Historically sound

Grace Hopper stands in front of a Univac mainframe in 1952.

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:04:11 -0700

Grace Hopper stands in front of a Univac mainframe in 1952.

Nazi Party membership files found near Munich, 1945. Ph: Herbert...

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:25:04 -0700

Nazi Party membership files found near Munich, 1945. Ph: Herbert List

georgy-konstantinovich-zhukov: Henry O. Flipper When the Army...

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:19:17 -0700

georgy-konstantinovich-zhukov:

Henry O. Flipper

When the Army first began raising African-American units, the officers were exclusively white. It was more than 10 years before Henry O. Flipper, the first black graduate of West Point, was assigned as a lieutenant in the 10th Cavalry. Although in theory there was nothing barring the commissioning of seasoned black NCOs as officers, none were promoted on their merits between the founding of the African-American cavalry regiments in 1866 and 1895. As for those avoiding enlistment, although 22 black men had been appointed to the Academy by 1889, only three would graduate, suffering rampant abuse before during their time there and after commissioning.

Flipper was originally assigned to supervising the building of drainage ditches to combat malaria, and in 1881, when made acting commissary, he was accused with embezzlement and dismissed from the Army for conduct unbecoming. For the rest of his life he fought to clear his name, claiming white officers had set him up for racial reasons, but it wasn’t until 1976 that a review board agreed that his record should be changed to reflect an honorable discharge.

(US National Archives)

mausspace: kosovar refugees in kukës, ph by cristina garcia...

Sun, 19 May 2013 11:22:12 -0700

mausspace:

kosovar refugees in kukës, ph by cristina garcia rodero

awkwardsituationist: 98 year old dobri dobrev, a man who lost...

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:23:41 -0700

awkwardsituationist:

98 year old dobri dobrev, a man who lost his hearing in the second world war, walks 10 kilometers from his village in his homemade clothes and leather shoes to the city of sofia, where he spends the day begging for money.

though a well recognized fixture around several of the city’s chruches, known for his prostrations of thanks to all donors, it was only recently discovered that he has donated every penny he has collected — over 40,000 euros — towards the restoration of decaying bulgarian monasteries and churches and the utility bills of orphanages, living entirely off his monthly state pension of 80 euros and the kindness of others.

nicedad69piss: art-of-swords: Rare German etched State...

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:59:50 -0700

nicedad69piss:

art-of-swords:

Rare German etched State Halberd

Belonged to the guard of Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau

Dated: 1589

Measurements: the head 58.2 cm. Overall length 230.3 cm

Provenance: The Bavarian military occupation of Salzburg in 1809 led to the transfer of a quantity of these halberds to the city Zeughaus in Munich

The head comes with a broad central spike formed with a full-length ridge developing from a rectangular socket, the latter retained by a series of rivets on pounced gilt-brass rosettes extending to two pairs of long straps of near-equal length. It has a flat rear fluke with a reinforced point, an axe-blade with concave leading edge and cut with strongly cusped designs over the rear edges.

There’s also a group of four near-annular piercings at the base of the fluke and axe-blade, both sides etched with panels of swagged strapwork scrolls filled with small scrolling leafy tendrils, involving, at the top, a small cartouche framing the date 1589, three masks, respectively a cherub, a lion and an espangnolette, a pair of crouched centaurs in the middle.

The arms of Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau are quartered with those of the archbishopric of Salzburg below an Bishop’s galero suspending twelve tassels. The straps are decorated over their length with running pattern of small leafy cartouches and retained by brass-capped rivets. In its original pine haft fitted with bone shoe and stamped with the circular mark of an early inventory.

Source: © Hermann Historica

is this a giveaway cause im so down

fuckyeahjewishhistory: Jewish resistance fighters captured by...

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:34:02 -0700

fuckyeahjewishhistory:

Jewish resistance fighters captured by the Germans during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Woman to the right is Malka Zdrojewicz, who survived the Majdanek extermination camp. - 1943

Wartime sawmill “pit women,” Concord, New Hampshire, 1943....

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:53:56 -0700

Wartime sawmill “pit women,” Concord, New Hampshire, 1943. Photograph by John Collier.

Woman sitting with her pet ocelot having tea at a Bois de...

Sun, 05 May 2013 22:17:47 -0700

Woman sitting with her pet ocelot having tea at a Bois de Boulogne cafe, Paris, 1963.

thevintagethimble: Edwardian HairstylesA collection of...

Sat, 04 May 2013 20:34:00 -0700

thevintagethimble:

Edwardian Hairstyles
A collection of Edwardian photographs, depicting some of the hairstyles of the time, like the Low Pompadour. Hatpin Hairstyle. Side-Swirls. Flapper (The title ‘Flapper’ originally referred to teenage girls
who wore their hair in single plait which often terminated in a wide ribbon bow.) & the pompadour.

Victorian Hairstyles Here [x] | 1920’s Hairstyles Here [x] | 1930’s Hairstyles Here [x] | WW2 Hairstyles Here [x]

cavetocanvas: Church of St. Étienne - Romanesque façade,...

Sat, 04 May 2013 13:18:39 -0700

cavetocanvas:

Church of St. Étienne - Romanesque façade, located in Caen, France. 1096-1100.

Things to think about when studying:

Is the architecture more gothic, or romanesque? Both?

Explain how this church hints at the development of the gothic style in France.

seahorsesandpearls: Young men hiking in 1930 Germany.

Fri, 03 May 2013 15:25:22 -0700

seahorsesandpearls:

Young men hiking in 1930 Germany.

ancientpeoples: Wooden coffin of Peftjauneith Peftjauneith was...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:55:12 -0700

ancientpeoples:

Wooden coffin of Peftjauneith

Peftjauneith was inspector of temples estates in Lower Egypt. His coffin was made from solid hard wood which would have to be imported, making this coffing very valuable.

The front is decorated with Osiris (recognisable by his green colour) and the sky goddess Neith is spreading her wings across his chest. A spell from the Book of the Dead has been written below the goddess, each of the hieroglyphs are an image in their own right.

On the inside of the lid is the sku goddess again but now black and covered with stars, she is giving birth to the moon and is swollowing the sun. On the bottom of the coffin is the goddess of the west (the hieroglyph for west is on her head), the quarter of the realm where the dead were thought to be located.

Late Period, 26th dynasty, 650 BC.

Source: Leiden Museum of Antiquities

historicalheroines: I’ve created these flyers for a school...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:28:36 -0700

historicalheroines:

I’ve created these flyers for a school activist project where I bring more attention to the women in history that have been forgotten or ignored. This blog will be an extension of those flyers where I post longer biographies of these women and other bad-ass women like them. Too often women’s achievements have been pushed aside, either by others in their lives, or else by the historians who choose to ignore them. This tumblr is dedicated to celebrating them and bringing their achievements to light!

Steam locomotives sit in the Chicago and North Western Railway...

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:25:48 -0700

Steam locomotives sit in the Chicago and North Western Railway roundhouse at the Chicago freight yards, December 1942

German medic & dog, 1915

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:23:57 -0700

German medic & dog, 1915

Buffalo, NY waterfront, early 1900s.

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 18:26:55 -0700

Buffalo, NY waterfront, early 1900s.

thecolorofwar: World War II-era Soviet propaganda poster shows...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:42:22 -0700

thecolorofwar:

World War II-era Soviet propaganda poster shows a soldier with a rifle in one hand and a grenade in the other accompanied by a headline whose translation reads ‘Forward! To The West!’, 1942.

art-of-swords: Italian Brandistocco Dated: circa...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:20:53 -0700

art-of-swords:

Italian Brandistocco

Dated: circa 1600-1620

Measurements: Head 70.5cm; overall Length 219cm

The head is formed of a central spike with a pronounced medial ridge extending from the socket over its length on both sides, a pair of up-turned basal lugs at the head of a narrow indented neck. The latter in turn is developing to form a pair of wing-like blades pierced and indented at the base and with rearward-curled tips and subsidiary prongs.

The weapon is faceted with tubular socket extending to form a pair of long straps (each neatly repaired), and the central portion of the head punched with panels of scrollwork involving pairs of human grotesque profile masks: on modern faceted wooden haft.

Source: © Hermann Historica

ryusantiago: An onna-bugeisha (女武芸者) was a type of female...

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:23:17 -0700

ryusantiago:

An onna-bugeisha (女武芸者) was a type of female warrior belonging to the Japanese upper class. Many wives, widows, daughters, and rebels answered the call of duty by engaging in battle, commonly alongside samurai men. They were members of the bushi (samurai) class in feudal Japan and were trained in the use of weapons to protect their household, family, and honor in times of war. They also represented a divergence from the traditional “housewife” role of the Japanese woman. They are sometimes mistakenly referred to as female samurai, although this is an oversimplification. Onna bugeisha were very important people in ancient Japan. Significant icons such as Empress Jingu, Tomoe Gozen, Nakano Takeko, and Hōjō Masako were all onna bugeisha who came to have a significant impact on Japan.

Early history:
Long before the emergence of the renowned samurai class, Japanese fighters were highly trained to wield a sword and spear. Women learned to utilize naginata, kaiken, and the art of tantojutsu in battle. Such training ensured protection in communities that lacked male fighters. One such woman, later known as Empress Jingu (c. 169-269 AD), utilized her skills to inspire economic and social change. She was legendarily recognized as the onna bugeisha who led an invasion of Korea in 200 AD after her husband Emperor Chūai, the fourteenth emperor of Japan, was slain in battle. According to the legend, she miraculously led a Japanese conquest of Korea without shedding a drop of blood. Despite controversies surrounding her existence and her accomplishments, she was an example of the onna bugeisha in its entirety. Years after her death, Jingu was able to transcend the socioeconomic structures that were instilled in Japan. In 1881, Empress Jingū became the first woman to be featured on a Japanese banknote. Designed to stop counterfeiting, her image was printed on oblong paper. In addition to economic changes in Japan, onna bugeisha also stretched social structures.

During the earlier Heian and Kamakura periods, women who were prominent on the battlefield were the exception rather than the rule. Japanese ideals of femininity predisposed most women to powerlessness, in conflict with a female warrior role. Women warriors were nonetheless pioneers in this role, and some even went on to lead their own clans.

Kamakura Period:
The Genpei War (1180–1185) marked the war between the Taira and Minamoto; two very prominent and powerful Japanese clans of the late-Heian Period. During this time, the epic Heike Monogatari was written and tales of courageous and devoted samurai were recounted. Among those was Tomoe Gozen, wife of Minamoto Yoshinaka of the Minamoto clan. Gozen assisted her husband in defending himself against the forces of his cousin, Minamoto no Yoritomo. During the Battle of Awazu on February 21, 1184, Gozen rode into the enemy forces, flung herself on their strongest warrior, unhorsed, pinned, and decapitated him.[2] In the Tale of Heike, Gozen was described as being “especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swords-woman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill; she rode unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword, and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other warriors.”

Although she was not proven to be a historical figure, Gozen has impacted much of the warrior class, including many traditional Naginata schools. Her actions in battle also received much attention in the arts plays such as Tomoe no Monogatari and various ukiyo paintings. As time passed, the influence of onna bugeisha saw its way from paintings to politics.

After the Heike were thwarted towards the western provinces of Japan, the Kamakura shogunate (1185–1333) was soon established under the rule of Minamoto no Yoritomo. After he passed, his wife, Hōjō Masako, was the first onna bugeisha to become a prominent player of politics – in the early years of the Hōjō regency. Masako became a Buddhist nun, a traditional fate of samurai widows, becoming known as “The General in Nun’s Habit”. She bullied the samurai class into supporting her son, Minamoto no Yoriie, as the first Hōjō Shikken (regent) in Kamakura.

Through the collective efforts of Masako and a few political puppets, laws governing the shogun’s court in the early 13th century allowed women equal rights of inheritance with fraternal kin. Even though the primary role of women in ancient Japan continued to be the support to their family and their husbands, they acquired a higher status in the household. These laws also allowed Japanese women to control finances, bequeath property, the upkeep of the home, managed servants, and for raising their children with proper, loyal, samurai upbringing. Most importantly, Japanese women were also expected to defend their homes in times of war.

Edo Period and beyond:

Nakano Takeko died at the Battle of Aizu
Due to the influence of Neo-Confucian philosophy and the established marriage market of the Edo Period (1600–1868), the status of the onna-bugeisha diminished significantly. The function of onna-bugeisha changed in addition to their husbands. Samurai were no longer concerned with battles and war, they were bureaucrats. Women, specifically daughters of most upper class households, were soon pawns to dreams of success and power. The roaring ideals of fearless devotion and selflessness were gradually replaced by quiet, passive, civil obedience.

Travel during the Edo Period was demanding and unsettling for many female samurai due to heavy restrictions. They always had to be accompanied by a man, since they could not travel by themselves. Additionally, they had to possess specific permits, establishing their business and motives. Samurai women also received much harassment from officials who manned inspection checkpoints.

The onset of the 17th century marked a significant transformation in the social acceptance of women in Japan. Many samurai viewed women purely as child bearers; the concept of a woman being a fit companion for war was no longer conceivable. The relationship between a husband and wife could be correlated to that of a lord and his vassal. “Husbands and wives did not even customarily sleep together. The husband would visit his wife to initiate any sexual activity and afterwards would retire to his own room”. Despite the social view of women as being mere means to an end, they were still expected to show solace for death when it came to defending their husband’s honor. A wife’s solidarity for the sake of her husband was a common and well receptive theme in Japanese culture. In addition to self-sacrifice, self-renunciation was also an imperative quality a Japanese woman had to possess until the dawn of the 20th century.

In 1868, during the Battle of Aizu, a part of the Boshin War, Nakano Takeko, a member of the Aizu clan, was recruited to become leader of a female corps who fought against the onslaught of 20,000 Imperial Japanese Army of the Ogaki domain. Highly skilled at the naginata, Takeko and her corps of about 20 joined 3,000 other Aizu samurai in battle. The Hokai Temple in Aizu Bangemachi, Fukishima province contains a monument erected in her honor.