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  • In pictures

Pepys and the plague

Through its long history, London has survived some enormous epidemics. During the 1665 Great Plague of London, the city burned, shops closed, the streets emptied and bodies piled up. Read Samuel Pepys’s account of how the city pulled through.

  • Article

Diagnosing the past

Historical texts rarely supply enough detail for a definitive diagnosis, so medical historians need to proceed with caution.

  • Long read

Our complicated love affair with light

Sunlight is essential, but our relationship with artificial light is less clear cut. It expands what’s possible; it also obscures and polices. In this long read, Lauren Collee pits light against night, and reveals the shady places in between.

  • Article

Chasing spring

Isabella Kaminski reflects on a transformative journey that saw her cycle the length of the UK, tracking the first signs of spring. She explores what the changing seasons can tell us about ourselves and the climate crisis.

All stories (31)

Images

  • Trinity School, Reading: with a floor plan. Wood engraving by Laing after B. Sly after J. Billing.
  • Huntley & Palmers biscuits : produced as an export showcard for our esteemed customer / Huntley & Palmers Ltd.
  • Huntley & Palmers biscuits : produced as an export showcard for our esteemed customer / Huntley & Palmers Ltd.
  • Huntley & Palmers breakfast biscuits : the latest product in scientific baking : crisp, unsweetened, nutritious, digestive : better than toast or bread.
  • The British Museum: the Additional Library, in the north wing of the museum, looking from west to east towards the reading rooms. Engraving by Radclyffe after L. Jewitt.
  • The Royal Institution, Albemarle Street: the library. Coloured aquatint by J. C. Stadler, 1800, after A. C. Pugin and T. Rowlandson.
  • A sheet with the materials, tools and diagrams for weaving? a braille pad. Line engraving.
  • The British Museum: the interior of the reading room, in use. Wood engraving by G. F. Sargent.
  • School of the London Society for Teaching the Blind to Read, Avenue Road, London: seen from the road. Coloured lithograph by E. T. Dolby after H. E. Kendall, 1838.
  • A London hair-dresser's shop: a barber shaves a man; a young woman who is having her hair cut recognizes another customer; and a man who rents the upper part reads the Sunday newspaper. Etching by Phiz (Hablot K. Browne).
All images (52)

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