Close-up of a dark cracked surface with a white strip of paper showing printed text.

NB! · Books · Observations · Humour

Telescope made from an old scientific work with legible words colunt est

I have encountered all manner of uses for old books, but a telescope made from a scholarly treatise is a first. One can make out the words colunt est

An old telescope with a cracked dark tube and a brass guide rod in front of patterned wallpaper and a framed portrait with an inscription.

NB! · Museums · Observations · Science

Seventeenth-century telescope made of recycled paper with Latin text at the Jan Sobieski exhibition in Vienna

A seventeenth-century telescope is on display at the Jan Sobieski exhibition in Vienna. I do not know the story of its origin, but on closer inspection it is plain that the instrument is made of recycled paper with Latin text

NB!

It Is Impossible to Tell You My Story, It Is Very Complicated

NB! · Art · Humour

A Remarkable Likeness and a Fine Portrait, Sir Henry Raeburn!

Art · Monarchies · Museums · Observations

Two dresses of Catherine II, one with the Russian arms, one a Preobrazhensky Regiment uniform

Incidentally, both of the Empress's dresses are rather instructive as facts in the history of fashion. The first is of silver brocade with silver and gold embroidery. Over it Catherine wore a gold brocade mantle with black eagles. It was the first dress in history whose principal decorative

Two museum mannequins: on the left a white coronation gown with gold eagles and lace, on the right a green uniform dress with braid.

NB! · Monarchies · Museums · People · Humour

Catherine the Great’s coronation gown and a uniform dress from different years of her reign

Catherine II's coronation gown and a uniform dress from the later years of her reign. Let me remind you that she ascended the throne at 33 and ruled for 34 years. And put on a little weight

NB! · Monarchies · Museums · Humour

Another Item from the Collection of Catherine II

Another item from the collection of Catherine II. There she is, the madcap Empress

Mores · Humour

The myth of the Thracian king Tereus, Procne, Philomela and the killing of Itys

Tereus, King of Thrace, married to Procne, daughter of the King of Athens, seduced his sister-in-law Philomela and cut out her tongue so that she could not reveal his violence. Philomela nevertheless managed to weave a few words into a robe to inform her sister of her husband&

Archaeology · Science · People

__________________________

The Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences has announced the death, in his 83rd year, of the distinguished scholar Lev Vladimirovich Koltsov, Doctor of Historical Sciences and leading researcher in the Department of the Stone Age. I offer my condolences to his family and friends. __________________________

NB! · Archive · Art · Nature · Humour

A cow covered all over with horns of up to 20 cm

A cow covered all over with horns of up to 20 cm. The three-year-old animal was found in the county of Leicestershire and bought up for the amusement of the public. A sketch from the collection of George III

NB! · Art · Nature · Humour

No GMOs!

No GMOs! These very large, almost rectangular cows from English paintings of the nineteenth century probably belong to the Limousin beef breed, which was then new

NB! · Archive · Faith · Monarchies · Saint Petersburg

Portraits of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna in Russian-style costume at the ball marking the tercentenary of the House of Romanov, captioned “the royal martyr” and “the royal martyress”

Alexandr Radayev