I don't see a graceful way of using the phrase at all -- I'd say "At the beginning of the twentieth" or "At the end of the nineteenth," and stay away from a locution that's so, I don't know, last century.

Jake

On Aug 19, 2011, at 01:58 PM, Melissa Diamanti <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I have a question about terminology or usage.The period around 1900 Ad used to be referred to simply as "the turn of the century."  Now that we have turned another century, it is necessary to specify which one.So, would the time around 1900 Ad be the turn of the 19th century or the turn of the twentieth century?
> This question is apparently unclear to many.  For example, the wikipedia entry on this topic is still being hashed out.  So what do the historians/historical archaeologists on this list recommend?
> Meli Diamanti