Anecdote
CINCO DE MAYO
Shouldn’t you know what you are celebrating? Before you say you are celebrating Mexican independence, you’re wrong. You are celebrating one of the rare victories of the Mexican army. S(orry to be blunt, but it’s the truth.) In early 1862, Read more
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Another Lange Photo
So you think you could be a professional photographer. After all, you take great selfies. Well, look at this picture by Dorothea Lange. It’s a mother and her two daughters on the road in California in 1939. Note the composition, Read more
Anecdote
NO ONE NAMED GISGO
Before the Battle of Cannae, Hannibal and his generals looked across the battlefield at the huge Roman army they would soon be facing. One of his generals, named Gisgo, voiced his concern about how many Romans there were. Hannibal Read more
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Florence Owens Thompson
One day in 1936, photographer Dorothea Lange pulled up at a pea-pickers camp in California and snapped some pictures. Seven of those pictures were of Florence Thompson and her kids. One of those pictures, entitled “Migrant Mother”, became the most Read more
Anecdote
THE NECK VERSE
In the Middle Ages, “benefit of clergy” referred to the ability of clergy members to avoid conviction for crimes. This benefit was later extended to cover anyone who could read a verse from the Bible. It was usually the first Read more
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Dorothea Lange
“I saw and approached the hungry and desperate mother, as if drawn by a magnet. I do not remember how I explained my presence or my camera to her, but I do remember she asked me no questions.” Dorothea Lange Read more