A ray of light today—the dedication for Arlington’s first three stumbling stones memorializing those enslaved in this location. Great community & local govt support for this project

My very first public history project was a small exhibit & report on a 19thc Quaker woman in MD for my high school senior project. Surreal to bring it back to Holton-Arms today & talk to humanities students about doing public history work.

In the studio today to record an Audible/Great Courses 6-part audio series. Stay tuned for Early American Sex Scandals in May 2025! 🗃️

Thanks to AI, midterm exams are back in person and this old relic is getting back to work. Not shown: huge stack of bluebooks for the short answer sections. #academicsky 🗃️

My personal favorite was this Arlington neighbor in a massive new build that replaced a smaller, older home and had zero trees posting “Save Arlington’s trees” and “no missing middle” signs

There’s still time to put in your vote for First Family! Visit lvafoundation.org/peopleschoic... by July 31

Question for historians of sexuality: this section of the painting The Independent Voter has been identified as a brothel. Does that seem correct? 🗃️
Full painting is at www.nga.gov/collection/a...

Fun find of the day: a spittoon decorated with (slightly inaccurate) Confederate flags, made in China ca. 1861. It's in the collection of the Chicago History Museum and featured in David Hackett Fischer's book Liberty and Freedom. 🗃️

Query: what do you make of this image? A hi res version shows the paper is a Harper’s Weekly, but it’s too fuzzy to see what she’s pointing to. It’s a carte de visite; why have a newspaper in it?

Sitter unknown; photographer was Henrietta M Hart in Michigan in 1860s www.nga.gov/collection/a... 🗃️

Thanks to @dael.bsky.social for sharing this comic book rendering of GW as a dad titled "George Washington Leads the Way." It was created by Mount Vernon & advertised as historically accurate...but it's fair to assume that it was enslaved people, not GW himself, who churned that ice cream 🗃️

I saw a puzzle featuring this "Reconciliation Quilt" in South Carolina today. Interesting given recent conversation, esp w @kevinmlevin.bsky.social & @drkarenlcox.bsky.social, about the Arlington Confederate memorial as a tribute to reconciliation. www.internationalquiltmuseum.org/about/quilt-... 🗃️

This quote from the (just resigned) chair of Penn’s BOT captures the real failure at the House hearing.
As a (Jewish) Penn alum & a college prof, I’m deeply concerned by what’s happening with political & donor interference in higher ed—while also frightened by surging antisemitism.

More reporting like this please, @nytimes.com. Good example of reporters providing relevant context & not just operating as stenographers for politicians.

If you thought relics were a thing of the past, check out this item up for auction. A few strands of hair, a piece of a document, and a square of cloth--all purportedly tied to George Washington. Est value is $7-8k. 🗃️
www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/...

I posted recently re: struggling to get students to use peer-reviewed books & journal articles rather than websites for research.
Today, I paused to explain the research process & what peer review is--I'm hoping it helped. I also created this graphic for them; please share suggestions/feedback! 🗃️