The Draconian Dictionary Is Back
Since the 1960s, the reference book has cataloged how people actually use language, not how they should. That might be changing. An Object Lesson.
Object Lessons
Articles published in partnership with Object Lessons
Microfilm Lasts Half a Millennium
Millions of publications—not to mention spy documents—can be read on microfilm machines. But people still see these devices as outmoded and unappealing. An Object Lesson.
Hot-Air Balloons Are Useless
When they were invented, the vessels promised to revolutionize travel and industry. But they soon settled into life as an entertaining diversion. An Object Lesson.
Raising the American Flag Made in China
Is the banner’s patriotism undermined when it’s manufactured abroad? An Object Lesson.
Why Do People Sign Yearbooks?
Commemorative class books evolved from practical notebooks into collections of hair clippings, rhyming couplets, and “have a great summer” wishes. An Object Lesson.
Teaching Sobriety With ‘The Bottle’
Before and after Prohibition, temperance organizations turned the whiskey or beer vessel into a personification of American moral failure.
How the 50-mm Lens Became ‘Normal’
It’s often called the optic that best approximates human vision, but approximation is relative. An Object Lesson.
98 Years of Mail Fraud
How the postal letter became a tool for ingenious criminality. An Object Lesson.
Cupholders Are Everywhere
As people spent more and more time in cars, auto interiors transformed into living spaces, where food and drink became necessities. An Object Lesson.
How Cycling Clothing Opened Doors for Women
Advances in biking gear had an impact on advances in gender equality. An Object Lesson.