by Terry Orr In 1963, the magazine Bulgaria Today, published by the communist government, surprisingly published an article showing a small selection of ancient Bulgarian Christian icons. At that time a large number of icons from as early as the tenth century through the seventeenth century were being displayed in the National Art Museum, the […]
Material Culture
Yugoslavia in the Third World: Not a New Bloc but Unity of Action in the Interest of Peace
by Samantha Farmer In July 1956, Gamel Nasser of Egypt (then the United Arab Republic), Jawaharlal Nehru of India, and Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia met in the Croatian coastal city of Pula to reaffirm the Bandung Principles, a platform for decolonization established the previous year in Indonesia. [1] In doing so, Tito formally threw […]
José and His Brothers
by Nathan Stone Pampa Unión, today, is a ghost town lost in the Atacama Desert, a mile high and halfway between the Chilean mining centers of Antofagasta and Calama. Founded over a century ago as a medical way station, it quickly became a resting place for nitrate miners on their days off, complete with all […]
Turbo-folk: Pop Music in the Crucible of Balkan History
Kicking off our new series on digital history projects, Dr. Vladislav Beronja, a professor in the UT Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies, tells us about a class project to build a website on Balkan pop music. By Vladislav Beronja Turbo-folk—a mixture of pounding electronic beats and trilled vocals—can be heard blasting from cafés, taxis, […]
It’s in Their Blood
By Ted Banks (This article is reposted from Fourth Part of the World.) The Progressive-Era white press and their audience had a fascination with Indians judging from the amount of ink that was devoted to musings on their place and progress in society. One component of that fascination, indeed one that was the basis for […]
“London is Drowning and I, I Live by the River”: The Clash’s London Calling at 40
By Edward Watson On February 7, Seattle’s non-profit broadcaster KEXP headed to London for their seventh annual International Clash Day. In celebration of The Clash’s London Calling turning 40 in December 2019, KEXP organized a 4-day live broadcast in Seattle and London, featuring performances from contemporary bands and covers of The Clash’s songs. Their intention […]
The Defiant Heretic: The Scandal of Justa Mendez
By Haley Schroer On August 7, 1604, Dr. Martos de Bohorquez, prosecutor for the Mexican Inquisition, demanded that Justa Mendez face justice for scandalizing Mexico City society. In addition to seizure and arrest, Bohorquez stipulated that the captive be placed in a secret prison and punished as someone who had committed a serious crime. Authorities […]
Photography, Film Criticism, and Left Politics
By Jessica Werneke Each year, a group of artists, art historians, and visual theorists meet at a conference to discuss the intersections of the visual, art, aesthetics, activism, and politics. Among many other important contributions, the conference is designed to involve individuals from a variety of institutions and backgrounds to unite scholars whose critical approach […]
“Stand With Kap”: Athlete Activism at the LBJ Library
By Gwendolyn Lockman The Lyndon B Johnson Presidential Library opened “Get in the Game,” a timely exhibit on the intersection of social justice and sports, on April 21, 2018. In 2014, a new wave of athlete activism began in the United States. That year, NBA teams donned “I Can’t Breathe” shirts during warm ups to […]
Monumental Reinterpretation
by Karen Kincaid Brady On the west side of the Denver Capital building stands a soldier atop a stone monument. The soldier is easily recognizable as a Civil War soldier with his rifle ready, sword at his side, his distinctive hat, and the gaze of a vigilant soldier, saddened to be fighting his brother and countrymen. […]