Notices by Jim Wald (citizenwald@historians.social)

John F, Kennedy--assassinated 22 Nov. 1963--gave his last major address here @AmherstCollege a month earlier. It is famed for is praise of the role of the artist in society

Few know the opening: on #college & income #inequality: "Privilege is here..."

https://jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/80308LXB5kOPFEJqkw5hlA.aspx

Although we tend to associate #IndigenousPeoplesDay with reactions to the 1992 #Columbus quincentenary, the origins in fact go back to a UN conference of 1977:

https://acervo.socioambiental.org/sites/default/files/documents/I5D00027.pdf

#Indigenous Peoples' Day, as explained by #NativeAmericans : NPR
https://www.npr.org/2021/10/11/1044823626/indigenous-peoples-day-native-americans-columbus

Archaeologists uncovered over 100,000 ancient #coins, some more than 2,000 years old - Arkeonews

https://arkeonews.net/archaeologists-uncovered-an-estimated-100000-ancient-coins-some-more-than-2000-years-old/

#numismatics #archaeology @numismatics

Speaking of #SaturdayNightCoinShow from @CoinOfNote

the French firm Thomas Numismatics (https://thomasnumismatics.com/) has a nice new, beautifully illustrated magazine--2nd issue just out (https://thomasnumismatics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/tnumis-n2_fr-2.pdf)

Rare items in the catalogue, too (though light years beyond my budget 🙁 ). 2 stunning examples: from Carolingian France to the eve of #WWII

#coins #numismatics

@CoinOfNote the chasm between good taste and money is so frustrating 🙁

@tkinias @CoinOfNote
"Bildung und Besitz trennen sich immer schärfer":--roughly what I said about the widening chasm between culture and wealth, this time from German socialists at the beginning of the last century (https://www.google.com/books/edition/Socialistische_Monatshefte/8wLuGTn4gkoC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22bildung%20und%20besitz%20trennen%20sich%22&pg=PA153&printsec=frontcover)

In premodern society, at least the elites had good taste

Now:

'A poor person's idea of a rich person': Donald Trump's gaudy taste

https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/a-poor-persons-idea-of-a-rich-person-donald-trumps-gaudy-taste-20170309-guuwbl.html

And yes, dive bars still good:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/hotel-warren-south-deerfield

On May 29, 1848, #Wisconsin became the thirtieth state admitted to the Union. The “Badger State” was the last state formed in its entirety from the Northwest Territory. Textured with beautiful landscapes and abundant natural resources, Wisconsin has a rich legacy of concern regarding their conservation.| Library of Congress

https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/may-29?loclr=eatod#wisconsin

New from John-Paul Himka

What Might This War Do to Russia? – Кампанія Солідарності з Україною

"This is the third installment of a trilogy of texts from a historian’s perspective about the possibility of democratic change in #Russia"

"only ignominious defeat, accompanied by economic hardship, has a chance of producing the unrest and dissatisfaction with the dictatorship that could allow a democratic regeneration of Russia"

https://ukrainesolidaritycampaign.org/2023/04/12/what-might-this-war-do-to-russia/

#Ukraine #historians #histodons
@histodons

Happy #DarwinDay !

"International Darwin Day on February 12th will inspire people throughout the globe to reflect and act on the principles of intellectual bravery, perpetual curiosity, scientific thinking, and hunger for truth as embodied in Charles Darwin. It will be a day of celebration, activism, and international cooperation for the advancement of science, education, and human well-being"

(the rest of you can just labor under your delusions)

#science #reason

https://darwinday.org/

Censoring Imagination: Why Prisons Ban Fantasy and Science Fiction LitHub

"As PEN America’s new report Reading Between the Bars shows, #books banned in prisons by some states dwarf all other book censorship in school and public libraries. Prison censorship robs those behind bars of everything from exercise and health to art and even yoga, often for reasons that strain credulity"

The strangest category of bans however, are the ones on magical and fantastical literature.

https://lithub.com/censoring-imagination-why-prisons-ban-fantasy-and-science-fiction/

22 November 1963: assassination of John F. Kennedy.
This five-cent stamp featuring the eternal flame from his grave in Arlington National Cemetery and words from his inaugural address was the first US commemorative dedicated to him (a 13-cent stamp followed in 1967)

President John F. #Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas OTD 1963.
He gave his last public speech here on
October 26, 1963 at the groundbreaking of the Robert Frost #Library at Amherst College. For good reason, it is considered one of his greatest.

Ann & Joseph Blumenthal (typographer and publisher of Frost's poetry) produced 600 copies of this keepsake as their holiday greeting for 1964-1965. The woodcut is by Fritz Kredel

#JFK had been unable to attend a memorial service for Frost in February

#JFK was assassinated OTD 1963. His last public speech, delivered a month earlier at the groundbreaking for Robert #Frost #Library, Amherst College, is considered one of his greatest.

Best known for its soaring praise of the artist in society and the call to measure a nation's greatness by its culture rather than power alone, it in fact began with a plea for educated elites to recognize their privilege and "to put back into our society."

audio + transcript
https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/historic-speeches/remarks-at-amherst-college-on-the-arts

Suddenly realizing that it is the hour for #Halloween visitors (not that we get any in this neighborhood) and spirits, I cannot fail to share a photo of this marvelous sculptural installation, which a colleague sent me several years ago