Writing & research
The candid smile that caused a stir
In 1887 Queen Victoria celebrated her Golden Jubilee – 50 years on the throne. Over two days, from 20-21 June, she was the guest of honour at a...
Love in the archives
A couple of the links/topics I shared in Wednesday’s monthly post (what makes historians go ‘wait, what?’ and ruin lust) had me tangentially...
Marian Farquharson fought for women’s rights; she was punished when she won
In last fortnight’s post about women’s role in the development of commercial photography in Great Britain and Ireland in the mid-19th Century, I...
The development of commercial photography in the 19th Century was liberating for women
On the front page of London’s The Times newspaper on 5 January 1853, almost half the height of one column was dedicated to raising money for the...
There’s a universal pattern in profanity, but it’s not what you probably think
When I was in my teens, my best friend and I decided that we were swearing too much. Our solution was to come up with an alternative word for...
The secret history of occult arts in 19th Century Australia
Dr Ian Evans has spent his career exploring the history and conservation of old Australian houses. But a trip to England in 2002 would set him on a...
The clock with two minute hands
On the front of a building in the southwest England town of Bristol is a clock with an extra minute hand. The building is the 18th Century Corn...
The man on the moon
The moon has been a source of fascination (and sometimes fear) for thousands of years. Some of the earliest-known lunar calendars and celestial cave...
What we accumulate, what we create, and what we leave behind
I laughed out loud to myself the other day. It was after the second time in the space of a few weeks that I’d backed a crowdfunding campaign and...
The origin of the iconic yellow pencil
I’m a writer, a note taker, a stationery addict, and I love a good pencil! But have you ever wondered where the iconic yellow pencil ✏️ originated?...
Queens Of The Stone Age
Scientists have determined that the spread of culture, technology, and ideas in central Europe during the transition from the Stone Age to the...
They Think, Therefore They Are…?
In 2009, Monica Gagliano had what she now calls a “fish crisis”. After 10 years working as a marine ecologist, focusing on relationships between...
Save Our Scents
When people are asked about their favourite smells, very often the answer is something associated with their childhood. For Cecilia Bembibre, who...
Girl Power
Syd Moore has always felt an affinity for witches. As a child, when her Nan told her fairytales, it wasn’t the princesses Moore aspired to be, “I...
Lasting Impressions
Thomas Edison was a prolific inventor. At the time of his death in 1931, he had more than 1,000 US patents to his name; 2,000+ if you count those...