For more than 60 years, Barbie has been the world’s best-selling fashion doll, inspiring millions of fans to play with, collect, and adore her. Cultural historian Leslie Goddard explores the history of Barbie, beginning with her inventor, the passionately creative and intensely competitive Ruth Handler. Delve into the complex cultural debates Barbie has inspired over the decades.
Travel to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond with historian Justin M. Jacobs for an awe-inspiring look at Japan’s exquisitely crafted samurai armor from one of the largest collections in the world. More than 140 works from the collection of Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller offer a glimpse of samurai history with a focus on the flourishing culture of the Edo period. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Understanding the Bible means understanding the cities and cultures that produced it. The story of these centers—their history, their archaeology, their mysteries, and the inhabitants, and the people later excavated there—is also the story of the Bible itself. Professor of classics and religious studies Robert Cargill leads a fascinating tour through cities including Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Qumran, Babylon, Athens, Alexandria, and Rome to reveal how their stories shed new light on the Bible.
Historian Clay Jenkinson is a John Steinbeck scholar who is retracing the author’s 1960 Travels with Charley tour of America to explore the mood and face of the country on the eve of its 250th birthday. Jenkinson examines Steinbeck's extraordinary account of his road trip and his own attempt to make sense of what the author called "this monster country" by viewing it with fresh eyes during a spring-though-fall driving odyssey.
Since Jaws scared a nation of moviegoers out of the water nearly 50 years ago, great white sharks have attained a mythic status as the most frightening and mysterious monsters to still live among us. Journalist Susan Casey became obsessed with these awe-inspiring creatures and has joined scientists on their expeditions to study the species. Dive in as Casey discusses her time spent among the great whites as well as the latest in great white shark research.
Lecturer Paul Glenshaw looks at great works of art in their historical context by delving into the time of the artist, exploring the present they inhabited, and what shaped their vision and creations. Together with Revolutionary War scholar Iris de Rode he examines The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis by John Trumbull, covering the story of the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781 and the fascinating process of the creation of the epic work by Trumbull. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
The allure of the sea has always captivated the hearts and minds of Americans, including some of our most notable leaders. Whether aboard naval vessels or presidential yachts, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, George H.W. Bush, and other residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have used the ocean as a backdrop for reflection, decision-making, and diplomacy. Veteran White House correspondent and historian Ken Walsh examines their seagoing stories and the maritime experiences that have left an indelible mark on the fabric of American leadership.