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I am currently on study leave, getting on with research for my new project on the history of travel preparations. One thing that I’m particularly interested in is the material culture of travel, and what sorts of things were available for travellers as they got ready for their journeys.  Today, ‘things’ are incredibly important both … Continue reading Creams, Clothes and Cases: The material culture of pre-modern travel.
a year ago

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More from Dr Alun Withey

To Tip or Not To Tip: A Victorian Traveller’s Perspective

Like it or not, tipping is a big part of hospitality and the service industry. Debates about how much/whether to tip rumble on, but they are not new. Even in the 18th and 19th centuries, travellers were complaining about the amount of unwanted or unexpected extras they had to pay for.

3 months ago 61 votes
News Just In: Dr W Joins TikTok – @dralun7

Yes, it’s true – I’ve finally joined the 21st century and decided to try something new. I am still only setting things up, so please be patient with the extremely cheesy and clunky vids as I try to work out what I’m doing! I’ve only got a couple of videos up at the moment too, … Continue reading News Just In: Dr W Joins TikTok – @dralun7

4 months ago 68 votes
Victorian Swappers! Adverts for exchange in the 19th century.

Victorians were inveterate 'swappers' (NB: this might not be what you think!). Newspapers and journals were full of ads for objects sought and to be exchanged. These offer a fascinating insight into what was considered desirable, the value of objects, and the processes of exchange.

5 months ago 46 votes
Should I Stay or Should I go?: Encouraging travel in the early modern period.

Travel today is often portrayed as a healthy activity, good for body, mind…and what’s left of the spirit!  A good holiday is generally viewed as a tonic, and holiday company advertisements extol the virtues of ‘getting away’, encountering new places, people and cultures and (if you want to ‘live life to the full’) experiences. As one travel … Continue reading Should I Stay or Should I go?: Encouraging travel in the early modern period.

10 months ago 66 votes
The Troublesome Gibbet of John Haines, the ‘Wounded Highwayman’ of Hounslow.

For this post, I am going to wander into the world of crime in the late eighteenth century, and the grisly fate that befell many who committed the heinous crime of highway robbery. (Full disclosure: I’m not an historian of crime, gibbets or highwaymen…perhaps the case I’m about to discuss is very well known. But he’s … Continue reading The Troublesome Gibbet of John Haines, the ‘Wounded Highwayman’ of Hounslow.

a year ago 71 votes

More in history

A forgotten African empire: the history of medieval Kānem (ca. 800-1472)

A century before Mansa Musa’s famous pilgrimage, the political and cultural landscape of medieval West Africa was dominated by the empire of Kānem.

4 hours ago 2 votes
Beatrix Potter’s Illustrated Peter Rabbit Letters

The Peter Rabbit letters were written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter on 4th September 1893. What would become The Tale of Peter Rabbit was first told in a letter to Noel Moore, the five-year-old son of Beatrix’s former governess Annie Moore (née Carter). Noel was ill in bed and Beatrix (28 July 1866 – 22 … Continue reading "Beatrix Potter’s Illustrated Peter Rabbit Letters" The post Beatrix Potter’s Illustrated Peter Rabbit Letters appeared first on Flashbak.

9 hours ago 1 votes
Agatha Christie: Discover the Woman Behind the Mystery

Known as the “Queen of Crime,” Agatha Christie was a prolific novelist and playwright from England. Some of her most-known works include books like And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express. She invented beloved fictional detectives like the iconic Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. The Guinness Book of World Records […]

23 hours ago 1 votes
Weekly Wisdom Quiz

Homer, Heroes, and Hesiod

5 hours ago 1 votes
Mexican Muralism: Defining a Nation’s Post-Revolution Identity

After the Mexican Revolution, the country was left fragmented and impoverished. In this context, the construction of a new national identity based on revolutionary ideals—such as social justice and inclusion—was necessary to unify the country and legitimize the ruling party, which positioned itself as the revolution’s rightful heir. Mural art played an essential role, […]

yesterday 2 votes