American Halloweens of the Past

October 31, 2014 – Trick-or-treaters go Halloween shopping hoping to find the scariest, creepiest, or most unusual costume.  You might have better luck by unleashing your creativity and using what you have at home, as these photographs from 1875 to 1955 show.  They are from a book by Ossian Brown. Link: Daily Mail Additional Photos […]

Severed Arm from Civil War Part of Halloween Exhibit

October 31, 2014 – The National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, Maryland, will display a soldier’s severed arm for Halloween.  The injury was sustained in September of 1862 at the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest one-day battle of the war. Link: CBS News Additional Photos  (click thumbnails to enlarge) [divider]

Moby Dick Author Listed as Crew Member of Whaling Ship

October 27, 2014 – Housed in the National Archives at Boston is a list of crew members of a whaling ship, the Acushnet, which sailed out of Massachusetts in 1841 heading for the Pacific.  What makes the document noteworthy is the sixth name from the bottom: Herman Melville, age 21.  His experiences at sea provided […]

19th Century Photographs of Native Americans Being Auctioned

October 17, 2014 – More than 100 rare 19th century photographs of Native Americans are being auctioned later this month, including one of the last taken of Chief Sitting Bull.  The collection was assembled by an English adventurer of the period, Charles Alston Messiter. Link: DailyMail Additional Photos    (click thumbnails to enlarge) [divider]   […]

American WWII POWs Return to Japan

October 16, 2014 – Three American prisoners of war during World War II have returned to Japan as guests of the Japanese government.  They were among the 30,000 Allied servicemen held in dozens of camps in Japan, China, and elsewhere. Link: ABC Additional Photos  (click thumbnails to enlarge) [divider]