Dave Hamilton’s grandfather invented the ubiquitous coin-operated binocular viewer you see at monuments and viewpoints worldwide, the Tower Optical Binoculars. Dave, an entrepreneur, writer, musician, and founder of The Mac Observer, joins host Glenn Fleishman to tell of days spent with his grandfather and his “Big Fish” stories that turned out entirely true. This episode is part… Continue reading Grand Inventions: A Towering Monument with Dave Hamilton (Episode 107)
Category: Historical
Pictures from a World War I Soldier
My friend, Dean Putney, has a Kickstarter in its last days. His great-grandfather served in the German army in the first World War, and an absurdly well-preserved treasure trove of photographs and stereographs — and the negatives! — were handed down through the family. Dean has made it a mission to preserve and present these… Continue reading Pictures from a World War I Soldier
Crowdfunding’s Long History
Mercurius Politicus posted about a fascinating antecedent of modern crowdfunding a few month: a 17th-century writer who raised funds to back a trip by foot from London to Scotland without begging along the way and then to produce a written account. The deal for subscribers seems to have been a copy of the book, although… Continue reading Crowdfunding’s Long History