On 1st of October 1908 the Ford Model T car brought motoring to a wider range of the American public. It was the first mass produced car. Although credit for the development […]
Ford Model T #OnThisDay
Orkney’s 19thC Straw Bonnet Industry (Stromness) #DoorsOpenDays
A short film about the straw bonnet industry in Orkney. This film was made for Doors Open Days and features Stromness
Coronation of Richard the Lionheart #OnThisDay
The Jewish Dignitaries were attacked by the crowd of well wishers, or mob might be a better description. What happened next was horror upon horror as Jewish homes in London were attacked and set on fire. Those who did not die in the flames were slaughtered as they attempted to escape
When Orkney was Bartered for the Treaty of Union
Many readers will be aware of how Orkney came to be annexed to Scotland in 1472 as part of an unpaid debt – the dowry arrangement of 1468 between the Norwegian King Christian I and James III King of Scots. Much less is known or understood about how Orkney became part of the bargaining process for supporting the Treaty of Union in 1707 between Scotland and England.
The Church in Stronsay Part 6
Ian Cooper – “This photo would probably have been taken sometime in 1953/54 as the Church was opened in May 1955and shows some of the workmen who were involved in the building of the new Kirk having a break, Note the machinery in the background – I have a feeling that Health and Safety regulations may not have been quite as strict then as they are today! Standing: James Mowat, Johnno Miller, Tom Carter, James Work Snr, George (Dod) Burghes, Ernest Firth, (contractor) & Sammy Reid. Sitting: Ronnie Garson, Edward Dunnet, Frances Craigie, John Miller, John Pottinger. “
Rebel Orkney: Fascinating True Stories
Tales of Insurrection from Orcadian History
The Laki Dry Fog in Europe (1783): 18th C Living Conditions, Part 6
Given the extent of medical knowledge at the time, it is not surprising that a whole host of symptoms, ranging from difficulty in breathing, tingling hands, and loss of appetite, to diarrhoea and dysentery, were blamed on the fog, whether or not it was the actual cause.
The Mad Hatters:18thC Living Conditions, Part 5
Breathing in fumes from poisonous chemicals was highly dangerous; for example, inhaling vapour from mercury used in the manufacture of felt hats, caused Mad hatter disease.
Shelfspace: David Gregory ‘Of Practical Geometry – and Other Practicalities’
“David Gregory (1661-1708) came of an illustrious line of Scottish mathematicians and astronomers. His father, also David, was the younger brother of James Gregory, the inventor of the Gregorian reflecting telescope. “
Scurvy, Smallpox, Syphilis: 18thC Living Conditions, Part 4
It has been estimated that smallpox was killing as many as 400,000 people per year in Europe by the end of the 18th century. Sadly, the majority of these deaths were children, as it was “chiefly a disease of infancy and early childhood”. However, even if some of the population survive the disease itself, they may well succumb to secondary infections such as bronchopneumonia and streptococcal septicaemia.
