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Ruth Brown

@baliscoe.bsky.social
331 followers 333 following 695 posts

Retired museum curator; wide interests- civic history; arms and armour; castles; Scotland; Yorkshire; Armourer and Brasier of London. But my bread and butter is historic cannon. Used to be Basiliscoe...

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Boydell & Brewer @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social · 23h
NEW: The Magnate Household in Medieval England, by Bridget Wells-Furby, is a radical reappraisal of lord-follower relations in the Middle Ages. Explore the research ➡️ buff.ly/7OyKGZ2
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Dr. Peter Paul Rubens @peterpaulrubens.bsky.social · 18h
Today’s artist without a (known) birthday: Jean Hey, aka the Master of Moulins. Here, Madeleine of Burgundy, who’s not looking all that pleased to be presented by Mary Magdalene in 1490.
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Laura Cleaver @laurajcleaver.bsky.social · 18h
This term’s Medieval Manuscripts Seminar schedule is now available. All sessions are hybrid so sign up to book a seat or get the link.👇📖 ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/seminars/…
ies.sas.ac.uk
Medieval Manuscripts Seminar
The seminar covers current research into the intellectual history of book production in the Middle Ages
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Dr. Peter Paul Rubens @peterpaulrubens.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
For more news of People Nobody Likes, here's the tax-collector as painted by Jan Massys. In my day you could also pay taxes in chickens and eggs.
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cbnewham @parishchurches.org · 08/10/2026
Military effigy, most likely of Sir Roger Woodlock of Braishfield. This effigy of the early 14th century is at Michelmersh, Hampshire. It is one of the best of its date in the county. Sir Roger rests his head on two pillows flanked by angels and his feet rest against a stag.
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The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
There is still time left to apply for the British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants. The scheme supports UK-based postdoctoral – or equivalent – researchers in pursuing primary research in the humanities and social sciences. Apply now: bit.ly/4iwQQtI
British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants, deadline of 4 November 2026. Independent scholars deadline 28 October 2026
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Registration link is now available for the 1st seminar of the 2026-27 season of the IHR's London Group of Historical Geographers. Join us to explore historical geographies of skill in the past. Free, hybrid in-person/online and open to the public. #Skystorians
history.ac.uk
Lines in pleasant places: the skill of butchery and the geography of the carcass
London Group of Historical Geographers
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Borthwick Institute for Archives @uoyborthwick.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
If you're looking for a seasonal wardrobe refresh, take inspiration from this 'Autumnal Walking Dress' from La Belle Assemblée magazine, October 1815. This very accurate recreation of the print was made by young Ann Reynolds of Heslington, York. No word on its practicality for muddy autumn walks...
Watercolour drawing of a woman seated on a chair dressed in a white dress, with a red spencer and a white hat and scarf.  The text beneath reads 'Autumnal Walking. DressHigh Dress of muslin, with a triple flounce of work or Lace, & frill to match.  Spencer of crimson silk - Hat of white moss silk, trimmed with white satin ribbon. blue kid Slippers & Gloves - a white silk French Scarf with a rich border, tied round the Neck.'
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Ruth Brown @baliscoe.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I used to enjoy choosing if it was a World Tonight or a Free Thinking evening- now they are both to be axed. What fresh hell is this?
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History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Best known for his atmospheric paintings of urban and coastal moonlit landscapes, this image by Leeds born John Atkinson Grimshaw is rather different. ‘Autumn Regrets’ was painted in 1882. The painting is in the collection of Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead.
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Alex Harvey @alexharvv.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Oh this can just fuck off An AI-'written' complete copy of my own book is now on Amazon; same title, more-or-less the same blurb, and exactly the same impetus. Reviewers of Amazon, I urge you to absolutely dive-bomb this plagiaristic piece of shit: www.amazon.co.uk/FORGOTTEN-VI...
A hollow copy of my book with a shit AI-generated cover
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AnnieSAnderson @anniescottarch.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
bsky.app/profile/chur...
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Ian Kikuchi @curatorian.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Wondering if I have any followers in #Iceland / #Ísland who might know where this church might be. A still from a film taken by a British military cameraman in August 1940. #filmcataloguing
A still from a piece of black and white archive film. A British soldier probably of the Lincolnshire Regiment, and with one arm in a sling inside his uniform, fraternises with a group of Icelandic civilians who may be on their way to or from a church in the background. IWM film AYY 33X
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Lucas Haasis @lhaasis.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
History inspires game development. This Thursday, John Beiner and I will share how the Prize Papers Project and the German Maritime Museum are helping Capstan Games bring maritime history to life in the game "Ahoy". Join our international workshop online! Link below. #earlymodern #maritimehistory
John Beiner and me standing in front of the main entrance of The National Archives, UK / First slide of our presentation, with a screenshot from the game in the background.
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Dr. Peter Paul Rubens @peterpaulrubens.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Life of Saint Catherine on the wall at San Clemente in Rome, painted in 1430 by Masolino da Panicale. Today is his day.
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History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
"The South Blockhouse was built on the orders of Henry VIII between 1541 and 1543 to protect the port, but was demolished in the 19th Century."https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm9dwdd0z7d5o
bbc.co.uk
Hull's Henry VIII castle attraction takes step forward
Survey work has started on the long-delayed attraction at the former South Blockhouse in Hull.
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British Library @britishlibrary.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Four exciting opportunities to co-supervise a PhD studentship with the Library We’re seeking proposals from academics who can bring their own expertise to four fascinating research projects exploring our collection and programme. Sound like you? Find out more and apply here link.bl.uk/9vj
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Medievalist.net @medievalists.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Medieval Fortifications Discovered at Polish Castle www.medievalists.net/2026/10/medi... #Poland #archaeology
medievalists.net
Medieval Fortifications Discovered at Polish Castle - Medievalists.net
Renovation work at Żupny Castle in Poland has uncovered stone fortifications believed to date from the 14th century.
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Samira Shackle @samirashackle.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Every year UK bomb disposal teams respond to an average of 2500 call outs. 2000 of those are related to unexploded munitions from WW2. My latest piece tells the story of two sizeable bombs found in a single day in Devon earlier this year www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
theguardian.com
‘It could knock a whole street down’: the art of defusing a second world war bomb
The long read: On 14 January this year, army and navy squads faced an unprecedented challenge: one bomb on a Plymouth building site, another floating on a dredger in Exmouth. That afternoon, the clock...
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Ruth Brown @baliscoe.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
And the original poster can't even get the right museum- it's the Imperial War Museum, not the Museum of London.
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Ruth Brown @baliscoe.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Well, Lord Ashcroft saved himself a lot of money on insurance policies by having them somewhere else, not to mention the increase in their sale value by being visible in a public collection.
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Victoria County History @vch-home.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
We're really excited to share updates on our exciting new projects in #Devon, #Dorset, #Kent , #Lincolnshire an #London in our latest blog with @ihr.bsky.social, part of our wonderful community of projects. Please take a look! #Skystorians
blog.history.ac.uk
Updates from the Victoria County History’s Five New Projects   - On History
This blog post was written by Dr Ruth Slatter and Dr Adam Chapman, Co-General Editors of the VCH.   Following the announcement of four new VCH projects in 2025, in this blog post Ruth Slatter and Adam...
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cbnewham @parishchurches.org · 06/10/2026
Version 3.2 of the Parish Churches app has been released. Available on Apple, Windows and Android. parishchurches.org/parishchurch...
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Marsh's Library @marshslibrary.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
In 1671, Friedrich Martens travelled to Svalbard and around Greenland as ship's surgeon on the 'Jonas im Walfisch' or 'Jonah in the Whale'. These engravings of a whale & fin whale are from the diary he kept, first published in 1675, where he recorded the area's flora, fauna & whaling industry.
Engraved plate from 'An Account of several late voyages & discoveries to the south and north ...' 1694, showing whale in profile, left and right, and also a fin whale in profile, with a harpoon on the extreme right
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cbnewham @parishchurches.org · 06/10/2026
Monumental brass of Sir William de Septvans (d.1323). A fine early brass at Chartham, Kent. His emblem is a winnowing-fan, a play on the family name. It is displayed on his shield and surcoat. The figure is 1.8 metres long.
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Support the National Trust by voting for Council members by 11:59pm on 30 October 2026. Quickvote is convenient if you're short of time or worried about inadvertently voting for Restore Trust's Bonigala, Cristea, Goldman, Mealing or Omrani. In our often bad times, the Trust's doing good things.
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Ruth Brown @baliscoe.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
it's not till 6- well past Brunch time, even in Barnet. We have a lot of smoking -related items in Armourers Hall- do we sell it off or wait for President Farage to make snuff fashionable again?
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Ruth Brown @baliscoe.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Spooky. Literally, as I am just trying to see how I can shoehorn the George into a Christmas Folk Horror story for a friend...
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cbnewham @parishchurches.org · 01/10/2026
Monument to Richard & Frances Beaumont (he d.1692) at Kirkheaton, Yorkshire West Riding. Two busts set against a marble curtain. Probably by John Nost.
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Ruth Brown @baliscoe.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Book launch of the Catalogue of the Arms and Armour at Armourers' Hall tomorrow, if you wanted to gate-crash...
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Ruth Brown @baliscoe.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
It was RSVP's father who was designate to look after Kay on her first dinner at the Hall. And we dressed V in armour for that year's Lord Mayors visit to Armourers Hall.
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Ruth Brown @baliscoe.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Too busy preparing our talks for this weekend! Did they find someone to elect as Lord Mayor in the end?
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Ruth Brown @baliscoe.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Considering the ongoing BM PR disaster, I am contemplating making my facsimile #BayeuxTapestry available at a modest £10 per head for a whole hour- no queues, free parking, medieval music background- you are the private party- and a complimentary glass of calvados. I think it could be a winner...
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Sharon Bennett Connolly @thehistorybits.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
It's Lincolnshire Day! And to celebrate, here's 10 - well, a few - things you may not know about Nicholaa de la Haye. Lincolnshire's very own heroine! #medievalsky @penandswordbooks.bsky.social @linccastleguide.bsky.social @lbishophisarch.bsky.social historytheinterestingbits.com/2023/07/22/1...
historytheinterestingbits.com
10 Facts about Nicholaa de la Haye that you may not know…
Tomb effigy of Nicholaa de la Haye, St Michael’s Church, Swaton As you may have noticed, Nicholaa de la Haye is a favourite of mine. She is the subject of my 5th book, King John’s Right Hand …
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The Met: Cloisters @metcloisters.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Icon with Saint Demetrios www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/se…
The Cloisters Collection, 1970
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The #OnlineArtExchange this week is all about autumn 🍂 Autumn Regrets by John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836–1893) from Shipley Art Gallery #Autumn #Art #BlueskyArt @artukdotorg.bsky.social
A woman in a long black dress and hat leans thoughtfully against a stone wall in an autumnal garden, with golden leaves on trees and scattered on the ground. A large building is visible in the hazy background.
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Paintings of London @paintingsoflondon.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
'The Tower of London' (1966) by Edward Bawden (The Ingram Collection of Modern British and Contemporary Art)
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Debbie Cameron @debsadelight.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
#WorldPostcardDay What a great excuse to post my blog about my husband’s Nan who left an album with 200 postcards dating from 1910 to 1919 with dozens from #WW1 and one from the Lusitania! historicalclues.blogspot.com/2022/01/post...
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Antiquity Journal @antiquity.ac.uk · 01/10/2026
Read the new research in Antiquity 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
doi.org
A major monastic centre? Rethinking Lismore’s place in the ecclesiastical landscapes of early medieval Britain | Antiquity | Cambridge Core
A major monastic centre? Rethinking Lismore’s place in the ecclesiastical landscapes of early medieval Britain - Volume 100 Issue 413
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Simon Knott @simonknott.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
It's the first day of a new month, so time for a monthly peek at the 12th Century Labours of the Months font at Burnham Deepdale, Norfolk. The October panel is second from the right and shows a man filling a barrel with wine or beer.
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Lost Glasgow @lostglasgow.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Just back in from a buckshee dinner at Sloan's in the Argyll Arcade/Morrison's Court, which has launched a new upstairs fine dining room, called 'The Merchants'; food/service/staff/ambience all en-point. Etching: Morrison's Court, early 1900s, by Glasgow-born artist Thomas Bonar Lyon (1873-1955)
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
'What the islanders discovered were extensive burial grounds, decorated stonework and early buildings – all the features belonging to a major sixth-century monastery, comparable to the much better known site of Iona a little to the south-west.'
theguardian.com
‘Hugely exciting’ finds on tiny Scottish island shed light on spread of Christianity
Community-funded archaeological excavations of ‘really important’ sixth-century monastery also rewrite story of Lismore
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Dr Nuits de Young @nuitsdeyoung.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Hi, am trying to track down 1984 BBC radio play 'Passings' by Ian Weir. Please let me know if you can help! I enjoyed it at the time & wd love to hear it again. @outonbluesix.bsky.social #Arthurian #KingArthur @arthurianajrnl.bsky.social #BBCRadioDrama
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The Scottish Record Society @scotrecsoc.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Help with #palaeography please! What is the contraction here? It is from a court case involving a heated argument in a craft meeting: '...and did that lay in him to have movit tham to [cu[ ]t] upoun him for his invasion gif that thaj had nocht bene better myndit...'
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📚 Dunblane's historic Leighton Library @leightonlibrary.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Visit Dunblane’s historic Leighton Library, Scotland’s oldest purpose-built independent library. 📅 Open Monday-Saturday 🕚 11am-4pm 🆓 Free admission (donations invited) #Scotland #ScotlandIsCalling #VisitScotland #ExploreScotland #ScotlandIsNow
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Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Author Simulator. My latest books cartoon for @theguardian.com
Title: Author Simulator 

Level 1: Get to desk and begin! (Platform video game-style image of an author jumping from a block onto  a cloud with desk and computer) Result: success!

Level 2: Press on despite distractions! (Author typing as the desk/clod moves past a ghost and a spider) ) Result: success!

Level 3: Deliver manuscript to editor! (Author jumping over fire pit onto platform where editor waits) Result: success!

Level 4: Accept minor criticism! (Author lying ded in fronto of editors desk) Result: better luck next time!

Along the bottom are controls for:
 Left right jump crouch read write nap coffee
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Rhoda Meek @wodieskodie.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
UK exercise lead explains why warships are sunk off Hebrides ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-exercise… #scothinews
ukdefencejournal.org.uk
UK exercise lead explains why warships are sunk off Hebrides
Lieutenant Commander Paul Atkins, UK lead project officer for Atlantic Thunder, said the sinking was a battle damage assessment as much as a demonstration. “We have US scientists that have placed loads of sensors all over the ship, including the UK have placed some sensors over there,” he said. “And as each of the weapons hit, we conduct the battle damage assessment.
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Prof Tracey Hill @tracelarkhall.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
It's rare to be able to put an identifiable image of a place in early modern London next to a textual reference to that place: the Nag's Head on Cheapside, 1613 and 1638
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Nigel Atter MSc PgCert BA(Hons) @nigatt59.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Memorial Museum Passendaele 1917 is excellent here’s a few photos from a recent visit
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Matt Gabriele @profgabriele.com · 29/09/2026
so DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD and THE UPRISING - colorless, brutal films - bombed in US theaters meanwhile, Phoebe Bridgers & Troye Sivan banged out fun medieval videos & my students are excited about the brand-new local Ren Fest as @tlecaque.bsky.social suggested, this the end of grim dark medievalism?
pca.st
September Medieval News with David M. Perry & Thomas Lecaque
Medieval in the neeeeeeews… This week we talk Bayeux Tapestry, the anti-LLM vibes in our classrooms, and how to ethically use technology in studying the past. Plus no one knows about “Game of…
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