W.B. Yeats was born in Sandymount, County Dublin, on 13 June 1865. To celebrate the day of his birth, here are three stories from the Archive that offer a fascinating insight into his character and poetry. Just for good measure, we’ve also included the beautiful poem, ‘He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven’. Dundee Courier – Tuesday 09 January 1906 Image © D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000164/19060109/049/0004 Dundee Courier – Thursday 15 November …
We love hearing stories about what you’ve been finding while rummaging around in the Archive. Pollie Scott, a family history researcher from East Yorkshire, has been finding dozens of fascinating stories in the Archive about her ancestors. And not only stories, for on her most recent visit to the Archive, she found a photograph (pipe in hand and standing in front of a very rickety-looking biplane!) of an ancestor who served in the Royal Flying Corps during World War One. Poignantly, this is …
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The Armagh railway disaster took place on 12 June 1889 with the loss of 80 lives. The accident happened after the engine stalled on a steep hill, and the crew decided to split the train in two in order to negotiate the steep incline. Tragically, the second half of the train was not properly braked, and it ran back down the hill and collided with an oncoming train. At the time, this was the worst rail disaster that had occurred …
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On 11 June 1936, the International Surrealist Exhibition opened at the New Burlington Galleries in London. Althought it’s a cliche, the International Surrealist Exhibition was very much a surreal event. To give you a feel for how the concept of surrealism was received in England in the 1930s, here are two newspaper reports about the exhibition. Gloucestershire Echo – Friday 12 June 1936 Image © Northcliffe Media Limited. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000320/19360612/043/0004 Nottingham Evening Post …
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Frederick Delius, the Bradford-born composer who was famous for the lyricism of his musical compositions, died in Grez, France, on 10 June 1934, aged 72. To mark the day, here is a newspaper tribute to Delius that was published the day after the composer died. Aberdeen Journal – Monday 11 June 1934 Image © D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000577/19340611/087/0007 Western Daily Press – Monday 11 June 1934 Image © Northcliffe Media Limited. …
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Charles John Huffam Dickens (aka ‘Boz’) died at Gad’s Hill Place in Higham, Kent, on June 1870, aged 58. To mark the day, we thought we’d wear a red geranium (his favourite flower) and post this warm newspaper tribute to the passing of ‘Boz’. Berkshire Chronicle – Saturday 11 June 1870 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000358/18700611/046/0008 The Graphic – Saturday 18 June 1870 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000057/18700618/031/0022
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George Sand (Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin), the French novelist and lover of Chopin, died in In Nohant-Vic on 8 June 1876, aged 71. Here is a newspaper obituary and tribute to Madame Sand – published just six days after her death – that provides a fascinating account of her life and writing. Glasgow Herald – Wednesday 14 June 1876 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000060/18760614/009/0004 The Graphic – Saturday 17 June 1876 Image © THE BRITISH …
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Jean Harlow, the original ‘blonde Bombshell’ and the ‘Platinum Blonde’ of Hollywood, died from renal failure on 7 June 1937, aged only 26. Below is a newspaper story – published on 8 June 1937 – that reports on Jean Harlow’s death. Quem di diligunt, adolescens moritur. Dundee Courier – Tuesday 08 June 1937 Image © D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19370608/129/0007 Dundee Courier – Tuesday 08 June 1937 Image © D.C.Thomson & Co. …
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‘Operation Overlord began in the early hours of Tuesday 6 June 1944. As you can imagine, the Archive contains 1,000s of stories about the Battle for Normandy. To mark this momentous day in world history, here is the front page of a regional evening newspaper published on 6 June 1944 (it reads almost like a telegram), and also some other contemporary newspaper reports about D-Day – including a map showing the main theatres of fighting. Essex Newsman – Tuesday 06 June …
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O. Henry (aka William Sidney Porter), the brilliant short story writer, died in New York City on 5 June 1910, aged only 47. His stories were famed for their wit, dazzling wordplay and endings with a clever twist. To mark the day, we’ve posted two stories from the Archive about O. Henry. The first story reports on the passing of O. Henry, while the second story is a fascinating article on where the writer found his stories. Hull Daily Mail – …