Cynthia Collins's Blog, page 7
September 27, 2013
Kelly Clarkson Loses Jane Austen Ring
As reported in August, American singer Kelly Clarkson and Jane Austen’s House Museum in Chawton, Hampshire, in the United Kingdom, both wanted a ring that had belonged to one of the world’s most famous authors…
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, September 23, 2013).
NASCAR History, Moonshine and Prohibition
The act of cars trying to outrun each other wasn’t always a multimillion dollar sport. It was inspired by rather dubious beginnings. How and why race cars became part of American life goes back to the early days of prohibition and moonshine.
Read full post here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, September 23, 2013).
Wells Fargo Legendary Stagecoach Keeps Rolling
Wells, Fargo & Company has been a leader in banking, mail delivery and passenger service since the days of the California Gold Rush. This is one of the few companies in the United States that has kept the same name since it began. It is frequently mentioned in books, television programs, and movies that are set in the 19th century.
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, September 20, 2013).
September 18, 2013
America’s Cup: How a Schooner and Yacht Club Changed History
Oracle Team USA
The 2013 America’s Cup finals continue this week. The first team to reach nine points wins–current standings are 7-1, with Emirates Team New Zealand leading Oracle Team USA. This annual boat race is filled with excitement, speed, individual and team skill. It is the “oldest trophy in international sport” and pre-dates the modern Olympic Games. A look at the story behind the America’s Cup shows its place in history…
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express,...
Public Sees Pre-Hispanic Carvings Returned to Mexico
Three stone carvings, from before the days of the Spanish conquests, were displayed publicly for the first time on Friday since their return to Mexico. These pre-Hispanic artifacts had been in the safe keeping of the Lowe Art Museum in Miami, Florida, but were returned by that museum in August…
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, September 15, 2013)
September 13, 2013
Famine Ship Dunbrody Details Journey on Irish Coffin Ships
Famine ship Dunbrody
This week marks the 168th anniversary of a British periodical’s announcement that potatoes in Ireland were infested with blight. On September 13, 1845, the Gardeners’ Chronicle printed the notice that they had stopped the press “to announce that the Potato Murrain has unequivocally declared itself in Ireland.”
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, September 12, 2013)
Using Religion as an Excuse to Commit Evil
On this anniversary of 9/11, it is important to remember that these events were done by terrorists. When people use religion as an excuse to justify evil, that is not religion. Whether it is 9/11, the Holocaust, slavery, any time that one group claims the right to violently control others, and ultimately destroy them, is simply an excuse to be evil.
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, September 11, 2013)
September 8, 2013
Kentucky History in Danger of Being Torn Down
Ridgeway, built 1818, in Cynthiana, Kentucky
Houses listed on the National Register of Historic Places range from large, opulent mansions to small, rustic log cabins. All of them have some significance in American history, whether it was the people who lived there or events that took place. But inclusion on the list of places worthy of preservation is no automatic guarantee of survival. One such house is Ridgeway,…
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins,...
9/11 Museum Prepares for Opening
Inside 9/11 Museum
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York is almost ready. It is scheduled to open April 2014. Earlier this year, it was criticized for announcing it would have a fee of $20 to $25 per person. The latest news is not about fees but about content.
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, September 7, 2013)
September 3, 2013
Was Venice Museum Damaged by Visiting Art Exhibition?
Doge Palace in Venice, Italy
Venice’s famed Doge Palace (Palazzo Ducale) is in the middle of a controversy between a local politician, a cultural heritage official, and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. The issue is whether or not installation requirements for a visiting exhibit caused damage to the floor and walls of the palace.
Read full article here. (Written for the Guardian Express, Cynthia Collins, September 2, 2013)
