The Library Ghost

    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...

     I would like credit for limiting myself to *only* six cooking videos by Townsends.  It was very difficult and I deserve a sticker.  Also, for some reason the virtual tour of the Irish farm needs to be watched at 1.25x normal speed; all the others seem fine. General information     Fairfax Network - Fairfax County Public Schools. " Life of a Colonial Slave ." YouTube . Posted September 19, 2014.      Smarthistory. " The making of an American myth: Benjamin West, Penn's Treaty with the Indians ." YouTube . Posted February 9, 2020.     Townsend, Jon. " Lighting Then VS Now: Fire Before Electricity ." YouTube . Posted January 14, 2024.      Townsend, Jon. " Winters in Colonial America ." YouTube . Posted December 7, 2017. Architecture and engineering      Colonial Williamsburg. " 18th-Century Brickmaking ." YouTube . Posted January 28, 2026.     Colonial Williamsburg. " ...

    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...

    My recollection is that I worked on lots of things, but finished very few.  We'll see by the end of the post whether that holds up!     I worked on knotting a string of pearls, which is really surprisingly difficult when it comes to getting the spacing right.  I stopped at the length of a choker because I do not have the patience to make one of those opera-length ropes!     I fixed a number of things in the mending pile, including the shoulder strap on my 1920s chemise (accidentally disconnected while struggling to remove a corset).  Remember to reinforce your attachment points, and use a buddy to help you out of a corset if you plan on tight-lacing!     The American Duchess post about an embroidered pocket from Colonial Williamsburg provided the initial inspiration for my blue pocket (the second of two so far); after dropping the project for about a year, I finally finished the embroidery and bound the piec...

     I've decided, chiefly in order to make myself feel more productive, to document all the craft-related things I completed last year (2024 post in the works).     First of all, I Frankensteined a pair of Regency breeches together for a friend out of some charity shop slacks, using the material from below the knee to form the fall-front.  The material was probably polyester or poly-cotton, but they were for a costume party, so I'm okay with that! You can see the pinned fall-front near the top of the photo (apologies for my friend's hand).     I used a sewing machine for what was essentially the first time to make a bread roll warmer, using Tried & True's pattern and tutorial . The fabric is a Charley Harper print, with muslin backing.       I also made a pair of bowl cozies on a machine using Craftsy's tutorial , which were great for using up leftover fabric prints from mask-making. The bowl cozies, one empty...

    The Dynastic Period in Egypt is usually dated from the unification of Egypt around 3000 BCE to the Greek conquest by Alexander the Great in 332 BCE.  During this time, the region was ruled chiefly by native families, as well as neighboring groups such as the Hyksos, Kushites, and Persians.  Located at the crossroads of Asia Minor and Africa, Egypt was part of a vast network of material and cultural exchange that would last for thousands of years.      NB : Uniquely Madison's video should be watched at 1.25 times normal speed.  Just click the gear icon at the bottom of the video and select "Playback speed" to change it. General information      Allen, James, and Marsha Hill. " Egypt in the Late Period (ca. 664–332 B.C.) ." In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018.      Oppenheim, Adela. " Egypt in the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2030–1650 B.C.) ." In Heilbrunn Timeline of A...

    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...