The Crimean War was one of the first to be widely photographed. The first as far as anybody with a degree knows was the Mexican American War. An anonymous artist took several daguerreotypes of US soldiers on campaign. Then a Hungarian with the per usual unpronounceable name of Carol Pop de Szathmari took over 200 images, now mostly lost, of the Russian Turkish conflict that lead up to the Crimean War. While searching around to see if I’d missed anything I found an interesting one called the American Commission, so here’s a brief adventure in Historyland about it. Continue reading “The Delafield Commission.”
A road to iSandlwana
Research is something I do. Sometimes for no reason. And that is the best way I can explain the following post. If you are interested in the Anglo Zulu War of 1879 then I’m sure you will be interested. If you’ve never heard of it, you will likley have more questions to ask than are answered. Continue reading “A road to iSandlwana”
Wellington Reading List.
Masters of Battle: Elizabeth Butler Part 2.
Over 200 (and counting) of you kind Adventurers stopped by to read my first post of the Master’s of Battle Series. So in a way this is backed by popular demand. Therefore without further ado (and with an imaginary drumroll, please pause for a moment and imagine one) I give you part two of Elizabeth Butler, Master of Battle.
Continue reading “Masters of Battle: Elizabeth Butler Part 2.”
Wellingtons Decanters.
Now that I have this site I have the perfect excuse to bug all you nice people about the things that bug me. The Daily Mail recently ran a short article on a historical discovery made on the Antiques Roadshow. See link for article. I’m sorry I couldn’t think of a more ingenious name but let’s face it, there’s not much to work with.
Masters of Battle: Elizabeth Butler Part 1.
Two of my great interests are history and art so to me it is very natural that history painting should form the basis of a section in this blog. They both complement each other nicely I think, so I have decided to put together a series about the great masters of battle. Not generals or admirals, though from time to time they do play a part but artists, whose sword is a paintbrush and whose order of battle is a palette, there armies are colours and there genius was their imagination. Stirring isn’t it, well I thought so. Ever since I started hearing about these great painters I wanted to see their works, thanks to the internet I have been able to do so, but seeing their pictures fuelled a desire to know more about the people who created them, so here they are, “TA DAH!” Or as much as I could find out about them anyway, the masters of battle and we begin with perhaps the most unusual because she was almost one of a kind. Overlooking grammer and spelling is always appretiated and with a bit of luck I’ll see you on the other side. Continue reading “Masters of Battle: Elizabeth Butler Part 1.”
Wellington in India.
The rise of the Duke of Wellington is a fascinating story. Despite his dogged reputation as a disciplinarian and a defensive fighter, his early campaigns can stand easily beside those of his great adversary Napoleon. Many admire the rise of the future Emperor for its daring and audacious accomplishments such as the crossing the Alps, Marengo and Egypt. There in Napoleon’s customary melodramatic flair appears to be the all the dash and action of a heroic novel, but then that is how he wanted it to look, and the French People soaked it in. Not as many people realise just how different Wellington was as a general and a man when he was in India. It is a glimpse into the general he might have been if he had not been so tightly curtailed by the government, what he might have been like if he had Napoleon’s freedom. So here it is, the first part of my series of Wellington in India, no doubt it will grip you, no doubt it will shock you, no doubt it will change your whole outlook on history, no doubt it will cure your insomnia and leave you sleeping like a kitten. Hope you enjoy it, please forgive spelling errors and grammer, and I’ll see you at the end. Continue reading “Wellington in India.”