Jim Wald
@citizenwald.bsky.social
Historian, Hampshire College, Amherst MA
Europe C18-20, book history, historic preservation
Past service: SHARP sharpweb.org, Massachusetts Center for the Book https://www.massbook.org/
Co-editor, Routledge History of Antisemitism
http://tiny.cc/pb7xzz
Europe C18-20, book history, historic preservation
Past service: SHARP sharpweb.org, Massachusetts Center for the Book https://www.massbook.org/
Co-editor, Routledge History of Antisemitism
http://tiny.cc/pb7xzz
Reposted by Jim Wald
I note that the White House originally said it was the White House Historical Association that preserved items from the East Wing. Now it says the General Service Administration and the National Park Service did. Did they? Did anyone?
February 16, 2026 at 4:23 AM
I note that the White House originally said it was the White House Historical Association that preserved items from the East Wing. Now it says the General Service Administration and the National Park Service did. Did they? Did anyone?
Reposted by Jim Wald
They are merging AMST with three other departments, effectively shuttering a program that has been in existence for 85 years. www.texastribune.org/2026/02/12/t...
UT-Austin to merge race, ethnic and gender study programs
More than 800 students are pursuing degrees in the affected departments, which include African, Latino and gender studies.
www.texastribune.org
February 15, 2026 at 8:15 PM
They are merging AMST with three other departments, effectively shuttering a program that has been in existence for 85 years. www.texastribune.org/2026/02/12/t...
Reposted by Jim Wald
Devastated to learn that Univ of Texas at Austin is closing the American Studies dept. The years I spent there earning my PhD were formative, making me the teacher, thinker, and writer I am today. I've passed on what I learned at UT to thousands of students over the past 20 years. Just awful.
February 15, 2026 at 8:14 PM
Devastated to learn that Univ of Texas at Austin is closing the American Studies dept. The years I spent there earning my PhD were formative, making me the teacher, thinker, and writer I am today. I've passed on what I learned at UT to thousands of students over the past 20 years. Just awful.
Reposted by Jim Wald
American Studies double major (with English) at @utaustin.bsky.social and very frustrated to read this news. Will seek out the Save UT faculty group referenced in article.
Devastated to learn that Univ of Texas at Austin is closing the American Studies dept. The years I spent there earning my PhD were formative, making me the teacher, thinker, and writer I am today. I've passed on what I learned at UT to thousands of students over the past 20 years. Just awful.
February 16, 2026 at 5:30 AM
American Studies double major (with English) at @utaustin.bsky.social and very frustrated to read this news. Will seek out the Save UT faculty group referenced in article.
drop an album that was important to you when you were 19
February 16, 2026 at 5:26 AM
drop an album that was important to you when you were 19
Overshadowed by the bombing of #Dresden: 14 February 1945, US B-17s on the way to the German city lost their way and accidentally bombed #Prague. 152 tons of bombs killed 701 civilians, destroyed houses and historic sites, and left 11,000 people homeless
Valentine’s Day 1945 - When the Americans bombed Prague
Exactly 75 years ago, on Valentine’s Day 1945 two confused bomber groups of the USAF accidentally bombed Prague. The raid killed hundreds of Czechs and left over a…
english.radio.cz
February 15, 2026 at 11:53 PM
If it's the anniversary of the bombing of Dresden, it's the season for German right-wing extremists to hold inflammatory protests, shamelessly citing fictional death figures in order to white-wash Nazism & promote their current racist agenda--and now their BFFs Hamas & Iran, too
February 15, 2026 at 8:50 PM
If it's the anniversary of the bombing of Dresden, it's the season for German right-wing extremists to hold inflammatory protests, shamelessly citing fictional death figures in order to white-wash Nazism & promote their current racist agenda--and now their BFFs Hamas & Iran, too
Reposted by Jim Wald
I dont know about my new bookshelf... Not my idea to bring this home.. And i cant fit my books in it.. Ahh.. 🤔
February 14, 2026 at 1:41 PM
I dont know about my new bookshelf... Not my idea to bring this home.. And i cant fit my books in it.. Ahh.. 🤔
Reposted by Jim Wald
24 Jahre sehepunkte - unsere November-Ausgabe 2025 ist online:
www.sehepunkte.de/2025/11/
www.sehepunkte.de/2025/11/
November 15, 2025 at 1:20 PM
24 Jahre sehepunkte - unsere November-Ausgabe 2025 ist online:
www.sehepunkte.de/2025/11/
www.sehepunkte.de/2025/11/
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/13/m...
Jack Tarca & his friends spent long hours building an igloo in the backyard of his South Boston apartment, drawing 35m views across social media
Then, neighbors saw 2 men destroy the structure w sledgehammers & metal poles
There's a reason we call them Massholes
Jack Tarca & his friends spent long hours building an igloo in the backyard of his South Boston apartment, drawing 35m views across social media
Then, neighbors saw 2 men destroy the structure w sledgehammers & metal poles
There's a reason we call them Massholes
A backyard igloo in South Boston garnered millions of views online — before it was smashed with sledgehammers - The Boston Globe
Jack Tarca and his friends spent two weeks building an enormous igloo in his South Boston backyard. It was fun while it lasted.
www.bostonglobe.com
February 15, 2026 at 2:59 AM
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/13/m...
Jack Tarca & his friends spent long hours building an igloo in the backyard of his South Boston apartment, drawing 35m views across social media
Then, neighbors saw 2 men destroy the structure w sledgehammers & metal poles
There's a reason we call them Massholes
Jack Tarca & his friends spent long hours building an igloo in the backyard of his South Boston apartment, drawing 35m views across social media
Then, neighbors saw 2 men destroy the structure w sledgehammers & metal poles
There's a reason we call them Massholes
New images of Trump’s White House ballroom show sweep, scale
https://wapo.st/3ZEJVnJ
I've served on our local Historical Commission & Design Review Board and I teach historic #preservation: this violates every principle of massing, scale, siting
Also abominably ugly & tasteless
https://wapo.st/3ZEJVnJ
I've served on our local Historical Commission & Design Review Board and I teach historic #preservation: this violates every principle of massing, scale, siting
Also abominably ugly & tasteless
February 15, 2026 at 2:20 AM
New images of Trump’s White House ballroom show sweep, scale
https://wapo.st/3ZEJVnJ
I've served on our local Historical Commission & Design Review Board and I teach historic #preservation: this violates every principle of massing, scale, siting
Also abominably ugly & tasteless
https://wapo.st/3ZEJVnJ
I've served on our local Historical Commission & Design Review Board and I teach historic #preservation: this violates every principle of massing, scale, siting
Also abominably ugly & tasteless
Reposted by Jim Wald
Delighted to be series editor for Cambridge Elements in Women, Gender and Sexuality in Premodern Literature and Culture. If you have something cool and interesting you’d like to work with us on please get in touch (micrograph 20-30k)
www.cambridge.org/core/publica...
www.cambridge.org/core/publica...
Women, Gender and Sexuality in Premodern Literature and Culture
Welcome to Cambridge Core
www.cambridge.org
February 14, 2026 at 5:08 AM
Delighted to be series editor for Cambridge Elements in Women, Gender and Sexuality in Premodern Literature and Culture. If you have something cool and interesting you’d like to work with us on please get in touch (micrograph 20-30k)
www.cambridge.org/core/publica...
www.cambridge.org/core/publica...
For Valentine's Day:
Advertising brochure for correspondence of man of letters Heinrich Christian Boie with Luise Mejer, 1777-85 (1961)
roughly translated: I guess I was clever to have found you
beautiful sentiment and calligraphic form typical of German midcentury modernism
Advertising brochure for correspondence of man of letters Heinrich Christian Boie with Luise Mejer, 1777-85 (1961)
roughly translated: I guess I was clever to have found you
beautiful sentiment and calligraphic form typical of German midcentury modernism
February 14, 2026 at 11:08 PM
For Valentine's Day:
Advertising brochure for correspondence of man of letters Heinrich Christian Boie with Luise Mejer, 1777-85 (1961)
roughly translated: I guess I was clever to have found you
beautiful sentiment and calligraphic form typical of German midcentury modernism
Advertising brochure for correspondence of man of letters Heinrich Christian Boie with Luise Mejer, 1777-85 (1961)
roughly translated: I guess I was clever to have found you
beautiful sentiment and calligraphic form typical of German midcentury modernism
Reposted by Jim Wald
December has come and hone, but the post below is still true, so... ⚓️
This is starting to appear in the wild in the Caribbean. So far, copies have made it to 🇦🇼 🇬🇩 🇧🇧 🇹🇹 and maybe elsewhere. It’s good to hear. Available December 5 from the UK website.
www.bloomsbury.com/us/anglican-...
www.bloomsbury.com/us/anglican-...
February 14, 2026 at 10:35 PM
December has come and hone, but the post below is still true, so... ⚓️
Reposted by Jim Wald
In nearly all countries, a single religious group makes up a majority of the population. In 122 places, one group makes up at least 80% of people.
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2026/02/12/religious-diversity-around-the-world/#in-almost-every-country-a-single-religious-group-forms-a-majority
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2026/02/12/religious-diversity-around-the-world/#in-almost-every-country-a-single-religious-group-forms-a-majority
February 14, 2026 at 8:39 PM
In nearly all countries, a single religious group makes up a majority of the population. In 122 places, one group makes up at least 80% of people.
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2026/02/12/religious-diversity-around-the-world/#in-almost-every-country-a-single-religious-group-forms-a-majority
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2026/02/12/religious-diversity-around-the-world/#in-almost-every-country-a-single-religious-group-forms-a-majority
www.massmoments.org/...
OTD 1849 1st American-made #valentines sold by Esther Howland, daughter of a stationer. "After graduating from Mt. Holyoke College, she returned to Worcester and began making valentines modeled on a fancy one she had received from an English friend"
OTD 1849 1st American-made #valentines sold by Esther Howland, daughter of a stationer. "After graduating from Mt. Holyoke College, she returned to Worcester and began making valentines modeled on a fancy one she had received from an English friend"
First American-Made Valentines Sold
On this day in 1849, the first American-made valentines were sold in Worcester. They were designed and made by Esther Howland, the daughter of a local stationer. After graduating from Mt. Holyoke College, she returned to Worcester and began making valentines modeled on a fancy one she had received from an English …
www.massmoments.org
February 14, 2026 at 8:19 PM
www.massmoments.org/...
OTD 1849 1st American-made #valentines sold by Esther Howland, daughter of a stationer. "After graduating from Mt. Holyoke College, she returned to Worcester and began making valentines modeled on a fancy one she had received from an English friend"
OTD 1849 1st American-made #valentines sold by Esther Howland, daughter of a stationer. "After graduating from Mt. Holyoke College, she returned to Worcester and began making valentines modeled on a fancy one she had received from an English friend"
Reposted by Jim Wald
Deffo one of my favourite things in the @17sgs10.bsky.social archive! ❤️
Happy Valentine's Day! In honour of the occasion, we thought you'd enjoy seeing an anatomical paper model of a heart. It was delivered in a letter, from Spalding Gentlemen's Society member Cromwell Mortimer, in 1735. It will feature in our next exhibition - details coming soon. #HappyValentinesDay
February 14, 2026 at 9:38 AM
Deffo one of my favourite things in the @17sgs10.bsky.social archive! ❤️
Reposted by Jim Wald
FACT OF THE DAY. 14 February 1477. Margery Brews called John Paston, her fiancé, in a letter: “My olde Valentine.” This is regarded as the oldest surviving UK St Valentine’s Day message. The letter comes from the Paston letters, one of the largest collections of 15th century English letters.
February 14, 2026 at 9:32 AM
FACT OF THE DAY. 14 February 1477. Margery Brews called John Paston, her fiancé, in a letter: “My olde Valentine.” This is regarded as the oldest surviving UK St Valentine’s Day message. The letter comes from the Paston letters, one of the largest collections of 15th century English letters.
Reposted by Jim Wald
#OTD in 1387 the formal baptism of Lithuania took place in Vilnius - here's Archbishop Bodzanta of Gniezno (under whose jurisdiction Lithuania fell) with a massive font
February 14, 2026 at 8:16 AM
#OTD in 1387 the formal baptism of Lithuania took place in Vilnius - here's Archbishop Bodzanta of Gniezno (under whose jurisdiction Lithuania fell) with a massive font
Reposted by Jim Wald
A volume of essays I edited some years ago on news in #earlymodern Europe is now available open access 📖
Featuring chapters by @lenaliapi.bsky.social, @emmawhipday.bsky.social, among others!
brill.com/edcollbook-o...
Featuring chapters by @lenaliapi.bsky.social, @emmawhipday.bsky.social, among others!
brill.com/edcollbook-o...
February 13, 2026 at 11:16 AM
A volume of essays I edited some years ago on news in #earlymodern Europe is now available open access 📖
Featuring chapters by @lenaliapi.bsky.social, @emmawhipday.bsky.social, among others!
brill.com/edcollbook-o...
Featuring chapters by @lenaliapi.bsky.social, @emmawhipday.bsky.social, among others!
brill.com/edcollbook-o...
Reposted by Jim Wald
A REQUEST: I have a student who is wheelchair bound+their dream is to participate in an archaeological
excavation... not a "token" desk job but for real, to dig. Their disability means they have to stay in the chair. What is out there for opportunities/adaptive aids etc? 🏺 (shared w their blessing)
excavation... not a "token" desk job but for real, to dig. Their disability means they have to stay in the chair. What is out there for opportunities/adaptive aids etc? 🏺 (shared w their blessing)
February 12, 2026 at 10:22 PM
A REQUEST: I have a student who is wheelchair bound+their dream is to participate in an archaeological
excavation... not a "token" desk job but for real, to dig. Their disability means they have to stay in the chair. What is out there for opportunities/adaptive aids etc? 🏺 (shared w their blessing)
excavation... not a "token" desk job but for real, to dig. Their disability means they have to stay in the chair. What is out there for opportunities/adaptive aids etc? 🏺 (shared w their blessing)
Reposted by Jim Wald
Historian here, Abraham Lincoln was born on this day. “fellow citizens we cannot escape history” his words alluding to slavery and its burdens for the American republic ring true even today.
February 12, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Historian here, Abraham Lincoln was born on this day. “fellow citizens we cannot escape history” his words alluding to slavery and its burdens for the American republic ring true even today.
Reposted by Jim Wald
A tiny man shooting a word nearby, within a printed text of the European past. Welcome to another #rebus broadside of the later so-called #ThirtyYearsWar. A shootin' short 🧵 for #skystorians
February 11, 2026 at 7:36 AM
A tiny man shooting a word nearby, within a printed text of the European past. Welcome to another #rebus broadside of the later so-called #ThirtyYearsWar. A shootin' short 🧵 for #skystorians
Reposted by Jim Wald
Who wants to clean and polish some historical markers?
Have you noticed a #HistoricalMarker in your community that could use a little care? Join this webinar with the William G. Pomeroy Foundation to learn about how you can care for that marker during National Historic Marker Weekend. https://community.ncph.org/event/HistoricMarkerWeekend #LocalHistory
February 12, 2026 at 3:40 AM
Who wants to clean and polish some historical markers?
Feb 11, 1812 "Gerrymander" Born in #Massachusetts
www.massmoments.org/...
Gerrymandering: The Origin Story | Timeless
blogs.loc.gov/loc/20...
Not one of the Bay State's better contributions to our political culture
#MAPOLI
www.massmoments.org/...
Gerrymandering: The Origin Story | Timeless
blogs.loc.gov/loc/20...
Not one of the Bay State's better contributions to our political culture
#MAPOLI
"Gerrymander" Born in Massachusetts
On this day in 1812, a political monster — the Gerrymander — was born in the Massachusetts State House. Governor Elbridge Gerry signed a bill that created oddly-shaped voting districts in several parts of the state. The lines of these districts gave Gerry's party an advantage in the upcoming election. An artist added …
www.massmoments.org
February 12, 2026 at 3:32 AM
Feb 11, 1812 "Gerrymander" Born in #Massachusetts
www.massmoments.org/...
Gerrymandering: The Origin Story | Timeless
blogs.loc.gov/loc/20...
Not one of the Bay State's better contributions to our political culture
#MAPOLI
www.massmoments.org/...
Gerrymandering: The Origin Story | Timeless
blogs.loc.gov/loc/20...
Not one of the Bay State's better contributions to our political culture
#MAPOLI