This book delves into the early days of electrical appliance development when many novel and little known appliances were made. The manufacture and operation of some of these inventions encountered se
Once worth more than its weight in gold, Meissen Porcelain has graced the households of royalty and artistocracy for hundreds of years. Famed ceramic expert and Antiques Roadshow stalwart John Sandon
Writing antiques have great charm and historic interest. When quill pens began to be superseded by steel nibs and penholders these were rapidly manufactured, in true Victorian fashion, in numerous sha
The author describes the evolution of the first practical stationary engines and illustrates some of the many designs, with notes on their important features and information on the better-known manufa
Brunel called his Great Western Railway the "finest work in England" and it certainly contained many special and groundbreaking new features, but none was as unorthodox as the decision to abandon the
May 1941: over 43,000 civilians had been killed, and over a million houses destroyed following endless nights of bombing raids. Yet London and other cities that had been targeted survived, their spiri
How we equip and use our kitchen has changed irrevocably over the centuries, the twentieth century has seen far-reaching technological and social changes making their mark; the kitchen fire, for many
Jet, a hard, black, shiny gem closely related to coal, has been fashioned into jewelry and trinkets for generations. During the Victorian period, when the ritual surrounding death and the long mournin
This book is a fascinating survey of the development of gardens in Great Britain from their medieval origins in monasteries and castles, through the Tudor period and the seventeenth century when forma
The Victorian lunatic asylum has a special place in history. Dreaded and reviled by many, these nineteenth-century buildings provide a unique window on how the Victorians housed and treated the mental
This book tells how mines evolved from simple bells pits into extensive networks of shafts and tunnels extending deep underground. It describes the methods used to drive tunnels through the rock and
This celebration of some of the greatest art, architecture and furniture to be found in English churches offers a fascinating account of centuries of accumulated wealth, and is set off by a selection
The history of the Rootes Group (1913-1978) and its subsidiaries - Hillman, Humber, Singer, Sunbeam, Karrier, and Commer.This is the story of the Rootes Group which was both an important British car m
With over two-thirds of the globe covered by water, the ability to navigate safely and quickly across the oceans has been crucial throughout human history. As seafarers attempted longer and longer voy
Advertising and consumer spending among the middle classes expanded rapidly in the mid-nineteenth century. One of the ways of appealing to the new shoppers was packaging, and biscuit tins were a very
This book examines some of the most spectacular ancient monuments in Britain - the iron age brochs of north and west Scotland. It sets the building of these unique fortifications into context and exam
Mid-Georgian Britain was a period of both elegance and desperation. As the middle and upper classes enjoyed their wealth with an increasing range of consumer goods, the poor endured debtor's prison an
The fascination with the British involvement in the First World War extends to all aspects of the conflict. The battles and their outcomes; the armies and their leaders; the conditions of trench warfa
Since the eighteenth century, British cattle breeds have spread worldwide and have made the names of several counties famous in distant lands. Yet some of those breeds have become extinct and many oth
Beneath the streets and towering buildings of London, there is a realm of shadow and secrets. This little book is the first concise guide to the hidden world of underground London. Informative, author
During their heyday in the mid-eighteenth century the pleasure gardens were one of the hubs of polite society. Laid out with formal gardens and buildings for dining and amusement, the pleasure gardens
The Victorian period has been described as the 'Great Age of Death'. The customs of death, notably burial and mourning, were taken very seriously and elaborate rituals of commemoration were part of ev
A brief history of the design and use of railway carriages in the UK, ideal for those interested in railway and social history.Evolving from the horse-drawn stage coaches that they soon eclipsed, rail
The Potteries is the name given to the industrial area in the English Midlands that was home to hundreds of pottery-making companies and until recently supllied most of the country's crockery and deco
This book introduces readers to a different side of London than the one they may already know, revealing a city full of curiosities and peculiarities, stories that have largely been left untold, and f
Providing a vital service to communities and businesses over the years, delivery vans have evolved through time, with many different models taking to the road. In the 1920s and 1930s many types of unu
At the turn of the last century, Art Noveau, characterised by its natural, swirling lines and exuberant use of colour, held sway as the dominate style in architecture and design. The style defined the
The vast networks of roads throughout the Roman Empire were vital to the expansion of Roman culture, power and influence across the world and one of their principal uses was the transportation of the
This book traces the design and evolution of oil lighting, examining in detail the varieties and design features of many of the lamps which were made particularly in the Victorian period. A great many
In 1851 there were over one million servants in Britain. This work covers a range of domestic service in the nineteenth century, describing the work and conditions of servants and giving an insight in
More complex and imposing than any other vehicle in the British emergency services, the fire engine has a long and interesting history. At first a blaze could only be tackled by buckets of water being
From cooks and clerks to weapons analysts and air mechanics, generations of women have served in the Wrens (Women's Royal Naval Service or WRNS). The Royal Navy was the first of the UK armed services
The midwife: a medical professional, a friend in a woman's hour of greatest need, and a potent social and cultural symbol. Though the role of midwife has existed since time immemorial, it is only sinc
Ice cream has been served in Britain since the seventeenth century. Tt has graced the tables of kings, and the cones of the working man; it has been plain, flavored, molded, sliced, squirted and scoop
The village pump was once the focal point of rural life, providing the only water supply to communities and offering a place in town squares and village greens for people to come together. Sadly, with
The relationship established between man and bird is central to the ancient sport of falconry; to earn the trust of the bird, the falconer must show a great deal of patience, skill and intuition. This
Postcards sent by men on the front, and to them by their families, are among the most numerous, and most telling, surviving artifacts of World War I. They tell us much about attitudes towards the war,
During the last days of peace in 1939 nearly two million people, most of them children, were evacuated from British cities, towns and ports to the countryside, or across the Atlantic to the USA and Ca
For 1500 years English has built new words or taken them from other languages and changed their form and often their meaning to make them the words we use today. When we explore the journeys, arrivals
The London Taxi is an iconic image of London transport and society. The unique vehicle is the only one in the world to be specifically designed for hire work in cities, and its distinctive turning cir
