Past As Prologue

Past As Prologue

A look into the past from the perspective of what was then new

New

When America Received a Message from the Future

The 1939 New York World's Fair promised a dream future, but the consequences of its vision were buried beneath the spectacle.

Apr 16 •

How the Locomotive Became a Metaphor for Modernity

A century ago, many different ideologies tapped into the locomotive as a metaphor in a struggle over the soul of the modern world.

Jan 26 •

Too Many Wannabe Elites: A Story of Russia (and Possibly America)

A historian claims a unique theory called elite overproduction can predict social unrest.

May 17, 2022 •

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