The Library Ghost

    This post mainly covers the period from 1100 CE to 1400 CE, when the Italian Renaissance escapes containment.  Strangely, there is not a lot of material out there from historians or living history organizations...  A lot of these links are from the Met and other art history sources. General information     Cambrian Chronicles . " The Prince of Wales: What Everybody Gets Wrong ." YouTube . Posted October 17, 2022.      HistoryExtra. " Why medieval peasants were REVOLTING | What really caused the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 ." YouTube . Posted March 10, 2025.      History Hit. " What Was Everyday Life Like In Medieval Britain? " YouTube . Posted July 6, 2022.     Norris, Michael. " Feudalism and Knights in Medieval Europe ." In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2001. Architecture and engineering     CBS Sunday Morning. " Building a medieval castl...

    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...

     Like many posts in this series, I need more sources on traditional masculine attire, as well as early twentieth-century laundry practices.      Note : The 1920s and 1930s now have their own post here . General information      Rowe, Kaz. " The Rise and Fall of the Gibson Girl: The Icon of the Edwardian Era ." YouTube . September 29, 2022.      Rudolph, Nicole. " The History of Standardized Sizes in Womens Fashion and Why They FAILED ." YouTube . May 16, 2021.      Vintagebursche. " 100 Years of Classic Menswear - and what we can learn from each decade ." YouTube . February 29, 2020. Accessories      Cox, Abby. " The Disappointing Truth On Why We Don't Wear Hats Anymore... " YouTube . December 18, 2022.      Cox, Abby. " The Hatpin's Criminal Legacy 📍 ." YouTube . March 8, 2025.      Foyer, Jean-Charles. " Batter up! a History of the Baseball Cap ." YouTube . ...

    This is a more specific version of the "Young Person's Introduction to Early 20th-Century Western Fashion" post, as I received a complaint that Edwardian-era material was not separated from flapper-era material.  So, here is the "flapper-era" material, on its own. General information Timeline, silhouette, miscellaneous.     Le, Mina. " Chicago (2002): the history of showgirl costumes ." YouTube . February 13, 2021.     Rowe, Kaz. " Exploring the Secret Lesbian World of Interwar Paris ." YouTube . June 18, 2024.     Rudolph, Nicole. " The History of Standardized Sizes in Womens Fashion and Why They FAILED ." YouTube . May 16, 2021.      The Deco Minimalist. " 1930s FASHION: Why is no one talking about it? " YouTube . May 2, 2022.     Zebrowska, Karolina. " 1920s Fashion Is Not What You Think It Is ." YouTube . May 20, 2018. Accessories Pockets, hats, canes, etc.     Cox, Abb...

    The end of the nineteenth century covers the late Victorian era, the Gilded Age, the American "Wild West," and early Jim Crow laws.  Fashions of the time included the First and Second Bustle eras, the Natural Form era, and the Aesthetic Movement. General information      Banner, Bernadette. " Exposing Victorian Influencers Who 'Facetuned' Their Photos. (Photo Manipulation was EVERYWHERE) ." YouTube . July 17, 2021.      Cox, Abby. " Victorians were ✨Obsessed✨ with Ugly Children... " YouTube . August 13, 2023.      Rowe, Kaz. " Did the Victorians Think Ankles Were Too Scandalous? " YouTube . September 8, 2021.      Rudolph, Nicole. " How much clothing did they *actually* have back then? " YouTube . June 15, 2024.      Zebrowska, Karolina. " Victorian Fashion Is Not What You Think It Is ." YouTube . March 19, 2019. Accessories      Banner, Bernadette. " 'Afro-Victorian': Bri...

     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...

    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...