How often do you search for your keys or your cell phone in your purse, only to find all the things you really don't need? Or look for that pesky tool everywhere only to find it after you've bought a replacement already. World, meet the chatelaine, the most useful and beautiful utility belt for Victorian women. I sincerely hope this year is the year that these come back. According to MentalFloss and chatelaine historian Monica F. Cohen, the word "chatelaine" itself is derived from the medieval word for a castellan, or a keeper of the castle or chateau who wo[...]
Tag
history
4 This story happens by lamplight, under a copse of trees and at the top of a steep hill, predictably under the cover of night when only the most nefarious deeds are done. It's October and the ground is frosted, but there are men at work with spades and shovels, digging into the soil with some ardour, awaiting that telltale sound of metal striking a coffin. If you've ever dug up a grave yourself, I'm certain you'd know it: the timber of the strike changes as the wood buckles, and then splinters. It's an extra bit of give beneath the tool -- the result of the grav[...]
It’s Bat Fest this weekend in Austin, Texas. Austinites celebrate everything by having a music festival, and last night’s 10th Annual Bat Fest got both the locals and plenty of visitors out for the musical attractions. However, the main event was not the bands, or the costumes, or an excuse to party in the street. The real show happened at sundown-- when the bats came out. Flashback, August, 1980: A new ribbon-cutting ceremony has just reopened the Congress Avenue bridge over Town Lake. For the last six years, the bridge has been closed because of damage. Bu[...]
