The Farmers’ Almanac will publish its last edition this year, ending a run that began in 1818. So how will we know when to plant our crops going forward? Don’t worry: there’s still the Old Farmers’ Almanac, which is now functionally the Only Farmers’ Almanac. Today we’re talking about the once-crowded landscape of American almanac publishing and flipping through a few examples from the late seventeen and early eighteen hundreds. In addition to covering agriculture, there were popular almanacs on medicine, navigation, abolition, and Christianity—and even satirical almanacs that parodied the genre. Designed to entertain as well as inform, these volumes offer a fascinating look at the everyday lives of average Americans hundreds of years ago, plus a wealth of folksy wisdom that may still apply today. Listen to learn more about a disappearing genre on this bucolic new #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #74 - Vernacular Photos
While we’re all cooped up at home, it’s a great time to take a look through some old photo albums, if you have them around. In recent years, collectors have begun to take more of an interest in vernacular photography: casual snapshots taken by amateur, usually anonymous photographers of everyday subjects which can inadvertently capture a wealth of fascinating historical detail. Vernacular photographs are a great entry point into collecting because they’re widely available, generally affordable, and, although they may have been taken without a specific artistic intention, can be aesthetically striking and affectingly poignant.
