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The little black lines that could: The barcode and its staying power

Jan 23, 2024
"Part of the reason they've succeeded this long is that they work fine," says Jordan Frith, a Clemson professor and author of "Barcode."
Barcodes are scanned billions of times a day, says Jordan Frith, a Clemson University professor.
Michel Porro/Getty Images

Why Egypt's Queen Nefertiti is one of the original beauty influencers

Nov 24, 2023
When Queen Nefertiti's bust was revealed to the world in 1920's, she caused a commotion in the fashion and beauty industry. "You would see hair salons, for example, in America have replicas of her bust in their windows," said journalist and author Zahra Hankir.
When it was unveiled in the 1920s, Queen Nefertiti's bust was a sensation in the beauty industry. "You would see hair salons in America have replicas of her bust in their windows," said Zahra Hankir. "You would see fashion houses craft lines that were entirely inspired by Nefertiti."

Are we still living in Milton Friedman’s economy?

Nov 15, 2023
A conversation about the life and legacy of economist Milton Friedman with historian Jennifer Burns.
Milton Friedman, one of the most famous economists of the 20th century, died in 2006. But his ideas remain a presence in economics today.
STAFF/AFP via Getty Images

How Labor Day has changed — and not changed — in its 140-year history

Sep 4, 2023
The first Labor Day parade took place in 1882. Historian Allyson Brantley says there are notable parallels between that moment and today.
A member of the sheet metal workers union walks in a 2022 Labor Day parade in Wilmington, California. Parades have been a mainstay of Labor Day celebrations since the 1880s.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Tracing the history of electronics through the Old Calculator Web Museum

"The first digital use of the transistor for consumers was in a calculator," says Rick Bensene, curator of the Old Calculator Web Museum.
Back in the 1970s, the first microprocessors and transistor technology were breaking ground in calculators.
MarioGuti via Getty Images

Salem's complicated journey from witch trials to witch tourism

Oct 27, 2022
In the 1690s, women were hanged in Salem, Massachusetts on suspicion of witchcraft. Now, it's a witchy Mecca for tourists.
Hundreds of thousands of people descend on Salem during the Halloween season.
Sarah Leeson

The Federal Reserve’s 12 districts reflect an economy that no longer exists

Sep 21, 2022
The locations of the regional banks made sense for the economy of 1913. Populations and industries have shifted since then.
High-profile officials in the Federal Reserve System have offered differing attitudes toward future rate hikes following data that suggest a recent moderating of inflation.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

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Getty Images helps historically Black colleges digitize and archive their photographs

Aug 9, 2022
The partnership is meant to help preserve important historical records of Black Americans' lives.
Archivist Andre Vann of North Carolina Central University handles a 1964 photo of the homecoming queen and her attendants, to be included in the HBCU Getty Images collection.
Leoneda Inge

How the typewriter propelled women into the office

Nov 24, 2021
Typewriters were "crucial" to the rise of women's workforce participation in the 20th century, says economic historian Elyce Rotella.
Typewriters were "crucial" to the rise of women's workforce participation in the 20th century, says economic historian Elyce Rotella.
Keystone/Getty Images

Did department stores train people to be difficult customers?

Aug 13, 2021
Amanda Mull, a staff writer at The Atlantic, argues that department stores had a hand in building class consciousness.
Customers shop at Macys department store in New York on Black Friday, Nov. 27, 2020.
Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images