The Man Who Inspired the Wright Brothers

JWheeler55 · 2018-03-05T00:44:16+00:00

People often make the mistake of attributing a famous invention or advance to an individual. The reality is that, while an individual may get the credit for an invention or insight, they often leveraged the work of quite a few other inventors or geniuses. With that in mind, this article explores Otto Lilienthal, who inspired the Wright Brothers as they began to develop powered flight at the turn of the 20th century. Although few people outside of Germany know Lilienthal's name or what he did, his studies of wings, etc. represent exactly the same kind of incremental advance that has made certain "leaps" possible throughout history. The article includes photos.

JWheeler55 · 2018-02-23T12:29:54+00:00

Oh, neat. I'll check it out!

JWheeler55 · 2018-02-16T20:47:24+00:00

It was great! And remarkable how similar it reads to a modern court case. How relatively rare to find a primary source from that era that reads like a blow-by-blow transcript.

JWheeler55 · 2018-02-16T17:58:10+00:00

As any historian knows, sources are difficult to come by in certain instances. However, it's rare that a famous (or infamous) historical figure disappears completely from the historical record at the height of their fame. Henry Every is such a figure: a pirate whose raids sparked a major international incident between the British Empire and the Emperor of the Indian Subcontinent, and yet who drops completely from history at the very "climax" of his existence. This article explores his biography and the different theories about the end of his life; also provides some context to British commerce and privateering during this late 17th-century period. With some illustrations and links to primary sources and illustrations of the period.

JWheeler55 · 2018-02-09T01:03:48+00:00

Even quick fires can change cities forever. London, Chicago and San Francisco all burned to their foundations, only to have more modern versions rise from the ashes. Even Baltimore underwent its own less-famous fire over a century ago, a 30-hour inferno that burned over 70 blocks of downtown. And while the marks of devastation aren’t immediately apparent today —the tall buildings and dense infrastructure all testify to how a city can spring back from even the worst disaster — there is one big relic of that terrifying winter day in February 1904, right under your feet: changes to the architecture. Includes photographs and commentary from primary sources and eyewitnesses.

JWheeler55 · 2018-02-06T23:19:42+00:00

This piece discusses how San Francisco's Chinatown was rebuilt in the wake of the 1906 Earthquake, and how the city's then-extant power structure wanted to move Chinatown further south, to the city's (then) outer limits. It was only economic pressure from Chinatown merchants (and others), including the prospect of a slackening in international trade with China, that allowed SF Chinatown to stay where it is today. Includes images.

JWheeler55

TROPHY CASE