Author Archives: allennz

Cartoon of the Week

Posted on January 16, 2018 by allennz

What a difference 138 years doesn’t make!

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A Street named….

Posted on January 16, 2018 by allennz

The names of the streets that surround where I live in Devonport, in Auckland, reflect the area’s Victorian heritage. Running through the centre is Victoria Road which turns predictably into Albert Road. A popular place to live, and an equally … Continue reading →

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Darwin was wrong

Posted on October 20, 2017 by allennz

It sometimes seems that whether a person who was well known in their lifetime remains famous or becomes a footnote of history is a matter of luck. Victorians might be surprised by many of those who have survived history (and … Continue reading →

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Victorian Vegetarianism

Posted on September 30, 2017 by allennz

In the 19th century, vegetarianism was linked to a much more radical agenda which incorporated not just health issues but moral, spiritual and political agendas. In the UK the Vegetarian Society was set up in the 1840s and while the … Continue reading →

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Book of the Month

Posted on September 9, 2017 by allennz

I need to declare a conflict of interest here. Chapter 11 is by me: Agitate, Educate and Organize: Radical Networks in New York in the early 1880s. Featured is the founding footnote of this blog – John De Morgan – … Continue reading →

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Captain Cook and Doctor Priestley: A Library Tale for Our Times

Posted on September 9, 2017 by allennz

Originally posted on The Secret Library | Leeds Libraries Heritage Blog:
Heritage volunteer Tony Scaife imagines a secret meeting of great minds in 18th century Leeds… Having borrowed a copy of Peter Whitley’s Lord North: The Prime Minister Who Lost America from…

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Cartoon of the week

Posted on September 2, 2017 by allennz

This is one of a curious set of cartoons done in 1852 by Charles Heaphy, relating to New Zealand’s gold rush. Heaphy (1820-1881) was an English-born New Zealand explorer and first soldier of the New Zealand armed forces to be … Continue reading →

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Something completely different

Posted on September 1, 2017 by allennz

This is from the collection “Illustrations from the Lights of Canopus” (1847) which can be found at the wondrous Public Domain Review website: http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/illustrations-from-the-lights-of-canopus-1847/ The Anvār-i Suhaylī or Lights of Canopus — commonly known as the Fables of Bidpai in … Continue reading →

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Book of the month

Posted on August 19, 2017 by allennz

This excellent piece of historical detective work shows that 19th century scoundrels are an international phenomenon. Thomas Guthrie Carr – who “lied, fought and sleazed his way around Australia and New Zealand between 1865 and 1886” – lived on the … Continue reading →

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History rhyming again?

Posted on August 19, 2017 by allennz

An 1896 Judge magazine cartoon which has William Jennings Bryan- a Presidential candidate – and the Populist Party swallowing  up the mule representing the Democratic party. A reminder that Populism can take many forms, across the political spectrum, and emerges … Continue reading →

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