Joseph Grimaldi, the actor, dancer and great clown of the Regency era, was born in Clare Market, London, on 18 December 1778. Here is a terrific newspaper article from 1838 that offers a detailed analysis of Grimaldi’s art and life, including several fascinating observations by Charles Dickens. As we’re now in the pantomime season (um, oh yes we are!), it’s the perfect time to remember Grimaldi’s contribution to the culture of the harlequinade. Sussex Advertiser – Monday 17 December 1838 …
Simon Bolivar, ‘El Libertador’, died in Santa Marta in Colombia on 17 December 1830 – he was 47. News travelled slowly back in the 1830s, and word of Bolivar’s death did not reach the UK until February 1831. We like this newspaper article about Bolivar (published in May 1831), which offers an interpretation of his character. North Devon Journal – Thursday 26 May 1831 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000328/18310526/007/0003
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On 16 December 1850, the ‘Charlotte Jane’ sailed into Lyttelton harbour, thus becoming the first emigrant ship to arrive at Canterbury, on the south island in New Zealand. Four ships had set out together – the ‘Randolph’, the ‘Cressy’ and the ‘Sir George Seymour’ – but the ‘Charlotte Jane’ was the first of the four ships to arrive. To mark this historic date in New Zealand’s history, here is a newspaper story from September 1850 that reports on the events …
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At Grand River in South Dakota on 15 December 1890, the great Sioux chief, Sitting Bull, was shot in the head during a struggle by the police to arrest him. Here is a newspaper story – published just two days after the event – that reports on the struggle and the subsequent death of Sitting Bull. Interestingly, the article then goes on to describe the Indian policy as advocated by the US government. London Daily News – Wednesday 17 December …
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We absolutely love this quirky story! Anyone who has ever had a problem with eccentric neighbours who won’t return a ball when it lands in their garden will enjoy reading this story. Derby Daily Telegraph – Monday 18 April 1887 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000327/18870418/005/0002
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Uh-oh! It’s that day again. To calm the nerves (we hope!), here is a newspaper cartoon that advises us that Friday 13th is just another day, and also a report about some of the very interesting superstitions observed in the 1930s on these spooky days. You can also read our blog post entitled, ‘Friday the 13th Stories, Traditions and Superstitions’. Dundee Courier – Friday 13 April 1934 Image © D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY …
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Edvard Munch, the painter of the classic Expressionist painting, ‘The Scream’, was born in Adalsbruk, Norway, on 12 December 1863. To mark the 150th anniversary of Munch’s birth, included below are two newspaper stories that report on how his paintings were received in the UK in the early 1930s, two book reviews about Munch from 1950, and also a brief mention of his work that appeared in a newspaper in 1897. Oh, we also noticed that a Norwegian steamer was …
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Hector Berlioz was born at La Cote-Saint-Andre (near Grenoble) on 11 December 1803. A massive Shakespeare fan (and literature in general), England’s Bard was a major muse for Berlioz, and he composed several works based on Shakespeare’s plays. The Archive contains 100s of interesting stories about Berlioz, including reports about the five times when he lived and worked in England. So to celebrate the day, here is a very favourable newspaper review (published in The Manchester Courier in 1839) of …
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What the Victorians did for us… On 10 December 1868, the first set of traffic lights in the world were erected outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London. To mark the day, here’s a fascinating newspaper story (published on 8 December 1868) that reports on the installation of the signals, as well as explaining why these new traffic signals were needed. We are also very luck to have an illustration of the ‘new street semaphore,’ as it was called …
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On 9 December 1897, the feminist activist, Marguerite Durand founded ‘La Fronde’ newspaper. ‘La Fronde’ was written entirely by women, and its intended audience was, well, women – oh, and perhaps some enlightened and cultured males, too, we imagine! Here is a terrific newspaper article from December 1897 that reports on the publishing of ‘La Fronde’. According to Wiki, a ‘fronde’ was a type of sling which the mobs in Paris used to break the windows of supporters of Cardinal Mazarin during the …