Lessons from Attlee
A British general election rarely results in radical changes, no matter the colour of the rosettes. One exception was Labour’s landslide victory in 1945.
Miscellanies
Deeds Not Words: Slashing the Rokeby Venus
On 10 May 2024 the National Gallery reaches its 200th anniversary. From the suffragettes to Just Stop Oil, the gallery – specifically Diego Velásquez’s Rokeby Venus – has been a magnet for activists. Why?
Original Pirate Material
On 28 March 1964, Radio Caroline hit the waves. How did pirate radio discover its winning formula and what happened next?
‘With Her Own Hair’: A Victorian Prisoner’s Art
Arrested over 400 times, Annie Parker found redemption in intricate cross-stitch and crochet using her own hair.
Medieval Icelandic Feasts
In the Icelandic sagas communal feasting served as cornerstone of celebration. A thousand years on, these cautionary tales still offer sage advice for the Yule festivities.
Let There Be Wind Turbines
From James Blyth’s experiments to giant offshore farms, the history of extracting electricity from air has been driven by individual innovation pursued against the headwinds of public scepticism.
Jaipur’s Last Stand
The new government of an independent India sought to curtail the influence of the old princely order. When the Maharani of Jaipur entered politics in 1962, it had a popular problem to contend with.
The Trouble With Madeira
The Portuguese island of Madeira had the misfortune to play host to more than its fair share of expatriate religious strife in the early Victorian period. In the 1840s, tensions reached a violent crescendo.
Who’s Afraid of the Dog-Banditti?
For as long as dogs have been valued as companions, they have been a target for thieves. Their theft and ransom became a lucrative practice in the 18th century, with high-profile victims.
The Paris Commune’s Bloody Week
In May 1871, a short-lived Parisian revolution in social relations was brutally suppressed. What is the legacy of the Paris Commune?