Category: History

Blogging, History

Sourcing History for Blogging: Six Months of History Trips

In June 2016 I started my history blog with a lot of enthusiasm, unfortunately by early August my enthusiasm fizzled out. I had planned to write about my visits to stately homes and other historic sites, but instead I edited a 2013 university paper on accused 19th century poisoner, Eliza Fenning, posted it to my blog and forgot about writing – except for one article … Continue reading Sourcing History for Blogging: Six Months of History Trips

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History

Fashion Museum: A History of Fashion in 100 Objects – Part Three

I visited Bath Fashion Museum recently, specifically to see their special exhibition at the Fashion Museum, Royal Women: Public Life, Personal Style that you can read about here. In this third post I will once again showcase their ‘treasures’. In ‘Part One’ I focused on items that the museum displayed from before the nineteenth century, in ‘Part Two’ I looked at fashions from the end of the eighteenth … Continue reading Fashion Museum: A History of Fashion in 100 Objects – Part Three

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History

Fashion Museum: A History of Fashion in 100 Objects – Part Two

I had the pleasure of visiting Bath Fashion Museum recently. In this second post I will once again showcase their ‘treasures’. In ‘Part One’ I focused on items that the museum displayed from before the nineteenth century in ‘Part Two’ I will take you on a fashion journey from the end of the eighteenth century through the nineteenth century. You can read my earlier post … Continue reading Fashion Museum: A History of Fashion in 100 Objects – Part Two

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History

Fashion Museum: A History of Fashion in 100 Objects – Part One

I had the pleasure of visiting Bath Fashion Museum recently. In this post I’m going to share some of my photographs of the ‘treasures’ of the Fashion Museum. You can read my earlier post on the special exhibition at the Fashion Museum, Royal Women: Public Life, Personal Style here. Once again, a darkened exhibition with lighting reflecting off information boards on the opposite exhibition case caused … Continue reading Fashion Museum: A History of Fashion in 100 Objects – Part One

Unknown's avatarHistorianRuby12 Comments
History

The Many Ways to Consume History

History as entertainment can be consumed without you knowing it. The popularity of historical dramas, Downton Abbey, Jamaica Inn, Jamestown, The Crown and Victoria, to name a few, help educate the public, albeit passively, and at the risk of the odd inaccuracy if an historical advisor has not been consulted. Traditionally, history was consumed through reading text books and learning dates by rote – I … Continue reading The Many Ways to Consume History

Unknown's avatarHistorianRuby16 Comments
19th Century, 20th Century, History

The Fashion Museum, Bath: Royal Women

A few days ago I visited the Fashion Museum, Bath. They are currently running an exhibition of royal women’s fashion, including the wedding dress of Edward VII’s Queen Consort, Alexandra. It opened at the beginning of February and will remain on display until 28 April 2019. It was a must-see event for me and if you’ve previously read my post on the exhibition at Kensington … Continue reading The Fashion Museum, Bath: Royal Women

Unknown's avatarHistorianRuby20 Comments
Family History, History

Patrick Gray: Using Newspapers for Genealogy

Somewhere in my family tree files there’s a sepia-toned newspaper cutting that belonged to my grandmother and my mother passed it to me. On reflection it was probably my grandfather’s and he died in 1941. It was his father’s obituary from 1919. While away from home I decided to have a search on the British Newspaper Archives website to see if I could find it. … Continue reading Patrick Gray: Using Newspapers for Genealogy

Unknown's avatarHistorianRuby16 Comments
18th Century, History

Hampton Court Palace: The Chocolate Kitchen

During my recent visit to Hampton Court Palace I paid a quick visit to their Chocolate Kitchens. They were originally built for William III and Mary II towards the end of the seventeenth century when the Palace was re-designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the Baroque style. However, they were not in full use until the Georgian era. Thomas Tosier was the chocolate chef for … Continue reading Hampton Court Palace: The Chocolate Kitchen

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19th Century, History

1881: When the River Mersey Froze

Britain shivers and many people who have it much tougher over the winter months mock our unpreparedness and histrionics regarding late winter – and very early spring – snowfall. However, we’ve just had our coldest March day on record. It’s an unusual start to spring with the ‘Beast from the East’ and Storm Emma affecting our weather for several days. It might be an unusual … Continue reading 1881: When the River Mersey Froze

Unknown's avatarHistorianRuby4 Comments
20th Century, History, Women's History

Hampton Court Palace: Vote 100 – The Palace Under Attack

Hampton Court Palace: Celebrating 100 years since women won partial suffrage in Britain 6 February 2018 marked 100 years since the Representation of the People Act. This afforded nearly all men, and women over thirty who met property requirements, the right to vote in Britain. The Act was a huge paradigm shift for British democracy and can be seen as a victory for both the … Continue reading Hampton Court Palace: Vote 100 – The Palace Under Attack

Unknown's avatarHistorianRuby12 Comments
16th Century, History

Hampton Court Palace: Young Henry VIII’s Story

I recently visited Hampton Court Palace. It is cared for by Historic Royal Palaces – the charity that looks after HCP and 5 other royal residences in Britain: Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace, Banqueting House and Hillsborough Castle. I’m lucky enough to live a short drive from Hampton Court Palace, in fact I volunteered there four years ago for a few months after … Continue reading Hampton Court Palace: Young Henry VIII’s Story

Unknown's avatarHistorianRuby8 Comments
19th Century, History

The Memoirs of Charles Cavendish Fulke Greville

During my recent research on George IV, I stumbled across an internet site that offers primary perspectives on the reigns of George IV and William IV from a contemporary who kept a journal – ever fashionable in the nineteenth century. The Greville Memoirs, first published in 1874, are journals that cover the reigns of the monarchs at the end of the Georgian period, and those … Continue reading The Memoirs of Charles Cavendish Fulke Greville

Unknown's avatarHistorianRuby10 Comments
20th Century, History

Thoughts on George V

George V became king of the United Kingdom, the British Dominions and Emperor of India in 1910 on the death of his father, Edward VII. George offered the country stability after the long reign of his grandmother was followed by the much shorter reign of his father. That said, his reign wasn’t without complication and during it George witnessed the Great War, political change with … Continue reading Thoughts on George V

Unknown's avatarHistorianRuby16 Comments
20th Century, History, Women's History

Suffragettes – Pictures Say a Thousand Words

One hundred years after the Representation of the People Act, which gave some qualifying females the right to vote in the UK, the exploits of the women at the vanguard of the suffrage movement still capture the the country’s imagination. Thankfully, we have a robust photographic and news archive that can take us back to pre First World War Britain when the uprising of militant … Continue reading Suffragettes – Pictures Say a Thousand Words

Unknown's avatarHistorianRuby14 Comments