History Research Articles

Epilogue: the many worlds of rock(et) stars.

This epilogue considers the approach and conception of this collection, highlighting key analytical strands in the essays while also suggesting possible avenues of further research. It spotlights the global nature of their analysis, which offers one structural framework - individual scientific personas and the often transnational networks which they inhabit - as a possible avenue to imagine a so-called global Space Age. The epilogue also investigates possible frames for further analyses, particularly regarding gender and translation. Men dominate the pantheon of space personas, which, I argue, is a function of the way popular discourses about space travel are still dominated not only by patriarchal and often misogynistic tropes, but also by how we define 'technology' itself as essentially a male domain of activity. More broadly, we need further investigation of multiple and gendered erasures involved in the creation of male space personas. Similarly, the kinds of tools, work and strategies the space personas deployed to translate their visions across different social, discursive, cultural and temporal domains require attention. In particular, one can imagine that the afterlife of these personas will be susceptible to change and alteration as their messages, reputations, and principal attachments are continually reshaped by historical change, popular culture, and academic currents.

Characteristics of LGBTQ+ Patients and Their Care in Comparison with Heterosexual Individuals: What Is Important for the OBGYN?

Background and Objectives: Women of the LGBTQ+ community, like heterosexual women, face a wide range of health issues and have a right to comprehensive healthcare. Unfortunately, they often do not seek healthcare due to concerns about possible discrimination or prejudice. The aims of this study were to analyze and compare experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals and heterosexual women during OBGYN appointments in Lithuania as well as to analyze the health of individuals whose biological gender is female and their lifestyle’s effect on their health. Materials and Methods: An anonymous online survey was conducted. Respondents answered questions regarding their gender and social identity; obstetrical, gynecological, and general clinical history; sexual life characteristics; and their experiences of visiting OBGYNs in Lithuania. Results: This study revealed that some lifestyle habits of LGBTQ+ respondents are more similar to those of heterosexuals than is often hypothesized. However, it also underscored such issues as the more common consumption of psychotropic substances, higher rates of depression, and more prevalent risky sexual practices among the LGBTQ+ community, as well as some neglected topics of OBGYN care in Lithuania. Conclusions: This study is the first in Lithuania to analyze the characteristics of LGBTQ+ individuals whose biological sex is female in relation to the field of obstetrics and gynecology. It provides important insights for the further improvement of the healthcare system regarding this topic.

Improved Arctic Near-Surface Air Temperatures in CESM2 Relative to Surface Station and Buoy Measurements

Abstract Global climate models are essential tools for understanding historical changes in the Arctic climate and predicting how it will evolve into the future. The Community Earth System Model (CESM) released an updated version (CESM2) in 2020 which simulates a substantially warmer Arctic than the previous version (CESM1). In order to evaluate their differing representations of the Arctic near-surface climate, we compare observed monthly mean near-surface air temperatures from instruments located on land, the Greenland Ice Sheet, and the Arctic sea ice to the large ensembles created for each model version (CESM1-LE and CESM2-LE). Compared to land-based observations, CESM1-LE underestimates near-surface air temperature by −2.82 K, while CESM2-LE overestimates it by +0.51 K. The Greenland comparisons illustrate a distinct difference in the models’ ability to represent near-surface air temperatures at high and low elevations. For stations above 2000 m, CESM1-LE captures Greenland temperatures well (−0.08 K) while CESM2-LE is too warm (+3.61 K). For Greenland stations below 2000 m, CESM1-LE is too cold (−3.33 K) while CESM2-LE does well (−0.13 K). Over Arctic sea ice, CESM1-LE simulates a near-surface environment that is too cold (−3.1 K). This cold bias is not only removed in CESM2-LE, but a warm bias of nearly the same magnitude (+2.73 K) is introduced. This warm bias is likely related to a known sea ice deficiency since it is reduced in three CESM2 small ensembles that better simulate Arctic sea ice. Overall, we find CESM2 simulates Arctic near-surface air temperatures that better match the available historical record.

Book Supports: Disability, Race, and the Labor of Accommodation in Milton’s Poetical Works (1855)

This article explores intersections of disability and race embodied in Milton’s Poetical Works (1855), the first edition of John Milton’s poetry published for reading by touch. It describes how Morrison Heady, a blind man from Kentucky, raised funds for the book by traveling extensively across the eastern United States. Heady’s commitment to this project speaks to the important position Milton occupied within the culture that developed around the production of tactile books in the nineteenth-century United States. Many blind readers as well as sighted bookmakers found in Milton a model of the intellectual achievement made possible by the advent of raised-letter printing, and the publication of his poems in 1855 was an occasion for key stakeholders to reflect on the state of tactile bookmaking as it stood at the midcentury. But Morrison Heady was also an enslaver, and historical records suggest that his efforts to publish an edition of Milton for blind readers was supported by the work of enslaved individuals. By acknowledging both the remarkable access provided by the 1855 edition of Milton’s Poetical Works and the coerced labor to which this book owes its existence, this article shows how the study of early modern book history as well as the emerging field of tactile book history can benefit from intersectional approaches.

White Christmas Pie, ‘smooth as monumental alabaster’: The Past and Future Politics of Shakespearean Cookbooks

The article interrogates As You Like It (AYLI), the 1959 cookbook produced by the Seton Guild of Hyattsville, Maryland, as a case study for how the occasional deployment of Shakespearean aesthetics and references across charitable fundraiser cookbooks curates political agendas that ostracize those who do not belong to the communities of (mostly white, upper-class) women who compiled them. Through analysis of the bibliographical elements of the Seton Guild’s AYLI, the article shows how the fragmentary reading methods of the cookbook genre, paired with frequent detached quotation from Shakespeare’s plays – especially those thematically concerned with race – work to detach and distance the white women contributors from the book’s non-American contributors, contributors of color, and the lower-class women their charitable efforts purported to help. It also shows how such cookbooks are important material objects in the history of Shakespearean reception in part because they restore their women compilers to conversations around book history, bibliography, gendered editorial labor, and Shakespearean reception in our work, while simultaneously prompting interrogation of their complicity in the marginalization and erasure of other cultures and communities.

How Much Does a First Folio Cost and How Much is That?

The article attempts a survey of the ways book prices have been conceptualised and deployed as part of bibliography and book history, with a particular focus on Shakespeare’s First Folio. In part it is an attempt to understand the changing prices of books which become valuable through different possible financial heuristics, but its major interest is in the implicit work, both rhetorical and methodological, that is done by conceptions of price, and through analogies and comparisons with what hypothetical book buyers might also buy or earn. The period in which rare books were invented as a consumer category is the period of wealth created by the trade in enslaved people and in goods produced by enslaved people: this differently freighted comparison brings out the ethical and conceptual problems raised in discussions of historic book prices.

Centennial-scale spatiotemporal heterogeneity of ecosystem service interactions: Implications for spatial management.

Centennial-scale spatiotemporal heterogeneity of ecosystem service interactions: Implications for spatial management.

Extinction risk of the endemic soft coral Phyllogorgia dilatata (Esper, 1806) in a remote island of the Brazilian coast.

Extinction risk of the endemic soft coral Phyllogorgia dilatata (Esper, 1806) in a remote island of the Brazilian coast.

Humphrey Moseley and the Politics of Early Modern Publishers

The essay reassesses the ways in which book historians define the politics of early modern publishers by examining a selection of books published during the late 1640s and 1650s by Humphrey Moseley, a prominent London bookseller whom modern scholars have routinely characterized as a Royalist stationer. It argues that starting in 1648 Moseley’s publishing began to shift away from the overt Royalism of his earlier career just as Parliamentary and republican forces were consolidating their victories over King Charles I. From that year onwards, Moseley increasingly published material that repackaged the social, political and cultural values of former Royalists for inclusion within the intellectual and discursive spheres of republican England. His political flexibility during this period of Parliamentary supremacy and republican rule received expression through publishing strategies of contingency, conformity and collaboration. These publishing strategies offer modern scholars a set of critical methods for making sense of seemingly contradictory evidence within the historical archive. Rather than inconsistency, such evidence may signify that a publisher was changing their specialization or simply adapting to the times. With the shifting developments of his career after 1648, Moseley’s example ultimately cautions us against assigning fixed political identities to early modern publishers.

Indexing Herbert’s Temple

The Temple (1633), a book of devotional lyrics by the English poet George Herbert, was a site of innovation in the seventeenth-century book trade. Scholars of book history have attended to its numerous editions, but one important paratext has been largely ignored: the expansive subject index that was appended to the collection in the printshop of Philemon Stephens in the 1640s. This subject index instrumentalized the collection. By using Stephen Orgel’s methodology of ‘the archaeology of texts’, this essay demonstrates how this index activated homiletical readings of Herbert’s poems. The essay uses the index first to reconstruct some of its readings. It explores the assumptions about the uses of lyric poetry that made such readings possible, and considers why twentieth-century critics have rejected them. While the essay connects the index to The Temple with earlier biblical and homiletical finding aids and an early modern cultural disposition to reading for action, it also marks, in the demise of this disposition, an origin for the modern practice of indexing lyric collections by first line. In closing, the essay compares the affordances of these two kinds of book index with the collation and search functions prepared for a recent digital edition.

Research on the Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Spatial Integration of Resource-Based Coal Cities—A Case Study of the Central Urban Area of Huaibei

Background: The integration of mining and urban spaces in coal-resource-based cities holds significant implications for urban transformation and sustainable development. However, existing research lacks an in-depth analysis of its characteristics and driving factors. Methods: This study takes the central urban area of Huaibei City as a case, utilizing historical documents, POI data, and spatial analysis methods to explore the evolution patterns and influencing factors of mining–urban spatial integration. Standard deviation ellipse analysis was employed to examine historical spatial changes, while a binary logistic regression model and principal component analysis were constructed based on 300 m × 300 m grid units to assess the roles of 11 factors, including location, transportation, commerce, and natural environment. Results: The results indicate that mining–urban spatial integration exhibits characteristics of lag, clustering, transportation dominance, and continuity. Commercial activity density, particularly leisure, dining, and shopping facilities, serves as a core driving factor. Road network density, along with the areas of educational and residential zones, positively promotes integration, whereas water surface areas (such as subsidence zones) significantly inhibit it. Among high-integration areas, Xiangshan District stands as the most economically prosperous city center; Lieshan–Yangzhuang mining area blends traditional and modern elements; and Zhuzhuang–Zhangzhuang mining area reflects the industrial landscape post-transformation. Conclusions: The study reveals diverse integration patterns under the synergistic effects of multiple factors, providing a scientific basis for optimizing spatial layouts and coordinating mining–urban development in coal-resource-based cities. Future research should continue to pay attention to the dynamic changes of spatial integration of mining cities, explore more effective integrated development models, and promote the rational and efficient use of urban space and the sustainable development of cities.

Preserving Legacy: Developing an Interactive History Book for FKIP Universitas Sriwijaya

The Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) at Universitas Sriwijaya has played a critical role in shaping Indonesia’s education system by producing qualified educators. Despite its long-standing contributions, comprehensive documentation of its historical development remains scarce. This study aimed to develop an interactive digital history book for FKIP Universitas Sriwijaya. The research utilized a dual-method approach: historical research was used to gather and verify archival data, while the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) guided the development process. The book incorporated multimedia features such as archival photographs, background music, and a user-friendly interface to enhance engagement and learning. The interactive history book significantly improved students’ understanding of FKIP’s history. This was evidenced by a rise in average test scores from 37.5 (pretest) to 89.5 (posttest), with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.000) shown through paired sample t-tests. Additionally, 85% of surveyed students reported feeling more connected to FKIP’s legacy and expressed increased institutional pride. The integration of interactive elements was instrumental in increasing students’ comprehension and emotional connection to FKIP’s history. The digital format not only enhanced learning outcomes but also contributed positively to institutional identity. The interactive history book effectively documented FKIP’s legacy and fostered student engagement. Future research could explore its long-term impact on institutional reputation, including alumni involvement, student enrollment, and public perception at broader levels.

Voltaire as a Classic of the French Rossica: 260 Years Later

This review examines the first full publication in Russian of the most famous work by Voltaire and in French Rossica of the eighteenth century about the history of Russia under Peter the Great. The work was prepared at Saratov University by S. A. Mezin, head of the Department of Russian History and Archaeology, together with A. E. Kulakov, associate professor of the Department of Romance and Germanic Philology, and with the participation of M. V. Kovalev, now senior research fellow at the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The book was published by a well-known scholarly publishing house in St Petersburg. The edition reviewed includes a translation of both parts of the History of the Russian Empire under Peter the Great, two Prefaces and Anecdotes Concerning Peter the Great by Voltaire. Russian scholars have prepared footnotes to the author’s texts, a name index and a substantial essay Voltaire, a Historian of Russia preceding the publication with a serious source study and historiographical analysis. The publication is recognised by the reviewer as a valuable contribution to the knowledge of national specialists and readers. It provides a comprehensive overview of the historical and biographical literature of the French Enlightenment, with a particular focus on the reign of Peter I. The review emphasises that the History by Voltaire shows the “mutually beneficial alliance” he concluded with Empress Elizabeth’s government and the importance of his work as one of the motivating reasons for Catherine II’s transition to the “Enlightened Absolutism” policy.

CATEGORIES OF TIME AND ETERNITY IN GRIGOR TATEVATSI'S "VOSKEPORIK"

Time perception is one of fundamental categories in theology and philosophy. The formulation of such a question, in the paradigm of the Armenian philosophical and theological tradition, remains superficially researched. Although insignificant, the legacy of Armenian Medieval thinkers on the concepts of time remain almost untouched by civilisation up to this day, which removes it from the general history of the development of secular discourse on the matter of time and mostly simply questions national characteristics and traditions. As a result the concepts of time and eternity in Armenian medieval philosophy were not studied for a long time as an independent discipline of medieval philosophy, but were only mentioned as an auxiliary means for building a peace picture of the world. Тhe article is dedicated to identification and consideration of the main aspects of the ideas about time and eternity of the Armenian medieval philosopher-theologian Gregory Tatevatsi, set out in the scientific endeavour “Ոսկեփորիկ”. The article makes an attempt of a logical and philosophical analysis of eternity and time in order to outline the main current issues. The relationship between the categories of time and eternity in Armenian medieval philosophy with the philosophical tradition of antiquity and with the medieval Eastern Christian tradition is shown. This article is written at the intersection of philosophy and theology, where time and eternity are analyzed from the point of view of ontology in the book “Ոսկեփորիկ” authored by Grigory Tatevatsi, and an attempt is made to show their axiological orientation.

Between Tradition and Transition: Generational Differences in Emirati Life Stories and Life Scripts

ABSTRACTCultural life scripts influence the recall of important personal events. Testing this well‐established finding in an understudied culture that underwent rapid cultural change, this study compared life story memories of a younger and an older Emirati generation to Newborn and Elderly life scripts provided by both age groups. Results replicated that most memories were scripted in content, formed a reminiscence bump, and were predominantly positive. Yet, due to the historical change, the younger participants composed an Elderly life script that did not match the lives of their contemporary seniors. Moreover, neither age group evaluated the Emirati life scripts more positively than their life stories. Instead, the valences of life script events and life story memories indicate increasing realism with age and experience. Overall, results imply that cultural life scripts do not easily adjust to societal change and do not always represent an idealized life.

Historical changes in sewage sludge treatment in Japan and implemented policies

Historical changes in sewage sludge treatment in Japan and implemented policies

Steven Weinberg’s Explanation of the World and a Discussion of the True Story of Modern Cosmology

Should working physicists ever write books about the history of physics? Some historians say definitely not since, according to them, physic researchers do not usually provide an objective version of historical issues. However, it will be argued here that the specialists' view and analysis of the past is absolutely essential to complement that of historians in their own terms. To wit, even such a high-ranking figure as the last Steven Weinberg could not escape criticism from historians. Weinberg received strong criticism after the publication of his book “Explaining the World: The Discovery of Modern Science”, which he devoted to the history of physics from the ancient Greeks to the present day. He was accused of judging the past exclusively from the point of view of the present, that is, from what we now know with great certainty. The aim of the present article is to show, with the help of this example and another one, how is it possible to find a healthy balance between these two confronting attitudes. In particular, it will be sustained that most of the scientists about whom history books are written, were considerably more intelligent than many of us, the present-day scientists, in spite that they often said all kinds of nonsense—if we judge them from a current perspective, with all the knowledge we now have accumulated. The main thesis of the paper will be that great care should be taken in order to try to balance as much as possible these two diametrically opposed approaches, and moreover to show how this can be achieved, in practice. All this will be explained in detail, with the help of several important, specific situations. The main results obtained and an analysis of the practical implications of the outcome of the research carried out here will be given in the closing section.

Entrepreneurship before Cantillon: Historical traces of the evolution of trade and entrepreneurial elements in ancient and medieval times

This study aims to trace the evolution of entrepreneurial thought from its earliest emergence, when it had not yet become a distinct scientific discipline, to the present day, highlighting entrepreneurial concepts that predate Cantillon and have taken shape across different civilisations throughout history. Using a detailed literature review and document analysis, this study examines secondary sources, including ancient manuscripts and legal texts. The findings reveal that although entrepreneurship in ancient and medieval times did not exist in its modern form, it developed within structured legal, social, and economic frameworks, adapting to the unique conditions of each period. These entrepreneurial activities evolved progressively and interdependently, highlighting both the constructive and disruptive forces of historical change. This study contributes to the literature on entrepreneurship history by offering a documentary review of pre-Cantillonian entrepreneurship, emphasising its deep-rooted presence in economic and societal structures.

Relating self to family and society: An investigation of adults’ intergenerational narratives

The stories people tell about their mothers’ and fathers’ experiences—intergenerational narratives—connect individuals with their families and the larger culture. We wanted to explore the gender-typing of intergenerational narrating and of the passing on of family and general history. A sample of N = 135 German adults (20–77 years, 52.6% female) were asked for one intergenerational narrative from each parent. The topics of the stories, as how vulnerable the protagonist was depicted, and the amount of family knowledge varied by gender of both the parent and the participants in line with the traditional gender master narrative. Narratives transmitting family knowledge explained why members were missing or relations interrupted and highlighted differences/commonalities, whereas narratives focussing on the parent displayed them as a powerful agent in the world. About a third of the narratives referred to general historical circumstances and times. Findings are discussed within the master narrative framework.

Agents of national memory revisited: Women writing prison in the Irish Civil War

This article investigates how the role of archival texts as agents of memory requires memory scholars to expand the concept of agency beyond human agency. Revisiting Aguilar’s and Budrytė’s concept of human individuals as ‘agents of memory’, it draws on actor–network theory, colonial archive studies and book history to track the shifting ‘memory capital’ of forgotten archival texts. Taking as its case study the jail writings created by female prisoners during the Irish Civil War, the article contends that taking into account archival texts – as well as their creators – as agents of memory can provide a richer understanding of how cultural memory is created, stored, forgotten and – sometimes – reanimated in the wake of national conflict.