pastispresent.org
online forum for early American discovery, discussion, and diversion from the American Antiquarian Society

Goodbye Blacksmith, Hello Schoolmarm!

June 1st, 2010, by Ashley Cataldo

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When Diann Benti, former AAS assistant reference librarian, created our now (nearly) complete anonymous blacksmith blog, she was inspired to do so by the Massachusetts Historical Society’s tweeting John Quincy Adams. Past is Present would never have a tweeting blacksmith, Diann informed us in her blog post when the blacksmith initially forged his way into [...]


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Slate, before the hype

January 27th, 2010, by Lauren Hewes

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With the pending release of Apple Computers’ tablet computer and the surrounding press and discussion, it seemed like a good time to review the precursor to it all, the humble school slate. The Antiquarian Society has several nineteenth-century slates in the games collection, including one with multiple pages, patented in 1867 and bound like a [...]


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Today in the Life of an 1870 Schoolmarm Aptitudes. : September 2. Silas and I went up to see Ada Montague yesterday afternoon.  We all rode down to Mr. Marvin’s, found Alice much better.  Tried to learn me to play croquet but I am not a very apt scholar.  We came back to Mr. Seymour’s to meeting in the eve and then bid Ada goodbye.  [...]