History

Taking the itch out of wool, advancing credit and monumental guilt: three things that made the Renaissance

Selected notes from listening to historians online

Jun 14 •

Sketches and some recommendations from my Substack list

Themes: travel, Vancouver, Italy, illustration and a bit of history

Apr 26 •

The forgotten history of electric cars

In the early days of motorized transportation, battery-powered vehicles flourished. Women were early adopters and people like Ferdinand Porsche and…

Jan 11 •

On diaries, calendars and chronicles

The age-old practice of journal-keeping

Jan 4 •

Why institutions make a difference in our lives

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics stimulates debate about global development

Oct 19, 2024 •

The surprising origins of Thanksgiving in Canada

Also in this issue: Hurricane woes, the power of one minute of effort and Shakespeare's words adapted for this weekend

Oct 12, 2024 •

Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Lots of dialogue in the public arena today, as Canadians strive to make amends for a sad chapter in the country's history

Sep 30, 2024 •

A lasting legacy: how Italian immigrants shaped Cleveland's iconic stone Guardians

The story of the "scalpellini"

Sep 7, 2024 •

Italian comics: an international success story

A fascination with a hundred years of original art and word bubbles

Aug 30, 2024 •

How crusader knights devised a financial system that enabled pilgrims to travel to Jerusalem without fear of being robbed

The story of the Templars

Jun 6, 2024 •

South Africa's buried treasures

Also: Kurt Vonnegut on why we shouldn't allow computers to take away our humanity

May 9, 2024 •

A village from a bygone era on the Fraser River faces an uncertain future

The story of Finn Slough.

Apr 25, 2024 •

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