Les Contes Drolatiques (Droll Stories) - 1855
Balzac and Dore i45136i451377/16/24 (updated 11/25/25)Les Contes Drolatiques by Honoré de Balzac is a collection of seventy humorous and satirical short stories set in medieval France, published in three volumes between 1832 and 1837. The stories are framed as tales told by three friends in a medieval abbey and feature themes such as love, lust, satire, superstition, and social criticism. Balzac uses a pastiche of archaic French language to evoke a bygone golden age, while critiquing both medieval society and contemporary 19th-century French morals, particularly targeting hypocrisy, class disparity, and human desires. The characters often represent archetypes like the lustful knight or cunning servant, exposing the flaws and vices of their society in a humorous and irreverent manner.Key points include:The blend of bawdy humor and sharp social satire, touching on taboo topics like sexuality and human passions.The use of a medieval setting and archaic language to create historical authenticity and a distancing effect that allows moral and political critique.The stories draw parallels between medieval and 19th-century French society, highlighting corruption, hypocrisy, and social decadence.The collection stands out for its lively storytelling style, inventive language, and its challenge to the literary and cultural norms of Balzac's time.These tales remain a testament to Balzac's inventive narrative approach and his ability to entertain while offering incisive social commentary.Source: Perplexity.ai--G. Lymore from Perplexity
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Gasolene Engines - 1912
10/1/23 - I love these intricate images of something as “basic” as a gasoline engine. The illustrator, who was also the author and very interesting person in his own right, treated the images with reverence and care.Alpheus Hyatt Verrill was an American zoologist, explorer, inventor, illustrator, and author2. He was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on July 23, 1871, and died on November 14, 195412. Verrill authored many books on natural history and science fiction works2. He was the son of Addison Emery Verrill, the first professor of zoology at Yale University2. Verrill served as a technical advisor on gasoline engines for the Aeronautical Society in 19124. Among his other books were "Motor Boats and Boat Motors" (1910)4. "Handbook on care and operation of gasoline engines" was published in the same year and is also referred to as "Gasoline Engines" in a legal case from 1945234. A. Hyatt Verrill was a technical advisor on gasoline engines for the Aeronautical Society in 19121. In the same year, he published a book titled "Handbook on care and operation of gasoline engines"2. The book is also referred to as "Gasoline Engines" in a legal case from 19453. "Gasoline Engines" was one of Verrill's many books, which also included "Motor Boats and Boat Motors"1. A list of books on automobiles and motorcycles from 1912 includes "Gasoline Engines" by Verrill4. The book is not mentioned in a review of a major new marine engine history book from 20165. The University of Maine offered courses on gasoline engines in 19126. Perplexity AI: Who was a. Hyatt Verrill, author of a book on gasoline engines? https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Who-was-a-wKmxBlC6QfO9uGWdwH8rXw?s=mn
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Osman to Ataturk - 1955
Osman to Ataturk - 1955 - a visually rich document, often thought of as propaganda in support of Ataturk and the Westernization of Turkey. Google AI addressing the propaganda issue: While there is no single "definitive" critical review of this specific 1955 booklet, it is analyzed by modern historians within the context of early Turkish Republican nation-building and popular history-telling.Is it Regarded as Propaganda?The booklet is widely categorized as pro-state historical narrative or popular propaganda. Its purpose was to bridge the gap between the Ottoman past and the Republican present to create a unified national identity. [1, 2]Nation-Building Narrative: Like many publications from Cumhuriyet newspaper in that era, it was "founded... to defend the Turkish Revolution intellectually". The cover itself—placing Atatürk's face in a sun-like halo above Ottoman soldiers—is a classic visual metaphor for the "enlightenment" of the Republic emerging from the "clouds" of the past.Ideological Function: During the 1950s, such materials were omnipresent in Turkey to reinforce Kemalist reforms(secularism, modernization) and establish a "malleable" national history that justified the transition from empire to republic.Target Audience: As a newspaper supplement, it was designed for mass consumption to simplify complex 600-year history into an accessible, visually-driven narrative of progress. [1, 3, 4, 5]Modern Critical PerspectivesModern scholarly critiques of this type of "official history" often highlight its limitations:Teleological Approach: Critics note that these narratives often suggest all history inevitably began and ended with Atatürk, stripping the past of any meaning outside of his eventual rise.Hybrid Nature: The author, Reşad Ekrem Koçu, was known for a unique style that blended scholarship with storytelling. While this made history popular, academic critics sometimes dismissed his work as "eccentric, gossipy, and indulgent," placing it outside the strict conventions of academic history.Idiosyncratic History: More recently, Koçu’s work has been re-evaluated for its "unruly" and "strange" qualities. It is seen as a "collection of facts and curiosities" that provides a colorful, albeit biased, window into how history was being repackaged for the public in the mid-20th century. [6, 7, 8, 9]Would you like to explore Reşad Ekrem Koçu’s more famous (and equally controversial) work, the Istanbul Encyclopedia? [1] https://brill.com[2] https://www.tandfonline.com[3] https://www.abebooks.com[4] https://www.reddit.com[5] https://www.cambridge.org[6] https://www.cambridge.org[7] https://dokumen.pub[8] https://www.motleyturkey.com[9] https://saltonline.orgPerplexity summary of this document: 7/8/24 (updated 11/29/25)From Osman Gazi̇ To Atatürk: Historical Panorama Of 600 Years by Reşad Ekrem KoçaA Military History of the Ottomans: From Osman to Atatürk is a comprehensive study of the Ottoman military from its founding around 1300 to the establishment of the Turkish Republic under Atatürk in 1923. The book traces the evolution of the Ottoman army from a nomadic steppe cavalry force into a professional, organized, and effective military institution. It covers the military systems and tactics that made the Ottomans dominant through their conquest of Constantinople in 1453 and their influence for nearly two centuries, and then discusses the transformations and reforms in the Ottoman army as it adapted to internal challenges, foreign threats, and modernization pressures throughout the 17th to early 20th centuries.The work also emphasizes the army's role in political and social power within the empire and its eventual transition into the army of the new Turkish Republic. It highlights important commanders, political influences on military development, and the legacy of the Ottoman military in modern Turkey. The book combines an introductory overview with detailed research based on previously untapped Ottoman sources, offering a historically informed narrative that integrates the Ottoman military into broader military history scholarship. The concluding part explains how the Ottoman military reforms and officer corps enabled Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to lead the War of Independence and found modern Turkey, marking the army's transformation from a dying imperial force to a modern national institution.The author: Reşad Ekrem Koçu (1905–1975) was a Turkish writer and historian best known for his monumental yet unfinished work, the Istanbul Encyclopedia (İstanbul Ansiklopedisi). Born in Istanbul, he studied history at Istanbul University and later worked as a researcher specializing in the Ottoman period. After leaving the university in 1933 due to reforms, he taught history in various high schools in Istanbul. Koçu dedicated most of his life to documenting the city of Istanbul in the Istanbul Encyclopedia, an extensive project covering historical, geographic, architectural, literary, folkloric, and cultural aspects of the city, particularly focusing on Ottoman-era stories and daily life.He began publishing the encyclopedia in 1958 but had to stop work in 1973 due to financial difficulties after completing eleven volumes and covering about the letter G. His work, featuring rich narratives and fanciful illustrations, has been praised for providing colorful, diverse perspectives of Istanbul beyond official historical accounts. The encyclopedia archive, comprising some 20,000 items, was later acquired by Kadir Has University. Koçu's vivid depictions of Ottoman Istanbul have been celebrated in contemporary literature, notably by Orhan Pamuk in his book Istanbul: Memories and the City. Koçu passed away in 1975, having left an enduring legacy as a chronicler of Istanbul's multifaceted history.Source: Perplexity.aiCurated by G. Ly Google AI description of this document: A Turkish historical publication titled "Osman Gazi'den Atatürk'e 600 Yılın Tarih Panoraması" (A Historical Panorama of 600 Years from Osman Gazi to Atatürk), prepared by the Cumhuriyet newspaper.The publication covers six centuries of Turkish history, linking the founder of the Ottoman Empire, Osman Gazi, to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic.It features an artistic depiction of Atatürk centered above Ottoman figures on horseback.The work was produced by the prominent Turkish daily newspaper, Cumhuriyet.TranslationOSMAN GAZI'DEN ATATÜRK'E600 YILIN TARIH PANORAMASICumhuriyetGazetesi tarafından hazırlanmıştır.
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San Francisco Historic Maps
On March 11th, 2026, from 1 to 2pm, this talk was given by Tom Paper and Jim Schein at the Century Club of California in San Francisco. Remarks of the talk here.On July 31st, 2025, from 5 to 7pm, a reception and presentation about San Francisco Historic Maps was held at YesSF, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce's gallery space at 220 Montgomery Street. About 95 people attended the presentation given by Tom Paper, Founder of Pixeum, and Jim Schein, Founder of Schein & Schein. Remarks of the talk here.A group of about 35 maps from this presentation were viewable in the YesSF gallery space, from Monday July 27, 2025 through Friday, August 1st, 2025. Follow-ups from the 7/31/25 eventBooks about SF:Imperial San FranciscoWhen the Water Came Up To Market StreetTowers of GoldSeasons of the WitchGold Mountain Big City Tom Paper is Founder of Pixeum, a website that helps people tell stories with art. Jim Schein is Founder of Schein & Schein, a map and print store originally based in North Beach.Biography of Jim ScheinJim Schein is the passionate founder of Schein & Schein, a renowned map and print store originally based in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. With his wife, Marti, he opened the shop in 2003, combining a deep love for cartography, history, and travel into a unique retail experience that quickly became a cornerstone for map enthusiasts and collectors12.Schein grew up surrounded by academic influence, with close family pursuing careers in geography and landscape architecture. Diverging from a more traditional academic path, Jim charted his own journey—first as a manager in music logistics, where touring internationally allowed him to frequent antiquarian bookstores and amass a diverse map collection3. Eventually, his dedication to maps led him to establish his own store, nurturing a business with a personal touch and encyclopedic expertise in antique cartography.Schein & Schein thrived for nearly two decades, offering thousands of authentic maps and prints from the 14th to 20th centuries, especially highlighting San Francisco, California, and wine country. Jim’s zeal is not just for selling objects, but sharing stories—he’s been celebrated for preserving the tactile and historical aspects of maps in a digital age. In addition to curating rare items, he authored a book titled "Gold Mountain Big City," further cementing his status as a prominent figure in the world of cartography1.https://www.scheinandschein.com/about-serviceshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIlgRcEChIIhttps://www.inquirer.com/philly/living/20151101_Finding_a_new_career_in_his_zeal_for_maps.htmlhttps://www.scheinandschein.comhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERbvVpWNwOMhttps://handfulofsalt.wordpress.com/2010/03/18/stores-we-love-schein-schein/ The exhibit of San Francisco Historic Maps is available as a pop-up exhibit for venues with 150 lineal feet of wall space. See below for information about prior exhibits...As a part of The California Map Society's Spring Conference, on June 28, 2025, Tom presented his digital collection of maps of San Francisco and what he finds most meaningful about each map. He hopes to inspire people to explore these maps further on their own at www.pixeum.org. This exhibit was first presented by Jim Schein and Tom Paper on April 18, 2019, at the offices of Webster Pacific in downtown San Francisco. The date, April 18, was the anniversary of the great earthquake and fire of 1906. The exhibit was a pop-up, which meant that it was put up and taken down within a span of six hours. Every image was printed and mounted onto a posterboard and then rested on a portable easel.
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