collective-history:

Uniform sword with scabbard, England, 1901-1925

Famous tailor Gieves Limited in London made this uniform sword with scabbard, belt and leather case. It belonged to surgeon Lieutenant Commander John Stephen McGrath (d. 1927) of the British Royal Navy. A uniform sword was worn by officers as part of their official uniform. 

(via art-of-swords)

Our founding fathers used Rome, a failed state, as a model for the government that would replace the Articles Of Confederation. Not many think of this, but what if our founding fathers had meant for the American Society to fail? What if by making a civilization fall before it has been born was their intention, why would it be their intention? Perhaps they didn’t intend for that, and perhaps our founding fathers simply didn’t know about that. Perhaps our founding fathers believed it could never happen again, or they didn’t realize that it wasn’t just armies that was Rome’s downfall.

Maybe they knew of Rome’s downfall well, perhaps they thought that a few thousand years with this sort of government was all they needed; they were, after all well off. Perhaps they viewed the Roman aristocracy as an Improvement to the British crown. If they had intended for the American Society to fail in a simmilar manner that the Roman one had, there was reasoning behind it. Perhaps they believed their familes would stay wealthy and things will not be so terrible if they are nice about it. Or they believed with the downfall of American Society, the people would finally build a true goverment of the people.

No, they didn’t know that they made a terrible mistake by using the Roman Model, they hadn’t known so much about Rome and how it fell as much as we do today. But it is very interesting to think about. What if this happend for other western countries? What if their founders had something nearly the same?

fuckyeahtudorwomen:

The Family of Henry VIII: An Allegory of the Tudor Succession, c. 1572

The inscription shows that the work was a gift for Francis Walsingham, to whose family its provenance can be traced. Along the bottom, it reads:

“THE QUENE. TO. WALSINGHAM. THIS. TABLET. SENTE. MARKE. OF. HER. PEOPLES. AND HER. OWNE. CONTENTE”.

Inscription around the frame:

“A FACE OF MUCHE NOBILLITYE LOE IN A LITLE ROOME. FOWR STATES WITH THEYR CONDITIONS HEARE SHADOWED IN. A SHOWE A FATHER MORE THEN VALYANT. A RARE AND VERTUOUS SOON. A ZEALUS DAUGHTER IN HER KIND WHAT ELS THE WORLD DOTH KNOWE. AND LAST OF ALL A VYRGIN QUEEN TO ENGLANDS JOY WE SEE SUCCESSYVELY TO HOLD THE RIGHT, AND VERTUES OF THE THREE”.

a father more than valiant

a rare and virtuous son

a zealous daughter

a virgin queen

Mixing portraiture and allegory, the painting shows Henry VIII, his three children, and Queen Mary’s husband, Philip of Spain, alongside figures from mythology. Henry sits on his throne in the centre, with his son Edward, the future Edward VI, kneeling beside him receiving the sword of justice.

Mary is shown next to Philip, with Mars, god of war, behind them, symbolising the wars they fought.

Elizabeth, by contrast, stands on the right of the picture holding the hand of Peace, who treads the sword of discord underfoot, as Plenty attends with her cornucopia. 

Painted just 15 years into Elizabeth’s reign, this portrait is an excellent example of royal propaganda. Henry, who bankrupted the country and was responsible for much of the religious upheaval, is shown as a benevolent figurehead, a jovial patriarch.

Edward, whose ineffectual rule was mostly controlled by the Seymour family, is being given the sword of justice, affirming that his reign and his Protestant reforms were just and true.

Mary, however, is shown with her Spanish husband, who was much disliked by the English population. They are followed by the god of war, emphasizing the violent aspects of her reign. It is from propaganda pieces like this that Mary would receive, and never lose, her nickname of Bloody Mary.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, is shown in an almost Messianic light, ushering in peace and prosperity. While Elizabeth was an effective ruler in her own right, and was able to balance the shifting political and religious tides for much of her reign, she also owed much to those who came before her.

(via historyofeurope)

stephenhoang:

Berners Street Hoax

“On 27 November, at five o’clock in the morning, a sweep arrived to sweep the chimneys of Mrs Tottenham’s house. The maid who answered the door informed him that no sweep had been requested, and that his services were not required. A few moments later another sweep presented himself, then another, and another, 12 in all. After the last of the sweeps had been sent away, a fleet of carts carrying large deliveries of coal began to arrive, followed by a series of cakemakers delivering large wedding cakes, then doctors, lawyers, vicars and priests summoned to minister to someone in the house they had been told was dying. Fishmongers, shoemakers, and over a dozen pianos were among the next to appear, along with “six stout men bearing an organ”. Dignitaries, including the Governor of the Bank of England, the Duke of York, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Mayor of the City of London also arrived. The narrow streets soon became severely congested with tradesmen and onlookers. Deliveries and visits continued until the early evening, bringing a large part of London to a standstill.”

When Theodore Hook won a bet to make a random house the most talked about address in London.

breakingnews:

Archaeologists believe they may have found the lost bones of England’s King Richard III

BBC News: Archaeologists searching for the grave of Richard III have said ‘strong circumstantial evidence’ points to a skeleton being the lost king.

The English king died at the battle of Bosworth in 1485.

A dig under a council car park in Leicester has found remains with spinal abnormalities and a “cleaved-in skull” that suggest it could be Richard III.

Photo: Archaeologist Mathew Morris stands in the trench where he found skeleton remains during an archaeological dig to find the remains of King Richard III in Leicester, central England September 12, 2012. (REUTERS/Darren Staples)

(via pbsthisdayinhistory)

(via the-ambooty)

harlequinqueen:

theoriginalspike:

sexytardis:

thefoxxybenedict:

kitbuckle:

you-should-be-writing:

insideonemind:

It’s hard to maintain that military composure when one’s granny is inspecting! 

I love how all the others are like ‘It’s the Queen I need to stand straighter and be more professional than I’ve ever been in my entire life’ and William and Harry are just like ‘lol hi Gran!’

FOREVER REBLOG

I like to think she tries to make them laugh. 

Reblogging because SHE’S ACTUALLY SMILING

Also Harry’s face.

I love our royal family..

(via evil-butterfly)