Wrote a blog post about my great-grandfather’s archive: open.substack.com/pub/leifhamm...

A delightful sight! I had a mountain hare outside my museum window today. A good start to my morning

Lots of editing done. Baked an apple cake. Cooked dinner for my dad and I. Today’s been a good day

Found a drawer at my museum full of unprocessed photographs, like this one. Currently fuming at whoever threw photos and negatives in there. Some were in regular envelopes (no markings), and some were strewn about loosely. (1/2)

I was referred to a specialist due to worsening tinnitus. The good news is it’s stress-related, as there’s nothing physically wrong with my ears. In fact, apparently, I have excellent hearing. So if I can’t make out what you’re saying, you’re probably just mumbling (take that from a fellow mumbler)

A few of my friends and I have been playing Call of Cthulhu together for years. My first character in this TTRPG got out of many scrapes on our adventures, but tonight she didn’t make it while bravely fighting monsters. Sad but also excited to create a new character for our campaign

Beautiful Magdalen, as seen from Addison’s Walk

Our December issue also contains a full range of book reviews - browse them here: academic.oup.com/ehr/issue?lo...

Doing a bit of editing in the nice weather

At Cocoa Cinnamon, my favourite coffee shop in Durham, NC

Just started this book. A topic I know very little about. Fascinating so far!

I second this, a truly well-deserved prize. Lyndal is a wonderful and inspiring historian. She's also kind, generous, and supportive. She made my time at Oxford—and that of so many others I'm lucky to call friends—all the better for it

Today’s my birthday! The Ides of March. I’ve officially entered my 30s 😊

What’s the world coming to, eh? Spotted at a restaurant in Raleigh, NC

A blog post about a conference I went to in Ireland in January: open.substack.com/pub/leifhamm... I kind of just write these to keep friends posted and to create a record for myself

Bonfire after Duke beat UNC in last night’s basketball game

A small bird grazed the side of my head last night. Think it was resting in the wreath my wife placed outside the door. It must have gotten a fright when I unlocked the door—well, in the dark, we both got a fright

Saw the Grand Canyon today

Exploring Arizona 🏜️

Had a good flight to the US. Did some editing on my iPad, and finally started reading Alice Loxton’s “Uproar! Satire, scandal and printmakers in Georgian London”

Gorgeous views while flying over Greenland

On Thursday, I had the pleasure of giving a talk to the local history society about King Christian VII (1749–1808) of Denmark-Norway, focusing on madness, enlightenment, and absolutism. It was fun!

I've changed settings many times, and yet Word continues to make life difficult. Anytime I create a new document, Word assumes I'm writing in Norwegian. Anytime I create a footnote, it assumes it's in Norwegian and automatically formats my quotation marks as guillemets… Infuriating

Off to a great start. I poured water into the electric coffee grinder instead of coffee beans…

The sun returned to the Arctic a couple of weeks ago. The sunlight makes such a difference!

Among the myriad things I'm currently working on, I'm also writing a short talk for the local history society that I'll give next week

Got an email that my article's been accepted for publication!

Lihkku beivviin! Today (6 Feb) is the Sámi National Day. I've written a short piece on Sámi history in my hometown. At the moment, only available in Norwegian, but I'll try to post an English translation on my blog kystmuseene.no/berlevag/sam...

My in laws got me a three-month coffee subscription for Christmas. The first bag arrived with no issues. It's now 4 Feb and I'm still waiting for my Jan bag… It's not an issue with the roastery, they dropped off the parcel on 12 Jan but the mail never processed the bag 1/2

Instead of, you know, improving their service, Norwegian mail Posten has launched a rewards scheme. You can now gather points for receiving/sending parcels. If I gather 290 points I get a free hot beverage at Narvesen… The key is to distract people, I guess

Spectacular colours!

The Polar Night (mørketid) is gradually ending. The sun finally draws closer, and with it hope

Saw the Book of Kells and Trinity College Dublin. Always a lot of fun to see different universities as a university historian!

Had a great time visiting Marsh’s Library today in Dublin. Trinity College and the Book of Kells tomorrow!

Attending a great conference on early modern university courts in Limerick, Ireland! Met some lovely people and happy that my paper on nocturnal activities at universities was very well received

Big pile of snow

Writing is a messy process. I personally think that it just is. I *have* to write to find out what I want to say and how I want to say it. Attempts at rigid planning tend to dissolve into chaos during the writing process. I hate the (much-needed) clean up, but hey, it is what it is

New addition to my personal collection. Copenhagen professor Jacob Baden’s (1735–1804) journal about the capital’s university (which ran from 1793 to 1801)

That feeling when you've worked hard for something and it's all for nothing

In Norway, you can now buy, for a limited time only, spreadable Brie on a tube (With apologies to my French friends)

Informative and intriguing lecture by @heatherlwellis.bsky.social yesterday on the history of the School Meals Service in Britain @royalhistsoc.org

Nobody tells you how badly you’re gonna scratch up your wedding ring

Stargate SG-1 was just so good. Haven't watched it in years and I think I might rewatch the entire series

Sitting like a shrimp at my desk editing this massive document

Read my review of Johan Östling's recent book on university history. It's a shame his book's only available in Swedish, but I've tried to give a summary on this excellent intro to university history

Leif Hammer @leifhammer.bsky.social reviews 'Kunskapens stora hus: Huvudlinjer i universitetets historia', by Johan Östling @johanostling.bsky.social academic.oup.com/ehr/advance-...

We polished the stone as well

Today a school group and I polished one of the northernmost (and little known) Stolpersteine in the world to remember Phillip Philipson who was deported to and killed in Auschwitz. And I taught them about Norwegian Jews, antisemitism, and the Holocaust open.substack.com/pub/leifhamm...