Scams, rip-offs, cons, quacks, and purveyors of fake news thrive on the internet and other modern media. However, their tactics aren’t new; only the media carrying their message has changed. Ancient Rome had frauds, swindlers, cheats, and liars and Latin phrases warned consumers. Caveat emptor and cui bono are examples of age-old advice to follow … Continue reading Caveat Emptor and Cui Bono: Ancient Advice for Modern Consumers
Almanacs were a popular and handy reference for information and entertainment centuries before internet search engines, calendar apps, YouTube, blogs, and Google Maps. And like the internet, almanacs also informed us about new products and services through advertising and promotional articles. Select the images for a larger view and more information. At the heart of … Continue reading Almanacs: Information before the Internet
Scrapbooks are stories created from re-purposed media and ephemera of the era. Historical scrapbooks are also primary sources for the classroom. Students analyze texts and images to more about daily life in the past and compare them to modern digital scrapbooking on social media (Facebook, Pinterest, or blogs) A short history of scrapbooks “Our life … Continue reading Scrapbooks: Comparing 19th century primary sources to 21st social media
Your local library, historical society, or university archives is a treasure trove of primary sources from your community – letters, diaries, scrapbooks, photographs, local publications, and all sorts of other ephemera. In most cases, these local institutions are thrilled to work with teachers developing place-based lessons. The staff will know about local history and have … Continue reading Hotels in the Nineteenth Century: Place-based Primary Sources