The Library Ghost

    Fungi: they're like plants made of meat. General information      National Geographic. " You Didn’t Know Mushrooms Could Do All This | National Geographic ." YouTube . July 13, 2016.      PBS Eons. " When Giant Fungi Ruled ." YouTube . December 18, 2017. Dyestuffs      Oregon Public Broadcasting. " Fiber artist Julie Beeler uses mushrooms for natural dyes | Mushroom Color Atlas | Oregon Art Beat ." YouTube . July 27, 2023.      Sandia Mountain Natural History Center. " Lichen Dye ." YouTube . Feb 4, 2021. Food and drink      Discovery UK. " MUSHROOMS | How Do They Do It? " YouTube . October 14, 2020.      National Geographic. " The Magic Ingredient | Ultimate Factories ." YouTube . February 17, 2012.      Smithsonian Channel. " The Microscopic Activity That Produces the World’s Great Cheeses | Smithsonian Channel ." YouTube . May 15, 2023. ...

     Not a Tumblr cross-post, though it was originally intended to be one.  I may add it later.  What's important is the number of Regency-era links I have for you today... General information     Enchanted Rose Costumes . " A Beginner's Guide to Regency Fashion || How it Changed Over 30 Years ." YouTube . May 16, 2020.     Lady Rebecca Fashions . " Regency Corsets, and How to Make Regency Styles Flattering on All Bodies ." YouTube . January 30, 2021.     Viljanmaa, Maria. " dressing regency, 1800s-1820s ." YouTube . May 25, 2024.      Rudolph, Nicole. " Why is Mens Fashion Boring? Not Beau Brummell : Next Historically Accurate Cosplay! " YouTube . November 14, 2021.      Zebrowska, Karolina. " A Historical Get Ready With Me - 1808 Regency Edition ." YouTube . January 21, 2018. Accessories      Foyer, Jean-Charles. " A Conquering Hat: a History of the Bicorn ." YouTube . Ju...

    These are colored fashion plates from early 1880s issues of Godey's Lady's Book and Peterson's Magazine , hosted by the Internet Archive.  I may do other eras of fashion plates, since they are fairly simple to whip up, as opposed to embroidery patterns; it all depends on what I can find.  Overall, I think the ones I've collected so far paint a pretty accurate picture of what middle- and upper-class ladies in the greater Philadelphia area would have been wearing in the early part of the decade, during the Natural Form Era. 1880      —. " Godey's Fashions for January 1880 ." Godey's Lady's Book , vol. 100, no. 1 (Jan. 1880).      —. " Godey's Fashions for February 1880 ." Godey's Lady's Book , vol. 100, no. 2 (Feb. 1880).      —. " Godey's Fashions for March 1880 ." Godey's Lady's Book , vol. 100, no. 3 (Mar. 1880).      —. " Godey's Fashions for April 1880 ." Godey's Lady's Book ...

    Godey's Lady's Book and Peterson's Magazine contain some actual sewing patterns, although many are simply illustrations of the finished product with a brief description.  The garments, however, are proper patterns which can be sized up. Aprons and bibs      Weaver, Jane. " Baby's Feeding-Bib ." Peterson's Magazine , vol. 83, no. 3 (Mar. 1883), p. 259.      Weaver, Jane. " Pocket Apron, for Work ." Peterson's Magazine , vol. 80, no. 1 (Jul. 1881), p. 81. Garments      May, Emily H. " Habit-Basque ." Peterson's Magazine , vol. 81, no. 4 (April 1882), p. 409.      May, Emily H. " Paletot à Pelerine: With Supplement ." Peterson's Magazine , vol. 82, no. 5 (Nov. 1882), pp. 396–397.      May, Emily H. " Polonaise Pattern: With Supplement ." Peterson's Magazine , vol. 80, no. 3 (Sept. 1881), pp. 231–232.      May, Emily H. " Riding-Habit: With Diagram ." Peterson's Magazine , vol...

     These are all taken from Peterson's Magazine and Godey's Lady's Book ; in theory I could do other decades, but there is so much out there that I may just do one more for the 1920s and stop there.  Never fear, 1880s fans—I still have fashion plates and sewing patterns to do! Antimacassars      Weaver, Jane. " Antimaccassar: With Detail ." Peterson's Magazine , vol. 79, no. 3 (Mar. 1881), p. 241.      Weaver, Jane. " Antimacassar, or Counterpane ." Peterson's Magazine , vol. 82, no. 6 (Dec. 1882), p. 484–485. Bags, purses, and chatelaines     Weaver, Jane. " Chatelaine Bag, in Embroidery ." Peterson's Magazine , vol. 81, no. 6 (Jun. 1882), p. 484.     —. " Chatelaine Bag ." Godey's Lady's Book , vol. 100, no. 2 (Feb. 1880), p. 174.     —. " Lady's Bag ." Godey's Lady's Book , vol. 101, no. 2 (Aug. 1880), pp. 189–190. Bibs and aprons     Weaver, Jane. " Child's Dinner Bib ."...

    British, Dutch, Spanish, French, Swedish, and German settlers colonized North America during the eighteenth century, sparking wars with the native peoples and one another over land rights and natural resources.  The slave trade became a massive multinational industry that brought wealth to landowners and merchants in North America, while depleting Africa's west coast of its laboring force. General information     JYF Museums. " Ask JYF Museums | How Common Were Cats in Early Virginia? " YouTube . December 3, 2025.      PBS Origins. " The Other American Colonies They Don't Teach You About ." YouTube . February 11, 2026.     Rowe, Kaz. " What National Treasure (2004) Got Wrong (and right) About History ." YouTube . December 1, 2022.     Townsend, Jon. " Lighting Then VS Now: Fire Before Electricity ." YouTube . January 14, 2024. Arts and architecture      Townsend, Jon. " How to Build an Ear...

    This post is meant to round out the "Young Person's Introduction" series with additional material that might be less engaging for a first-time viewer/reader.  It has lots of museum videos and articles, like Colonial Williamsburg and the Met, including some fun case studies (a banyan made from a dragon robe, a handkerchief celebrating the first hot air balloon launch, etc.).  It's a bit scanty now, but I wanted to get it out of the drafts folder before I forgot it existed! As always, the post will be expanded as I come across more information. Edit 11/24 : Now with an excellent video on cold-weather clothing! General information     Colonial Williamsburg. " Children's Clothing ." YouTube . Posted May 13, 2022.     Cullen, Oriole. “ Eighteenth-Century European Dress .” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2004.     English Heritage. " Fashion Through History: Episode 2 – G...