In a world that's constantly moving forward, there's something undeniably mesmerizing about taking a step back in time, if only for a moment. It's like peering through a portal into the annals of history, where sepia-toned memories and black-and-white narratives come to life. And where do you find this enchanting time machine, you ask? Look no further than the X page, "World Of History”.
With a following that has surged beyond 603 thousand history enthusiasts, this digital curator of the past is your passport to an older era. Created in 2022, it's a relatively recent addition to the digital realm, but it's made a mark with its daily doses of historical photos and videos.
So, buckle up (or put on your virtual time-traveling goggles) as we explore these captivating photos. Keep reading to discover an exclusive interview with Laura Aitken-Burt, a historian and archaeologist based in London. She shares her insights on the significance of learning history, how it deepens our understanding of the past, present, and future, and much more!
This post may include affiliate links.
He is quite clearly either immortal, a time traveler or an immortal time traveler.
Laura Aitken-Burt is a published author of the DK Definitive Guide to Ancient Rome and the Harper Collins Knowing World History series. She is currently running the @athenasocietyofficial project to share student research on the hidden histories of women through time to promote gender equality education in schools.
You can find out more about the Athena Society at www.athenasocietyofficial.com. To see Aitken-Burt’s portfolio, visit www.labhistorical.co.uk and follow her on Instagram!
So, without further ado, let's dive into the significance of history education. We asked Aitken-Burt why she believes it is important for people to learn about history, and what benefits it offers to individuals and society as a whole. According to the historian, it is crucial for people to learn about history because it is the story of humanity, in all its good and bad forms. “For us to understand our present moment and move forward positively into the future, it is important to reflect on how we got here. Those with historical training are able to critically analyze the world around them, formulate arguments based on evidence, and debate persuasively and coherently. It also allows you to keep an open mind to new source material and perspectives.” Aitken-Burt explained that these skills hold significance not just in any occupation but also in our broader responsibilities as community members. It's essential to recognize that progress doesn't always follow a straightforward path, and we should remain attentive to this fact. “Not only this, history as a discipline is also just really interesting and full of fascinating stories that can resonate with us today – we all have a curiosity about the thoughts, feelings, living conditions, and events that our ancestors lived through,” she added.
Have you ever come across stories from the past that you find really interesting or useful for people today? As we reflect on the past, we often discover remarkable events and figures whose lessons and inspirations can be applied to our modern lives. For Aitken-Burt, there are too many to choose from! “I’m particularly interested in the evolution of myths and the ways in which stories are told through time, specifically the ways in which the classical past was used to legitimize modern empire-building. I’m also interested in uncovering ‘hidden histories’, or rather histories that have been deliberately obscured and/or ignored for a long time in archives and source material such as the stories of women, the working class, the enslaved, and LGBTQ+ communities.”
Talking about inspiring figures, Aitken-Burt highlighted Christine de Pizan as a particularly intriguing figure. “She was one of the first women in Europe to write and publish a book in the early 15th century. Her Book of the City of Ladies criticized the erasure of positive female stories in history from the archives – something which is still important today over 600 years later!”
I watched a whole show on how he designed it and why and how it’s built for conflict/sword bearing in mind.
It's like a scene out of a Final Fantasy game. Except for the haircuts.
In today's digital age, social media platforms have become powerful tools for education, connecting people across the globe with a wealth of information and ideas. The “World of History” page has emerged as a unique space for exploring the past in bite-sized, accessible formats. But how do these social media platforms contribute to history education and what should we think about when using them to learn? “We now live in a world where images, videos and photography dominate the media we consume. I think social media can help to inspire interest in historical sites and objects and can potentially encourage people to seek further information,” Aitken-Burt shared. However, there are some concerns that need to be taken into consideration – “many websites are unreliable and the use of algorithms to push certain content towards you can be problematic, particularly if you are unaware of how to analyze such content and just take the information at face value. This can quickly lead to emotional reactions that are devoid of any real historical nuance or understanding.
The rise of AI-generated images will cause increased skepticism. Whilst doctored and staged photos are nothing new, the increased realism of these potentially beyond the control of the initial user is a cause for concern.”
According to Aitken-Burt, referencing has always been key in historical studies. The ability to comprehend the content, nature, origin and purpose of any source material is fundamental for a historian. “Provenance is everything,” she explained. “When trying to learn further information about historical periods, stick to museum websites, clips from well-researched documentaries and, of course, published books. Remember that any interpretation of history will use different sources, emphasis and tone which will affect the message you receive. Historians will always be trying to think of additional or omitted source material from an argument, any perspectives that are being overlooked and the style of language being used.”
Saw this in a documentary from the '70s called Gizmo. Lots of vintage inventions and technology culled from decades of weird inventions.
If you're someone who enjoys uncovering the mysteries of the past and wants to cultivate a lasting passion for history, Aitken-Burt shared the best ways to do that: “Visit museums and archaeological/heritage sites, watch reputable documentaries and read books! Even if people don’t consider themselves ‘a reader’, historical stories are really fascinating and there are plenty of history books with engaging narratives or excellent photography of sites and objects to inspire further interest.”
"Rhododendronpark Kromlau" gets you to the exact location at Google maps. It's been restored very recently, part of an English garden styled 200ha park, and very lovely (especially in April/May when the Rhododendron is blooming). Parking lots, cafes, accomodations nearby. Public transport: from Dresden to (town) Weisswasser, from there by "Waldeisenbahn" ("forest train") to Kromlau. And it's just a "scenic perfect hoop look at bridge", not to walk over. PS: this pic is c**p, it's more beautiful IRL.
The mummy made it so that I cannot watch scarabs and expect them to come alive 😭
It is a real cultural flex for a country when even their alleys make it onto internet lists.
The ship so large and glorious, it flipped over and submerged on it's maiden voyage. IIRC.
That's just the "drive" the storage medium was way smaller. I'm guessing this was a reel to reel machine but the actual storage would have been much smaller.
A familiar sight, except the Grassmarket is full of pubs and stag dos now.
Ge'es, still used in the liturgy of the Ethiopian church, is indeed a very old script. Ethiopia used to be a superpower in late ancient times and early middle ages (Aksum imperium), ruling large parts of the arabian penninsula and controlling parts of the mediterrean trade. It is thought to have been the earliest christian kingdom on earth and was very rich at the time. Unfortunately today the country is struggling.
They were not called "Handsomes". They were, however, called Hansom cabs. Hope that clears up your confusion.
It blows my mind that this was built in the same year that was 61 years before Nintendo released Tetris.
It's actually the Olympic, as far as I am aware there are no surviving photos of Titanic's grand staircase. As Olympic was the first launched, there were lots of photographs taken and press photographs of it. When Titanic came along it was basically the same staircase, so they didn't bother with photographing it in the same way
A friend and I were in one of the bars a few weeks ago, the place is stunning
And the Monster energy drink logo was born… (The 3 pipes on the left side of the canal.)
You get pretty blase about it real quick when it's your only option. What really grosses me out are the communal asswiping sticks
Load More Replies...Fun fact, the sponges they used to clean themselves were used by others too and were the cause of disease spread.
all those empty seats, and of course some @sshole 's gotta sit right next to you.
They were reading the same shampoo bottle, lol.
Load More Replies...Lol ... likewise. I was going to comment on how horrifying this is.
Load More Replies...What's that thing in their hand that looks like a spoon? And what are they doing with it?
It is a sponge on a stick, and it is what they used to wipe their arses.
Load More Replies...And to think, my wife gets furious with me when I leave the door open.
..the troughs in the middle for cleaning up the sphincter afterwards?..
Ummm....the "scoops" that they are holding, are they for what I think they are? 🤐
I wonder if they held circle rapid jerky arm movement parties in there.
I don't think this is such a terrible thing. If I were to time travel, I think Roman public restrooms would be on my bucket list. I would bring my own TP, though. And also.... it'd be fun until I had to wipe. That is the one thing I do not want company for. (Having 3 kids that insists on also going to the restroom if I go there makes me feel a bit like.... our restroom is a modern version of that picture).
Not depicted properly. Each man should be the farthest away from each other
the gross thing was that sponges on sticks served as toilette paper for wiping. The sponges were not cleaned between users, they were just deposited in a bucket of water. Roman Bath houses served as a major transfer site of STDs
I'm sure the conversations were interrupted with a lot of flatulence!
Now I can not UNSEE that! 🫣 Didn't know what I was clicking on before hand.... lol joke's on me I guess! 🤯
Load More Replies...Sooo, it’s biologically installed in the man’s brain to sit for an hour on the toilet. Got it!
"Did you hear? There's talk of a wall to be put up..." "Nah, won't catch on."
Note: this post originally had 51 images. It’s been shortened to the top 45 images based on user votes.
Also, does anyone know why BP's notification system kinda sucks? Anytime someone responds to one of your comments, you may or may not get an alert. And as far as I know, you can't @ people. Do they want to cut down on interaction in the comments? Seems to me, a functional comments section would keep people engaged.
It's been that way for some time now. No notifications for a couple of days then bam, bunches.
Load More Replies...Also, does anyone know why BP's notification system kinda sucks? Anytime someone responds to one of your comments, you may or may not get an alert. And as far as I know, you can't @ people. Do they want to cut down on interaction in the comments? Seems to me, a functional comments section would keep people engaged.
It's been that way for some time now. No notifications for a couple of days then bam, bunches.
Load More Replies...