Today:
You know the drill: this is the thread for all your history-related outpourings that are not necessarily questions. Minor questions that you feel don't need or merit their own threads are welcome too. Discovered a great new book, documentary, article or blog? Has your Ph.D. application been successful? Have you made an archaeological discovery in your back yard? Did you find an anecdote about the Doge of Venice telling a joke to Michel Foucault? Tell us all about it.
As usual, moderation in this thread will be relatively non-existent -- jokes, anecdotes and light-hearted banter are welcome.
This is something I wrote up for /u/Jasfss who has expressed an interest in early United States electrical transmission. A bit of background, I collect glass and porcelain insulators used on the old open wire telegraph and telephone lines, as well as on power transmission. One of my specialties is high voltage insulators prior to 1920 from the United States. Needless to say, one cannot study the history of their use, without learning more about the overall big picture, such as early power transmission lines and such. The following is an account of a 60,000 volt line built in 1906 that use power generated from the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, and served upstate New York. The line is notable, because several lessons learned during it's early use still echo in modern transmission line practices.
In 1906, the Niagara, Lockport, and Ontario Power Company begain transmission of a (for the time) mighty 60,000 volt power line that ran from the power generating facilities at Niagara Falls to Lockport, near Rochester, to Syracuse, and towards Buffalo. All told, the line and all it's branches ran around 400 miles, and was built on steel towers, with a rather unique porcelain insulator, which proved to teach lessons that echo even to this day.
In 1906, the state of the art of high voltage insulators was very much trial and error. Lower voltage insulators had been fairly quickly worked out, and by 1906 design features that still carry over to modern times had quickly evolved. Higher voltages though were still a learning experience, and was as much a struggle for the engineer as the potter. Early electrical porcelain in the United States was crude, and inconsistent, and there was an ongoing struggle to actually create large and mechanically sound porcelain bodies.
Some manufacturers had turned to fusing several smaller porcelain shells together with glaze, but as that process had it's mechanical limits, and was patented, others turned to cementing several shells together to create a larger insulator.
Such was the technique used on the Lockport line. Noted electrical engineer Ralph Mershon designed a graceful and attractiveinsulator, which was built by the R. Thomas and Sons Company of East Liverpool Ohio, and the New Lexington High Voltage Porcelain Company of New Lexington, Ohio. The insulator in question was made of three cemented porcelain shells, which in turn was cemented onto a porcelain pin for maximum mechanical strength.
As you can see, the insulator was tall and graceful, which quite frankly made it a disaster, which would slowly unfold over several years.
Needless to say, the line started off just fine, but the ever present danger of lightning was looming in the background. The 1906 lightning season showed the problems with the insulator in question. Lightning strikes could cause the porcelain to mechanically fail, and destroy the insulator due to it's inability to carry a balanced electrical load. Future insulator design showed that a roughly 1:1 height/width ratio was desirable, with carefully butted joints, and gentle curves, instead of the sweeping "lilly shell" curves used on the Lockport insulator. However, this understanding was still several years in the future, so the line frequently went down due to lightning damage.
The first solution was to place metal arcing horns underneath the top most insulators of the three wire line at regular intervals. However, this only served to protect the individual insulators, and did little to lessen the effects of lightning.
The 1908 lightning season saw the instalation of the patented Nicholson Arcing Ring which had the effect of more properly diverting the damaging effects of lightning away from the insulator.
It was found that only the topmost of three insulators on a pole needed lightning protection, as that was the line most commonly struck. The Nicholson ring protected the line by diverting the voltage and heat effects of lightning away from the insulator, and prevented mechanical failure.
In 1909, 11,000 insulators were taken from service before the lightning season and underwent electrical testing, of which some 40 percent failed, mostly due to prior mechanical puncture from lighting, usually in the lowest of the three shells. A new, more electrically balanced insulator was developed to take the place of the lightning damaged insulators, which was closer to the desirable 1:1 height/width ratio, and featured a recessed fourth shell. Combined with the Nicholson arcing rings, these units finally gave the line year round reliability and protection from lightning damage.
Fast forward to 2014, and we are still using lessons learned from this line. Insulators in lighting prone areas are often still fitted with modern versions of the Nicholson ring, or even arcing horns as first used. Better attention is paid to the overall design (which has been long set in standard by ANSI and other standards institutes; the days of custom designing an insulator for a power transmission line are gone, save for exceptional cases) and we have learned to make stronger, better porcelain.
The 1906 Niagara, Lockport and Ontario line has many hints of modern transmission line design. It was built on steel towers, and carried extensive lightning protection. The 1909 insulator hinted at what the future of insulator design in North America would become, and the operators of the line could take pride in having wired over 400 miles of upstate New York with one of the highest voltage lines in the world at the time. In the early 20th Century, nearly every transmission line was an experiment, and carefully watched and discussed by the electrical industry around the world, and often new lines contributed greatly to the current state of the art. All we have left of this line are a few dozen old insulators in varying states of repair, some trade journal articles, and a century long legacy of technology that can be clearly traced back to the foul weather of upstate New York.
Further reading Insulators and line construction detail of the Niagara, Lockport and Ontario Line Note, this is written for insulator collectors and features a lot of collector nomenclature, but is easily accessible to anyone.
New Lexington High Voltage Porcelain Company
My Ph.D. application for history has in fact been successful... well at least one of them was. I'm still waiting on the results of my final application, not sure why it's taking so long. But even if it brings bad news, you only need one to be successful and I'm very happy that I was accepted somewhere.
I certainly hope I do well!
Norwegian anthropologist Arne Kalland authored Unveiling The Whale: Discourses on Whales and Whaling in 2009. In it, Kalland launches a surprisingly critical discussion of the anti-whaling narrative he sees as having dominated the debate since the growth of conservationist and environmentalist organizations in the 1960s/70s. I wanted to share some of his major points, not to pass judgment on both sides of the debate, but rather to present a fascinating alternate viewpoint to a very emotionally charged issue.
Kalland argues that the whaling issue is fundamentally a theoretical one. How nations and groups view whales (as a natural resource or as a fragile creature deserving of more than hunting) is an underlying factor in our views on whaling as a practice. As well, the historical development of commercial whaling, and its economic viability over time, shapes our views. Kalland theorizes that the gradual decline of commercial whaling helped "reclassify" the whale in popular thought. Indeed, the whaling titan that was the United States would technically remain in the industry until around the 1920s. However, at this point, it was a far cry from the vast Nantucket and New Bedford fleets of the early/mid 19th century. The West, with notable exceptions, has largely moved on from whaling as as viable industry, its resources are no longer as important. Kalland further argues that anti-whaling advocacy groups cling to these outdated "Moby-Dick" images of whaling that are not applicable to the much more regulated and smaller industry in the present day, and intentionally misrepresent this history to make their points.
Kalland claims the issue has been polarized as a reflection of the historical "radicalization" of environmentalism and a shift of thinking from simple animal conservation and sustainable use by humans, to "animal rights" and total protection of creatures (whales being a case in point). Indeed, there appears to be a noticeable shift in whaling dialogue by the mid 1970s. In 1974, the Mexican delegate attacked the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in his speech, "The Commission will be known to history as a small body of men who failed to act responsibly in terms of their very large commitment to the world, and who protected the interests of the few whalers and not the thousands of whales." New Zealand rejoined the IWC in 1976, stating that "in 1968 the international community was perhaps less sensitive than today to environment and conservation issues...Like it or not, the whale is now a symbol of mankind's failure to manage the world's resources responsibly." By 1974 the IWC was inviting groups like Greenpeace and the WWF to annual meetings. Pro-whaling advocates have argued that this shift has caused the IWC to lose sight of its purpose as pointed out in the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW): "provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry." with the controversial 1982 whaling moratorium (still in effect to this day) being the hallmark of the anti-whaling "takeover" of the IWC. Dialogue between both sides has been frustratingly glacial in nature, many of the anti-whaling groups and nations sticking by the absolute moratorium. Pro-whaling nations either outright reject the moratorium (or whale under protest to it) or use the controversial scientific whaling exception in the edict (infamously evoked by the Japanese whaling industry).
A more non-historical point I found fascinating was what he calls the creation of the "Superwhale", which I'll refer to as simply The Whale. The Whale is the popular image we hold of cetaceans that combines widely differing qualities of the almost eighty species and combines them into one: The Whale. According to Kalland, we're told that The Whale:
This combination of characteristics turns The Whale into a monolithic creature rather than a species of unique and related animals. The last point is critical in the discussion of whaling, if we are to believe that The Whale is critically endangered, we are more inclined to protect all whales when pro-whaling groups and nations argue that there are species that can be sustainably hunted. This ties back to how different people view whales, as a natural resource like any other animal or as something more special deserving of total protection.
EDIT: The historical information regarding the change in the IWC's whaling dialogue (including the Mexico and New Zealand speeches) is found in Johan Nicolay Tønnessen's and Arne Odd Johnse's The History of Modern Whaling
Just in time to miss the "What's new in History Wednesday" thread, the Vatican announced that it will begin digitizing a huge number of documents from its archives and will place them online. Tens of thousands of documents comprising millions of pages will be digitized and archived online in the next few years.
These documents will join a large number of offerings already available on the Vatican's website, and may spur further digitization and online distribution in the future.
Gotta love electrons flying to you at the speed of light for pennies instead of trying to fund a trip to Rome from a financial standpoint, but the gelato surely tastes better at Trevi fountain...
So I have been reading PG Wodehouse, and one of Bertie's characteristically loopy bits of exposition in "Extricating Young Gussie" was his surprise that in New York you are served by barmen rather than barmaids like in London.* I thought it was pretty nifty.
I recently checked out Neville Morley's Trade in Classical Antiquity, which is something of a "primer" work I would recommend to anyone, but I am surprised how much I am getting out of it. Kind of like Archaeology and the Roman Economy, there is something quite nice about reading these upper-level introductory volumes. It is so easy to dig yourself deeply into one particular aspect of a topic that you forget the big picture, and I enjoyed getting a simple and necessarily balanced perspective. Also, the opening section not-so-subtlety mocking the modernist vs. primitivist debate is fun.
*I am never one of the master minds in the early morning; the old bean doesn't somehow seem to get into its stride till pretty late in the p.m.s, and I couldn't think what to do. However, some instinct took me through a door at the back of the lobby, and I found myself in a large room with an enormous picture stretching across the whole of one wall, and under the picture a counter, and behind the counter divers chappies in white, serving drinks. They have barmen, don't you know, in New York, not barmaids. Rum idea!
Do you like the free shit on archive.org? Do you want to know how the sausage gets made? This job ad has been circulating on my listserv for a while now, this is for an archive.org book scanner. Thought it might interest you all:
Position Summary:
You will be operating a "Scribe" scanning machine that takes digital photos of books from various collections and puts them online for universal access.
A high tolerance for repetitive tasks and attention to detail is necessary. Previous imaging experience not necessary. We are looking for people who are patient, conscientious, detail oriented and who have the ability to work both alone and in a team environment. Basic knowledge of computers, e-mail, and spreadsheets is required, and strong technical skills are preferred. Must be able to lift and move stacks of books (5-15 lbs. each) short distances, sit at a scribe station for the duration of the shift, and use a foot pedal to raise and lower a glass platen. Pleasant, low-stress work environment. A love of books is a plus!
[...]
Job duration - 1 year, plus possible extensions; Salary - $11.00/hr starting; Schedule - Full-time, 7:00-3:00pm, M-F; Health Benefits and accrued PTO after 90 days
Not a lot of people know this until they've done it, but digitization has a high, high human cost. It is incredibly boring, repetitive work. So next time you enjoy a digitized book please just take a moment to think that an actual human being physically made that for you.
Timed take home exams suck. I've got 2 hours of misery that need to be completed before midnight and I feel like I'm just waiting to get punched in the face.
Please distract me from this torture. What is your favorite history-themed joke?
Writing history is such an odd process. I gather and gather and gather, never feeling like I really know anything about the thing I'm writing about, and always feeling like I have hardly any real material; and then I start writing, and I find myself cutting away, discarding so much, as though I have far too much to say.
I've been watching the TV series Call the Midwife on Netflix and, in one episode of series two, a character is leaving a room and reaches for the doorknob, which is nearly shoulder height to her, a grown woman.
That made me wonder: Were doorknobs this height ever standard (the show is set in East London in the late 1950s)? If so, when and why did it change? What other style and heights of doorknobs have been common?
In other words, the history of doorknobs. Lay it on me.
With grades in, I have now a term of fellowship for research and writing, going into the summer--so basically my own work until late September! I'm stoked about it, but also kind of fearful I will spend too much time sleeping or otherwise living a normal life.
Book authors: Maps are important! I'm currently working with a cartography lab connected to my alma mater's Dept of Geography, and they're very good, but it's amazing how much better a job they can do than I can. The draft passage back and forth has been very interesting. Hopefully I can actually get these book revisions done in the next three weeks. It's all mechanical operations now, I think, and these are the most annoying ones.
In the last episode of Vikings, Ragnar asked an Anglo-Saxon noble about the origin of a Roman statue. The noble replied "Nobody knows. Some say a race of giants once lived on this island." By the eight/ninth century, did the Anglo-Saxons really have no knowledge of the Romans who came before them?
Source acquisition recommendations? For digital copies of articles, every one praises Jstor but I always find Wiley-Blackwell much more useful. I currently have access to various things through my university but they have some sort of substandard Jstor subscription so some articles are blocked. Any other article facilities that people like?
In related (materials acquisition) news, Abe Books is great for rare/hard-to-find books: Abe Books. That's where I got an edition of the diplomata of Robert Guiscard, if memory serves. Anyone else have favourites? I'm always interested in ways to get hold of elusive medieval sources.
I always found the story of Radio in the American Sector so interesting - someone actually cited it as a reason that the Turkish ban on twitter will ultimately fail, which I thought was pretty cool.
Anyways, does anyone have a good book recommendation about RIAS? Any interesting stories? Thanks!
I was listening to a podcast yesterday morning, and it was mentioned that the US, Canada, and most of Europe are the only places in the world where insects are not a regular part of the popular diet. Why is this? Has the consumption of insects ever been popular in western society?
I'm posting this question here because it's not very concise, and I'm not even sure if this is the best subreddit to ask.
I'm wondering at what point in (european?) history ghosts came to be described as wearing white sheets, and why?
Long, white robes makes sense to me, and I'm guessing that might have been the starting point, but a white blanket over the head is sort of a weird image when I try to look at it without all my familiar associations to the idea.
So last weekend I went to the Baltimore Antique Arms show and scored a very interesting piece! A Greek M1903/14 Mannlicher-Schoenauer rifle!
Its a pretty uncommon sight, and the design is a unique one due to the rotary magazine.
As a followup to my long winded post earlier, I'd like to share this insulator
It is almost the same style as the units used on the Niagara, Lockport and Ontario line, with the notable exception the crown of the insulator is much larger, likely to accommodate metal fittings for bus bars and switches.
This unit came from the Hauser dam in Montana, where it was used on a switch assembly. Only 13-15 are believed to exist, most of which came from the single find in Montana. I believe this unit dates to about 1908 or so. While the top shell is damaged, it is unique in that it features the original (now faded blank) factory shipping sticker on it. I take possession tomorrow. :D
Anyone know of a good website for high-res medieval political maps, sort of like this? I'm making my own as part of a senior project, but can't for the life of me find any good ones to base mine off of. Also, which region, besides France and Britain, should I do a poster on: Germany, Italy, Iberia, Scandinavia, the Balkans, or Palestine? This could be anywhere between 800 - 1453, I suppose.
Anybody interested in Boston through the 20th Century should check out the documentary "Boston the Way It Was." It's all on YouTube and there's a TON of vintage video and photographs from all around the city. Lots of great interviews with lifelong residents as well.
Due to personal reasons and aspirations, as well as reading (recently) older thread topics on the matter, I'm not going to academically or otherwise pursue a career in history. However, it's really important to me, and it's sort of nebulous to say you love history, but I really do. I hope this question is wide and light enough for this thread and I'd love to hear from you folks on this: tips for someone who plans to be a lifelong student of history, though not an academic one? Good habits and things to keep in mind for seriously meditating on subjects as opposed to accruing myths, false knowledge, dogmatic assumptions (or any sort of normative, unreflective stances), pop history, etc?
Btw, I love this sub! Long time lurker, recent sub :)