Author: Mary

history pragmatic historian

Using History – Analyzing Luxury Homes, the New American Aristocracy, and Greenland’s Ice

By Mary | by Mary

Today I bring you three articles showing the use of history in relation to the economy. Yep, even Greenland’s ice has a tie between history and the economy. The FastCo Design article “The hidden cost of our obsession with luxury living” shows how our expectations regarding the size of our homes have changed over time, with bigger now equaling better. However, this increase in home size has had real effects on society and the economy.…

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history pragmatic historian

History’s Hierarchy of Purpose – An Infographic

By Mary | by Mary

When you’ve been in the history field for 20+ years, you develop ideas about history’s larger context and how it works in both the history field and society. When you get several long-term historians together for discussion (as has happened for 2 years now at the Minnesota History Whatever), those ideas become more cohesive. That’s what bouncing thoughts off of numerous knowledgeable folks does (aside from keeping us super-entertained in a field where we love…

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history pragmatic historian time

Tick Tock – An Assortment of Clocks

By Mary | by Mary

In case it hasn’t become apparent yet, I’m using clocks as the visual theme for The Pragmatic Historian. What better way to illustrate the uses of history than through a practical tool that helps us mark time? When I decided on the clock theme, I ran around the house, looking for and gathering up clocks in order to properly photograph them. I was shocked, absolutely shocked with how many clocks I found: 28 of them!…

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