Rod Phillips talks to Radio France International about divorce and to other media about wine and alcohol

During September, Professor Rod Phillips spoke to a number of media about the histories of divorce, wine, and alcohol, all areas of his research.

He gave an interview for Radio France International鈥檚 history podcast on France鈥檚 first divorce law, which was passed in 1792, during the French Revolution. It was not only far more liberal than any divorce law in Europe or North America at the time, but it made divorce more accessible than most current divorce laws. (The social and demographic aspects of divorces under this law were the subject of Rod鈥檚 doctoral dissertation.)

A write-up of the interview is here:

The podcast is here (from about minute 14):

Rod also gave a feature interview for Areni Global, a wine-focused think-tank based in Paris, where he talked about the history of the notion that wine can improve with age. This is a fairly recent concept that probably emerged in a coherent form from the mid-1800s. Rod linked it to wider trends, such as more significance being attached to human aging and to developments in statistics at this time. The interview will be aired in December.

Rod also did interviews for radio stations in Toronto and Vancouver on the current decline of alcohol consumption.

Professor Phillips offers courses at 杏吧原创 on the French Revolution and the history of alcohol.

The post Rod Phillips talks to Radio France International about divorce and to other media about wine and alcohol appeared first on Department of History.

Nestled between Parliament Hill and the Rideau Canal Locks sits the , dedicated to sharing the history of the region 鈥� as unceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory, the founding of Bytown and the City of Ottawa we know today.

This September will mark 200 years since the beginning of the construction of the Rideau Canal, led by Lieutenant Colonel By and the establishment of the settlement of Bytown.

Exhibition and Collections Manager Chloe Dennis is helping lead the museum鈥檚 bicentennial activities through a new temporary exhibition exploring Ottawa鈥檚 past, present and future.

鈥淥ur approach for the bicentennial is to recognize this huge event that happened in our city鈥檚 history and acknowledge that the history of the area began before 1826 with the Anishinaabe Algonquin people, for whom the canal disrupted their way of life,鈥� explains Dennis.

A 杏吧原创 alum, Dennis completed a bachelor鈥檚 degree in history followed by a master鈥檚 degree in public history. She credits her co-op and internship experiences for launching her career working in museums.

To read more of this article please click here.

The post Meet the 杏吧原创 Alum Telling Ottawa鈥檚 200-Year Story appeared first on Department of History.

The following excerpt is from the Ottawa Citizen article, “,” by Michael McBean.

When Morgan Mercury looks at photographs of  in Ottawa from decades ago, the faces may be different and the clothes belong to another era, but something feels familiar.

鈥淭his would have been us,鈥� the local drag performer said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 us living here in the 鈥�70s, 鈥�80s and 鈥�90s.鈥�

As  unfolds, that connection between generations is at the heart of Drag The Archive: Photographs of Gender Queer Performance, an exhibition at the City of Ottawa Archives in Nepean that brings photographs of drag, queer nightlife and political activism out of archival collections and onto gallery walls.

Developed by 杏吧原创 University students in partnership with the City of Ottawa鈥檚 equity team and archives, the exhibition draws primarily from the collections of photographer and queer-rights activist Philip Hannan and Paul 鈥淧eaches Latour鈥� Fournier, one of Ottawa鈥檚 best-known drag performers.

James Opp, a 杏吧原创 history professor, said the project

The post Drag the Archives Featured in Ottawa Citizen appeared first on Department of History.

Rod Phillips talks to media about cats and alcohol

Professor Rod Phillips appeared in several media in June and early July. Most appearances related to his book, Cats: A History, which was published at the beginning of June by Johns Hopkins University Press:

 Among the media that interviewed Rod about the history of cats are CBC Radio鈥檚 weekend provincial shows (Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Yukon), CBC Radio Ottawa 鈥淥ttawa Morning,鈥� CBC Radio Toronto 鈥淥ntario Morning,鈥� CFRB Toronto, the National Post, and the Toronto Star.

The CBC Vancouver 鈥淣orth by Northwest鈥� interview is here:

Rod also featured on a number of podcasts in Canada, the UK, and the US, such as Larry Rifkin鈥檚 鈥淎merica Trends鈥� (US), and on this session of the New Books Network (UK):

You鈥檒l also find him on blogs such as these:

Rod also answered questions about the history of cats on the 鈥淎sk Historians鈥� stream of the Portal for Public History on Reddit, where his session attracted 165,000 views:

Rod also continues to be interviewed on subjects associated with alcohol, especially the global decline in per capita consumption of alcohol. He was interviewed by CTV National News, the National Post, and CTV Saskatoon.

Professor Phillips teaches a course on the history of alcohol at 杏吧原创 University (next session: Winter term 2027).

The post Rod Phillips talks to media about cats and alcohol appeared first on Department of History.

The CMA is pleased to announce the appointment of . Lauren will officially join the CMA on Monday, July 27.

A public historian with more than 20 years of experience working in and with museums, Lauren brings a deep understanding of Canada鈥檚 diverse museum community and the important role associations play in championing, supporting and elevating museums and museum professionals.

For the past 13 years, Lauren has worked with the Alberta Museums Association, first as Program Lead for the Recognized Museum Program and, since 2022, as Strategic Services Director. Her expertise spans museum best practice, accreditation, non-profit governance, operations and finance, deaccessioning and repatriation, visitor experience, and emergency and disaster planning and response.

Lauren believes museums play a vital role in creating safe, accessible spaces for exploration, connection and a deeper understanding of our responsibility to people and the environment. She holds a Master of Arts in Public History from 杏吧原创 University and is looking forward to returning to Ottawa with her family.

Please join us in welcoming Lauren to the CMA and to this exciting new chapter for the association and Canada鈥檚 museum sector.

The post Lauren Wheeler, MA in Public History, 2006-2008, has just been appointed the Executive Director of the Canadian Museums Association appeared first on Department of History.

You can read the full article here:

The post Professor Jennifer Evans has been featured in a regional newspaper in Germany, the Neue Westf盲lische, appeared first on Department of History.

Canada-Germany relationship appeared in different forms, each panel refracting another aspect of a connection that has developed over 75 years. The military panel explored Canada鈥檚 presence in Germany during the Cold War. Alongside discussions of NATO, deterrence, and defence planning came stories of schools, neighbourhoods, sports clubs, local festivals, German colleagues, and lifelong friendships. The strategic and the personal occupied the same space. A military posting became an encounter with a society, a language, and a community. The panel on radicalization and democratic resilience shifted the focus toward questions of memory, antisemitism, racism, social cohesion, and public discourse. Several speakers returned to the importance of civil society, education, and public trust. Democratic culture, it was noted, requires continual attention, sustained through institutions, community organizations, and spaces where difficult conversations remain possible. The final panel on universities and research covered a remarkable amount of ground, from student mobility and research partnerships to academic freedom and science diplomacy.

For more information and to read further please click the link:

The post 杏吧原创 University Professor Jennifer Evans participated in last week’s symposium on radicalization and spoke specifically to the question of diversity in today’s Germany. appeared first on Department of History.

Most archaeologists study the things that past people left behind to recreate a picture of a bygone culture. Researchers are now applying those same archaeological techniques to more modern 鈥� and extreme 鈥� environments.

, an archaeologist at Chapman University in California, is an innovator in the field of “space archaeology,” or the study of human activity in the space environment, defined as  [62 miles] above Earth and beyond. Since the founding of the  in 2015, Walsh has been studying how astronauts experience the . Shawn Graham, a digital archaeologist at 杏吧原创 University in Canada, joined the project in 2023.

Now, Walsh and Graham are launching a new project 鈥斅犅犫�� that looks at the things humans leave behind on Mount Everest. Live Science spoke with the duo about their ISS work and about why humans are obsessed with conquering extreme environments, like the highest spot on Earth.

Link to article :

The post Justin Walsh and Shawn Graham are launching a new project 鈥� Archaeology Impossible 鈥� that looks at the things humans leave behind on Mount Everest. appeared first on Department of History.

Professor Rod Phillips spent a week in May as a 鈥淪mithsonian Expert鈥� on a cruise down the Rh么ne River, in eastern France. The Smithsonian Institution, in Washington DC, organizes cultural 鈥渏ourneys鈥� to many parts of the world, and invited Rod to talk about the Rh么ne Valley and its wines.

He gave two lectures, one on the history of the Rh么ne River and the other on the wines of the Rh么ne Valley, as well as talking informally to passengers. The other 鈥淪mithsonian Expert鈥� on board was Ross King, a noted art historian who lectured on the Palace of the Popes in Avignon and on the paintings of Vincent van Gogh when he lived in Arles.

The cruise began at Lyon and ended at Arles, and the ship docked at several towns in between, where the 125 passengers 鈥� almost all from the US 鈥� could participate in tours to vineyards, markets, and historic sites.

The post Rod Phillips was a 鈥淪mithsonian Expert鈥� on a Rh么ne River cruise appeared first on Department of History.

has spent over a decade preserving and sharing the history of Ontario. She has been an interpreter, researcher, archival assistant, collections manager and volunteer board member across several Ontario museums and heritage organizations. Feminist history is a particular interest for Lauren, and her recent projects include a documentary short on the 1978 women-led Fleck Strike in Centralia, Ontario, as well as a digital exhibit on women鈥檚 contributions to the history of printing. Lauren is pursuing a Master of Public History degree at 杏吧原创 University, focusing on gender equity.

The post Lauren Stoyles Receives The Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Awards for 2025 appeared first on Department of History.