Monthly Archives: January 2012

The Description of America: A 17th Century Interpretation of the Western Hemisphere

If you were holding this, you’d be holding the world in your hands. Or, the Western Hemisphere, at least, as interpreted in the mid-1600′s. It is an original, 1646 / 1662, “Miniature Speed” Map of the Western Hemisphere depicting North … Continue reading

Posted in 17th Century Europe, Collectibles: Printing, Maps | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Ache That Providence Bears: “Armless Wonder” Anne E. Leak, CDV Photograph and Her Story

Ann E. Leak was born without arms in Georgia in 1842. Her mother’s physician predicted that she would die within a few days but she survived and, while behind others her age in learning to walk, she eventually learned to … Continue reading

Posted in Daredevils Deviants and Circus Folk | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

WALNUTTS NEEDS YOUR HELP: An Early American Prank, Information Needed About a Ship’s Passport from Marblehead, Mass, Signed by Pres. Fillmore and “Mac”

The “Mediterranean Passport” (more commonly referred to as a “Ship’s Passport”) was a document issued by the United States Government from 1795 through the mid-19th century to American Ships leaving port and headed to Europe or Africa. The document identified … Continue reading

Posted in 19th Century, Nautical History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment