Historical Hussies

In doing research for my latest novel, I ran across some interesting information about the history of gambling, a sport that has endured th...

As writers, we’ve all either entered contests or been tempted to. Most contests have an entry fee, and it’s sometimes difficult to justify t...

As a child growing up, on cold winter nights, I loved sitting close to the fire. I loved the warmth, the coziness, and sometimes we sat s...

19th Century Footwear For my current work-in-progress, I had to research nineteenth shoe fashions, and I learned that during the 1800s...

In ancient civilizations, women crushed colored stones and used them to decorate their faces and lips. Egyptians used a mixture of dye and...

Like most historical authors, I am always on the lookout for interesting sites (like the one you are presently on), where I can learn more ...

When thinking about the progress of technology, we think of iron and co pper-working, but gold was the first metal widely known and used. ...

In Medieval times, a servant or the woman of the house heated a stone or brick at the fireside, then wrapped it in cloths and carried it qui...

Makeup, in one form or another, has been used since before the dawn of Christianity. In ancient tombs, archaeologists have found evidence o...

Although men may have worn neckwear since ancient times, probably for warmth, the first neckwear is generally traced to the period of t...

A few weeks ago, I posted an article about writing implements, and to follow up on that, today I’m talking about paper—old and new. Paper ...

I’m fascinated by writing implements, especially older ones in museums. In researching exactly what tools Adam, the poet/musician in my h...

Women riders on horses, mules, and donkeys have been depicted through the ages, riding both astride and aside (sidesaddle). While the sid...

Hats, both men's and women's, have changed drastically throughout history. Men, of course, wore hats long before they ...

Jean de Joinville (John) is perhaps the most well-known of medieval chroniclers. Born to noble parents, John received his education at the c...

My current work in progress is set in Venice, and to stick with my subject, today I'm talking about shoes. And Oh what shoes! I saw a...

Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind, was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She attended Smith College, but dropped out when her mother ...

When crafting historical novels, a writer must first feel grounded in the period, and confidant with the setting and what the characters wea...