The Writing on the Wall -- Resources for Teaching History
  • Wonders of World Cultures
  • The Writing on the Walls
  • About Me / Gallery
  • Book Reviews + Activities
  • Sample Pages
  • Mini-Reviews
  • History Links
  • Interviews
    • Vicky Alvear Shecter
    • Amy Henry

Primary Resources

Art & Craft

http://www.openculture.com/2017/08/14-self-portraits-show-the-evolution-of-pablo-picassos-style.html
​
14 Self Portraits of Pablo Picasso

http://www.openculture.com/2016/08/32000-bauhaus-art-objects-available-through-the-harvard-art-museums-website.html
​
32,000 Bauhaus Art Objects Available through the Harvard Art Museums

http://www.inquisitr.com/4345306/83500-vintage-sewing-patterns-put-on-an-online-database-from-vogue-mccalls-butterick-and-simplicity/
​
83,500 Vintage Sewing Patterns Online, from Vogue, McCalls, Butterick, and Simplicity​

http://www.openculture.com/2017/07/russian-history-literature-come-to-life-in-wonderfully-colorized-portraits.html
​
Colorized Portraits of Russian Figures in History

http://www.openculture.com/2017/11/ernst-haeckels-sublime-drawings-of-flora-and-fauna.html
Ernst Haeckel's Sublime Drawings of Flora and Fauna: The Beautiful Scientific Drawings that Influenced Europe's Art Nouveau Movement (1889)

Dozens of HIstoric Mexican Cookbooks
https://libguides.utsa.edu/MXcookbooks

In 1886 the U.S. Government Commissioned 7,500 Watercolor Paintings of Every Known Fruit in the World (Download in High Resolution)
http://www.openculture.com/2019/06/the-us-government-commissioned-7500-watercolor-paintings.html?fbclid=IwAR0Ia8n4dkUtkcyIcrcxIurbCRyCWdMB6eW6ZEXffEhYq4Ci6Yjch30YThY

Nearly 1,000 Paintings and Drawings by Vincent van Gogh (View/Download)
http://www.openculture.com/2018/07/nearly-1000-paintings-drawings-vincent-van-gogh-now-digitized-put-online-view-download-collection.html?fbclid=IwAR1vbk1nlJ6LBZ_rNCr1dYewcKiYrERFpU5pwSkY4WxswavoOf91od4Z6rE

Mad Magazine Covers (1952 to present)
https://www.madcoversite.com/covers.html

Dozens of M.C. Escher prints now digitized and put online by the Boston Public Library
​http://www.openculture.com/2018/05/dozens-of-m-c-escher-prints-now-digitized-put-online-by-the-boston-public-library.html​

http://www.openculture.com/2017/07/leonardo-da-vincis-visionary-notebooks-now-online-browse-570-digitized-pages.html
​
Leonardo da Vinci's Visionary Notebooks Online

http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/the-illuminated-sketchbook-of-stephan-schriber-1494/?utm_content=buffer2327b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
The illuminated sketchbook of Stephan Schriber (1494)

Databases


​​http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/library-congress-opened-catalogs-world-heres-matters/
​
Library of Congress Catalogs Online

https://www.floridamemory.com/collections/early-autos/
Early auto registrations, state of Florida, 1905-1917

www.ancestry.com
Ancestry research

www.familysearch.org
Ancestry research

www.23andme.com
DNA testing service

Music

Get to sleep with 42 hours of ambient sounds from Blade Runner, Alien, Star Trek and Doctor Who
www.openculture.com/2017/03/get-to-sleep-with-42-hours-of-ambient-sounds-from-blade-runner-alien-star-trek-and-doctor-who.html

http://www.classicfm.com/music-news/videos/oldest-song-melody/#SCotQ6YltWmFfZzZ.97
This is the oldest melody in existence, and it's utterly enchanting

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/arts-culture/106319-philly-company-digitizes-collection-of-25000-old-records-and-growing-free-to-download
​
25,000 old records free to download

http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2012/03/28/148915022/alan-lomaxs-massive-archive-goes-online?utm_campaign=storyshare​
Alan Lomax's massive archive of American folk music goes online

http://www.openculture.com/2017/08/download-400000-free-classical-musical-scores-46000-free-classical-recordings.html
​
Download 400,000 classical music scores and 46,000 free classical music recordings


Photos & Films


www.verlinblackwell.blogspot.com
My Daddy Went to War :: A blog and associated Flickr gallery of photos, drawings, and paintings (1938 - 1945) created by a soldier who served in northern Australia during WWII

​Documerica Project by the Environmental Protection Agency (Photographs: How the United States Looked Before the EPA)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/collections/72157620729903309/

http://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-what-fruits-and-vegetables-looked-like-before-we-domesticated-them
Here's what fruits and vegetables looked like before we domesticated them.

ttp://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/06/462128514/new-york-public-library-makes-180-000-high-res-images-available-online?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social
New York Public Library Makes 180,000 High-Res Images Available Online

http
://www.floridamemory.com/photographiccollection/
Featuring over 180,000 digitized photographs from the State Library and Archives of Florida

This photographer spent 46 years documenting the vanishing world of Vermont's northeast kingdom

​https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/frozen-time-180968841/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmedia​

Download 6,600 free films from the Prelinger archives and use them however you like
http://www.openculture.com/2016/05/download-6600-free-films-from-the-prelinger-archives-and-use-them-however-you-like.html​

Les Kiriki Acrobatas Japoneses, Segundo De Chomon (1907)​
​https://www.facebook.com/messynessychic/videos/1994057347302777/​

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/10/kids-coal-mines-lewis-hines-photos
The photos that helped end child labor in the United States

http://readicon.com/721-2/
Fozzilized Viking turd

Written Word
​
Digital archive of 1,800 chidren's books from UCLA

​http://www.openculture.com/2017/11/a-digital-archive-of-1800-childrens-books-from-ucla.html

http://www.openculture.com/2017/07/hear-moby-dick-read-in-its-entirety-by-tilda-swinton-stephen-fry-john-waters-others.html
​
Hear Moby Dick Read by Tilda Swinton, Stephen Fry, John Waters, and others

http://archive.org/stream/pinellasbriefhis00beth/pinellasbriefhis00beth_djvu.tx

An old-timey book about the history of PInellas County, Florida (Can you tell I'm a Florida native?)

http://io9.com/this-medieval-manuscript-curses-the-cat-who-peed-on-it-1502884468
This medieval manuscript curses the cat that peed on it.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary/
​
British Library -- free vintage images

dp.la
Digital Public Library of America

http://www.openculture.com/2016/08/enter-an-archive-of-6000-historical-childrens-books-all-digitized-and-free-to-read-online.html
Archive of 6,000 historical children's books

http://www.openculture.com/2016/08/read-the-original-32-page-program-for-fritz-langs-metropolis-1927.html
Original 32 page program for Fritz Lang's Metropolis

131-year-old message in a bottle found on Australian beach
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/131-year-old-message-bottle-found-australian-beach-180968381/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmedia

The Ten Greatest Books Ever, According to 125 Top Authors (download them for free)
​http://www.openculture.com/2013/09/the-10-greatest-books-ever.html

https://www.good.is/articles/jordan-andersons-legendary-clapback
Letter from a freedman to his old master


Secondary Resources: History-Related Blogs and Websites

Art & Media

​https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/07/20/just-love-collection-art-nouveau-doors-around-2/
​
A collection of Art Nouveau Doors Around the World

http://all-that-is-interesting.com/dark-disney-stories?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fbbbcculture
Dark Disney: The Real and Horrifying Stories Behind the Classics

​http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/12/12/504821139/long-seen-as-victim-17th-century-italian-painter-emerges-as-feminist-icon?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2040
Long seen as a victim, 17th century Italian painter emerges as a feminist icon

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/09/29/cave-hands-important-example-prehistoric-art-believed-created-around-9000-13000-years-ago/
The cave of hands: an important example of prehistoric art

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/arts/international/bringing-ancient-sounds-back-to-life.html?_r=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2F
Bringing ancient sounds back to life

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/02/byzantine-angel-wings/470076/
Hearing the Lost Sounds of Antiquity

http://canyouactually.com/100-years-ago-artists-were-asked-to-imagine-what-life-would-be-like-in-the-year-2000/
100 years ago artists were asked to depict the year 2000​

​
Remembering the Howard University Librarian Who Decolonized the Way Books Were Catalogued
​https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/remembering-howard-university-librarian-who-decolonized-way-books-were-catalogued-180970890/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmedia&fbclid=IwAR36lQcKr-uFxQ0ayGDAI0Tf-KHSADqKhbcqWw66eMCoHzIOe7M9Pwdwn0c

The Romanovs' Last Spectacular Ball Brought to Life in Color Photographs (1903)
http://www.openculture.com/2019/07/the-romanovs-last-spectacular-ball-brought-to-life-in-color-photographs-1903.html?fbclid=IwAR1T8EtKEt2F5wGh2vXbKBDqE6-KbgAVHk1MLxqvTrUVZyXjCFJo5pi3MDs


Language


http://mentalfloss.com/article/51150/12-old-words-survived-getting-fossilized-idioms?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=KWP&kwp_0=366490
​
Twelve old words that survived by getting trapped in idioms

http://www.openculture.com/2015/10/hear-the-epic-of-gilgamesh-read-in-the-original-akkadian-language.html
​
Hear the Epic of Gilgamesh read in the original Akkadian language

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/vinegar-valentines-victorian?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=keywee&kwp_0=352578​
Rude, cruel, and insulting "vinegar valentines" of the Victorian era

http://theweek.com/articles/545166/what-english-shakespeare-beowulf-king-arthur-actually-sounded-like​
What the English of Shakespeare, Beowulf, and King Arthur actually sounded like
​
http://blog.history.ac.uk/2016/03/symbolic-scratchings-or-belligerent-literacy-graffiti-and-its-interpretations/
Symbolic scratchings or beligerant literacy: Graffiti and its interpretations

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35358487
Fairy tale origins thousands of years old

Eight Spots in the U.S. Where You Can See Petroglyphs

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/eight-spots-in-united-states-where-you-can-see-petroglyphs-180972445/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmedia&fbclid=IwAR37woQth3zR499iDwZiBpGH_krS7iSxydZfyw0UBcHEYHWQC93KWElHIYI



People & Events

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/paris-siege-eating-zoo-animals?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=atlas-page
During a 1870 siege, trapped Parisians dined on rats, cats, and elephants

https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/news/environment/genocide-by-other-means-us-army-slaughtered-buffalo-in-plains-indian-wars/
​Genocide by other means -- U.S. Army slaughtered buffalo in plains Indian wars

https://www.facebook.com/omeletocom/videos/10154385021844494/?autoplay_reason=all_page_organic_allowed&video_container_type=0&video_creator_product_type=2&app_id=2392950137&live_video_guests=0
31 rolls of film from a WWII soldier (video)

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/us-passport-history-women?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=atlas-page
The 1920's Women Who Fought for the Right to Travel Under Their Own Names

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-first-woman-to-publish-a-book-in-english-lived-in-a-room-attached-to-a-church-and-walled-off-from-the-rest-of-the-world?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=atlas-page
​
First woman to publish a book in English lived in a room attached to a church and walled off from the rest of the world​

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/11/26/165657050/no-innocent-spice-the-secret-story-of-nutmeg-life-and-death?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=202809
No innocent spice: the secret story of nutmeg, life and death

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/09/20/pine-leaf-woman-chief-warrior-crow-people-married-four-wives/
Pine Leaf was a woman chief and warrior of the Crow people. And she married four wives.

http://www.inspiremore.com/1917-chalkboards/
School stumbles upon chalkboards from 1917 during renovation, perfectly preserved lessons provide rare look into past

http://www.haaretz.com/world-news/americas/1.754678
Dachau camp uniform bought at garage sale uncovers prisoner's harrowing story

http://southfloridaopulence.com/site-of-the-real-first-thanksgiving/
Site of the real first Thanksgiving

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/11/18/502025877/tribes-revive-indigenous-crops-and-the-food-traditions-that-go-with-them?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2046
Tribes revive indigenous crops and the food traditions that go with them

http://time.com/4110741/unesco-world-monuments-1978/
12 World Heritage Sites the U.N. protected first

http://historybuff.com/here-are-most-popular-baby-names-every-decade-since-1880s-rOyoD109A2We?utm_content=inf_10_3107_2&utm_source=se_fb&utm_medium=social_fb_cpc&utm_campaign=social_e_fb&tse_id=INF_951c671280d5481891cde8dfec6b2db0
Most popular baby names every decade since the 1880's

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/09/150910-human-evolution-change/
New human species discovered

http://time.com/4232850/see-amazing-photos-of-the-real-rosie-the-riveter-women-of-world-war-ii/?xid=life_socialflow_facebook
Photos of the real "Rosie the Riveter" -- Women of WWII

Titanic of Sweden: The Only Fully Intact 17th Century Warship Ever Salvaged

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/11/29/vasa-warship/?fbclid=IwAR3vFJesDeMhZBXJ7RYSXOawm4jpWQBhDqu5kky3mvh4OQOXrvm8WgViyV8​​

Burying the Civil War Hatchet: The Great Gettysburg Reunion of 1913
www.thevintagenews.com/2018/11/28/gettysburg-great-reunion-of-1913/?fbclid=IwAR3yf8qUTcVYFvSqlzm17eTElAlsqATU2cGAzdWvVOvQiGMCdC8liKFGPYY

https://www.facebook.com/SteampunkTendencies/videos/vb.335452449902461/961946523919714/?type=2&theater
200-year-old secretary cabinet (video)

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/03/14/470395022/thats-no-bottlecap-hiker-in-israel-finds-rare-gold-coin?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20160314
Hiker in Israel finds rare Roman Coin

https://www.facebook.com/451165558387640/videos/vb.451165558387640/523797737791088/?type=2&theater
1,000 years of European history (video map)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/ancient-egypt-demons-database-demonthingscom-lions-dogs-foxes-dreamcatcher-a7228366.html
Online database of ancient Egyptian demons

http://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/10/12/17th-century-hungarian-serial-killer-countess-elizabeth-bathory-was-as-horrifying-as-mythical-count-dracula/
​
17th century Hungarian serial killer Countess Elizabeth Bathory was as horrifying as mythical Count Dracula
​
www.thevintagenews.com/2017/11/21/once-a-magnificent-medieval-city-and-home-to-200000-people-the-ghost-city-of-ani-is-now-completely-abandoned/
Once a magnificent medieval city and home to 200,000 people, the ghost city of Ani is now completely abandoned

Blame Napoleon for Our Addiction to Sugar

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/blame-napoleon-for-our-addiction-to-sugar-152096743/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmedia&fbclid=IwAR3Sah1_hrr8RpHPiXEIntrTj0CpYC5WF5rm4W2vreqa2UaxzaEHzdFV4Mc
​
Fantastic French Publicity Caravans of Yesteryear
https://www.messynessychic.com/2018/05/29/fantastic-french-publicity-caravans-of-yesteryear/?fbclid=IwAR3fUonvGs2objZC6KUFVfojgmBdwf74DAYtVkFRm3CRuesF5jLtHm5FrCk


The Strange and Mysterious

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-manmade-gut-stones-once-used-to-thwart-assassination-attempts?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=atlas-page
​
Man-made gut stones once made to thwart assassination attempts

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/king-toilet-attendant-england?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=atlas-page​
It was once someone's job to chat with the king while he used the toilet.

http://medieval-graffiti.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-voynich-manuscript-medieval-secrets.html
​
Voynich Manuscript -- Medieval Secrets in Plain Sight

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-worst-paid-freelance-gig-in-history-was-being-the-village-sin-eater?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=atlas-page
​
The worst-paid freelance gig in history was being the village sin eater.

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/i-tried-a-medieval-diet-and-i-didnt-even-get-that-drunk?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=atlas-page
​
I tried a medieval diet and I didn't even get that drunk.

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160404-the-fascinating-phenomenon-of-men-who-sing-high
​
The grisly history of the men who sang like women

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/11/23/503156414/research-on-chinese-haze-helps-crack-mystery-of-londons-deadly-1952-fog?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2054
Research on Chinese haze helps crack mystery of London's deadly 1952 fog

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/12/science/shipwrecks-black-sea-archaeology.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0
"We couldn't believe our eyes" -- a lost world of shipwrecks is found (Black Sea)

http://mentalfloss.com/article/68933/what-people-1902-thought-women-future-would-look?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Partner&utm_campaign=FBK
What people in 1902 thought "women of the future" would look like​

The Grotesque Stories Behind the Famous Gargoyles of Notre Dame Cathedral

www.thevintagenews.com/2018/11/24/gargoyles-of-notre-dame/?fbclid=IwAR1uwSwG8YrNF_Sfe6fBfYX3My-6JOYg1wLGyX2WtKKwVr23KHBTMUbjQKs​


Technology

​ttp://all-that-is-interesting.com/centennial-bulb?utm_campaign=pdhad&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social
This Lighbulb was Switched on in 1901 - And It's Still Going

https://pionic.org/researchers-reconstruct-a-house-in-pompeii-to-its-original-state-by-using-3d-technology
Researchers reconstruct a house in Pompeii to its original state by using 3D technology

Hand-Colored 1860's Photographs Reveal the Last Days of Samurai Japan
http://www.openculture.com/2015/11/hand-colored-1860s-photographs-reveal-the-last-days-of-samurai-japan.html?fbclid=IwAR0voEB2Ornbq3Pnjgbi9g4b0QvnKwch7RTkAXnbQB1exjiQ7I_h_4KK08o

Pompeii Fixed Potholes with Molten Iron
​https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pompeii-fixed-potholes-molten-iron-180972203/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmedia&fbclid=IwAR0Gd5Y4enzTUoWbs0ng3iBCoud8rKp2GJStdk66b8CCl2o-zqWV-CfN2qo

http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/gallery/2015/may/31/ennion-roman-lips/
Glassmaking in Ancient Rome

http://www.openculture.com/2016/02/watch-the-destruction-of-pompeii-by-mount-vesuvius-re-created-with-computer-animation-79-ad.html
Watch the destruction of Pompeii by Mt. Vesuvius, re-recreated by computer animation

Marie Curie's Research Papers Are Still Radioactive 100+ Years Later
http://www.openculture.com/2015/07/marie-curies-research-papers-are-still-radioactive-100-years-later.html?fbclid=IwAR3hraB4cP9aA3inZkZfInTUiJ7WgUgaQiV2qac0jeBNs-VJZAdowAuqFLU


Cool Sites (but not necessarily history-related)

​https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/11/18/564817838/toilet-signs-are-mysterious-and-mirth-inducing?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2046
Toilet signs are mysterious and mirth inducing

https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/culture/arts-entertainment/11-essential-native-american-films-you-can-watch-online-right-now/
​
11 Essential Native American Films to Watch Online

http://www.openculture.com/2017/11/a-map-showing-how-much-time-it-takes-to-learn-foreign-languages-from-easiest-to-hardest.html
A map showing how much time it takes to learn foreign languages, from easiest to hardest

https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/do-other-countries-believe-in-tooth-fairy?bsc=toothfairy-usa&btp=fb&utm_campaign=toothfairy-usa&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_term=organicpost
Do other countries believe in the tooth fairy?

https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/10/19/resonances-between-indigenous-art-and-images-captured-microscopes?fbclid=IwAR3n7D-SQYvCI2XMcUkIn2srr0CNyTnic63FJqikZBtMDOEKtI_jgsJfnVo
The resonances between indigenous art and images captured by microscopes

https://www.messynessychic.com/2016/06/14/a-photographers-forgotten-muse-on-the-french-riviera/?fbclid=IwAR0LLqVFezRkuPiVj9e4yc1hvev3AAcx3YOrWwS7r03NixiJUM677u_mRms
A Photographer's Forgotten Muse on the French Riviera
​


Proudly powered by Weebly