Category Archives: History

Native American Heritage Month

Posted on November 25, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

November is Native American Heritage Month in the United States. These illustrations are from the Model First Reader by Stephen Return Riggs published in 1875. The rare volume is a primer for lessons in English and the Santee Dadota dialect. You can … Continue reading →

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Art and History Are Everywhere In Berlin

Posted on November 19, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Deutsche Bahn, the German national railway network, commissioned artist and illustrator Christoph Niemann to create a pair of forty meter-long tile murals for a pedestrian tunnel at the Berlin Wannsee train station. Working with 10×10 cm tiles, Niemann designed two … Continue reading →

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Follow The North Star

Posted on November 10, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Last week, civil rights activist and progressive journalist Shaun King announced that he will be resurrecting the North Star, the abolitionist newspaper started by Frederick Douglass and Martin Delany 171 years ago, after receiving legal permission and a blessing from Douglass’ family. King … Continue reading →

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Bram Stoker: Library Miscreant

Posted on November 1, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

I have been a fan of Bram Stoker’s creepy classic Dracula ever since my first reading as a child. Here in Philadelphia, we are fortunate to have a fascinating collection of Stoker’s notes for the book at the wonderful Rosenbach Museum and … Continue reading →

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William S. Burroughs gets spooky

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The Witches or Witchcraft Through the Ages, or Häxan, is a Swedish-Danish film that is a curious and groundbreaking mix of documentary and silent horror cinema, written and directed by Benjamin Christensen. Christensen’s vision was unique, basing his film on non-fiction works, mainly the Malleus … Continue reading →

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The Writer’s Map

Posted on October 26, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Just published, The Writer’s Map is a marvelous atlas of literary journeys made by authors. The book explores maps that inspired literary works as well as examples of cartography from famous works of fiction and film. Daniel Reeve recounts his creation of … Continue reading →

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There be monsters

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Just in time for Halloween, the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library in Toronto has opened De Monstris, an exhibition exploring the long cultural tradition of frightening monsters that inflamed imaginations and triggered irrational fears throughout history. De Monstris examines scary illustrations and writings from … Continue reading →

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The Circle of Classified Knowledge

Posted on October 6, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Those of you who visit TBTP on a regular basis know that I am excessively fond of infographics of all sorts. I am particularly interested in early examples of the form. This wonderful set of graphics was created for a … Continue reading →

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European Heritage Journeys

Posted on September 17, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

In conjunction with European Heritage Days 2018, UNESCO has launched a new web platform solely dedicated to sustainable travel to European heritage sites. World Heritage Journeys is co-funded by the European Union and promotes sustainable travel to some of the … Continue reading →

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Books for Fighters

Posted on September 16, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The sign in the photo taken in Barcelona in 1938 reads “give books to fighters”. The campaign collected reading material for anti-Fascist volunteers in the Spanish Civil War.

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