The Library Ghost

    Traditionally, the Tudor era runs from Henry Tudor's defeat of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field (1485) to the death of Elizabeth I in 1603.  In practice, most "Tudor" media pieces focus on the reign of Henry VIII (he of the six wives) or on that of his second daughter, Elizabeth.     NB : Amanda Hallay has a few unusual ideas as to the why of fashion, some of it totally unsupported by textual evidence; however, she does a good overview of the what of fashion, so I've elected to keep her video in the lineup. General information      Hallay, Amanda. " THE ULTIMATE FASHION HISTORY: The Elizabethan Era ." YouTube . Posted November 28, 2015.     HistoryExtra. " How CLEAN were the Tudors? Ruth Goodman on 16th-century hygiene ." YouTube . Posted December 30, 2025.      Marchant, Katrina. " Sumptuary Laws: A History of What Not to Wear ." YouTube . Posted May 16, 2025.      Voorhies, ...

    The Victorian era lasted through most of the 19th century, from Queen Victoria's ascension to the throne in 1837 to her death in 1901.  This is the period that saw the introduction of the telegraph, the electric light bulb, the pasteurization process, aniline dyes, photography, the sewing machine, the typewriter, and association football (called "soccer" in the USA).  Fashions and technology were greatly changed by the end of Victoria's reign, and the British Empire claimed some 400 million people on six continents as its subjects. General information      Draper, Jenny. " A Deep Dive Into Victorian Servants ." YouTube . May 9, 2022.      Kellgren-Fozard, Jessica. " Victorian Lesbians?! // Queer History ." YouTube . June 29, 2022.      Rudolph, Nicole. " Why Victorian Etiquette was so ✨Extra✨ ." YouTube . August 10, 2024. Arts and architecture      Draper, Jenny. " The Largest Building In The World ...

      The mid-nineteenth century in Britain covers the first three decades of the Victorian era.  The United States struggles through the American Civil War, while France endures the fall of the Second Republic, followed by the brief Second Empire .  Further east sees the establishment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Russian Empire's loss in the Crimean War, and the unifications of both Germany and Italy.  General information      Durbin, Holly Poe. " Crinoline Era Consumerism ." YouTube . Posted October 18, 2020.     English Heritage. " Fashion Through History: Episode 1 – Victorians ." YouTube . Posted February 9, 2023.     Glasscock, Jessica. " Nineteenth-Century Silhouette and Support ." In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2004.      Oshinsky, Sara J. " European Revivalism ." In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolit...

    Please keep in mind that the folks at Gentleman's Gazette , while enthusiastic about their subject matter, do occasionally make inaccurate claims like "wigs were infested with lice" (they were not; head lice drink human blood and would starve to death in a hairpiece) or "girding one's loins is about turning a robe into a loincloth" (it is simply about putting on a belt or girdle; the loins are at the lower back and hips, where the belt sits, and not the pubic area).  I have attempted to use only the most accurate of their articles and videos, but take anything about pre-1900s history with a grain of salt. General information Timeline, silhouette, miscellaneous.      English Heritage. " Fashion Through History: Episode 6 – The 1940s ." YouTube . August 19, 2025.     Hallay, Amanda. " HISTORY in COLOR: The 1960s ." YouTube . October 7, 2020.     Itzcovitz, Natasha. " Explaining 1960's Fashion ." Natasha Itzcovitz...

     This was originally intended to be the first in its series... until I discovered that there was a lot more material on the Regency and Victorian eras than on the 18th century :/  It's still rather scanty on artistic and religious movements, so if anyone knows of a good art history site, please let me know! General information     Draper, Jenny. " Answering White People's Questions About Slavery: The London History Show ." YouTube . March 3, 2021.     Johnson, James. " There Were No Slaves in Britain? " YouTube . June 28, 2020.     Thane, Anna M. " Travelling in the 18th century? Don’t forget your passport! " Regency Explorer . March 1, 2022.     Townsend, Jon. " Do You Know the Difference? Shilling, Sixpence, Halfpenny? " YouTube . July 27, 2021. Arts and architecture      Thane, Anna M. " Shades of Blue: Discovering new colours in the 18th Century ." Regency Explorer . April 10, 2022. ...

    Conservation of wildlife, especially native pollinators, is critical for the future of our planet—including the future of humanity.  After all, no bees means no fruit, which makes up a huge proportion of the human diet.  Pollution, invasive species, deforestation, and climate change are all threats to our native species that must be combated, starting today.  We  can't rely only on individual action; we need to combine it with strong legal protection to save the environment before we lose it forever. General information      BBC Newsround. " Is Light Pollution Getting Worse? 🌃 | Newsround ." YouTube . March 6, 2023.      DwrCymruWelshWater. " Top 10 water saving tips ." YouTube . June 28, 2018.      Eco Sapien. " What is Citizen Science? " YouTube . March 30, 2015.     Natural Resources Wales / Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru . " What are invasive non-native species? " YouTube . July 26, 2023. ...

    The Victorian era in Britain and Ireland covers the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901.  During that time, fashions changed dramatically as Britain became a global empire, with control of Egypt, India, Canada, Hong Kong, and parts of the Caribbean.  As immigration soared and London became the largest city in the world, anxiety about non-English "colonials" polluting English culture or bloodlines was at an all-time high.  Industry moved from small family businesses run out of the home to mass manufacturing in urban factories.  Handcrafts waned during the middle of Victoria's reign, only to return in romanticized "vintage" or "authentic" forms at the end of the century. General information      BBC Archive. " 1970: VICTORIAN TEENAGERS reminisce | Yesterday's Witness | Voice of the People | BBC Archive ." YouTube . Posted April 30, 2022.     HistoryExtra. " Child labour and BREADWINNERS | Ruth Goodman on family lif...

    The 1500s in England saw Henry Tudor die; his second son take the throne as Henry VIII; and his daughter Margaret Tudor wed to James IV of Scotland.  Catherine of Aragon, a Spanish princess, married Arthur, Prince of Wales; upon his death, she married then-prince Henry and bore his first daughter, Mary Tudor.  After Henry VIII established the Anglican Church and annulled his marriage to Catherine, he married Anne Boleyn, who bore the future Elizabeth I before being executed in 1536.  Henry would go on to have four more marriages, only one of which produced a son: Edward.      Henry oversaw the dissolution of the monasteries as part of his break with Rome, seizing church relics and treasures before turning the land over to his supporters.  After his death in 1547, a young Edward VI briefly became king, then died in 1553.  Mary took the throne and wed Phillip II of Spain in 1554, although Phillip took no part in ruling England and...

    The Regency and Romantic periods in Britain, as well as the early Victorian era, saw a great deal of rapid change in fashion and technology.  The period is dominated by the Napoleonic Wars, the abolition of slavery across the British Empire, and the Great Famine, along with major upheavals in religion and the electoral system. General information     Dashwood, Ellie. " How to Meet Mr Darcy // Regency Era & Victorian Guide to Introduction Etiquette ." YouTube . November 17, 2023.      Draper, Jenny. " Answering White People's Questions About Slavery: The London History Show ." YouTube . March 3, 2021.     Fummey, Bruce. " Sir Walter Scott Made us Wear Kilts in Scotland ." YouTube . May 11, 2021. Arts and architecture      Draper, Jenny. " Railings: Suprisingly Interesting ." YouTube . April 29, 2024.     Knowles, Rachel. " The history of the British Museum ." Regency History . January 7...

    This post mainly covers the period from 800–1100, during the so-called Viking Age in Europe.  This period is also called the Early Middle Ages or the Dark Ages in western Europe.  I can find surprisingly few museum-quality videos about Viking-era medicine and toys, but I will persevere! General information      Banijay History. " Norman Conquest: The Real Impact - Britain's Most Historic Towns ." YouTube . Posted October 2, 2024.     Cambrian Chronicles . " The Prince of Wales: What Everybody Gets Wrong ." YouTube . Posted October 17, 2022.     National Museum of Ireland. " Viking Ireland 4 What was Daily Life like in Viking Ireland? " YouTube . Posted November 16, 2020.     SCC Archaeology. " Anglo-Saxon Daily Life ." YouTube . Posted August 16, 2021.     Smarthistory. " Charlemagne and the Carolingian revival ." YouTube . Posted June 14, 2013. Arts and architecture    ...