Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2018 September 3

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September 3

Historical information on the Orient Express

I'm looking for information on the Orient Express, specifically in the early 20th century just prior to WWI. (Yes, I have played The Last Express.) I'm specifically looking for an exact timetable of the Express and the stops it would make in 1914, which is surprisingly hard to find - I would have thought the railheads would be all over that. Any pointers? Dr-ziego (talk) 13:42, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

You want a Thomas Cook's Continental Timetable or a Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide for the relevant dates. There have been re-prints of the latter which you may be able to find on well-known websales sites. DuncanHill (talk) 16:46, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

Civil War records

• https://archive.org/details/massachusettssol21931mass

Is there a comparable source listing all the Civil War combatants from Wisconsin and Michigan such as the linked sourced above about Massachusetts in book form?KAVEBEAR (talk) 15:08, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

You might want to give a better understanding about your work so far in pursuit of this type of information and format. Are you asking because you have found nothing or are you asking as a potential shortcut to what you seek? From what I have seen, the official record of the US government concerning who served is found in the records of those that have petitioned the US government for a military pension either as the service person or his surviving beneficiary. Some states may have established military benefits for those of its state that served in the military. And it might be possible that soldier reunion lists may be published in the Congressional Record. Annecdotal information would be broadsides published to commemorate a group that the members would then hang on their walls. Have you sought out any of these. And of course there may be questions of completeness due to their provenance.2605:E000:1301:4462:904E:DC75:3814:4202 (talk) 19:34, 9 September 2018 (UTC)

National Museum of Brazil fire

What were the most significant and iconic artificats lost in the National Museum of Brazil fire? 107.193.163.81 (talk) 15:16, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

Some are mentioned here:

• Daniel Victor (September 3, 2018). "What Artifacts Were in the National Museum of Brazil?". New York Times.

Presumably too soon to determined what was "destroyed" (meteorites should do fine, for example). 2606:A000:1126:4CA:0:98F2:CFF6:1782 (talk) 15:43, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

Luxury in communism

In communism what happened to all luxury articles that already existed before the revolution? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 37.252.181.83 (talk) 21:36, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

I wonder. All the yachts and diamonds and mansions, what did they do with them? Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 22:20, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

Imperial palaces became museums, some summer palaces became health resorts for a few citizens. A new class, the nomenklatura, sprouted after each communist revolution. The nomenklatura had special privileges, but even for these, imported consumer goods were difficult to obtain. And they couldn't bequeath obtained privileged to their children, just use them while they were alive.--Doroletho (talk) 00:45, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

Crown Jewels of Russia, Regalia of the Russian tsars and Diamond Fund talk a little bit about what happened in Russia - basically they were stored away, sometimes in museums. At one point the Soviets tried to sell them all, but international appraisers informed them that priceless historical artifacts, they'd never sell for their actual value. Adam Bishop (talk) 13:41, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

It may get sold/monetarized, conserved and shown off in Exhibitions, converted to public property or simply destroyed as offensive item/object. There is no general plan in revolutions - every revolution is different. Some seem quite vicious, like for example the Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976 in China, some seem rather peaceful like for example the Bolivarian Revolution from 1999 - today. Of course there is allot of dispute among historians and politicians about such historical changes so it may be very difficult to find objective documentations about them. Worse even, some states have declared it a capital crime to own, distribute, cite or just ask(!) about versions of (their) history beside the official one. --Kharon (talk)

We have the article on Soviet sale of Hermitage paintings, but actually the Bolsheviks sold much more than paintings (furniture, libraries and fine china from imperial palaces being particularly in demand). --Ghirla^-трёп- 18:43, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

People such as Margary Merriewther Post and Norton Simon bought loads of Russian Imperial and Noble objects particularly in the 1920s-30s when the government attempted to raise cash. Post's home outside DC is a showcase of Russian objects.2605:E000:1301:4462:904E:DC75:3814:4202 (talk) 19:37, 9 September 2018 (UTC)