History

March 18, 2024

5 Trailblazers Will Be Featured on U.S. Quarters To Celebrate Women Throughout History

There are two sides to every coin, and this year the United States Mint will continue to celebrate various female figures throughout history by placing them on one side of the U.S. quarter. From Civil War era surgeon Dr. Mary Edwards Walker to salsa sensation Celia Cruz, this year will highlight impactful representations of women who have played significant roles in enacting positive change. These carefully designed portraits that depict five different women on U.S.

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March 7, 2024

A Brief History Lesson in Tintype Photography

Physical photographs have captivated humans ever since the invention of the camera in 1816, with their ability to capture life's special moments. One of the earliest and often forgotten photo technologies is tintypes. Tintypes are a kind of photograph created by generating a direct positive on a sheet of metal. Ironically, the name is misleading because tin wasn't actually used to create the photographs—instead, the images were usually developed on thin iron plates.

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March 1, 2024

The Last Picture Ever Taken of Hachikō Shows the Love and Reverence the Japanese Had for the Dog

Over the 100 years that have passed since his birth, Hachikō has become a symbol of loyalty. The Akita Inu dog rose to prominence after people realized that he dutifully waited for his owner, Dr. Hidesaburō Ueno, at Shibuya station in Tokyo for almost a decade after his passing. While Hachikō was seen by many as a nuisance at the busy station, his fate changed after his story made the press.

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February 18, 2024

Explore Five Volumes of the History of Cartography for Free Online

What do you know about the history of mapmaking? Cartography is an ancient tradition that has evolved from abstract to highly precise depictions that come from complex scientific readings and satellite images. It takes skill and patience to create a map, but even the best efforts are not free from bias. Maps have long reflected world-views, literally and figuratively.

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