The Historian’s Craft in the Information Age
A discussion of how information has fundamentally changed, questioning how this will affect the work of historians.
Category Archives: Technology
On Light and Dark: the historicity of colour and non-colour photographs
A brief discussion historicizing colour and non-colour photography.
The “War on the Car” has a long history
Last week, newly-elected Toronto Mayor Rob Ford continued his campaign rhetoric by proclaiming that “the war on the car is over.” On the first day of his mayoralty, Ford announced he intends to halt construction of a light rail transit line on Sheppard Avenue. The mayor says a subway under Sheppard Avenue should be built instead of the surface light… Read more »
Step-by-Step: Looking Up an Ancestor’s First World War Record
This is a step-by-step guide to accessing military records both through LAC’s website but also on-site.
One form of remembrance: mapping Toronto’s World War II casualties
Today, Canadians across the country will observe Remembrance Day. The tradition of remembering the casualties of war on November 11 first began in 1919, following the end of the First World War. Through public commemorations or more private ways, citizens will think about the sacrifices of thousands of men and women who have risked their lives for country, faith, and… Read more »
Third History Matters series lecture uncovers Toronto’s subway past
http://activehistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Young-History-Matters-talk.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJay Young, a PhD student in history and ActiveHistory.ca steering committee member, recently gave a talk called “A Public Technology: Building Toronto’s Yonge Street Subway”. The lecture is part of the Toronto Public Library’s History Matters series. The lecture discussed various episodes surrounding the building of Toronto’s original Yonge Street subway line during the… Read more »
Transcription in a Digital World
You are cleaning out the attic of your house and find a diary from the early 1900s written by a distant relative. What do you do with the diary? How do you make it useful to the general public? Donating it to a museum or an archive is a good start. However, in order for the diary to be useful… Read more »
The Sound of History
Podcast: Play in new window | Download A few months ago the American Radio Works posted a very interesting podcast on the art of making radio documentaries. The podcast included a live presentation given by Stephen Smith and John Biewen about a new book Reality Radio: Telling True Stories in Sound. While the whole discussion is very interesting, the second… Read more »
Sharing History Through Used Books and the Internet
In honour of both the September crunch and ActiveHistory.ca‘s own expanding book review section — be sure to check out Mitch Primeau’s review of The Second Greatest Disappointment (1999) — I’ll be devoting this month’s post to some of my favourite used book websites. History tends to involve a few more books than other disciplines — okay, a lot more…. Read more »
The e-Book Revolution
I bought an iPad. Before you cheer or frown, let me tell you, I’m filled with an immense surge of guilt—not because my purchase left a hefty dent in my wallet, but because I have needlessly contributed to the e-Book revolution. As Thomas Hager explains, Bottom line is stark: paper and ink books are on the way out. There, I… Read more »