are quickly becoming "retro"--

1. Bar of Soap
A year or so ago, Joshua asked me what a bar of soap is.  I quickly remedied that problem, and introduced a bar of soap to our household, in addition to the more common liquid soap found in stores today.

2. Wrist Watch

I used to wear a wrist watch all the time, until about 7 years ago.  Now I just use my phone to see what time it is.  A friend said she gave her son a wrist watch for graduation this year, and he was thrilled.  He had never owned one before.  A novelty?!



3. VCR tapes and recorders

I remember in 7th grade, we were the first family in my class to get a VCR.  It was so new, so novel.  We went through several machines before DVRs came out.  My secretary just mentioned that she continues to use a VCR for her regular taping.  I didn't know they made those anymore!

4. Pay phones
I was in a medical office building yesterday for an appointment, and saw a sign that said "pay phone."  When I followed the sign, I couldn't find the phone.  They are more and more scarce these days!

5. Typewriters

After typing my first paper for me when I was a Freshman in high school, my father (a writer) told me I needed to learn to type! Now everyone is texting and "typing" in whatever form that is.  Joshua is in the first grade and is already taking "keyboarding" for computer class!


6. Cash
I have to say, not only do I not use coins that much, but I rarely use cash.  Maybe some day we will see these in a museum with a display about how cash used to be used to exchange goods and pay for services.

7. Cameras

They are, of course, still in use.  In particular, photographers use separate cameras to get great photos and videos.  But, I do notice, for my day to day needs, I use my phone instead of a separate camera. Cameras may become less of a household item.


8. Books?
I certainly love a good book.  I like the weight and feels of the book in my hand.  But, I have to say, I like ebooks too.  I like being able to change the font and size of the words, the color of the page.  I like being able to highlight right in the book and then erase with no difficulty.  I like changing the lighting on the screen to make it more comfortable with less glare.

I wonder if people who loved the weight and feel and scent of scrolls also complained about the book binding revolution!



What do you consider retro!

Stuff You Missed In History Class: Review of Show

I have always been a music lover, and typically when I am grocery shopping, cooking, or driving in the car, I like to listen to music.  No talk radio for me. 

However, lately I have been listening to podcasts from HowStuffWorks.com.  They have several different types of shows and podcasts, and I can't wait to check out the different topics. 

But for now, I am hooked on the show called "Stuff You Missed in History Class."  A few days ago, I listened to the episode about the Voynich Manuscript.  It is a document described as "a mysterious, undeciphered manuscript dating to the 15th or 16th century."

Many of the shows on this history podcast include some type of mystery or some unearthed information about historical events that not everyone may know.  This document has words on it that look like a language, but linguists feel that there are specific things about it that don't act like a language.  Others feel it is a type of cypher or code, but the code breakers have been unable to crack the code either.  Another theory is that it is a hoax of some kind.  It has tested out as a very old document, but the language itself may have been made up jibberish for whatever reason. 

There are many other good podcasts for this show on the site including one on Johnny Appleseed, a New England witch trial, and the invention of the sewing machine.  They are each about 30-45 minutes long and make for good listening while grocery shopping!

You might want to check out the How Stuff Works app.  That is how I do all of my listening to the show. 

What is your favorite historical time?  Did you learn about it in history class?