Thomas Penson De Quincey, author of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, died in Edinburgh on 8 December 1859 – he was 74. To mark the day, here is a newspaper obituary of De Quincey that was published two weeks after his death. Royal Cornwall Gazette – Friday 23 December 1859 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000180/18591223/036/0006 Manchester Times – Friday 08 August 1890 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000504/18900808/030/0005
Pietro Mascagni, composer of the beautiful ‘Cavalleria rusticana’, was born in Livorno, Tuscany, on 7 December 1863. To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Mascagni’s birth, here are some Victorian newspaper reports that provide us with some fascinating snapshots of his life. The Belfast Newsletter – Wednesday 21 July 1895 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000038/18950731/022/0006 Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser – Saturday 15 September 1900 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000206/19000915/114/0012 …
Tags
Anthony Trollope, author of the ‘Chronicles of Barsetshire’, died in London on 6 December 1882 – he was 67. Trollope was the inventor of the post-box, or rather perhaps a leading campaigner for the idea of establishing a post-box, in the UK – it’s a matter of ongoing debate regarding whether he actually invented the post-box. Whatever, the post office and postal system was certainly a major muse on his writing. Here is a detailed newspaper obituary of Trollope that was published just …
Tags
Everyone always says that they’ll be D’Artagnan! Alexandre Dumas, author of classic novels such as The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, died in Villers-Cotterets, Aisne, on 5 December 1870 – he was 68. Here is a fascinating newspaper obituary of Dumas – that was published just 12 days after he died – and also a sketch of the great writer that was published in ‘The Graphic’ newspaper. Tamworth Herald – Saturday 17 December 1870 Image © THE …
Tags
Samuel Butler, author of the classic utopian satire, Erewhon (aka Over the Range), was born in Langar in Nottinghamshire on 4 December 1835. To celebrate the day, here is an extract of a newspaper review of Erewhon, published in 1872, the year in which the novel was anonymously published. From the same review, we’ve also included a very interesting passage passage from the novel itself, which highlights the bizarre workings of the stock exchange in Erewhon. Pall Mall Gazette – …
Tags
The brilliant English crime writer, Agatha Christie, disappeared on 3 December 1926, following a row with her husband, Archie. After a massive man hunt (or rather woman hunt) lasting ten days, Mrs Christie was found at a hotel in Harrogate, Yorkshire, where she had registered under the nom de plume, ‘Mrs Teresa Neele’ of Cape Town. Agatha Christie never explained anything about her sudden sabbatical – so it remains a mystery. Here are two newspaper stories: the first story reports on the disappearance of the …