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drleonj.bsky.social
Black dogs, orange cats, and manuscripts. Professor @ USC. I write about African American life in early national and antebellum Boston.
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I think of myself as a pretty good paleographer, but I’m stumped by this last word: ‘Refused as there would not probably be evidence of the [illegible]’ First letter is definitely an S and the final three ter or ten. Can anyone make it out? Thanks! 🗃️

submitted 4 hours ago • 4 comments

Cross Writing Makes Me Cross, a story by Leon 🗃️

submitted 5 hours ago • 4 comments

Bible belonging to Nat Turner https://nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2011.28

submitted 12 hours ago • 0 comments

Can we just send them both to Mars and be done with this bs already?

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

When Tulip visits the vet, they always draw a little flower on her medicine bag, which is just too cute 🌷 Forty-three pounds, extremely wiggly, and a clean bill of health! 🐕‍🦺

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

@kerileighmerritt.bsky.social once argued for the historical value of coroners' reports by explaining that "how people die tells you a lot about society." That really stuck with me. The 1830s Boston Coroners Inquests offer a sad but deeply revealing glimpse into the lives of poor African Americans 🗃️

submitted 2 days ago • 3 comments

Can anyone identify this plant? Found in historic cemetery in the the woods in South Carolina. Does not appear to belong with the other foliage. I think it was planted intentionally. It is found only at gravesites.

submitted 2 days ago • 1 comment

Politics got you down? Me too. Please enjoy a brief moment with Tulip (without getting muddy, even) before returning to the struggle. You may revisit this post whenever you need a boost. Tulip will still be here and happy to see you!

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

🧵🗃️

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

I spent the day working through the 1820s Daily Report books for the Charlestown (MA) State Prison, and they make for very, very grim reading. In 1821, two inmates beat another to death. This was not a place you ever wanted to end up 🗃️

submitted 3 days ago • 2 comments

There are evenings when you just need to put work aside to cozy up with your pup and talk about squirrels and bones and that possum you saw one time, and this is one of them!

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments