Cabinet of Delights

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history

A collection of 11 issues

Embroidered Silk Postcards from WWI

Hand-embroidered postcards from WWI are an interesting relic from the past century. Decorated with symbols of peace, flags, flowers, and messages, they were created by women who lived near the front lines as gifts for soldiers to send home to their loved ones. The postcards were delicate in nature, and

Arthurian Legend Lost to Time Rediscovered

A 13th-century text, repurposed as a cover of a later document, has been identified as part of the story of King Arthur and Merlin. Because the Merlin text cannot be separated from the document from the 1500s without damage, technology has allowed researchers to piece it together and present it

The Olive Tree That's Witnessed 4,000 Years of History

The Olive Tree of Vouvres is a bent and gnarled beauty still producing fruit after an estimated 4,000 years of life. Found on the Greek island of Crete, it serves as an older sister to (still admittedly old) younger trees of 2,000 and 3,000 years. This tree

Rome's Underground Mysteries

Rome, an ancient city built up over the centuries, continues to harbor secrets. Some of those secrets are revealed to individuals who are willing to descend beneath its surface to explore its cultural layers. Visitors to these sites will find ancient dwellings, tunnels for aqueducts, catacombs, and even Mussolini'

Woman Returns 2,000-year-old Thrifted Vase to Mexico

When Anna Lee Dozier confirmed that the vase she had found at a thrift store in Washington, D.C., was an ancient Mayan vessel, she was able to access the proper channels to have it authenticated and eventually returned to Mexico. The vase will be studied by experts and may

American Dialects 1958

This video demonstrates the differences in regional pronunciation in the US in the late 1950s. These subtle and not-so-subtle variations can still be heard today. You may, in fact, feel that a certain region has the "correct" pronunciation for certain words!

The British Museum's Curator's Corner

The Curator's Corner series are short videos detailing curator's favorite objects in their own words and with historical context. Learn about Assyrian smugglers' tablets, the making of a Bronze Age shield, or Elizabeth I's propaganda in jewelry from the very people who study

Harvard Library of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts

Peer into this magnificent trove of centuries-old manuscripts digitized for the curious and the scholarly. Filter by place of origin, genre, time period, or language, and flip through the books to be inspired by the handwritten script and illuminations within. Medieval & Renaissance ManuscriptsDelve into the literature, art, history, music,

Learning from Ancient Italian Public Spaces

"Rome is a city of layers. To elaborate, it is a city built upon ancient cities. As Rome grew, fell, and grew again, open land became scarce, and thus abandoned or older cities that were filled in with earth material became new open land and even the new foundations

London Through the Centuries

See how London has changed from the 18th century until today through a series of detailed maps that you can use to zoom in to for a taste of time travel. Home | LOCATING LONDON’S PASTLOCATING LONDON'S PAST