Blogging, History

You’re all Welcome to Join HistorianRuby on a Trip to the Museum!

HistorianRuby invites you all to participate in a blog trip of your choice!

You don’t like history? Really? You may be surprised at how many ways we can consume history – if you’re not sure, take a look at my post The Many Ways to Consume History.

Did you stop to look at that statue that had a bird on its head? Did it make you smile? There’s always a story behind a statue . . .

Edith Cavell, London, England (with a disrespectful pigeon)
Viking statue, Largs, Scotland (along with a seagull – and 3 pesky kids!)
Duke of Gordon, Aberdeen, Scotland (accessorised​ with a seagull)

How about a little family history? Do you like to reminisce about a fishing trip with your dad and uncle thirty years ago? Or did your grandmother teach you to bake?

What about when your favourite football team won the cup for the first or last time and you were there to see every nerve-wracking minute of it. It’s all history.

Or how you hated history at school as they made you learn about America’s Wild West and you’d much rather be listening to Duran Duran records – okay, that was me . . .

To join our history trip all that you need to do is introduce yourself in the comments below and add a link to a post of yours that has a hint of history, heritage or culture. Please feel free to share and reblog, because the more the merrier, and we may discover that perfect blog to follow, or fascinating blog articles about places we would really like to visit, read fascinating stories that enlighten us or entertain, or thought-provoking pieces that prompt us to delve deeper into a subject.

  • I’d love to see some really interesting places that you’ve visited around the world.
  • Or a bit of local history like I have here.
  • Share some family history, maybe an ancestor had a really obscure job that is now obsolete.
  • Or did you witness an historical event, like a royal wedding or did family members protest at injustice against a hated political regime?
  • We all have stories we can tell.

Rules – ’cause sometimes there has got to be a rule or two!

In the spirit of Swimmers and our much-lamented Community Pool:

  • Please don’t spam comments with repeated ‘likes’ – because that wears thin on us all!
  • Don’t post more than two links in your comment – and ensure that you write a little about yourself or my spam filter may not publish your comment.
  • Don’t drop your link without visiting at least one other commenter’s blog – share the love! And feel free to visit them all!
  • Please be nice to each other  – let’s not have a blogging argument in the comments!
  • I’ll dip in and out to moderate and will end the trip on Sunday evening.

I look forward to reading all your contributions!

 

Photos author’s own.

 

53 thoughts on “You’re all Welcome to Join HistorianRuby on a Trip to the Museum!”

    1. Such a great post! It’s true that we can take inspiration from everything around us – just look at the way J K Rowling has used the classics to inform her work.
      FYI I love a roast parsnip but that fake banana mash sounds awful! 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    2. I’m not sure if you are aware of it, or not, but I am unable to leave a comment on that post. Maybe your comment section closes after a certain time?
      I really liked your post.

      Liked by 1 person

    3. Very nice post. I love reading about what life was actually like in the past for normal people rather than just the battles etc. So many things to think about when writing historical.

      Liked by 2 people

    5. What a wonderful post! As an historian, I don’t need a book to be perfectly accurate to the period, but what I do need is for it to accurate enough that I am not pulled out of the story. I think more writers need to realise this!!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. YES! One of the dangers of self-publishing (and I like a lot of self-published works) is not getting enough eyes (and expert eyes) on a book–especially historical–before it’s published. Nothing worse than being thrown out of a story, not because a date is wrong but because a simple, everyday thing just isn’t accurate to the time period. Like bananas in WWII in the above, wonderful example!

        Liked by 1 person

    6. Loved your post, and I couldn’t agree more–that history is so valuable to creative writers. As you and your commenters said: write what you also know, but also what you want to find out. I’m currently researching for a new WIP, and while the history takes a long time–and a lot longer to internalize the research–creative writing is so much better for having layers, and authenticity–whether it’s set in a fantastical world or the real one.

      Liked by 2 people

    7. I couldn’t agree more! This reminds me of the pineapple reference in Cabaret. It’s a little joke, but it also helps the audience understand how different things were in the 1930s.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. So you weren’t always in love with history?

    I absolutely love your spin on this! Wonderful idea and opportunity.

    I’d like to share: https://dailyflabbergast.wordpress.com/2017/10/24/cw-i-found-my-way-to-you/

    And for those who would like to read something shorter,

    Let me share one of my #ThrowbackThursday posts with everyone https://dailyflabbergast.wordpress.com/2018/08/02/throwbackthursday-4/

    (Btw, you can find creative writing, news related opinion pieces, hashtag posts, and more on my blog.)

    Thank you for hosting this event!

    Liked by 4 people

    1. You see, the history I remember and love from my early school days was about the saxons and royal family. I chose history as an option at senior school and was not impressed witht the curriculum. However, the following term when they had Irish history on the menu, I was ready before the term started!

      Liked by 3 people

      1. When history and literature mesh, I’m in love. And there’s so much history in Irish lit. My fave part of my honeymoon (besides the romance, of course) was the _Angela’s Ashes_ tour in Limerick, which took us around (in the rain, of course) to many of the sites featured in Frank McCourt’s book. So illuminating!

        Liked by 2 people

    2. I really enjoyed your ThrowbackThursday post. It’s wonderful to find those bloggers with whom you have a lot in common; like you, I’m always surprised when a blog just dies out–and we’re left wondering… Glad you’re keeping up the good fight!

      Liked by 2 people

  4. Hey there! What a great idea!
    I run a bicycle blog, which is mostly about my cycling “adventures”. But there are a few other things as well.
    A lot of the places I visit have a rich historical background. So, whenever possible, I try to add this to my blogposts, because I’m personally interested in this and I think it makes the blogposts more interesting. Here is an example of it:

    https://dennisthecyclist.blog/2018/07/25/the-egg/

    Have a good day, everyone!

    Liked by 2 people

  5. I LOVE history – American and English. In my blog I cover a a lot of different subjects. Being a retired pastor’s wife and former Bible teacher I write a lot about religious topics. But I am also a grandmother of 20 and great grandmother of 9 so my blogs also tell some funny stories of my family. As a cancer survivor I have also shared stories of battling difficulties. We recently spent a few months in Charleston, NC where I found many stories of the unsavory slave history in our country. I wrote this blog about an unknown slave named Denmark Veasey whose statute my husband I came across while exploring a beautiful city park in Charleston. http://barblaneblog.com/2018/06/01/denmark-vesey-leader-of-failed-rebellion

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Thanks for sharing Denmark’s story. I think when looking at stories of people who were marginalised we often don’t get their names unless there was something unfortunate going on, his arrest for example. I like that we can remember Denmark as the good man he was, as his story will inspire others who are still marginalised to remain strong.

      Liked by 3 people

    2. I responded on your blog as well: Interesting site and beautiful statue. Thanks for the history. I hadn’t heard of him. (Don’t you wonder where he got that interesting first name? Did I miss that in your post?) With Frederick Douglass’s 200th birthday celebration this year, our town (in Maryland) has been honoring his legacy. We even featured a Frederick Douglass impersonator in our town’s 4th of July parade. As you mentioned above, it sure is an interesting time in the U.S. with the removal of confederate statues. I lived in Richmond, VA for a long time–lots of monuments there (I spoke about on my blog). Thanks for this great post!

      Liked by 2 people

    2. I really enjoyed this piece, the words flowed and carried the story to its touching conclusion and such a charming photo!
      I do think that adding an aged photo really helps to elevate a piece, makes your reader connect with your family history.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. What a fun idea! But you torture me – how can I choose which of my many posts to share? You know what a history buff I am.

    To those who don’t know me, I like to learn things from the past. I write a lot about family connections to historical events and just plain family history. I also write about nature and travel.
    https://myricopia.com/2018/03/19/dont-do-this-though-your-descendants-might-wish-you-would/

    https://myricopia.com/2018/08/21/16-tons-of-healthcare/

    I look forward to reading others here!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Haha I know it’s tough. See how I held back? I was quite restrained and have not spammed my own post with a ton of my favourite articles. I’m really enjoying connecting with other bloggers and reading all that is posted.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. My WIPs are set in the 19th century. One takes place during the California gold rush. The other is a biography about one of the men in the first project. Non-fiction, butt-loads of research!

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Hi everyone! I am The Historian from An Historian About Town, and I blog about several things, including history! I did my Masters in Early Irish History, but I am interested in most history of the British Isles/Ireland, including royal history 😍😍 I especially love the exhibitions at Kensington Palace on the Georgian Court: https://anhistorianabouttown.com/an-historian-about-kensington-palace/!

    As well as my time wandering Edinburgh Castle, as Mary, Queen of Scots is my favourite historical figure with the most fascinating history: https://anhistorianabouttown.com/edinburgh-castle/!

    Liked by 2 people

  9. I love this! What fun, and what a wonderful idea! I can’t wait to check out all the histories here. On my site I’m “writing and reading the Rust Belt”–that’s the post-industrial Midwest, where there’s still a lot of strong ties–many through favorite family foods–to the Old Country. In this post, I delve into my own, and I don’t demur when asking: “What kind of name is that?” https://rustbeltgirlblog.wordpress.com/2017/10/21/whos-side-are-you-on-anyway-whats-in-a-name/

    Liked by 2 people

  10. Reblogged this on Rust Belt Girl and commented:
    I’m on the best trip–to the museum with HistorianRuby, who is a wonderful tour guide through history. If you enjoy history–or maybe especially if you think you don’t–take this special blog party for a spin. Discover some great posts and maybe follow another special blogger through heritage and history. Enjoy!

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Ah what a grand idea. There’s a bundle of personal and other history on my blog as well as a fair bit of other stuff, but one thing I have enjoyed telling is my parents history during and just after WW2 via dad’s letters to mum, all of which can be found, in groups, undrr the tab at the top of the blog. This is the explanation of how they started that 1940s love affair. https://geofflepard.com/dads-letters-the-story-of-a-1940s-love-affair/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It surprises me every time I see it that demobilisation did not happen for everyone in 1945. There was family disruption for years after the war with people posted around the world and what would seem to us today a primitive system of travel – no jetting to Australia in 24 hours!

      I’ll take this opportunity to share Geoff’s guest post on HistorianRuby.

      He has written a wonderful memoir about his relationship with his mother during her later years titled ‘Apprenticed to my Mother’ it’s such a lovely read.
      https://historianruby.com/2018/06/24/guest-blog/

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Hi Ruby…

    Thank you for hosting a bog-party. I love these.

    I was working all day yesterday so I missed this, but I am going to take a look at everyone’s history related posts. I had a look through my own site and found one or two posts about museums I visited over the summer:

    https://crushedcaramel.wordpress.com/2018/07/08/slavery-on-a-sinister-and-sadistic-scale/

    https://crushedcaramel.wordpress.com/2018/07/05/a-lorra-lorra-laughs-in-liverpool/

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Great idea…… but oh dear, I’m late to the party. I have a general lifestyle blog, but I love history, and anything vintage. Last November in honor of Remembrance Day I posted a blog on my Uncle Charlie WW1 veteran. Although all we have left are his WW1 medals and some memorabilia paybooks, postcards etc, I was able to trace his journey from his enlistment in Canada the last year of the war to Germany in 1918 and then later convalescing in England for six months with the Spanish Flu. Here’s a link to the blog. (PS. We also have his wooden walking stick which came in handy one Christmas for a 7 year old shepherd in a nativity play!)
    https://thehomeplaceweb.com/2017/11/07/uncle-charlie-ww1-vet-lest-we-forget/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. My grandfather and great-uncle fought for the Canadian Expeditionary Force in WWI and I’ve found the Canadian Archives very informative, particularly as they now have digitised more items.

      Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.