One of the pleasures of history is going back to your original sources and finding something new. In this case it was an interview with Professor Jimmy Williamson way back in 2007. Jimmy’s earlier career as a tuberculosis (TB) physician… Read More ›
digital history
An exceptional Irish nurse
Hannah “Nancy” O’Driscoll was remarkable in many ways but like most nurses from the last century she remains largely unknown. She was a nurse midwife with the Frontier Nursing Service in Kentucky which had been modelled on the Highlands and… Read More ›
Carnage at Paris Olympics (in 1924)
Rammies at rugby matches are relatively rare but the level of crowd violence for the Olympic Games final in Paris in 1924 effectively killed off rugby as an Olympic sport. The match at Colombes stadium ended in carnage with the… Read More ›
Women and Edinburgh banks – a New Town daunder
You wouldn’t really know it was there. But it’s worth seeking out. Walk in to the RBS West End branch at 142 Princes Street and take a look at the two display panels on the right. They chronicle its launch… Read More ›
The last impeachment… Henry Dundas
A wave of scandals at the heart of government, strenuous denials, blaming others, flagrant misuse of public funds, and insouciance bordering on contempt. Sounds familiar? It happened more than 200 years ago, and ended with the last impeachment in Parliament… Read More ›
History Company newsletter (3)
TB sources This is a special edition of the newsletter with a few short films and other source material on tuberculosis. I prepared this for a talk before Gullane and Dirleton History Society – a terrific group (annual membership is… Read More ›
Digitally remastering Dundas
Henry Dundas, the first Viscount Melville, has left us with a problem. Not so much his statue – perched 150 feet above St Andrew Square in Edinburgh he is already out of sight with only defecating pigeons for company. It’s… Read More ›
Coughs and Sneezes
Whoever thought it up deserves a medal. Few catchphrases last a century and still resonate with the public. “Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases” originated in the 1918 influenza pandemic to support a US Public Health Service campaign. It was tagged… Read More ›
Surviving Father’s Day
Fathers Day looms – June 16 so time for reflection on contributions dads make. OK, so maybe they don’t get things right that often. But sometimes they do. Germany celebrates earlier – May 30 with Vatertag. This set me thinking…. Read More ›
Flight of the Condor over the Forth
It was the moment the Spanish Civil War came to Scotland – eight months after it had ended in Spain. October 16, 1939 saw the first Nazi air raid over Britain to bomb ships in the Firth of Forth. Many… Read More ›
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