Mathilde Montpetit

Centaurs, dragons, and snail shell houses — just a few of the otherworldly marvels depicted in a 15th-century French manuscript (BnF, Français 22971) illustrated by Robert Testard. More here: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/secrets-de-l-histoire-naturelle/

Snail Homes, Bog Bodies, and Mechanical Flies: Robert Testard’s Illustrations for *Les secretz de l’histoire naturelle* (ca. 1485) A wondrous illuminated manuscript, which gathers and illustrates the marvels of the world and beyond.

In 1485, the illustrator Robert Testard drew the whole world into a manuscript: mountains of gold, centaurs, dragons, wars between storks and men... And even more shockingly, places where women are in charge.

deadline closes FEB 10TH send us your BEST

media friends: I'm looking for some new work to supplement the excellent roster of outlets I edit for on a regular basis (Jezebel, Foreign Policy, IPQ). Do you need a cover for an editor on leave, a fact-checker, a morning newsletter writer? I can do it all—and more! Please be in touch :)

February Books: Maci, Reimann, Clark Essays from Enis Maci, a novella by the GDR's Brigitte Reimann, and Christopher Clark's nineteenth-century Prussia.

The Auflauf, a new newsletter for Berlin books, is here! Fresh out the oven: book reviews from me, @return2sanders.bsky.social and @brynstole.bsky.social; not to mention some hot literary gossip... Interviews and more to come!

Check out The Auflauf, a new substack of Berlin books. Our first course: @mathildegm.bsky.social on Reimann, @brynstole.bsky.social on Clark, & me on Maci. @ajbwells.bsky.social is in the kitchen too helping cook and dish up lit crit, goss & conversations: theauflauf.substack.com

Cool new project alert!!! Subscribe for more soon!

I was honoured to fact-check the gossip section for this issue; will also be doing reviews, interviews, &c. in future instalments

An “auto”-biographical film in the most literal sense, this 1943 US propaganda short is told from the Jeep’s own point of view — a strange and revealing piece of wartime self-mythmaking: publicdomainreview.org/collection/a...

*Autobiography of a “Jeep”* (1943) A WWII propaganda film narrated as an "auto"-biography

Can the sub-1/2 ton 4x4 utility truck speak? According to this WWII propaganda film by the later-blacklisted documentary filmmaker Irving Lerner, yes – and he's got great news for you about the future of American empire.

pals please repost and share with your friends and students if relevant

WE WANT YOUR PROSE—submit now to read at our Feb 21 Lettrétage event about Christa Wolf (and her post-Wall writing e.g. One Day A Year). Send us some short prose in any language about the day, the daily, the recurring date, everyday politics. We will print a zine!

sites.google.com/view/mayroec...

Peter Kropotkin’s Memoirs of a Revolutionist (1899): a radical Bildungsroman from the former Russian prince — page to Alexander II, explorer-scientist, twice imprisoned, and (by century’s end) one of the world’s leading anarchist voices: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/kropotkin-memoirs/

Peter Kropotkin’s *Memoirs of a Revolutionist* (1899) The memoirs of an aristocratic man revolutionised into an anarchist communist.

I had a great time reading Peter Kropotkin's memoirs for @publicdomainrev.bsky.social: never has the transformation from Russian prince to anarchist firebrand been narrated with such good humor and verve:

Higher Ed's Bad Bargain To salvage academic freedom amid Trump’s attacks, universities must break from their Cold War compromise with US militarism.

Online today @JewishCurrents: my examination of how nearly a century of cooperation between American universities and the military-industrial complex has made a mockery of the concept of academic freedom jewishcurrents.org/higher-eds-b...

It's our first birthday. Please consider an end-of-year gift to the Diasporist: thediasporist.de/donate/

*Nature Morte*: Chaïm Soutine’s Still Lifes (ca. 1920s) Still lifes by the artist who seemed to bridge expressionism with the baroque.

In 1925, the painter Chaim Soutine was interrupted by the Parisian public health authorities – his neighbors were complaining about the smell of his homages to Rembrandt and Chardin. Art prevailed and he got to keep the meat, but had to promise to spray them with ammonia every day:

Just 3 days left of our fundraiser! Become a Friend of the PDR before midnight on Dec 17th to get our latest postcard pack themed on ATTENTION. Other Friend perks include 15% off our prints. (One-off donations also very welcome!). More details here: https://publicdomainreview.org/support

these grafs make up roughly a third of the AP story. if you're going to say something is being "ignored by US media" you should probably first confirm that it's being ignored by US media!

www.pbs.org/newshour/wor...

Deceit and Disrobing: The Schefer *Maqāmāt* (BNF Arabe 5847, ca. 1237) Illustrations of Abū Zayd and his adventures in double meaning.

For @publicdomainrev.bsky.social, I follow the history of the Schefer Maqāmāt (BNF Arabe 5847), which goes from Iraq to Paris and back again. Also a great opportunity to spend time with the incredible illuminations, which include some brutally efficient censorship of a man dropping his pants...

The 2025 issue also includes a pedagogy file by Sylvia Wu on mosque architecture in China, aimed at helping to diversify the types of sources available in the undergraduate classroom.

Thanks to all authors, reviewers, & readers as we close out issue 33!

We published 550 pages in 2025: 7 articles; a thematic dossier w/ 4 more articles; a roundtable; an Arabic edition; a pedagogy file; 7 book reviews; & some short communications.

Here’s a thread to gather some highlights! 🧵

The Effingers by Gabriele Tergit review – a vivid portrait of Berlin before the Nazis Written in 1951 and now translated into English for the first time, this family saga by the acclaimed German author recaptures a golden age for Jewish life

I reviewed Gabriele Tergit's THE EFFINGERS, a mighty and brilliant and extremely readable book out now in English thanks to a cracking translation by Sophie Duvernoy >>> www.theguardian.com/books/2025/d...

Haha oof – the lettuce wasn't a great start but I agree the mayo ruins it a bit!

Our End-of-Year Fundraiser is launched! https://publicdomainreview.org/support

We're a not-for-profit project reliant on reader donations to stay afloat. Please do give if you can! Available to donors, our themed postcard packs: upcoming theme on... ATTENTION.

#GivingTuesday

“Quaint Dessert Dishes” in *American Homes and Gardens* (1911) Bizarre sweet treats that resemble human and animal forms.

Looking for a pièce de résistance for a birthday party or Christmas day? The February 1911 edition of American Homes and Gardens has you covered with Quaint Dessert Dishes like Welshwoman with Cat, banana pigs, and of course the booby bird:

Digital Humanities Showcase TOMORROW!

Join us for our finale session of the Digital Humanities Showcase! Friday, November 21, 1-2 pm ET (10-11 am PT):

Immersive Realms (Elina Gertsman); and AnyBook Experience (Sabina Zonno and Lynn Dodd)

It was such a pleasure to commission Sylvia Wu for an amazing & insightful Pedagogy file on Chinese mosque architecture for the new issue of @alusuralwusta.bsky.social. If you're interested in teaching about the legacy of Islam in China, there's maybe no better place to start:

A Question About Tomorrow - Urban Omnibus As goes Ravenswood, so goes New York’s energy future. So what will it take to bring a just transition to the city’s largest power plant?

urbanomnibus.net/2025/11/a-qu... back on da horse

Of mixed Surinamese–Dutch heritage, Paramaribo-born Gerrit Schouten (1779–1839) fashioned intricate papier-mâché dioramas depicting life on Suriname’s colonial plantations — https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/gerrit-schouten-suriname-dioramas/

1830 diorama by the artist gerrit schouten depicting a du, a ritual dance performed by enslaved people

1820 diorama of the paramaribo harbor by the artist gerrit schouten

... and then an investigation into the weird, precocious, maybe sui generis dioramas of the early-nineteenth-century Surinamese artist Gerrit Schouten.
publicdomainreview.org/collection/g...