In this opinion piece co-authored with Peter Rutland, I reflect on the National Archives’ censoring of the messages on protest signs in a photo taken at the Women’s March in January 2017. This action was swiftly and universally condemned by professional historians and curators. It both transpired in our era Read more…
Near the beginning of the film “The Aeronauts,” a giant gas-filled balloon called the “Mammoth” departs from London’s Vauxhall Gardens and ascends into the clouds, revealing a bird’s eye view of London. To some moviegoers, these breathtaking views might seem like nothing special: Modern air travel has made many of Read more…
Amid renewed national debate over gun control, I write in The Washington Post about how concerted advocacy from groups such as the National Rifle Association has popularized a new interpretation of American history to fit a modern gun rights narrative, threatening to lead the Supreme Court further astray as it Read more…
I was interviewed on Wyoming Public Media about the opening of the newly renovated Cody Firearms Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, which tells the story of the role of firearms in American culture. I was among the academic historians enlisted by the museum to provide important Read more…
“Mary Poppins Returns” transports audiences back to 1930s London. The beloved nanny at the center of the original 1964 hit film will return, this time played by Emily Blunt. But Mary’s original companion, Bert, a chimney sweep played by Dick Van Dyke, has been replaced by Jack, a lamplighter played Read more…
In connection with a Royal visit to Widnes, in Cheshire, in the north west of Britain, to unveil the new Gateway bridge across the River Mersey, I reflect in History News Network about the history of the region’s chemical industry and efforts to curb industrial pollution. In the 1870s, it Read more…
I was quoted in a The New York Times story comparing artistic renderings of lightening with actual photographs of the dramatic weather phenomena. Offering context, I told the Times that the new work fits into a long history of scientists drawing a boundary between artistic and photographic representations of lightning Read more…
Ahead of a royal wedding and all the accompanying tabloid coverage, I reflect on how the public’s relationship with the monarchy has been transformed dramatically by the invention of photography, dating back to the early 19th century and the reign of Queen Victoria. I show how “Long before the digital Read more…
In this op-ed, I examine similarities between President Donald Trump and P.T. Barnum (1810-1891), both entertainment moguls and public figures, as well as icons of populism, capitalism, and democracy. As Barnum biographer Terence Whalen notes, he “inflicted himself upon a surprisingly willing public in a wide variety of roles” and Read more…
I was part of a panel discussion around guns and gun control following the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history at a music festival in Las Vegas. Listen to the discussion on Connecticut Public.
