Lenora Rogers's Blog, page 20
October 26, 2017
The Ghost in the Field
Creepy History 41. It’s October, and that means Creepy History month on Windows into History again! The following quote is taken from News from the Invisible World, a collection of anecdotes published in 1840. We pick up the account with the author investing a field where he and other people had seen a ghost:
The next morning, being the 27th day of July, 1665, I went to the haunted field myself, and walked the breadth of it without any encounter. I returned and took th...
Rome’s First Triumvirate
The first Triumvirate of Ancient Rome, was an alliance between Julius Caesar, Pompey and Crassus, lasting seven years; 60 BC – 53 BC. An unstable Republic was on the brink of Civil War. These three men set aside their differences, joining forces for the good of Rome. They dominated Rome’s government and controlled elections for the good of the people.
The Republic was in tatters, and Rome’s political order in chaos. Streets alive with violence and rioting. Mar...
Madam CJ Walker
With thanks to The Open University for allowing us to repost this piece. Originally published on their website here.
As a single woman in the early 20th century making ends meet was no easy feat, so it’s remarkable that Madam CJ Walker became the first female self-made millionaire in America.
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Christian Dior – Architect or Fashion Designer?
The “Bar” suit, Dior’s first collection (1947), as displayed in Moscow 2011. Photo Credit: Wikipedia
On the 23rd of October 1957, Christian Dior died in Montecatini, Italy. His death was as sudden as his entry into the world of haute couture ten years earlier. At the beginning of 1947, Dior’s first collection changed the entire fashion world. After years of war asceticism, scarcity and rationing this collection brought hope for the return of femininity.“We were emerging from a...
Curl up with our two biographies: 30% off RRP for a limited time when bought together
As the nights start to draw in, it’s a perfect time to curl up in the warmth by your fireside with a book or two and so we’re delighted that our publisher, Pen & Sword, have chosen to offer both our current biographies as a discounted bundle deal. Even more so as they are perfect companion books to each other, together telling the full story of the infamous eighteenth-century courtesan, Grace Dalrymple Elliott and her extended Scottish family as well as documenting the li...
St Nicholas’ Round Church, Orphir, Orkney Isles.
St Nicholas’ Round Church at Orphir, Orkney Isles. (Photo by T. Kent).
OS Grid Reference: HY 33494 04429. On Gyre Road at Orphir Bay and a few hundred metres or so north of the shoreline of Scapa Flow, Orkney, are the remains of an early 12th century round church (kirk) of St Nicholas. It was probably originally dedicated to Saint Magnus. Beside the old church are a burial ground and the scant ruins of the Earls Bu, a Viking hall or palace, and also a farmstea...
Rutherford Hayes’ Secret Oath
The election of 1876 was one of the most rancorous, divisive and probably corrupt in American history.
Oddly Enough…
Both Governor Rutherford Hayes (R-OH) and Governor Samuel Tilden (D-NY) were honest, decent men, albeit bland and uncharasmatic. Any scandals or machinations done in their names were done with no overt support from either of the candidates. (Whether or not there was tacit approval, or more likely “blind eye” is always open to conjecture.)
Maj...
October 15, 2017
Book Corner: Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell
History... the interesting bits!
Fools and Mortals follows the young Richard Shakespeare, an actor struggling to make his way in a company dominated by his estranged older brother, William. As the growth of theatre blooms, their rivalry – and that of the playhouses, playwrights and actors vying for acclaim and glory – propels a high-stakes story of conflict and betrayal.
Showcasing his renowned storyteller’s skill, Bernard Cornwell has created an Elizabethan world incredibly rich in its por...
