Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II: Symbol and Style

The fashion of Queen Elizabeth II reigned supreme for the past 90 years.
Dancing Skeletons, 'Dance of Death' Rare Books Keywords: epb 5822

English Sweating Sickness: The Epidemic You Forgot to Be Terrified Of

The 15th and 16th epidemics of English sweating sIckness still fascinate historians and epidemiologists. 
Cover of "Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village" by Ronald Blythe

The Re-Release of a Classic

A new American edition of Ronald Blythe's Akenfield reminds us why it became one of the founding texts of oral history.
Christmas Lights

The Class Perceptions of Christmas Decorations in Great Britain

In the U.K., Christmas decorations are often associated with the lower-class, and such visibility has been scorned and criticized.
Workers are dwarfed by the 10-foot Cardiff Giant as they dig him out of his "grave" in Cardiff, N.Y., in this 1869 file photo. AP Photo/Farmers Museum, HO)

The Cardiff Giant: The Biggest Hoax of the 19th Century

The Cardiff Giant was the greatest hoax in an era of hoaxes.
Licoricia of Winchester

Licoricia of Winchester, Jewish Widow and Medieval Financier

The story of Licoricia of Winchester illustrates just how much wealth and influence a Jewish woman could accumulate.
By Martinvl (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The Truth Behind the Tower Ravens

Fakelore: the deliberate fabrication of a folklore. A term that perfectly describes the legend of the Tower Ravens, the birds of the Tower of London.
"Stonehenge Wide Angle". Licensed under Public Domain via <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stonehenge_Wide_Angle.jpg#/media/File:Stonehenge_Wide_Angle.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a>

Stonehenge’s Larger Neighbor

The discovery of Durrington Walls, a monument more formidable than Stonehenge, deepens the mystery of these Neolithic structures.
Black and white photograph of Queen Victoria in profile

How the Media Made Queen Victoria

How nineteenth century media helped make Queen Victoria who she was.
Textured canvas with Buildings of Parliament and Big Ben tower in London UK view from Thames river.

Old Smoke: London’s Famous Fog

The history of "Old Smoke", London's famous fog.