One gets the impression that Starmer would have sent troops for “defensive” roles in Vietnam. Thankfully we had Wilson instead.

As I'm attending a conference in Tübingen today, for #findsfriday an #IceAge masterpiece that is on display at the University museum: a tiny but most splendid figurine from the Swabian Jura - a #horse carved in mammoth ivory some 40,000 years ago - the oldest known sculpture of a horse. 📷me 🏺

The message from the right wing press this morning seems to be it’s undemocratic to vote the way you want, not the way they tell you. Mind you they’ve been saying this ever since Labour won.

A good candidate, a positive message and there's a large progressive vote out there. Hope Labour can learn from Gorton and Denton.

Portrait of a doge, c. 1460, by Gentile Bellini. Today is his day.

We are advertising 4 jobs at York for historians (1 year medieval, 2 years modern Britain and public history, 3 years modern China, and open ended modern Middle Eastern) features.york.ac.uk/history-jobs/

It's actually real now!

The Ladybird Adventures in History books by Lawrence Du Garde Peach. For many of us they sparked a love of history

Battle between monkeys and wildmen, or, an allegory of current politics. By the Master of Mary of Burgundy, from the Hours of Engelbert of Nassau, 1480.

Jailbreak: the blessed Ranieri frees the poor from a formidable Florentine prison. Painted in 1440 by Sassetta of Siena. It's his day today.

1924 Italian election vibes in the US.

A brilliant speech by Canada's Mark Carney in Davos: "The old order is not coming back. We should not mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy...The powerful have their power. But we have something too — the capacity to stop pretending, to name reality, to build our strength at home & to act together."

The Fight Between Good and Evil This amazing font of c.1140 at Eardisley (Herefordshire) presents two dramatic scenes carved with remarkable vigour:

Birkbeck is hiring a Lecturer in Medieval Studies (c.1300-1500), full-time and open-ended. They will be formally based in English but expected to be able to contribute about 0.5FTE to History, including teaching and supervision. Closing date Feb 23rd: cis7.bbk.ac.uk/vacancy/lect...

#happynewyear #ancientbluesky #archaaeology #history #romans Sometime around AD 100, somebody wrote to Flavius Cerialis, commander of the fort at Vindolanda, wishing him a happy New Year. open.substack.com/pub/jamescov...

The sun is spent, and now his flasks Send forth light squibs, no constant rays; The world's whole sap is sunk; The general balm th'hydroptic earth hath drunk, Whither, as to the bed's feet, life is shrunk, ---John Donne, A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy's Day #poetry #solstice #winter #literature

Laura The Witchfinder General Theatre of Blood

Christmas at San Nicolò dei Mendicoli, where _Don't Look Now_ was filmed.

Waiting for my bus in Venice. Luckily it has radar.

The guy at the liquor store gave him the lie. What else could he do but defend his honor.

The Center for Humanities Research at GMU is hosting a hybrid book talk for my monograph Civil Blood: Vendetta Violence and the Civic Elites in Early Modern Italy this upcoming Friday from noon-12:30. Register at this link: chr.gmu.edu/events/17595

Editing today. I would like to formally apologize to anyone I have ever spoken to about the number of times I say "and, so" #editing #podcastsky #podcaster #folkloring #folklore

Eleanora of Toledo in a glorious dress, with her son Giovanni de’ Medici. Painted in 1544, by Agnolo Bronzino. He was born OTD in 1503, in Florence.

Wonderful tribute to a teacher: young Sofonisba Anguissola paints herself being created by Bernardino Campi -- yet at same time, she is of course creating him! Today is her day.

🚨#History #envhist Job Alert: My Department is hiring an Assistant Professor in Environmental History. 🗃️ Come work with us at Warwick. You'll get both excellent colleagues and great students! See details below... And do not hesitate to spread the word... 👇👇👇 www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPK289/a...

It’s ironic but predictable that the BBC duo -who tried so hard to please the right wing papers-are removed by the right wing papers.

CFP: Gender, Violence and the Early Moderns Confirmed keynote speaker: @jddavies66.bsky.social Deadline: 20 December 2025 Conference: 22 May 2026, European University Institute, Florence all info: www.rensoc.org.uk/event/gender... #EarlyModern #SkyStorians

What did Pasolini know? Fifty years after his brutal murder, the director’s vision of fascism is more urgent than ever

A major US academic conference is offering a special info session with immigration attorney for int’l attendees. Sad it’s necessary and great they’re doing it. But it’s always been tough for some people (eg “Global South” scholars). So this should have always been happening.

Infinitely enigmatic Flagellation of Christ, c. 1455, by spatial genius Piero della Francesca. Today is his day.

Rest in Peace, Diane Keaton. Thank you for your work and for your many wonderful performances. My favorite was your role as Louise Bryant in "REDS" (1981). 🗃️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ur1...

A folklorist sees the modern far-right trigger motifs and reads it like a folk tale of distraction ... #vegans #tampons #toilets #NationalTrust. So simple. Don't be a sucker. See through it.

Read all about the history in THE FIREARM REVOLUTION, out in April 26 and now up for pre-order: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

Most glorious Annunciation ever. Yet Mary is clearly not convinced! Painted in 1333 by Simone Martini of Siena, whose day is today, with some help from Lippo Memmi.

Marc Bloch will be admitted to the Pantheon in Paris! The date for the "Panthéonisation" is set for 16 June 2026. Meanwhile, @sorbonneparis1.bsky.social has launched a website to keep track of the many conferences to celebrate the event. Some of them start this month. marcbloch.pantheonsorbonne.fr

Today is WORLD DAY OF FOLKLORE, which has been celebrated as a UNESCO initiative since 2018. This is the anniversary of the day in 1846 when antiquarian William Thoms first used the term ‘folk-lore’ as an alternative to the more cumbersome ‘popular antiquaries’ Happy World Folklore Day to you all!

#WyrdWednesday Spring-heeled Jack, the Terror of London, (and all of the UK) c. 1837-1904. He began as a devilish penny-dreadful villain, belching blue flame, clawing at victims, and making impossible leaps over walls and buildings. He later morphed into a heroic protector & avenger of wrongs.

For a moment a majority was for it. And at peak leave we voted bit.ly/45cjF6p Like every summit, all around it was only downside. “The greatest act of national self harm” as many have said from Geldof to Ian Kershaw to Heseltine.

Folk culture is everywhere in Britain. You just have to look for it www.bigissue.com/culture/folk...

‘For the Dead Remember: The Life of M. R. James’ will be published by Oxford University Press on 10 September 2026. Set your watches, mark your calendars, and spread the word!

Hello! It's no doubt partly due to my spectacularly poor marketing skillz, but sales of prints have been pretty woeful of late. So if you are after a gloomy antidote to all this pesky fine weather and sunshine etc, do have a gander. Reposts also much appreciated. sarahcoomershop.etsy.com

'Around the Rings of Saturn', a twenty minute film exploring the journey made through Norfolk and Suffolk in WG Sebald's 'The Rings Of Saturn', is now on Youtube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=hELn... Here's a short excerpt:

"why does restaurant food taste better than food cooked at home" The cook does not care if you live or die and uses salt and butter accordingly

The Picture of Cranes by Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song(960-1127) is a masterpiece of balance and grace. Twenty cranes, each uniquely posed—soaring, gliding, or skimming low—fill the sky with dynamic life, while the palace roof’s silhouette anchors the scene in quiet dignity. 1/2

Night of the Long Tweets.

AI, AI, AI ... Bombarded with it on platforms now. I can do my historical research without it thank you. I can understand general things without it. I can write without it. And you are not having my data.

Brown hares can currently be shot all-year round , despite an estimated decline of 80% in the last 100 years . Please sign the petition now calling on the Govt to introduce a close season from Feb – Sept . Thank you !

Wow, we are now being officially advised against travel to the USA by the Canadian Association of University Teachers. I never thought I'd see the day. ☹️ #AcademicChatter