Category Archives: USA

The First Private Asylum

Posted on May 15, 2017 by

Snippets 117. Exactly two hundred years ago today, the first ever private mental health hospital in the USA was opened, in Philadelphia, The Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason. According to Robert Waln, … Continue reading →

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Votes for Women

Posted on May 1, 2017 by

Snippets 115. In the previous snippet we looked at a quote from Jonathan and His Continent by Max O’Rell. Although he is one of my favourite ‘forgotten’ authors, a travel writer whose books are funny and readable, despite now all … Continue reading →

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Marrying for Money

Posted on April 24, 2017 by

Snippets 114. One of my favourite ‘forgotten’ authors is Max O’Rell, a travel writer whose books are funny and readable, despite now all being well over 100 years old. His 1889 book, Jonathan and his Continent, tackled the subject of … Continue reading →

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Champion of the Rapids

Posted on February 27, 2017 by

Snippets 106.  Charles Richard Weld (1813-1869) was assistant secretary and librarian to the Royal Society, and is best known for his history of the society, published in 1848. Between 1850 and 1867 he wrote a series of travel journals, one … Continue reading →

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The Psychic Traveller

Posted on February 9, 2017 by

Creepy History 24. For the last couple of “Creepy History” articles we have been looking at the supernatural experiences of Bayard Taylor. They are merely a footnote in the life of this prolific traveller and adventurer, collected together in a … Continue reading →

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Spirits in the Sky

Posted on January 26, 2017 by

Creepy History 22. Bayard Taylor was a successful American poet, who used his earnings from his poetry to fund travels in Europe in the late 1840s. He wrote about his experiences, and his articles were published in the Tribune, the … Continue reading →

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The First Canadian Snows

Posted on December 1, 2016 by

Christmas History 25.  It’s that time of year again!  Last year I wrote 24 Christmas History articles for Windows into History, and if you would like to view those please click on the Contents link in the menu bar above, … Continue reading →

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