This course will introduce the student to the art and architecture of Africa from a Western art historical perspective. This course will emphasize the role of art as manifested in the lifestyles, spiritualities, and philosophies of particular African societies, while also broaching aesthetic principles and the study and display of African art. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: demonstrate an understanding of transitions in the national geography of the African continent from the 17th century to the present; demonstrate an understanding of the ethnic diversity and distinct cultural traditions among people of Africa; identify and discuss materials and techniques employed in the creation of a range of African artistic and architectural works; discuss the functions and meanings of a range of African art forms; identify traditional styles and forms strongly associated with particular cultural groups. (Art History 304)

"Analyzing Literary and Cultural References: Identifying the Texts in the Souvenir of Egypt" examines the texts appearing in the imagery of a decorative silk called "Souvenir of Egypt," such as mottos and fragments of verse. The "Souvenir of Egypt" is a piece of ephemera included in the online Travelers in the Middle East Archive (TIMEA). In this module, part 2 of a six part course on the "Souvenir of Egypt," we will search for the meanings of each piece of text independent of and in relation to one another. In the process, we will demonstrate some of the methods used by historian to identify and analyze visual materials and their textual components.

"Analyzing Symbols in Artifacts," section 5 of the 6-part course on "The Souvenir of Egypt," examines the symbols appearing in the imagery of a decorative silk focused on Egypt. Here, we will discuss how to interpret the meaning of each symbol in the silk using a variety of print and online resources. We not only explore the possible meanings of the various symbols, but also explain how to conduct research into cultural history.

This is a collection of digitized material from the Ancient Near East collection at the University of Chicago. The project focused on materials published between 1850 - 1950, drawn from two of the Library's complimentary collections, the Ancient Near East and Classics Collections. Preserved materials relate to the study of the ancient Near East and cover such topics as the archeology, art, history, language, law, and religions of Sumer, Babylonia, Assyria, Egypt, Nubia, Persia, and other ancient peoples of Anatolia and the Fertile Crescent. Classics materials span the time from the rise of Bronze Age Aegean culture through the period in the Middle Ages and include volumes relating to the history, art and archeology of the classical world. Together, these two collections form a rational continuum in the progress of mankind's achievements towards civilization.

Examines the history of stereoscopes and stereographs, including their cultural impact and changes in technology. Provides context for resources in the Travelers in the Middle East Archive (TIMEA). Part 1 of a 4 part course called "History through the Stereoscope."

This module is a guide to the process of identifying what type of work you are researching and using that information to expand the potential of different research projects. You will be introduced to the process of categorizing the works you find in your research, locating similar and divergent works and using them in concert to contextualize the "Egyptian Red Book," a satire of the British government Sudan policy included in the Travelers in the Middle East Archive.

General Pierre-Marie Gallois, often regarded as the 'father' of the French nuclear strategy, served with the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and with French president Charles de Gaulle. In this video segment, Gallois provides a perspective that was shared by many Europeans, including General de Gaulle: that to replace the strategy of 'massive retaliation' with 'flexible response' meant a weakening of the United States' commitment to defend Europe with nuclear weapons. In his interview conducted for War and Peace in the Nuclear Age: 'The Education of Robert McNamara,' Gallois expands upon tensions within French-American relations in the critical post-war period. He also discusses the dynamics among European nations as they faced economic reconstruction, Soviet forces, and the prospect of Germany's rearmament. Gallois recounts his late-night conversations with French prime minister Guy Mollet and with General de Gaulle, when, as a young member of the planning group at SHAPE, he presented his case for France developing its own atomic bomb. At various points he explores the origins of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and SHAPE, shares why the U.S.-proposed Multilateral Force was nicknamed the Multilateral Farce, and explains his support for limited nuclear proliferation in order to keep the peace.

"Compiling Bibliography" explores strategies and resources for compiling a bibliography of an author's works, using as an example the author Douglas Sladen, whose works "Oriental Cairo" and "Queer Things about Egypt" are included in the online Travelers in the Middle East Archive (TIMEA). We discuss using WorldCat and the online database for the Times of London Archives, and provide some useful hints for managing your research. This is part three of a nine-part course that uses Sladen's work for a case study on performing historical research.

This course guides you through a variety of virtual research projects centered on Douglas Sladen's "Oriental Cairo: City of the 'Arabian Nights'" (1911). It is an introduction to some standard research techniques used by historians as well to using library resources.

Students are broken up into four groups. Each group will use their knowledge about Egypt to originate a playground for Egyptian children. This will involve brainstorming ideas on paper, building a prototype with Legos or other material, and explaining their ideas to the class in a five-minute presentation.

Examines how stereographs were used as a means of virtual travel. Focuses on James Henry Breasted's "Egypt through the Stereoscope" (1905, 1908). Provides context for resources in the Travelers in the Middle East Archive (TIMEA). Part 3 of a 4 part course called "History through the Stereoscope."

In this module we will show how to use the British Parliamentary Papers to conduct historical research.

In this module, we unravel the story contained in "The Egyptian Red Book," which uses cartoons and quotations from authorities to criticize the British government's handling of General Charles Gordon while under siege in Khartoum in 1884-1885. We discuss research methods used by historians, including examining the original source for key details; identifying significant words to use in catalog and index searches; using newspapers, political papers, and other Primary source materials; and comparing multiple sources to get the fullest understanding of events.

Imagine that you are doing research on Egypt and come across a curious source: a book from 1905 called Egypt Through the Stereoscope, which comes with a set of 100 cards that display two nearly identical photographs. What are you to make of this resource, and how might you use it in research? What is a stereoscope? What are these cards, and why do they have two images? This course explores the use, production, and cultural significance of those cards, which are called stereographs. When viewed through a device called a stereoscope, stereographs present a single, three-dimensional image. Between the mid-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, stereographs were the leading visual mass medium, offering detailed three-dimensional views of everything from ancient monuments to current events. Relatively inexpensive, stereographs and stereoviewers were common in schools and middle-class homes. Indeed, stereographs were a dominant form of photography until the 1920s and an important source of education and entertainment, touted for presenting life-like views of their subjects. Not only does this course provide background information about stereographs, but it also examines how to use them in research projects. Examples are provided from TIMEA (Travelers in the Middle East Archive).

"How Does "Oriental Cairo" Compare With Similar Works?" examines how to view a work in relation to similar works from other regions or periods, using an example "Oriental Cairo," which is included in the online Travelers in the Middle East Archive (TIMEA). This module is designed to guide you through the process of collecting a list of works dealing with the city of Cairo. We arrange the works regionally and chronologically to demonstrate how they can be used comparatively in a research project. This is part four of a nine-part course that uses Sladen's work for a case study on performing historical research.

Visual materials such as cartoons, drawings and photographs can be invaluable resources for research, but often they lack clear information about what they depict. For instance, the "Egyptian Red Book" is filled with cartoons that do not identify their authors or the characters they represent with their drawings. Identifying the characters is one of the first steps toward understanding the meaning of the cartoons and, thus, the message of the "Red Book" itself. Here we will provide a guided exploration of the research process in search of the identities of the many characters found in "The Egyptian Red Book."

"Identifying Historical Figures: The Souvenir of Egypt" examines the portraits appearing in the imagery of the decorative silk called "The Souvenir of Egypt," which is collected in the Travelers in the Middle East Archive. Here, we will search for the identity of each person represented in the portraits on the silk using a variety of resources in the library and online. This module is part 4 of a 6-part course on the Souvenir of Egypt.

This module examines the flags appearing in the imagery of the Souvenir of Egypt, a decorative silk that is part of the Travelers in the Middle East Archive. Here, we will search for the identity of each flag using a variety of library and online resources, demonstrating how to identify sometimes obscure images. This module is part 3 of a 6-part course on the Souvenir of Egypt.

As staff secretary to President Dwight Eisenhower from 1954 to 1961, General Andrew Goodpaster was the person most privy to Eisenhower's thinking and key decisions during his White House years. Goodpaster began his long affiliation with Eisenhower as a staff officer under his leadership of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), and he went on to become the president's right-hand man on security matters. In this video segment, Goodpaster describes the inter-service rivalries that led Eisenhower to reorganize and centralize the armed forces, reflecting his general belief in systematic, integrated planning. Goodpaster's interview conducted for War and Peace in the Nuclear Age: 'A Bigger Bang for the Buck,' provides an intimate portrait of Eisenhower's leadership style and approach to policymaking. He describes how the president handled immense pressure to intervene in South and Southeast Asia as well as demands for a crash military buildup in the wake of bomber-gap and missile-gap reports. Goodpaster recalls that Eisenhower always saw Europe as vital to U.S. interests and repeatedly advocated strengthening the European alliance. The administration ushered in what came to be known as the "New Look" to sustain containment over the long term at a tolerable cost. Goodpaster describes a president confident in his military judgment despite the criticism that his administration endured. The introduction of 'massive retaliation' became the most controversial policy of the Eisenhower administration, and the downing of a U-2 spy plane dealt the gravest injury to his presidency. Goodpaster returns several times to the impact that the introduction of thermonuclear weapons had on Eisenhower's thinking, fueling the president's strong interest in 'Atoms for Peace,' limited arms control, and negotiation.