The Library Ghost

    I thought I'd throw together a generic overview of western fashion, as a kind of introduction post to the period-specific introduction posts.  It covers the post-Roman era through the mid-20th century. General information     Le, Mina. " Chicago (2002): the history of showgirl costumes ." YouTube . February 13, 2021.     Rudolph, Nicole. " How much clothing did they *actually* have back then? " YouTube . June 15, 2024.     Rowe, Kaz. " Why the Medieval Aesthetic Never Dies: The History of Medieval Revival Fashion ." YouTube . April 27, 2023.     Rudolph, Nicole. " The History of Standardized Sizes in Womens Fashion and Why They FAILED ." YouTube . May 16, 2021. Accessories      Cox, Abby. " A Fashion Historian Explains the History of the Handbag ." YouTube . January 26, 2023.     Cox, Abby. " Flappers, Y2K, & Capitalism are Why Women "Don't" Have Pockets ." YouTube . Jan...

    Sadly, there do not seem to be many public-facing videos on pre-decimal coinage in Britain, nor the sou/solidus system in continental Europe.  Let me know if you know of any videos or articles that cover the topic! General information      Birchwood, Vasi. " I Slept on a Medieval Mattress for a Week ." YouTube . March 7, 2025.     Draper, Jenny. " Sometimes They're John, Sometimes They're Eleanor: A Genderqueer Sex Worker In Medieval London ." YouTube . February 23, 2022.      Rowe, Kaz. " Debunking 6 Lies You've Been Told About the Middle Ages ." YouTube . November 1, 2020. Arts and architecture      Birchwood, Vasi. " I Tried Medieval Pottery ." YouTube . December 19, 2025.     Donner, Morgan. " Dissecting the Medieval Bed (and making one *mostly* from scratch!) ." YouTube . February 24, 2023.     Draper, Jenny. " 700-Year-Old Palace Ruins In London: The London History Sho...

    These are old, occasionally sarcastic notes I took while reading Rowling's book on the daily lives of normal-ish people during the Middle Ages.  It's an excellent introductory text for those wishing to learn more about normal life in the medieval period, as opposed to list of battles or major political figures.  Here is the proper citation:     Rowling, Marjorie. Everyday Life in Medieval Times . New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1968.   NB: This post is not so much a Cliff Notes as a stream-of-consciousness piece.  It should not be taken as actual scholarship, and does not necessarily reflect the author's beliefs. INTRODUCTION picture opposite title page shows a building being demolished! looks like most pics will be French, some English, rarely Italian/German prob. most pics from illustrated manuscripts, e.g. Tres Riches Heures ? acknowledgement: Waddell, Helen. The Wandering Scholars . pub. pre-1968 CH. 1 CHARLEMAGNE & SOCIETY m...