Technological Change Isn’t Linear
In her article in this issue on the history of technology, Barbara Hahn reminds us that technological change doesn’t move in a linear fashion, so historians of technology study not just what works, but also failures, fantasies, and forgotten solutions. “Eschewing the linear model leads historians of technology to study technological failure, which identifies the elements that help a technology work,” Hahn writes.
Image: Voyage a la Lune, hand- colored lithograph, c. 1865-70. Tissandier Collecti on, Library of Congress.
Staff
The Value and Values of a Liberal Education
The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) convened in Washington, DC, for its 2014 annual meeting from January 22…
New Data on the History BA
The latest data from the federal government on the number of bachelor’s degrees in history awarded in academic year 2011–12…
A Slice of American Academic Life, Suzhou-Style
In situations of protracted crisis—and I would place the current academic job market in that category—it can be useful to…
Affiliated Societies, March 2014
The American Society for Environmental History (ASEH) will hold its annual meeting in San Francisco from March 12 to 16, 2014.…
AHA Urges Investigation of Destruction of Archives in El Salvador
On January 27, AHA President Jan Goldstein and Executive Director James Grossman submitted a letter, reproduced here, to David Ernesto…
House Passes Major Presidential Records Reform
Inscribed at the entrance to the Harry S. Truman presidential library is this declaration by Truman: “The papers of the…
Teaching Slavery History
I appreciated Robert Brent Toplin’s review of 12 Years a Slave (Perspectives on History, January 2014) and its analysis of…
“Ephemeral Data Is the Future”
Eighty-five years ago, Secretary of State Henry L. Stimson was presented with a Japanese telegram that had been decoded by…
Reinvigorating FRUS
In January 2009, the Office of the Historian at the US Department of State was in disarray. It had lost…
Allen Yarnell (1942-2013)
Allen Yarnell, historian of post-World War II America and university administrator at Montana State University at Bozeman, died there after…
A New Perspective at Perspectives
One of the missions of Perspectives on History, and the AHA, is to bring history more fully into public discussions.…
Special Projects at the 2014 Annual Meeting: New Video Available
The AHA YouTube channel now features video recordings of sessions related to several AHA special projects. Teaching and Learning in…
Flashback Friday: Suffrage Dancers
Each week we scour the web for interesting and historic documents that catch our eye, make us think or simply make…
Drastic Cuts Proposed to National Science Foundation Directorate that Funds Historical Research
H.R. 4186, also known as the FIRST Act of 2014, is currently working its way through House committees. This act,…
Histories of Architecture and Technology: Two Recent State-of-the-Field Essays in Perspectives
Things never move in a straight line, Barbara Hahn’s article on the history of technology in the current issue of…
Flashback Friday: Future First Lady Lou Henry Posing on a Burro
Each week we scour the web for interesting and historic documents that catch our eye, make us think or simply make…
AHA Receives Grant to Expand Career Tracks for History PhDs
The American Historical Association has received a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to continue, expand, and enhance its…
AHA Member Spotlight: Carl Abbott
AHA members are involved in all fields of history, with wide-ranging specializations, interests, and areas of employment. To recognize our…
Online Directory of History Dissertations Expanded
The AHA’s online Directory of History Dissertations has been expanded to include over 49,000 doctorates awarded by history departments in…
Congratulations to the 2013-14 ACLS Ryskamp and Burkhardt Fellowship Winners
The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) recently announced the 2013-14 Charles A. Ryskamp and Frederick Burkhardt Fellowship winners. These…
Flashback Friday: Juliette Gordon Low, Founder of Girl Scouts of the USA
Each week we scour the web for interesting and historic documents that catch our eye, make us think or simply make…
Smithsonian Taps University President As New Secretary
The Smithsonian plays a central role in historical research and the presence of history and historical thinking in American culture.…
AHA Member Spotlight: Alonzo L. Hamby
AHA members are involved in all fields of history, with wide-ranging specializations, interests, and areas of employment. To recognize our…
Thoughts from the Winner of the First AHA Poster Contest
The American Historical Association invited the audience at the poster session at the annual meeting in Washington, DC, to vote…
Flashback Friday: The Awakening
Each week we scour the web for interesting and historic documents that catch our eye. The Awakening. Repository: Library of Congress Prints and…
AHA Member Spotlight: Kate Merkel-Hess
AHA members are involved in all fields of history, with wide-ranging specializations, interests, and areas of employment. To recognize our…
This Month in Perspectives on History
Readers of the March issue of Perspectives on History, available now online and making its way to AHA members via…
2014 AHA Nominations
The Nominating Committee for 2014–15, chaired by Dane Kennedy (George Washington University), met in Washington, D.C. on February 8 and…