NB! · Art · London · Mores · Humour
High waistlines in the fashion of Georgian Londoners in a caricature of 1794
What do you know about the high waist? Look at these ordinary Londoners of the Georgian era. 1794 might never have been
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London · Monarchies · Observations · Mores · Society · People
Titus Oates invented a Popish plot against Charles II and was convicted of perjury
Recalling Titus Oates, the English conspirator and scoundrel of the seventeenth century, one cannot help thinking of our own contemporaries, who have inscribed their loathsome deeds in the book of the scum of all ages. Oates is known for having invented a certain Popish Plot to murder King Charles II.
London · Monarchies · Society · People
Elizabeth II's green outfit in her addresses to the nation from 1991 to 2020
Elizabeth II addressed the nation in the same outfit she wore for her first broadcast of this kind in 1991, after the outbreak of the Gulf War. Green is Elizabeth's favourite colour, and was the favourite colour of her father, George VI. The Queen spoke to the people
Art · London · Mores · Humour
The Witch-king of Angmar, Lord of the Nazgûl: no mortal man can kill me!
The Witch-king of Angmar, Lord of the Nazgûl: no mortal man can kill me! (falls upon the dog, jabs the umbrella into its belly) Dandy in a neck corset: oh heck A sketch of the clash of two styles, or fashion as an obstacle to social distancing London, April
London · Mores · People
Retired sailor Joseph Johnson walked around London with a model of Nelson's ship on his head
A Dapper Dan of his day, this extravagant fellow was the retired sailor Joseph Johnson, known as Black Joe. After he was wounded in the 1810s, he was struck off the books of the merchant navy, but without the right to a pension. In short, the invalid was left without
Art · London · Moscow · Observations · Saint Petersburg
The Moon in public places in Moscow, Milan, Saint Petersburg and London
A whole cartload of letters about the Moon in various public places arrived over the weekend. Here, for instance, is a colossal Moon at the celebration of the 90th anniversary of Gorky Park in Moscow. In Milan it was a public swimming pool. The seven-metre sphere also shone in
NB! · London · Palaeontology · Humour
British dinosaurs to appear on UK coins for the first time
At last, the native inhabitants of the planet will be shown the respect they deserve. British dinosaurs are to appear on the currency of the empire grrrrrr
Aristocracy · London · Monarchies · Mores · Ethnography
Princess Charlotte's sarafan and the fashion for Russian dress in England after 1814
During Alexander I's visit to London in 1814, the looks and attire of the Russian aristocrats, and indeed the Tsar himself, made a great impression on English society. Russian dress came into fashion once more, and Englishwomen arrayed themselves in sarafans. The sarafan became one of Princess Charlotte&
Art · London · Monarchies · Museums
Holbein's Whitehall mural of Henry VIII was destroyed in the fire of 1698
The best-known portrait of King Henry VIII today is a replica of a group portrait by Hans Holbein from 1537. The mural on the wall of the royal palace of Whitehall showed Henry VIII with his father Henry VII standing behind him, and, on the other side, Queen Jane
London · Society · People · Nature
On 10 November 2015 the British House of Commons heard, in my view, one of the loveliest political speeches in history
On 10 November 2015 the British House of Commons heard, in my view, one of the loveliest political speeches in history. The clever and intellectual Rory Stewart rose in Parliament to speak in defence of hedgehogs. I invite you to watch this brilliant ten-minute address by a product of
London · Museums · Science
Chair made in 1879 from the bed of surgeon John Hunter is kept in storage
The memorial chair made from the bed of the surgeon John Hunter is not on display in his museum but kept in storage. A plaque records that the chair was made on 22 September 1879 by Francis Buckland, and describes how Hunter's bed came into his hands: from
London · Mores · Society · People · Pop Culture
How a Russian Fashionista Spied for Nazi Germany
In 1940, Anna Volkova-Muromtseva, a White émigré and the daughter of the last naval attaché of the Russian Empire in England, was arrested in London. Anna Nikolayevna was charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act. Volkova was an active member of the Right Club, an opponent of Britain'