Microhistories

Mundane objects, hidden worlds

Short original histories in the spirit of Mark Kurlansky’s Salt and Cod — designed to be read in a single sitting, about two hours each. PDF only.

The Pencil

Graphite, cedar, and the line that drew the modern world — from Borrowdale’s guarded mines to the space-pen myth and the classroom No. 2.

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The Zipper

The humble fastener that changed how we dress, work, fight, and live — from Judson’s failed clasp locker to YKK’s billions.

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