Brutkey

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Two great blues musicians, and 2000 more records

By John Mark Ockerbloom

David Seubert writes that more than 2500 records from 1925 digitized by the UC Santa Barbara Library will soon be freely downloadable there.

Full list is available online:
https://www.library.ucsb.edu/1925-recordings-digitized-ucsb-entering-public-domain-january-1-2026

#music #publicDomainDayCountdown

12th Street Rag by Euday L. Bowman. Sheet music, early (first?) edition, 1915, published by J.W. Jenkins' Sons Music Co. The central image depicts a bustling urban street scene, likely representing 12th Street itself.It shows: A crowded sidewalk filled with people in early 1900s attire Men wearing bowler hats, straw boaters, and other period headwear Women in long dresses and elaborate hats typical of the 1910s A figure on the right wearing what appears to be striped pants or trousers Buildings with awnings and storefronts lining the street in the background The scene captures the energy and social atmosphere of a busy commercial district https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelfth_Street_Rag#/media/File:12thStreetRag1915.jpg
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Marlene Dietrich comes to America

Marlene Dietrich enjoyed success on stage and screen in 1920s Berlin, but became an international star in 1930. That year she came to the United States to star in Morocco alongside Gary Cooper.

By John Mark Ockerbloom

https://everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/28/marlene-dietrich-comes-to-america/

#movie #publicDomainDayCountdown

Poster for the 1930 film Morocco. At bottom left is the Paramount logo, 1-B, 3050, and Country of origin USA. At bottom right is This poster leased from Paramount Publix Corp. and 44732. The poster features a beautifully rendered illustration in a painterly style showing two figures in an intimate, romantic composition. A man wearing a distinctive white kepi (French Foreign Legion cap) with a dark band and military uniform leans protectively over a woman with striking red/auburn wavy hair. The woman gazes directly at the viewer with a captivating expression, her porcelain skin and delicate features highlighted. The figures are portrayed against a soft, dreamy background with flowing white fabric or drapery suggested by loose brushstrokes in cream and blue tones, creating an exotic, desert atmosphere. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Morocco1930.jpg
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Tintin, The Wayback Machine, and The Public Domain

by Sterling Dudley

What do a Belgian boy reporter, a forgotten 2008 webpage, and the Wayback Machine have in common? They all played a role in uncovering Tintin the Belgian detective’s earliest adventures as part of Public Domain Day 2025.

https://blog.archive.org/2025/12/26/wayback-machine-and-public-domain-research/

#books #publicDomainDayCountdown

Le Petit Vingtième, number 32 from 1934. At the top, the publication information reads "SUPPLÉMENT AU 'VINGTIÈME SIÈCLE' • JEUDI 9 AOÛT 1934 — N° 32" followed by the title "le petit vingtième" in a distinctive gothic/blackletter-style typeface on an aged, cream-colored background. The cover features a single-panel cartoon showing a young boy character in shorts standing on what appears to be a map. He has his arms outstretched in an animated pose. Behind/beneath the character is a simplified map showing parts of Europe and North Africa. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Petit_Vingti%C3%A8me#/media/File:Le_Petit_Vingti%C3%A8me_number_32.jpg
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Banned in Texas

Struggle over academic freedom in Texas state universities has a long history. Today it's often over race and gender; in the 1940s, it was over things like John Dos Passos's USA trilogy.

By John Mark Ockerbloom

https://everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/27/banned-in-texas/

John Dos passos at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2015

#books #literature

First complete edition (1937) of the U.S.A. trilogy is a series of three novels by American writer John Dos Passos. The cover features a bold, modernist design with strong horizontal color blocking that evokes the American flag. The layout is striking and graphic, reflecting the ambitious scope of this major American literary work. At the top, "U.S.A." appears in large, cream-colored sans-serif letters against a black background, with periods between each letter emphasizing the acronym nature of the title. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.A._(trilogy)#/media/File:Dos_Passos_USA.jpg
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The hidden history of 'White Christmas'

Nearly every pop music holiday song written in the past 80 years owes at least some of its DNA to one Christmas tune in particular: "White Christmas," written by Irving Berlin and sung by Bing Crosby, which he first recorded in 1942.

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

https://www.npr.org/2025/12/15/nx-s1-5628363/white-christmas-bing-crosby-history

#music #movies #christmas

Bing Crosby - White Christmas. A-side label of the 1942 10-inch single. The A-side label of Bing Crosby's original 1942 Decca Records 10-inch 78 RPM single of "White Christmas" by Irving Berlin, from the Paramount Picture "Holiday Inn." The historic recording features Bing Crosby with Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra. This became the best-selling single of all time and defined the modern Christmas music canon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Christmas_(song)#/media/File:Bing_Crosby_-_White_Christmas_1942_10_inch.jpg
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What was the loudest sound ever recorded?

By Clarissa Brincat

Determining the "loudest recorded sound" depends on how you define sound and on which measurements you choose to include.

https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/what-was-the-loudest-sound-ever-recorded

Krakatau

#science

"Krakatau - between Java and Sumatra Description: Krakatau. Rakata (Great Krakatau). From the Anak-Krakatau, it is clearly visible that more than half of it sank into the sea in 1883 Date: unknown Location: Dutch East Indies, Krakatau, Indonesia" - picyrl.com
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Rare public display for Mary Queen of Scots' final letter

The public are to be given a rare chance to see the last letter by Mary Queen of Scots, which was written just hours before she was beheaded.

by Cara Berkley

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg4nzy3r5zyo

Mary Queen of Scots at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subjects/search/?query=Mary+Queen+of+Scots

#books #literature

La mort de Marie Stuart, 19th-century painting by Abel de Pujol The painting is centered around Mary, who is portrayed with an expression of a mix of resignation and strength. The painting reflects the tragic fate of Mary, who was executed in 1587 after being imprisoned for years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Queen_of_Scots#/media/File:Execution-of-Mary-Queen-of-Scots.jpg
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Jenny Nyström - the woman who created the image for a Swedish Christmas

The tomte is a gnome-like character in Swedish folklore which has been used on many Christmas cards and designs.

by Beth Daley

https://www.europeana.eu/en/stories/jenny-nystroem-the-woman-who-created-the-image-for-a-swedish-christmas?mtm_campaign=europeanathemed-christmas-dec2025

About Jenny Nyström:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny_Nystr%C3%B6m

Christmas card at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subjects/search/?query=christmas+card

#books #illustration

Jenny Nystrom. God Jul. A vintage Swedish Christmas card illustrated by Jenny Nyström, showing a jolly gnome or tomte (traditional Scandinavian Christmas figure) with a flowing white beard, red pointed hat, green coat, and bright orange mittens, gleefully announcing "God Jul!" (Merry Christmas) with outstretched arms. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nystrom_God-Jul_01.jpg
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Franklin, North Carolina

Scottish Tartans Museum

"A museum tracing the origins & modern day uses of the classic Scottish tartan, particularly the kilt."

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/scottish-tartans-museum

"Old and Rare Scottish Tartans: With Historical Introduction and Descriptive Notices" at PG:

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/70853

#history #fashion

"The tartan officially named "Red Grant (Government No. 15)" by the UK Ministry of Defense, and used in some regimental attire (including cap cockade and bandsmen uniforms) of the 32nd Signal Regiment – formerly 51st/52nd (Scottish) Infantry Division Signal Regiment, earlier Lowland Divisional Telegraph Company, amalgamated from the 1st & 2nd Lanarkshire Voluntary Military Engineers. It is a variant of the main Clan Grant tartan, with slightly altered proportions, and with both green and blue darkened, while the red is slightly lighter and more orangey than typical. This regimental tartan is no longer "funded" as part of the MoD uniform specs [1]). The unit began as a Lowland regiment, and after amalgamation (with 51st (Highland) Signal Regiment, et al.) became a pan-Scottish one. There is no evidence of clan usage of this variant of the tartan." - picyrl.com
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An Industrious Grocer in the 1930s Wanted to Make It Easier for His Customers to Buy More. They Just Needed a Push

"There was a time when shoppers could buy only as much as they could carry. And as ubiquitous as shopping carts are today, it initially took some convincing to use them."

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/industrious-grocer-1930s-wanted-make-easier-customers-buy-more-just-needed-push-180987633/

#history

Grocery carts with green handles at the Whole Foods store