Tag: history
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“Dazzling in the Extreme”: Ice Skating in the Victorian Era
Winter is well and truly here, and that means that a plethora of sites have popped up outdoor ice skating rinks for the public to enjoy. In England, at least, Christmas seems to be tied strongly with the sport – although there are plenty of indoor rinks that people can use all year round, many…
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A Brief Moment of History: When People Posted Babies
Even in our digital age, people still send post. We’ll send cards at Christmas, birthday presents to distant relatives, or maybe love letters to our sweetheart in an attempt to relive a simpler age. But around 100 years ago, it wasn’t unheard of to receive something a little different in the post: children. You heard…
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An Interview With: Jill Campbell – Knebworth House Archives
Today we continue our interview series by talking to Jill Campbell who works in the archives at Knebworth House, a historic house in Hertfordshire. If you or your organisation would like to be interviewed, then please leave a comment below, or contact our page via our Facebook or Twitter. You can find Jill on twitter here, and please follow…
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Legendary People: Elizabeth Báthory – Mass Murderer, Vampire, Innocent?
As today is Halloween, I thought it only fitting to write about the woman who is in the Guinness World Records as the most prolific female murderer. She comes under the category of legendary people, not only because her alleged deeds are certainly legendary, and have inspired other stories (including possibly Dracula), but because it…
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An Interview With: Tess Wingard – Medieval Sexuality and Animals
Today starts a new series where we interview historians, museums, archives, students, writers, organisations, and anyone else connected to the history and heritage sector. There is a plethora of places to explore and people with in-depth knowledge about special subjects, and we look forwards to sharing our finds with you! If you or your organisation…
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Historical Figures: Ada Lovelace, The First Computer Programmer
I have been meaning to write about Ada Lovelace for a very long time, and as today is Ada Lovelace day I figured what better excuse to start my new series on important historical figures of the past with her. The day falls on the second Tuesday of every October, and was founded in 2009…
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Royal People: The Princes in the Tower
One of the most tragic stories of the English monarchy – and one that has captivated people for centuries – is that of the two Princes in the Tower. The two Princes in question were Edward V of England and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York. When they were 12 and 9 years old,…
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A Brief Moment of History: The Day a Bus Jumped Tower Bridge
There are lots of interesting small moments in history that often slip by people – after all, much of history focuses on the big battles, the big people, the defining moments of how we got to where we are today. But many of the smaller moments can bring us joy, amusement, and interest, and so…
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Mythical Creatures: A History of Dragons
One of the most prevailing and popular creatures of folklore and legend is the dragon. From Mesoamerica, Medieval Europe, Asian folklore, to more modern depictions in books such as Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and A Song of Ice and Fire, dragons crop up time and again. Unlike other legends, the essence of…
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Medieval Marginalia: At It Like Rabbits
The pages of medieval manuscripts might be something that sounds very boring, but for those in the know, they read more like fantastical comic books. Pages upon pages of doodles in the margins showing imaginary creatures, hybrid animals, people doing all manner of activities, and many, many animals. A few months ago, I wrote about…
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