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Little Columbus, 1920

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What might appear to be a Bugsy Malone version of 1492: Conquest of Paradise is actually from the encyclopedic series Public School Methods, a 1920 handbook for teaching gradeschool.  The vignette is called “Columbus at the Court of Spain”,  which shows Columbus demonstrating a globe to Ferdinand and Isabella, while Isabella, in return,  is offering her jewels to finance the trip.  The book recommends that young children learn through pantomime, as using words may prove too difficult.  Alas, dressing children up as historical figures has given way to rote learning today.

Oh, and the sword?  Somebody in the Little Columbus’ family must be a Knight of Pythias.

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Dakota Death Trip

Happy New Year, and maybe you haven’t heard, I’ve opened up a new small part of this website a couple months ago.   Dakota Death Trip is a compilation of vintage news articles, photos, and other information, combined to give a picture of the harsh uniqueness that was North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana homesteading a hundred years ago.  Start here for a more detailed explanation, or go to today’s story and work your way backwards to get the full effect.