Tag: history

Where to Brush by the Revolution

I haven’t visited any places specifically to learn about the War of Independence, but I have stumbled upon little reminders at a few places. Seeing little bits of the past brings history alive for me. I know I learned about…

Visiting the Revolution through Books

American history keeps coming to me as I travel in the northeastern United States. I realize that, as a political science major, I learned more about the French and the Russian revolutions than the one had here at home. French…

Castles in Westchester: Caramoor

What will the history of the Rosen family teach visitors at Caramoor? Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

Seeking the Rosens in a Villa in Katonah Going on a house tour is a bit of an odd pastime, being as a certain amount of snooping into other people’s personal lives is encouraged, yet go too far, and a…

Cruising Cemeteries around the Globe

Grave marker of Anastasia Romanov at Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

Touring Graveyards for History and Understanding I suppose if you are bashful, a cemetery is a great place to visit given that no one is likely to talk to you much. I like cemeteries for the opportunities they provide to…

A Closet History at the Eastman House

Are the bedrooms of historical figures really this neat? A bedroom in the George Eastman House in Rochester, N.Y. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

Hat Boxes and the Past in Rochester, N.Y.   Should visitors to Kodak founder George Eastman’s house in Rochester, N.Y. feel nosy upon peeking into closets at the old place? What would someone find if she were to glance into…

Massacre on the Shore

A plaque at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park on Long Beach Island, N.J. informs visitors about a tragedy that took place during the American Revolution. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

I am not exactly looking for the American Revolution as I walk from a parking lot on Long Beach Island, N.J. toward “Old Barney,” the lighthouse at its northern end. A plaque near the walk toward the light house tells…

Remembering the Maine Far from Havana

Add the explosion of the battleship Maine in Havana Harbor in 1898 to the list of historical events I don’t know enough about. I would “remember the Maine” if only I could. I know the incident triggered the Spanish-American War.…

The Book to Carry while Cruising Paris

I’ll confess to having a stack of Parisian histories (and a number on my Kindle as well) that have been leafed through but not exactly read. I mean to, I want to, I just haven’t. I am not sure where…