I spent much of this last winter sorting through my grandfather’s collection of stamps. They come from a variety of sources. Some he clearly cut off envelopes. Some he probably purchased, as they are in glassine envelopes. Some were gifted to him by a cousin in 1935. I have zeroContinue Reading
Yesterday I introduced the billion mark stamp from 1923 Germany with a bit of background behind this truly absurd item. Today, I visited a stamp store (which the owner says now officially makes me a philatelist, rather than a person who just happens to have stamps) and had a lovelyContinue Reading
I so wish I had this when I was teaching modern western civ this semester. That course covers roughly the 16th through 20th centuries. It’s only half the time frame of the map, but my other class starts at the beginning of time and runs up to the 16th century. Continue Reading
The Chinese government holds such a tight control on the Internet that foreign travelers speak of being trapped behind the Great Firewall of China. There are countless reasons why a website or even a search term might be banned, such as it supporting something considered immoral like pornography. Many, however,Continue Reading