Daguerreotype

 The daguerreotype portrait of Charles Dickens, taken in about 1852 by the renowned photographer Antoine Claudet, captures the iconic author during a pivotal time in his literary career. This early photographic technique, known for its sharp detail and reflective quality, provides a unique glimpse into Dickens's character. In the image, he is often depicted with a thoughtful expression, highlighting his introspective nature and the depth of his writing.

Claudet's studio was notable for its innovative approach to portrait photography, attracting prominent figures of the time. Dickens, already famous for works like "Oliver Twist" and "David Copperfield," used this opportunity to present himself to the public in a new medium, bridging literature and visual art. The portrait not only serves as a historical document but also reflects the growing popularity of photography in the mid-19th century.

Today, this original daguerreotype is housed in the collection of the Library Company of Philadelphia, emphasizing its significance in American cultural history as well. The image not only immortalizes Dickens's likeness but also symbolizes the enduring impact of his literary legacy, as well as the evolution of portraiture during this transformative period.

from Classic Memory Lane FB

The discovery of other galaxies!

 It was on December 30, 1924 when astronomer Edwin Hubble announced the discovery of other galaxies. At the time, it was thought that our Milky Way galaxy represented the entirety of the universe. Hubble was studying the Andromeda Nebula using the 100-inch Hooker Telescope at Mount Wilson observatory in California. With a weaker telescope, nebulae just looked like clouds of glowing gas, but with the Hooker telescope — the most powerful telescope in the world at that time — Hubble was able to distinguish individual stars within the nebula. One of the stars in the Andromeda Nebula turned out to be a Cepheid variable: a particular type of star that pulsates and is very bright. Astronomers had figured out a decade earlier that, by observing a Cepheid variable and measuring its brightness and the length of time it takes to go from bright to dim and back again, they could calculate the star's distance from the Earth. Hubble crunched the numbers and realized that the star he was observing was 800,000 light-years away, more than eight times the distance of the farthest star in the Milky Way. It was then that he realized that the "cloud of gas" he'd been observing was really another vast galaxy that was very far away. He renamed the Andromeda Nebula the "Andromeda Galaxy," and went on to discover 23 more separate galaxies. His findings proved that, unimaginably vast though it seemed to us, our Milky Way was just one of many little islands of stars.

Writer's Almanac

Lives lost to Hurricane Helene in Asheville area

 The Asheville Watchdog publishes things of high interest to the population, often just answering questions regarding local political or governmental issues, especially those regarding recovery efforts. It's a great source of information, as well as editorial opinions.

They have been publishing about those lost to the hurricane, and I admit to not reading the stories. There's just so much grief I can absorb and still breathe. But today there was a list of causes of death of all of the 43 who were lost in our county, Buncombe. The other 9 counties affected were not covered, but Buncombe had the most (I think.)

Here are links if you'd like to hear a bit about them. I read for a few minutes, then took a break, but came back and determined I'd like to save this information. It's reality. These were people I would see during my days just living here. And now they are gone.

Asheville Watchdog, The Year in Review. 

There's also a 10 part series of the Lives lost. 

I tend to focus on places when sharing on blogs. That's my lens on the world, if you will. So I've shared many photos of the places that were affected by the storms. But this event will be remembered by each of us for an experience of survival. And the biggest memory I have isn't the storm itself, since I wasn't affected directly, but the coming together of neighbors helping each other. I did experience that, because we all suffered from the sudden cessation of infrastructure in our lives.

Kindertransport to Paddington Bear

Dec. 2, 2024 was the 85th anniversary of the arrival of the first Kindertransport in London, so here you go…

They began arriving on a cold day in December of 1938. Eventually almost 10,000 would arrive at the Liverpool Street Station in London. These were the kids of the Kindertransport, little Jewish kids put on trains in Germany by their devastated parents in a desperate effort to save their lives. Each one carried a little suitcase, and wore a name tag. What a sight this must have been for Londoners - all those little kids, without their parents, speaking not a word of English! One of the onlookers would later honor these brave little folks by writing of a little bear, lost and alone, wearing a tag saying, “Please look after this bear. Thanks.” And so Paddington Bear was born…

Well, every English child may know that, but I didn't see Paddington Bear until he had tea with Queen Elizabeth II.

President Jimmy Carter

Rest in peace, President Carter. (1924-December 29, 2024) 

President Jimmy Carter wrote the following on June 16, 1977 and placed it in Voyager 1, which is the most distant human-made object from Earth:

"This Voyager spacecraft was constructed by the United States of America. We are a community of 240 million human being among the more than 4 billion who inhabit the planet Earth. We human beings are still divided into nation states, but these states are rapidly becoming a single global civilization.

We cast this message into the cosmos. It is likely to survive a billion years into our future, when our civilization is profoundly altered and the surface of the Earth may be vastly changed. Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, some – perhaps many – may have inhabited planet and spacefaring civilizations. If one such civilization intercepts Voyager and can understand these recorded contents, here is our message:

“This is a present from a small distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope someday, having solved the problem we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations. This record represents our hope and our determination, and our good will in a vast and awesome universe.”

--- Jimmy Carter, President of the United States of America, the White House, June 16, 1977"

Thanks Robert Reich

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The Scots-Irish of Appalachia

 In the five decades preceding the American Revolution about a quarter of a million Irish people immigrated to the North American British colonies. The vast majority of them were Protestants, almost always Presbyterians, from Ulster (northern Ireland)—descendants of folks who had immigrated to Ireland from Scotland and northern England in the 17th century. Fleeing religious persecution and in search of better economic opportunities, they usually arrived in Pennsylvania, and from there took the Great Wagon Road south, into Virginia and the Carolinas. Typically poor and without the means to acquire property in the lowlands, they settled along the Appalachian and Piedmont frontiers, places that tended to suit their fiercely independent manner of living. Quick-tempered, resourceful, and Calvinist, they were called “Irish” by their neighbors, though they preferred to refer to themselves as Ulster folk. We know them today as the Scots-Irish.

The term “Scots-Irish” (or sometimes “Scotch-Irish”) came into use in the mid-19th century, as mass migration brought millions of Irish Catholics into the northeastern United States—an exodus that became a tidal wave during the Great Potato Famine (over the last 50 years of the 19th century, immigration—and starvation—emptied Ireland of almost half of its population). To distinguish the descendants of the Ulster Protestant immigrants from the Irish Catholic immigrants, the former came to called “Scots-Irish” and the later simply “Irish” (or Irish-American).

Today nearly 10% of the U.S. population (over 31 million people) self-identify their ancestry as “Irish.” About 3 million self-identify as “Scots-Irish.”

The image is an artists’ depiction of a family of Scots-Irish immigrants traveling to the North Carolina frontier.

Endangered Species Act of 1973

 "This is the environmental awakening. It marks a new sensitivity of the American spirit and a new maturity of American public life. It is working a revolution in values, as commitment to responsible partnership with nature replaces cavalier assumptions that we can play God with our surroundings and survive."  speech in 1972 by Richard Nixon in outlining his agenda to congress to have an environmental protection law.

He specifically asked for a new Endangered Species Act that would provide early identification and protection of threatened species, and treat hunting or capturing endangered species as a federal offense. In 1973, the House and Senate versions were combined. The Senate passed the bill unanimously, and the House by a vote of 355 to 4.

It was on December 28 in 1973 that the Endangered Species Act was signed into law by President Nixon. There had been wildlife conservation laws in place for decades. In the late 19th century, the passenger pigeon was almost gone, the whooping crane population had plummeted, and many other species were being hunted into extinction — for food, for fashionable clothing, and sometimes just for fun. In 1900, the Lacey Act was passed, regulating the sale of illegally captured or hunted wildlife across state lines. But the Lacey Act could only do so much; the passenger pigeon went extinct, and by 1941, there were only about 16 whooping cranes left in the wild. The whooping crane became the inspiration for the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, which set aside money to buy habitat for endangered species. Amendments made the laws stricter for using products that came from endangered species. In 1970, the Department of the Interior proposed adding the sperm whale to its list of endangered species, and the Pentagon and Commerce Department protested because the Navy used sperm whale oil in its submarines. It was clear that more comprehensive legislation was necessary.

Biologist Daniel H. Janzen said: "For what DNA literacy if we have extinguished the books?" referring I suppose to the books of all wildlife.

Thanks Writer's Almanac for remembering this in 2013

Big Bear CA eagles Shadow and Jackie and triplet eggs 2.28.24, none of which hatched, unfortunately.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a good site which offers information that is more up-to-date. endangered-species-species-information-factsheets  

There are over 1,300 species listed as either endangered or threatened in the United States under the Endangered Species Act. The Fish and Wildlife Service, in the Department of the Interior, and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, in the Department of Commerce, share responsibility for administering the ESA. 

Chaco Canyon timbers

 The timbers used in Chaco Canyon buildings came from at least 50 miles away. Here's an interesting article about where and how they were obtained: Chaco Canyon Timber

Thanks Sapiens Facebook page

This regional map of Chaco Canyon shows some of the mountains where timber would have been available.

Radio City Music Hall

 Radio City Music Hall opened on this date in 1932. John D. Rockefeller Jr. had originally planned to build a new Metropolitan Opera House on some land he owned in Midtown Manhattan, but the stock market crash of 1929 put an end to that plan. He decided to build a block of buildings anyway, which he called "Rockefeller Center." The cornerstone of the center was a vast Art Deco theater that offered lavish entertainment at reasonable prices. Radio City Music Hall boasted the largest indoor theater in the world; its marquee spanned an entire city block. The stage was equipped to produce water effects like fountains and rain showers, and fog could even be piped in from a ConEd utility plant nearby. One New York critic wrote, "It has been said of the new Music Hall that it needs no performers."

Opening night was not a big success. Crowds turned out for the high-class variety show featuring Ray Bolger and Martha Graham, but individual acts were lost in the cavernous space, and it got bad reviews. Radio City was better suited to big, splashy spectacles. Two weeks after the opening, impresario Roxy Rothafel staged a movie premiere — Frank Capra's The Bitter Tea of General Yen — coupled with a stage spectacular, and started the Radio City tradition of movies combined with stage shows. That tradition continued until 1979.

The Christmas Spectacular is another Radio City tradition that has endured. The first Christmas Spectacular was staged December 21, 1933, a year after the theater opened. It was a 30-minute production that was paired with a movie feature. In 1979, the show was expanded to 90 minutes, and since that time it stands on its own, incorporating 3-D movies and, of course, the precision legs of the Radio City Rockettes.

Louis Pasteur

 Today is the birth anniversary of 

"... the man credited with proving that disease is caused by germs: Louis Pasteur born in Dole, France (1822). He was a scientist who specialized in the properties of acids. One day, a local distillery owner asked him to figure out why the fermentation of beet sugar into alcohol sometimes failed. At the time, people knew about the existence of microbes, but most scientists thought they were insignificant oddities. By studying the process of fermentation under a microscope, Pasteur discovered that the process is a result of microbes digesting their food. And he found that fermentation failed when another type of microorganism interfered with the process.

Pasteur became one of the first scientists to grow cultures of bacteria and study their effects on nature. He began to theorize that microbes might be responsible for all kinds of things, from spoiled wine and milk to the decomposition of dead animals. He showed that milk and wine could be preserved for longer periods simply by heating them just enough to kill off the microbes. The process became known as pasteurization, and it revolutionized the food industry.

He went on to develop the first vaccines for anthrax, cholera, and rabies. He is now regarded as the father of bacteriology. It's because of him that our mothers started teaching us to wash our hands before dinner.

Louis Pasteur said, "Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world."

Frank Borman and Jim Lovell

Dec 4 1965

On this day in 1965, Frank Borman and Jim Lovell launched on the Gemini VII mission to show that humans could survive in weightlessness for 14 days. Their spacecraft was also Gemini VI-A's target vehicle for the world's first space rendezvous. These two achievements were critical steps on the road to the Apollo Moon landing. The Gemini VII spacecraft is on display in the "Destination Moon" exhibition at the Museum in DC. 

Thomas Stafford on Gemini VI-A took this photo of Gemini VII during their rendezvous on December 15, 1965. 

SOURCE: Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

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Just watched a fun movie "Fly Me To The Moon," on Apple TV+ streaming. The best part was seeing the real shots of Apollo XI and the first men on the moon. The rest of the movie was well enough done that I didn't think it too much like "I Love Lucy," which is how I judge most movies these days. 

Sharing with Skywatch Friday

Ode to Freedom

 It was on Nov 9, 1989 that the Berlin Wall came down in Germany. After World War II, Germany was divided into four parts, each occupied by one of the major Allied powers — France, England, the United States, and the Soviet Union. It didn't take long for relations between the Soviet Union and the other Allies to deteriorate, at which point the Soviet portion became East Germany, and the rest became West Germany. Berlin was also controlled by all four powers, so it was divided similarly to the rest of the country — into East and West Berlin — even though it was entirely surrounded by East Germany.

To stop refugees from fleeing to the West, the East Germans built a barbed-wire fence and established checkpoints along the border between East and West Germany. However, for a long time there was no physical barrier between the two halves of Berlin, so refugees went from East to West Berlin — and from there, to the rest of Western Europe. By 1961, more than 3.5 million East Germans had fled — more than 20 percent of the entire population. So the East Germans decided to put up a wall in the city. They began construction in the middle of the night and surrounded West Berlin. For 28 years, the Berlin Wall stopped emigration from the Eastern Bloc to Western Europe. Many people were killed trying to cross.

In the late 1980s, things changed. With Mikhail Gorbachev at the helm, the Soviet Union became more liberal. In 1989, Poland had the first free elections in the Eastern Bloc, and the Communists lost. That fall, Hungary opened its border with Austria. On November 4th, more than half a million protestors turned out in East Berlin, chanting Wir sind das Volk — "We are the people" — and demanding reforms.

November 9th, 1989, was a gray, cold Thursday in Berlin. East German officials made a last-minute decision to loosen travel restrictions for their citizens, hoping to quiet the unrest. An official named Günter Schabowski was in charge of giving regular press conferences for the government, and right before the press conference, he was handed a note with the news that East Berliners would be allowed to cross to West Berlin if they had permission. He didn't know anything else about it, so he just read the note aloud. When a journalist asked him when the order would take effect, he had no idea, but after a hesitation, he mumbled his best guess: that it would take effect immediately.

Schabowski's press conference was broadcast on all the nightly news channels, with news anchors declaring triumphantly that safe passage was now open between the two sides. Thousands of East Berliners thronged to the wall, demanding to be let through. Television crews covered the activity live, bringing even more people out on the streets. Frantic and confused border guards kept trying to telephone their superiors, but no official wanted to be responsible for issuing an order to open fire; meanwhile, the crowds were growing larger. Finally, the guards had no choice but to let the mob through. West Berliners had also heard the news on television, and there were crowds waiting on the west side of the wall with cheers and champagne. Restaurants offered East Berliners free meals, a soccer club gave out free tickets to their game, and individual West Berliners called their local TV station with offers of free lodging, beds, and theater tickets. The West German government gave East Germans "greeting money," about $55 to spend as they chose in the much-wealthier West.

In the days that followed, Germans from both sides tore down the wall with hammers, pickaxes, and screwdrivers. The East German government announced that it would be opening 10 new border crossings, and army bulldozers drilled into the wall to create them. Although they were technically creating new crossings, not tearing down the wall, the general consensus was that the wall was crumbling. Crowds waited for hours for the bulldozers, and then showered the drivers with flowers before picking up pieces of the wall as souvenirs. The East German protest chant of Wir sind das Volk, — "We are the people" — was changed to Wir sind ein Volk — "We are one people."

On Christmas morning of 1989, six weeks after the opening of the Berlin Wall, 71-year-old Leonard Bernstein conducted a performance in Berlin of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, with the words "Ode to Joy" changed to "Ode to Freedom." His orchestra and choir were made up of citizens from East and West Germany, France, the Soviet Union, England, and the United States. It was the first Christmas in decades that East and West Berliners could cross freely between the sides of the city, and many did so that day, waiting in lines for hours to get across. East Berliners enjoyed sausages from street vendors in West Berlin, while West Berliners packed into shops and restaurants on East Berlin's most famous street, Unter den Linden.

O Holy Night as an abolitionist carol

 O Holy Night” has to be one of the most-sung Christmas songs out there and why not? It’s a pretty song with theologically rich verses and a high note that feels like a tightrope walk for even the most gifted vocalists. But what a lot of people don’t know is that the Christmas Carol has a long legacy of being an anthem of abolitionism.

In 1843, a French poet and wine merchant named Placide Cappeau was commissioned to write a Christmas piece to celebrate the renovation of a church organ in his hometown. Cappeau was keen on the idea, even though he himself was an atheist, and wrote “Minuit, chrétiens,” or “Midnight, Christians.” The music was supplied by a Jewish composer named Adolphe Adams and the song became a holiday hit in France in spite of — or maybe because of — its author’s socialist leanings.

When Church authorities got wind that the song was written by two non-Christians, they tried to have it — well, today we’d call it “being cancelled.” There was some tension around some of the lyrics, which had Cappeau’s justice-oriented bent. Verse three struck authorities as particularly activist, with lines like “Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother” and “in His name, all oppression shall cease.” The song was blasted for “lack of musical taste” and “total absence of the spirit of religion.”

However, the carol traversed the ocean thanks to a Unitarian minister and musician named John Sullivan Dwight. Dwight was an abolitionist and in 1855, the movement to outlaw slavery was picking up steam in the North. Dwight cottoned to Cappeau’s song and translated the lyrics to english, renaming it “O Holy Night.” It became a favorite of Christian abolitionists — particularly that third verse — and has been a Christmas staple ever since, even if its revolutionary roots aren’t quite as well-known.

Robert Bly birth

 Things to Think

Robert Bly

Think in ways you’ve never thought before

If the phone rings, think of it as carrying a message

Larger than anything you’ve ever heard,

Vaster than a hundred lines of Yeats.

Think that someone may bring a bear to your door,

Maybe wounded and deranged: or think that a moose

Has risen out of the lake, and he’s carrying on his antlers

A child of your own whom you’ve never seen.

When someone knocks on the door, think that he’s about

To give you something large: tell you you’re forgiven,

Or that it’s not necessary to work all the time, or that it’s

Been decided that if you lie down no one will die.

Dec. 23, 1926

...born in Madison, Minnesota (1926). He said, "One day while studying a [William Butler] Yeats poem I decided to write poetry the rest of my life. I recognized that a single short poem has room for history, music, psychology, religious thought, mood, occult speculation, character, and events of one's own life."

An invention that made music available everywhere...and then some

 On this day in 1947, three physicists—John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley—demonstrated a transistor to executives at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey. That first transistor was crudely constructed from a razor blade, gold foil, an uncoiled paper clip, a piece of plastic, and a sliver of germanium crystal. Nine years later they received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their invention.

Thanks Writer's Almanac 2000

Christmas Carols

 For those who wanted to listen to the more traditional Christmas Carols...those that came long before Jingle Bells. Most sung by choirs, with organ accompaniment.

It's 9 plus hours, and so far I haven't heard a commercial but it is repetition of just a few songs! OK for background music, but not if you want to sing along!!

This link has many different songs, avoiding the modern ones at least. 

If you have a favorite Christmas Carol link, please let me know!

By Jan Pashley

Some Stonehenge history (modern)

 In 1915, an unusual and impulsive decision by Cecil Chubb, an English businessman, forever changed the fate of the iconic Stonehenge monument. Originally tasked by his wife to purchase a set of curtains at an auction, Chubb’s return with the ancient, 5,000-year-old megalithic site in Wiltshire, England, shocked his family and the nation. At a cost of £6,000 (equivalent to over a million dollars today), this spontaneous purchase was seen by many as extravagant, especially since it used part of his wife’s inheritance.

Despite Mrs. Chubb's displeasure with the unexpected expense, Cecil’s motivations were rooted in his deep connection to the region. Having grown up near Stonehenge, he was likely determined to protect the site from being acquired by wealthy Americans, who were showing increasing interest in British historical landmarks. His purchase was as much about preservation as it was a personal gift to his wife.

Cecil’s decision had lasting implications for Stonehenge’s future. Three years later, he made the monumental choice to donate the site to the British public, ensuring its preservation for future generations. In his donation, he stipulated that the entrance fee should be modest — no more than one shilling — and that locals should be able to visit for free. This act of generosity guaranteed that the mystery and grandeur of Stonehenge would be accessible to all, transforming it into one of the most visited prehistoric monuments in the world.

Cecil Chubb’s unplanned acquisition of Stonehenge remains one of history’s most famous and unlikely purchases, exemplifying how one man’s impulsive action helped safeguard a national treasure for the public.

From Moment of the Memories Facebook page

Also see HERE for some shots of the upgrading activities of Stonehenge.

Louisiana Purchase

 Dec. 20 

On this day in 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed for $15 million, which was roughly three cents an acre. The land, which spanned from Montana to the port of New Orleans, doubled the size of the United States.

Pan Am and the flying machines

 In 1932, passengers were seen boarding the newly introduced Pan Am Sikorsky S-40, a groundbreaking aircraft that marked a significant milestone in the history of aviation. The Sikorsky S-40, known for its large size and advanced design, was a symbol of Pan American World Airways' ambition to revolutionize air travel. With a capacity to carry passengers and cargo over long distances, this flying boat was designed to offer comfortable and efficient service on transoceanic routes, particularly across the Caribbean and South America. The plane's debut was a major step in making international air travel more accessible to the public.

The Sikorsky S-40 was one of the first commercial flying boats to be used by Pan Am, and its introduction helped establish the airline as a major player in the global aviation industry. Designed by the renowned aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky, the aircraft featured a spacious cabin and was capable of landing on both water and land, making it highly versatile for the routes Pan Am had in mind. The airplane's impressive wingspan and robust engines allowed it to travel long distances, and it quickly became a favorite for international travelers looking for an adventurous and novel way to cross the oceans.

For passengers in 1932, boarding the Sikorsky S-40 was not just about travel; it was an experience that blended the excitement of air travel with the luxury of modern amenities. At a time when commercial aviation was still in its infancy, the aircraft provided a glimpse into the future of air transport. The Sikorsky S-40, with its sleek design and state-of-the-art features, represented the promise of faster, more comfortable travel, and its introduction by Pan Am helped to shape the future of the airline industry and aviation as a whole.

Thanks History Pages Facebook

The well-dressed woman might wear:

Kay-Francis-Adrienne-Ames-Constance-Bennet-trouser-haters-1933

While earlier forms of flight might have been shown at an exhibition in Paris.

Autochrome colour photo by French photographer Lèon Gimple taken at the 1909 Grand Exhibition in Paris. 

Hot-air Balloon Race at the 1900 Olympic Games held In Paris, France

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Then more inventions in flight appeared.

Hughes H-4 Spruce Goose, built by billionaire Howard Hughes in 1947, was the largest aircraft in the world and flew only once.

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1969 Lunar lander taking Armstrong and Aldren down to surface of moon from Apollo 11

A possible solar powered plane. No date.

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Sharing with Skywatch Friday, and Sepia Saturday Since there's not a Sepia Saturday next week, I've doubled up the flying machines this week, while others are taking part in, or observing various performances of the season.

Today's quote:

Jung called coincidence "synchronicity" and it happens to us all if we are only aware. Co-incidence--happening with. You must be ready to see it and do more than say "wow" when you do. To pluck a plum when you pass beneath the bough, you've got to be looking up. To catch the glisten of the green snail beneath the plum tree, you must regard the ground. To capture more good than bad, you scan the whole and, mantis like, snatch the happy moment before it springs away, out of reach.

- Robert Michael Pyle, "Wintergreen: Listening to the Land's Heart"




Jamestown wives

 The Jamestown Company had a serious problem. Would-be settlers were abandoning the colony and returning to England. Why? Almost every colonist was a man. They might be willing to endure famine, disease, and warfare, but many of the colonists weren't willing to do without a wife. And, of course, a colony without women wasn't sustainable. So, the Company knew it had to do something to lure eligible brides to Jamestown.

To make the prospect of life on the Virginia frontier enticing, the Company devised a remarkable set of incentives. Women who agreed to come to Virginia to find a husband were provided free transportation, clothing, furniture, and a plot of land in their own name. They were also given property and inheritance rights that they wouldn't have in England. Best of all they were allowed to choose their own husband (who was guaranteed to be wealthy). Each woman was courted by dozens of eager suitors, and the Company provided her with room and board while she weighed her options and made her choice.

A man lucky enough to win the wife sweepstakes was obligated to pay the Company 150 pounds of prime tobacco. A decade into its existence, the wife-supply business was the only part of the Jamestown Company's operations that was profitable.

From Daily Dose of History on Facebook

A home on wheels

 In the late 19th century, caravans symbolized more than just travel—they represented a lifestyle intertwined with exploration and resilience. Caravans, often associated with Romani communities, were also widely adopted by traveling performers, merchants, and adventurers seeking freedom from the constraints of urban life. These homes-on-wheels embodied a spirit of independence during an era dominated by industrial expansion.

By the 1800s, the Victorian fascination with exploration and leisure sparked a growing trend in caravanning, particularly among the wealthy. Caravans of this period were richly adorned with intricate woodwork and ornate interiors, blending practicality with elegance. They offered a mobile retreat, allowing travelers to explore rural landscapes far from the crowded, polluted cities shaped by industrialization.

The Romani people, long associated with caravans, had a profound influence on their design and cultural significance. These vibrant wagons, known as "vardos," became iconic symbols of their nomadic traditions. Painted with bright colors and adorned with floral motifs, they reflected a deep connection to art, nature, and freedom. Despite facing widespread discrimination, Romani communities maintained a strong cultural identity, passing down stories, music, and craftsmanship through generations.

Caravans also played a crucial role in trade and commerce. Merchants would traverse vast distances, bringing goods and news to remote villages. In some cases, these traveling wagons served as mobile theaters, showcasing entertainment such as magic shows and storytelling sessions, often to wide-eyed children and curious adults.

As the Victorian era progressed into the 20th century, the advent of motor vehicles began to replace traditional horse-drawn caravans. Yet, the nostalgic charm of these rolling homes persists, inspiring modern interpretations in both art and design.

This legacy of caravans, rooted in resilience and wanderlust, continues to evoke a sense of timeless adventure.

Source: Land of Historical USA Facebook page

I've shared before some information and photos of Vardo Wagons, which are beautifully crafted.

The Founding of Oberlin College

  On Dec 3, 1833: The First College to Offer Co-Ed Classes Opens

Today in 1833, the first classes were held today at a new college in Oberlin, Ohio. The student body consisted of 29 men and 15 women, making Oberlin the first college to offer coeducational classes.

At first, women could only earn something called the Ladies Degree. And the first female students were dismissed from classes on Monday to do male students’ laundry. But by 1837, Oberlin was awarding them Bachelor’s degrees with the men.

Most education in the early days of the republic was coeducational. But by the late nineteenth century, women were discouraged from pursuing higher education except at women’s colleges with limited curricula.

Since then, the percentage of women students has grown significantly until today, when they are 58 percent of all college students, and owe 67 percent of the $1.8 trillion of student debt.

“Today in American History with Jeff Nilsson” can be heard on select public radio stations across the U.S.

Image: Old College Chapel and Tappan Hall at Oberlin College, ca. 1860 (Oberlin College Archives)

Source Facebook Saturday Evening Post