Early Twentieth Century Research Articles

Missionary Work in Wonsan

In the Cartography Department of the National and University Library (NUK) in Ljubljana, there is a single picture postcard showing a black and white photo of the Benedictine abbey in Tokwon near Wonsan, today’s North Korea. The postcard was printed in Slovenia, or by a Slovenian printing house, because the caption is in Slovene. This picture postcard was not mailed, and there is no additional information regarding who possessed the card and when. In relation to the missionaries posted to Korea during the early twentieth century, it is known that the Vatican divided the Korean region into three, for the French, American and German missionary orders. In the library NUK, there are many similar missionary postcards from other parts of Asia, particularly from India and Ceylon; that is, showing local scenes in relation to missionary works with captions in Slovenian. This paper is a report on further research about the activities of Slovenian missionaries. Was there anybody from the Slovenian region stationed in Tokwon in the 1930s? Or perhaps only the printing of the postcards took place?

Acción Católica de la Mujer and the control of morality. Film screenings in Castellón in the 1920s*

ABSTRACT In the strategy adopted by the Catholic hierarchy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to mobilise its followers in order to counteract the influence of currents it considered harmful to “social morality” and the maintenance of its power; women were given a new leading role. Militant Catholic women were to become essential to the “re-Catholization” of the public space by taking on the role of “social mothers,” transcending the private space to which they had hitherto b een relegated. Their role as mothers extended beyond the family sphere to occupy a pre-eminent role in the social sphere. Hence the significant involvement of Acción Católica Femenina (Women’s Catholic Action) in Castellón in the 1920s, which sought to influence the authorities to control the type of public spectacles that were performed and shown in the city, among which film screenings were a major concern.

Guiding differently for travelling like them: the Egyptian-Ottoman publicist Safa and his 1913 Arabic guidebook to the late Ottoman capital

ABSTRACT This article examines an Arabic guidebook on the late Ottoman capital (present-day Istanbul), published in 1913 with the title Guide to Asitana [Dalil al-Asitana]. A rich textual and visual narrative on the city as the capital of a caliphate, the guidebook’s author was Muhammad Safa who fled to Ottoman Turkey from Egypt under British control in the 1890s and sought to navigate a publishing career in a vast political space across and beyond the eastern Mediterranean by the early 1910s. Written for the Arabic-reading public(s) of this multilingual space, Safa’s Dalil illuminates travel and tourism as experienced and promoted in a particular late Ottoman context after the Balkan Wars. Given the complexity of motives that shaped it, the guidebook defies reduction to a work of propaganda for a colonial empire or a nation-state emerging in ‘the Middle East’. Analysing its content helps to interpret travel and tourism in the early twentieth century with due attention to particular contexts of significance for vocabularies of empire and categories such as the colonial and the national. This helps to formulate historical analyses of tourism that transcend national and regional frameworks as well as limits of comparison and contrast with ‘the West’.

British Perspectives on Eurocentric Archaeologies

The archaeology of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was characterized by its entanglement with British imperialism, and the Eurocentric doctrine underpinning both endeavours. In the decades since, the discipline has undergone a number of major theoretical developments, and many scholars since the 1980s have followed an explicitly anti-colonial and anti-Eurocentric programme of research. However, the extent to which these developments have been mirrored in public perceptions of the global past have not been widely considered. This research has sought to address this contention. A total of 508 questionnaires were disseminated to British adults between 2021 and 2022. Participants were presented with a number of contentious statements on the past, reflecting core tenets of Eurocentric archaeologies, asked to declare their positions on them, and to explain these positions. Results demonstrate that a significant minority of participants prescribe to Eurocentric historiographies, expressing opinions which are wholly out-of-step with current archaeological scholarship. These results, and further research in this vein, could be used to inform outreach efforts in future, and to identify key issues with the means through which academic knowledge on the past is disseminated in the UK.

Eugenics and Feminism in Early Twentieth-Century Australia: The Work of Dr Mary Booth

Eugenics and Feminism in Early Twentieth-Century Australia: The Work of Dr Mary Booth

Oprema gradu Hmeljnik pred letom 1926

Based on a comparative analysis of previously unpublished archival sources, the article provides information on the furnishings of Hmeljnik Castle from the beginning of the seventeenth to the beginning of the twentieth century. The painting collections of the Barons Ruessenstein and Zierheimb, who owned Hmeljnik in the seventeenth century, are presented in detail, and the inventories from the time of the Barons Wambolt provide a more detailed insight into the castle furnishings of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Supplemented by the transcription of selected sources, the article lays the foundation for further research into the castle interiors, as the analysis of these and other surviving documents reveals their appearance before the major renovation of the castle and the relocation of the Frischau furnishings to Hmeljnik in the second half of the 1920s.

Evolving Landscape of Emerging Virus Diagnosis: Challenges and Innovations.

Emerging and re-emerging viruses (like Spanish flu, SARS-CoV-2, etc.) have substantially impacted global public health since the early twentieth century. These outbreaks are unpredictable and novel viruses are difficult to understand due to emerging variations. Advanced virology and diagnostic technologies have revolutionized viral diagnostics, enabling accurate early identification and successful treatment and containment. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, such as metagenomics and whole-genome sequencing, have played a crucial role in the detection and monitoring of emerging viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Advanced diagnostic methods, such as digital PCR, CRISPR-based tools, and serological techniques like ELISA, enhance viral detection's sensitivity, specificity, and speed. Research has shown that innovations such as lateral flow immunoassays, biosensors, and aptamers have the potential to significantly enhance diagnostic accuracy in various fields. The integration of AI in diagnostics aids researchers in understanding viral evolution and outbreak management, offering new avenues for rapid response. This review aims to examine the latest advancements in virus diagnosis technologies, identify unresolved accuracy and detection issues, and discuss emerging ideas that are transforming the future of viral diagnostics. It is important to improve early identification, rendering the system more cost-effective and adaptable to new viral threats.

The anglicization of Baghdadi Jews in Singapore, 1832–1950

The Baghdadi Jews in the port cities of British Asia were notable for their successful business networks during the colonial era. However, the successes of a few magnates were not equally shared by the rest of the Baghdadi Jewish communities. This study posits that British colonialism aggravated the social divide in the already fragmented Baghdadi communities, where only the higher strata reaped the benefits and resources of colonial society. Moreover, while anglicization served as a means of social ascendency, there were limits to the degree of anglicization of the entire community. Accordingly, this study aims to assess the influence of British colonialism on the Baghdadi Jewish diaspora by comparing the differences in social structure across different generations of Baghdadis in the diaspora and their relation to the Iraqi homeland in the early twentieth century. These differences across generations and social classes can be found in the narratives of migration patterns.

Black Autonomy and White Entitlement

P.T Barnum put on a performance as an owner of enslaved individuals, white Americans poked at Black Africans behind bars in zoos, and children pulled on the dreadlocks of two kidnapped men: for many Americans, it was the greatest form of entertainment. American “freak shows” were sites of racism, re-enactment of enslavement dynamics, and white entitlement. Black individuals who were enfreaked in nineteenth and early twentieth century American sideshows were forced into performances of white superiority and Black inferiority. These sideshows were not merely entertainment: they were vessels to construct social ideas of white ownership of Black individuals and audiences in post-emancipation America. Figures like Joice Heth, Ota Benga, the Batwa people, and George and Willie Muse reveal that sideshows were utilized to uphold a racialized American identity. This paper will argue that the “freak show” acted as a staged performance of race that enabled white control over Black bodies. Additionally, this paper argues that these mistreatments on the sideshow stage were embodied dimensions of the social construction of racial hierarchy in America.

From ‘Healthy’ Patriotism to the Malvinas Cause: The Argentine Partido Socialista and the National Question

AbstractIn the early twentieth century, the Argentine Partido Socialista, the main social‐democratic party in Latin America, embraced the concept of 'healthy patriotism', based on the social progress of the majority. This paper examines the changes in party identity regarding nationalism in the 1930s by using local sources and global socialism. I argue that the PS underwent significant shifts adopting a 'bourgeois' idea of patriotism, which was strongly contested by the party until then. In this line, it played a prominent role in promoting the Malvinas cause, all of which is connected to broader political transformations of that time

The European Hare (Lepus Europaeus) as a Biomonitor of Selected Heavy Metal Pollution in the Marmara Region, Türkiye

Abstract Since the early twentieth century, human-induced environmental pollution has reached levels that pose significant risks to the health of living organisms. The Marmara Region, located in northwestern Türkiye, is the most developed region of the country, with its industrial, commercial, tourism, and agricultural sectors holding significant importance compared to other regions. Therefore, the region is heavily affected by pollutant sources from various sectors. The aim of this study is to assess the levels of chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) residues in the skin and muscle samples of European hares (Lepus europaeus) from the Marmara Region of Türkiye, to evaluate the environmental metal pollution and habitat quality in this region. Significant variations were recorded among the concentrations of heavy metals studied in the selected tissues. The highest average concentrations in the skin were recorded for Cr (8.69 mg/kg), Mn (3.27 mg/kg), Zn (48.37 mg/kg), As (0.07 mg/kg), Se (0.29 mg/kg), Cd (0.39 mg/kg), and Pb (1.12 mg/kg), while the concentrations of Cu (4.59 mg/kg) and Hg (0.03 mg/kg) were highest in muscle tissues. Correlation analyses revealed statistically significant relationships between metal concentrations accumulated in different tissues. The concentrations of Pb (in 27 out of 52 samples, 51.92%), Cd (in all 42 samples, 100%), Cr (in 47 out of 52 samples, 90.38%), and Hg (in 9 out of 52 samples, 16.98%) in the muscles of hares exceeded the maximum permissible limits (hygiene limits) stipulated in the regulations. Additionally, Pearson correlation analysis showed varying degrees of significant correlations among the heavy metals studied in European hares and confirmed the influence of various anthropogenic pollutant sources in the study area.

Revisiting the Origins of EFL Lexicography: the Pioneering Efforts of Early English-Japanese Pedagogical Dictionaries

Abstract The dominant narrative on the origins of English monolingual learners’ dictionaries (MLDs) attributes their development to the EFL teaching and research by West, Palmer and Hornby in the early twentieth century. To date, the pedagogical features of bilingual dictionaries and their value as precursors to learners’ dictionaries have been largely overlooked. In this study, we revisit the genesis of English MLDs by tracing some of their key design features in early pedagogical English-Japanese dictionaries. A historical overview reveals that Japanese bilingual lexicographers in the early twentieth century were already aware of learners’ needs in English production. Further evidential comparison is made between two archetypal examples of early pedagogical English-Japanese dictionaries and English MLDs: namely, Saito’s Jukugo-Hon’i Eiwa-Chu-Jiten (“Saito’s Idiomological English-Japanese Dictionary”) (1915) and Hornby’s Idiomatic and Syntactic English Dictionary (1942), respectively. The findings clearly demonstrate that the former has manifested in its entries information category (syntactical and phraseological) and manner of information presentation similar to those found in contemporary English MLDs. We argue that an embryonic form of English MLDs can be observed in those highly innovative early pedagogical English-Japanese dictionaries, and that the historical study of the origins of English MLDs should not ignore their pioneering efforts. This study can shed new light on the historical research on EFL dictionaries. These early Japanese lexicographical practices also offer plenty materials for reflection on contemporary bilingual learners’ dictionaries.

Golęczewo – Architecture of Conflict and its Aftermath

ABSTRACT This paper presents an analysis of the buildings of the village of Golęczewo, Poland, which was intended to become a model Prussian village in the early twentieth century and was established to colonize areas inhabited by the Polish population. Although the aim of its erection was not achieved, the historical buildings remained and have largely survived to the present day, marking the increasingly changing space of the village. The analysis presented in this paper aims to determine the level of spatial coherence of Golęczewo in different periods of twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Its results are intended to provide answers to the questions: did the forms of buildings constructed in subsequent years relate to the historical Prussian buildings, or, on the contrary, differ from them? Are the periods of greatest fluctuation in the level of spatial coherence related to the historical periods presented in the paper? Did the local government’s decision to protect the Prussian buildings and then to cover the majority of the Golęczewo area with the provisions of local development plans increase the spatial coherence of the village? The results of the survey showed that the modern architecture of Golęczewo is not significantly a result of historical changes and the relationship between Poland and Germany over the years, but more of the progressive suburbanization of Poznan. The role of historical buildings in the modern space of Golęczewo, is slowly but gradually being faded, but nurturing the memory of it remains important to remind people of its long-lasting effects.

Keeping the house clean: Women and germ theories in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century Britain.

Keeping the house clean: Women and germ theories in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century Britain.

Imperial Gaze in the Historiography of Amarna Politics

The discovery of the Amarna letters in 1887 and their subsequent translation made it possible for ancient Near Eastern specialists of the time to shed new light on the sociopolitical conditions of Syria-Palestine during the Late Bronze Age. In reviewing the scholarly literature of the period and following decades, we may see that the situations of internal conflict described in the letters allowed researchers to draw a general picture of ancient indigenous political communities that was undoubtedly aligned with the imperial perceptions of non-European peoples current during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This article explores the conceptions and descriptions that several scholars expressed about Amarnian Syro-Palestinian or Canaanite societies from the discovery of the letters up to the 1970s. The analysis also seeks to contextualize the covert imperial gaze expressed by these scholars as well as their more overt orientalism within the geopolitical situations in the Middle East at the time. Finally, the article assesses a turning point, instigated by Mario Liverani, in the interpretation of Amarna politics and its relationship with the fading imperialist gaze in the historiography of the region since the 1980s.

Building Urban Community in Late Imperial Russia: Early Twentieth-Century Kopeck Newspapers as Local Institutions

ABSTRACT This paper explores the community functions of the penny press in the cities of the Russian Empire in the early twentieth century. Cheap tabloid newspapers facilitated the social needs of residents in the empire’s growing cities and towns, easing the ebb and flow of daily urban life by offering a forum for mass communication, fostering public dialogue, and acting as institutions of public assistance and small-scale charity, albeit always in ways mediated by the desires and preferences of journalists, editors, and publishers. In so doing, they helped readers and local community members bring order to the chaos of urban life in a time of rapid migration and urbanization. By exploring these community functions, this article furthers our understanding of both the potential social and institutional roles of urban newspapers and the specific role played by popular journalism in the cities of the autocratic Russian Empire.

The development and construction of the Shanghai Museum of the Royal Asiatic Society during the Period of Republic of China: a study centred on Arthur de Carle Sowerby (1923–1946)

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, natural history gained popularity among the Western public, and museums became one of the central institutions in people’s cultural lives. Within this context, the British naturalist Arthur de Carle Sowerby (1885–1954) was committed to building a cultural centre in Shanghai for facilitating the dissemination and popularization of natural history. Under his advocacy, preparation and management, the Shanghai Museum of the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) was rebuilt in 1933 and subsequently prospered, becoming one of the most important cultural institutions in Shanghai at the time. This article investigates the original reasons for Sowerby’s participation in the rebuilding of the Shanghai Museum, as well as his management and administration of the museum. It reveals his important role in the restoration and successful development of the Shanghai Museum, analysing the development and spread of Western natural history in Shanghai in the modern era and its impact on the city’s culture.

Affect

Affect refers to sensations and physiological shifts in intensity that may or may not formalise into conceptually distinct and collectively recognized feelings. Compared to emotions, which anthropologists see as feelings embedded in sociolinguistic concepts like love, anger, jealousy, han (Korean for sadness-grief), song (Ifaluk for justified anger), or hygge (Danish and Norwegian for cosiness), affects are conceived as more fluid. Although registered through biological and bodily sensation, affects are also culturally conditioned and can, in turn, strongly influence sociocultural dynamics. Anthropologists have long explored the varieties of emotional experience across cultures, from the analysis of different patterns of emotional behaviour in the early twentieth century to the linguistic comparison of different emotional expressions through the 1970s and 80s. Since around the 1990s, however, anthropologists began to shift their focus to the diverse ways that emotions also involve less linguistically determined but nevertheless socially conditioned bodily experiences they called ‘affect’. This entry documents early psychological and philosophical genealogies of affect; the relation of affect to anthropological studies of emotion; critiques of and counterpoints to the affect concept; and enduring themes in ethnographic studies of affect.

Nudity, obscenity, and the rule of colonial difference in Singapore, 1900s–1930s

Abstract This article examines how the British colonial administration and the local Chinese population interacted around the issue of obscene prints in 1900s–1930s Singapore, with a particular focus on the policing of the female nude. The notion of obscenity acquired different meanings as prints crossed geographical, cultural, and linguistic boundaries. What was deemed ‘obscene’ in Republican Shanghai or Edwardian London was not necessarily viewed the same way in colonial Singapore, and vice versa. By tracing the contradictory assumptions about the relationship between nudity and obscenity in a multiracial and multicultural colonial context, this article demonstrates that obscenity regulation in Singapore was intimately tied to what Partha Chatterjee has termed ‘the rule of colonial difference’,1 with race being the most obvious marker of difference. On an institutional level, the rule of colonial difference led to a division of regulatory labour that ultimately rendered Chinese salacious materials invisible to the British colonial government in the early twentieth century. In terms of definitions of nudity and obscenity, perceived racial–cultural differences—central to the rule of colonial difference—were used both to justify and to contest the public display of naked female bodies to non-Western audiences. This situates the Singapore case within the broader scholarship on obscenity regulation and colonialism, and offers fresh insights into the difference in imperial models of obscenity regulation. By exploring how obscenity regulation was premised on the process of racial ‘othering’, this article also highlights race as an underexplored factor in existing scholarship on obscenity regulation.

Past, Present, and Future of Fe-Mg Bioresorbable Alloys for Medical Applications

Abstract The search for biocompatible and bioabsorbable metallic materials for temporary medical implants dates back to the late nineteenth century. Interest in these materials arises from their potential social and medical benefits. However, extensive research did not start until the early twentieth century, primarily focusing on magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) as biocompatible and biodegradable base metals. In this work, we explore the combination of two of these metals, Fe and Mg, and the opportunity to investigate Fe-Mg alloys as potential candidates for biomedical applications through a review of their development from their initial production to the present, as well as their future prospects. A distinctive characteristic of Fe-Mg systems is their mutual immiscibility in thermodynamic equilibrium, which poses significant processing challenges and explains why Fe-Mg alloys have been relatively unexplored. However, it is precisely this immiscibility that offers the opportunity to achieve a metastable state that potentiates degradation. As evidenced by the review of recent research on bioabsorbable Fe-Mg alloys developed specifically for biomedical applications, given their promising properties and potential applications, a more comprehensive exploration of this alloy system appears warranted.