Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2014 July 24

= July 24 =

Washington Street, Boston
I have a photograph said to be taken "on Washington Street, Boston" maybe 1860 to 1863 (the date of the subjects death) or around the time of the Civil War. Were there any photographers or photography companies active during this time with their businesses located on Washington Street, Boston?--KAVEBEAR (talk) 16:04, 24 July 2014 (UTC)


 * See: James Wallace Black, (1860+; 173 Washington Street, Boston); –and John Adams Whipple, (corner of Washington and Temple Streets, Boston)  —71.20.250.51 (talk) 16:45, 24 July 2014 (UTC)


 * Washington Street was at that time the main commercial street of Boston. Marco polo (talk) 19:35, 24 July 2014 (UTC)

Was Carte de visite the most popular form of photography at this period?--KAVEBEAR (talk) 19:58, 24 July 2014 (UTC)
 * No. While carte de visite were a popular fad, larger portraits were still the mainstay of the photographer's business. For example in William Burton's A.B.C. of Modern Photography (1886) he mentions the popular carte de viste only once, and then just for their small size. You might take a look at the 1876 British article Photographic Portraiture Chapter IV &mdash; Some Lessons from Leslie. Or William Heighway's Practical portrait photography. A handbook for the dark room, the skylight, and the printing room (1876), or the earlier Treatise on Photography (1863) by Charles Waldac. --Bejnar (talk) 19:57, 26 July 2014 (UTC)

A contemporary Russian author?
Just a bit of a background. I recommended someone to read Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace" to sharpen his writing skills. The man is an amateur writer. He liked the novel of course. Now he is asking me if I know of a contemporary Russian novel of the same magnitude set in the background of Perestroika (1989), pretty much like the Tolstoy's work, translated in English of course. I don't know if such a work exists, so am posting here. Solzhenitsyn does not qualify, though. Thanks, --AboutFace 22 (talk) 16:50, 24 July 2014 (UTC)
 * You might try a "search inside" this book for suggestions:     —Valentin Rasputin seems to come up often as novelist from this period, (perhaps not in the same category as Tolstoy; but who is?). Sources seem to recommend Rasputin's 1979 novel Farewell to Matyora which has been translated into English (ISBN 0810113295); however, this predates perestroika.


 * See also: Russian Literature after Perestroika (authors are interviewed) here: (http://www.jstor.org/stable/i359852) although JSTOR access required to read full interviews (or $44); it does list several authors:


 * Alexander Prokhanov
 * Andrei Bitov
 * Valentin Rasputin
 * Viktor Erofeyev — [note to editors: this should be a redirect] → Victor Erofeyev (Done. --   Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  20:40, 24 July 2014 (UTC) )

...I hope this helps, ~E:71.20.250.51 (talk) 20:52, 24 July 2014 (UTC)
 * et al...

Your knowledge base is very impressive! Thank you very much. It helps. --AboutFace 22 (talk) 22:11, 24 July 2014 (UTC)


 * He's a bit dead, but isn't Bulgakov's Magister and Margarita considered worth reading? Ayn Rand and Vladimir Nabakov are also highly praised, even if they emigrated and died. μηδείς (talk) 02:25, 27 July 2014 (UTC)
 * If you friend is looking for a Tolstoyan novel from the 20th century, you may recommend Life and Fate or In the First Circle. Both novels are set in the Stalinist period, however, and both novelists are far inferior to Tolstoy. The major contemporary Russian authors are not interested in imitating Tolstoy's approach. --Ghirla-трёп- 14:08, 28 July 2014 (UTC)

This person asked me specifically about a novel reflecting the Russian life after Perestroika. Bulgakov obviously won't qualify since Master and Margarita is set in the 20th. Nabokov was an emigrant, and also he wrote in a different epoch. But your suggestion is appreciated. Thanks --2601:7:6580:49D:E86C:234D:728C:7088 (talk) 17:07, 27 July 2014 (UTC)

Eleventh Annual Report of the Hawaiian Mission Children's Society
Can anybody help me find an online version of the Eleventh Annual Report of the Hawaiian Mission Children's Society or volume 11 of Annual Report of the Hawaiian Mission Children's Society?--KAVEBEAR (talk) 20:41, 24 July 2014 (UTC)
 * Do you know the the year? Since the 61st was in 1913 (archived here), presumably the 11th would have been 50 years earlier (1863).  Archive.org might be your best bet: https://archive.org/details/texts  ~:71.20.250.51 (talk) 22:08, 24 July 2014 (UTC)
 * Strangely, this one is dated 1853, yet it references the "Eleventh Annual Report" on page 42 [further research required] ... ~:71.20.250.51 (talk) 22:17, 24 July 2014 (UTC)
 * That's the first. Yes the Eleventh was published in 1863. I need to use page 15 of that book. It doesn't seem to be on google book or archive.org. I wonder if there is any other sites that have these in more complete forms since the Eleventh Annual Report isn't the only one that is hard to find.--KAVEBEAR (talk) 22:40, 24 July 2014 (UTC)
 * Here it is →   — (p. 15)  ~:71.20.250.51 (talk) 22:46, 24 July 2014 (UTC)
 * No -- actually, page 15 of the 11th is here: —There seems to be some sort of computer compilation error.   ~:71.20.250.51 (talk) 22:52, 24 July 2014 (UTC)
 * Thanks! Here is a better link to that page. It seems to be a compilation of many volumes. I hate it when it does that on google book. --KAVEBEAR (talk) 22:58, 24 July 2014 (UTC)

Who is this Corresponding Secretary of the Hawaiian Mission Children's Society Martha or Mattie A. Chamberlain mentioned in these reports? Was she a daughter of sister of Levi Chamberlain and what did the A stand for In her name?--KAVEBEAR (talk) 23:19, 24 July 2014 (UTC)