Posts

HISTORY151 - Barcodes

Image
The other day, Pat and I were sitting in an examining room at my doctor’s office, with the door closed, awaiting my doctor.  On the back of the door were several offers of medical information and/or services - each with its corresponding modern barcode type, called a QR code.  Barcodes have been around almost as long as we have, but it seems that lately, the advertising world has been saturated with them.  Since familiarity isn’t necessarily the same as knowledge, and I found myself pretty ignorant of the development and multiple uses of barcode, it looked like another good learning subject for a blog. So, this blog will cover the history of barcodes.  Following an introduction to the two principal types of barcodes, linear and matrix codes, I will discuss the history of each, how they work, how they’re used, a snapshot of the future of barcodes, and end with some interesting tidbits about barcodes.    As usual, I will list my principal sources at the e...
Post a Comment
Read more

HISTORY150 - Kumihimo: Japanese Braiding

Image
A few blogs ago, I wrote about (the history of) knitting, an artform that Pat is really good at.  Another artform that Pat excels at is kumihimo, Japanese braiding.  Here is another subject, as close as I’ve been to seeing Pat practice it, that I know very little about.  So, this blog will document “The History of Kumihimo.” The History of Kumihimo       After an introduction, I will talk about kumihimo’s early roots, kumihimo’s evolution through Japanese history, the specialized looms required, how kumihimo today has turned into a popular craft activity (including some examples from Pat’s recent work), and finally, the future of kumihimo. As usual, I will list my principal sources at the end.   Introduction Kumihimo is the traditional Japanese art of braiding threads into structurally complex cords.   Spanning over 1,400 years of innovation, its development reflects the shif...
1 comment
Read more