http://blog.readex.com Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:15:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://blog.readex.com/the-first-map-of-the-gulf-stream-benjamin-franklin%e2%80%99s-maritime-observations/comment-page-1#comment-818 Christopher Lowell Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:15:22 +0000 http://blog.readex.com/?p=626#comment-818 As a full-time Ben Franklin historian/presenter, I've known about Tim Folger (Ben's cousin) and his influence on the interest Ben had for so many years in mapping the Gulf Stream. As with the delivery of the mail, Ben wanted "faster, faster" and his interest in the Gulf Stream was to help shippers deliver their cargos to and from Great Britain and the Continent with 33% savings (possible if one "took" the Gulf Stream from the New World x the Atlantic or avoided it on the return. Readers may be delighted as I am with the image of Ben, returning from France to Philadelphia at the age of 79, leaning over the gunnels of the pitching ship six times each day (held tightly by his grandson, Temple, lest he fall overboard!) in order to drop a thermometer into the Atlantic. He reckoned that temperature differences might account for the Gulf Stream's limits. Quite a guy! As a full-time Ben Franklin historian/presenter, I’ve known about Tim Folger (Ben’s cousin) and his influence on the interest Ben had for so many years in mapping the Gulf Stream. As with the delivery of the mail, Ben wanted “faster, faster” and his interest in the Gulf Stream was to help shippers deliver their cargos to and from Great Britain and the Continent with 33% savings (possible if one “took” the Gulf Stream from the New World x the Atlantic or avoided it on the return. Readers may be delighted as I am with the image of Ben, returning from France to Philadelphia at the age of 79, leaning over the gunnels of the pitching ship six times each day (held tightly by his grandson, Temple, lest he fall overboard!) in order to drop a thermometer into the Atlantic. He reckoned that temperature differences might account for the Gulf Stream’s limits. Quite a guy!

]]> http://blog.readex.com/the-pope%e2%80%99s-stone-part-one/comment-page-1#comment-760 The Pope’s Stone, Part Two: The Bloody Bedini Background | Readex Blog Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:05:30 +0000 http://blog.readex.com/?p=482#comment-760 [...] [The Pope’s Stone, Part One discussed the theft and destruction of a block of marble sent by Pope Pius IX in 1853 to be placed in the Washington Monument, under construction on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. This Part Two recounts some inflammatory background to that embarrassing episode in American history in the form of the perilous visit of a Vatican prelate just before the destruction of the stone.] [...] [...] [The Pope’s Stone, Part One discussed the theft and destruction of a block of marble sent by Pope Pius IX in 1853 to be placed in the Washington Monument, under construction on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. This Part Two recounts some inflammatory background to that embarrassing episode in American history in the form of the perilous visit of a Vatican prelate just before the destruction of the stone.] [...]

]]> http://blog.readex.com/%e2%80%9ctears-in-england%e2%80%9d-will-world-cup-history-repeat-itself/comment-page-1#comment-697 Jim Walsh Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:42:12 +0000 http://blog.readex.com/?p=579#comment-697 Great reporting!!!! It is ironic (and Mr. Coggeshall points out the lack of U.S. interest for soccer in 1950) that this article which states that this U.S. soccer victory “marks the lowest ever for British sport,” and “is the biggest soccer upset of all time.” never mentions the person's name who scored the winning goal!! The goal was scored by Joseph Edouard Gaetjens, a Haitian, who said that he planned to become a U.S. citizen. Great reporting!!!! It is ironic (and Mr. Coggeshall points out the lack of U.S. interest for soccer in 1950) that this article which states that this U.S. soccer victory “marks the lowest ever for British sport,” and “is the biggest soccer upset of all time.” never mentions the person’s name who scored the winning goal!! The goal was scored by Joseph Edouard Gaetjens, a Haitian, who said that he planned to become a U.S. citizen.

]]> http://blog.readex.com/the-personal-and-poignant-stories-of-civil-war-soldiers-uncovering-the-claims-of-veterans-and-their-survivors-in-government-publications/comment-page-1#comment-607 Jim Walsh Mon, 07 Jun 2010 19:28:57 +0000 http://blog.readex.com/?p=560#comment-607 What a wonderful posting. Being able to connect a story written "today" about the historical past to historical documents that are directly related to the event and/or the individual is fantastic. We learn so much more about Lt. Cushing and his family. Great job William. What a wonderful posting. Being able to connect a story written “today” about the historical past to historical documents that are directly related to the event and/or the individual is fantastic. We learn so much more about Lt. Cushing and his family. Great job William.

]]> http://blog.readex.com/the-pope%e2%80%99s-stone-part-one/comment-page-1#comment-288 Jim Walsh Tue, 18 May 2010 20:44:24 +0000 http://blog.readex.com/?p=482#comment-288 What a great article. I am looking forward to reading the "three subsequent posts." Very interesting and enjoyable. Well done. Thanks. What a great article. I am looking forward to reading the “three subsequent posts.” Very interesting and enjoyable. Well done. Thanks.

]]> http://blog.readex.com/the-marginal-status-of-marginalia-some-thoughts/comment-page-1#comment-2 David Loiterstein Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:24:33 +0000 http://blog.readex.com/?p=170#comment-2 In “Turning Green With Literacy,” an op-ed piece about the Irish contribution to European literacy in today’s New York Times, Thomas Cahill mentions the importance of marginalia, writing: “But they did more than this: they managed to infuse the emerging medieval world with a playfulness previously unknown. In the margins of the books they copied, the Irish scribes drew little pictures, thickets of plants, flowers, birds and animals. Human faces occasionally peek through the tangle, faces of childlike delight and awe. If you were a scribe copying out some especially ponderous philosophical Greek, the margin in which you could reflect on your own world served as a source of ‘refreshment, light and peace,’ to quote the ancient Latin liturgy. These scribal doodles eventually became elaborate design elements, leading the way to Irish masterpieces like the Book of Kells.” In “Turning Green With Literacy,” an op-ed piece about the Irish contribution to European literacy in today’s New York Times, Thomas Cahill mentions the importance of marginalia, writing: “But they did more than this: they managed to infuse the emerging medieval world with a playfulness previously unknown. In the margins of the books they copied, the Irish scribes drew little pictures, thickets of plants, flowers, birds and animals. Human faces occasionally peek through the tangle, faces of childlike delight and awe. If you were a scribe copying out some especially ponderous philosophical Greek, the margin in which you could reflect on your own world served as a source of ‘refreshment, light and peace,’ to quote the ancient Latin liturgy. These scribal doodles eventually became elaborate design elements, leading the way to Irish masterpieces like the Book of Kells.”

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