iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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VictorianLondon @victorianlondon.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

(I jest. She went by 'ass driver' ...

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Help, I can't breathe 😆🥊

LADY BOXERS. Lady boxers are not new. A challenge to fight and an acceptance between lady boxers appeared in ‘‘The Daily Post' as far back as 1728. The advertisements are too long to quote in full, but the challenge was issued by ‘‘Ann Field, of Stroke-Newington, ass-driver,” to Mrs ‘Stokes, styled the English Championess, “to a trial of the best skill in boxing, for 10 pounds, fair rise or fall.”” Mrs Stokes acoepted the challenge, none too politely, it must be said. She referred to ‘‘the famous Stoke-Newington ass-woman,”’ and went on to say ‘‘the blows which I will present her will be more difficult to digest than she ever gave her ass." Perhaps some sporting enthusiast will be able to tell us result of this encounter.

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History Today @historytoday.com · 06/10/2026

Surgeons trying to eliminate pain eventually arrived at anaesthesia – but not before a contest with older, more unusual therapies. Why was mesmerism so magnetic? ⌛️ Last chance to read this article for free buff.ly/uQ8IWEA

buff.ly

Mesmerism: Pain Management before Anaesthetics

Surgeons trying to eliminate pain eventually arrived at anaesthesia – but not before a contest with older, more unusual therapies. Why was mesmerism so magnetic?

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Institute of Historical Research @ihr.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Have you recently started your PhD in history and/or a related discipline? Would you like to hear more about the incredible resources the IHR has to offer history students in the heart of Bloomsbury? Join us on 7 Oct! www.history.ac.uk/news-events/... @royalhistsoc.org @ihrhistorylab.bsky.social

history.ac.uk

IHR Workshop for New Research Students in History | 2026

IHR Research Training

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Dr Gillian Williamson @georgianfun.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

We currently own a building site that will be our home by the end of the year and the tv licensing authorities cannot believe that an address with no tv is a possibility. Their letters are increasingly frantic and threatening.

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Dr Nazlin Bhimani @nazlinbhimani.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Some good news – a new library! Shakespeare’s Globe has opened a new public library and archive holding more than 6,000 books, original texts, recordings of productions and other treasures from the theatre’s history. www.thebookseller.com/news/shakesp... #Shakespeare #TheatreHistory #Renaissance

thebookseller.com

Shakespeare library and archive containing 6,000 books opens under the Globe theatre

The theatre has opened its newly renovated research and collection centre, which features London’s only publicly accessible dedicated Shakespeare library and archive

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Dr Gillian Williamson @georgianfun.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

So do non-Anglophone countries not make any tv worth watching? Don’t answer that my American friends …

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patersonjoseph.bsky.social @patersonjoseph.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

🌟Hello, folks - Back on the road with my new book of short stories TEN CHILDREN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD. Age 7-11 but I know older readers appreciate hearing it, too. Looking forward to seeing some of you in the beautiful #CityofBath on Sunday, 27th Sept '26. 🌟 www.bathboxoffice.org.uk/whats-on/mee...

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Dr Gillian Williamson @georgianfun.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I hope you’ll post photos of this regularly 👌

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BSECS @bsecs.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

***BREAKING NEWS*** We have extended the deadline on our #CFP by 5 days to give those of you that missed our early deadline another chance! New deadline: 20 September 2026 Get writing! #skystorians #18thC 🗃️ www.bsecs.org.uk/conferences/...

bsecs.org.uk

BSECS Annual Conference

BSECS Annual Conference: the annual meeting of the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies is Europe's largest and most prestigious annual conference

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BSECS @bsecs.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

**The Georgian Group Dunscombe-Colt Bursary** #BSECS & the Georgian Group are offering a NEW bursary for #PGR & #ECR speaking on the architecture or material culture of the long #18thC at the BSECS annual conference. #skystorians 🗃️ Details can be found at: www.bsecs.org.uk/prizes-and-a...

bsecs.org.uk

Prizes and awards Archive - BSECS

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Adam Chapman @adamchapman.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

This is a very interesting new resource, The Register of British Slave-Traders. 'The Register focusses on the individuals who sought to profit from the enslavement of over 3 million African men, women, and children, whose identity was – for the most part – erased from the historical record.' 🗃️

britishslavetraders.org

The Register of British Slave-Traders

The Register of British Slave-traders compiles and presents information on all known slave-traders in Britain who invested in the trafficking of captive Africans from 1563 to 1807.

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Caitlin G. DeAngelis @caitlindeangelis.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Some of you who are excited about the Bayeux Tapestry might be interested in the Châle de Ravensbrück, an embroidered scarf made by a nun named Mère Marie who died in the concentration camp in 1945. www.pagesorthodoxes.net/mere-marie-r...

detail of a green shawl embriodered in many colors of thread, showing soldiers on foot and on horseback, with the words, ""Fiercely they fought the brave invaders for the filthy devils were doomed to death — meanwhile rejoiced the peacefull folk."

detail of a green embroidered shawl labeled "Le Châle de Ravensbrück" showing ships on the ocean, battles, and a fortification in the center

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IHR Society, Culture & Belief, 1500-1800 @ihrscb.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

We're on the lookout for some PhD students who would like to give a Lightning Talk at our seminar on 12 November! Open to early modernists working on any geography, talks are 3-5 minutes! Get in touch via BlueSky or email tmt29@cam.ac.uk with a short summary of PhD and bio by 12 October! ✨🥳

Poster on Lightning talks:

PhD Lightning Talks: Society, Culture, and Belief Seminar, 1500-1800, Institute of Historical Research. Deadline: 12 October, Event: Thursday 12 November, 5.30 pm

The Society, Culture, and Belief Seminar is inviting applications for lightning talks from PhD students on their research. We ask that these talks be 3-5 minutes. This is a fantastic opportunity to talk through your research with a broader audience of fellow students and more seasoned academics, as well as test out some ideas in a comfortable and welcoming environment. The talks will be followed by a brief Q&A session.

The seminar was founded in 1979, hosting papers on themes ranging from witchcraft and piracy to early modern medicine and urban religious practices. We look to create an open and welcoming atmosphere and are always excited to hear a broad range of papers and geographies.

The event will take place on Thursday 12 November 2026, from 5.30 pm onwards. For those presenting in-person, we typically continue the conversation after the seminar over drinks or dinner. We’re open to applications from students working on any geographical region between 1500-1800.

If you would like to participate, please email: tmt29@cam.ac.uk by 12 October 2026 with a 300-word thesis summary and a brief bio. If you would like to attend the seminar, do keep an eye out on our webpage (very soon to be updated with our events for this term) or you can always follow us on Bluesky @ihrscb.bsky.social. We tend to meet on Thursdays during term time at 5.30 pm — all are welcome!

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BSECS @bsecs.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

DON'T FORGET that our #CFP for #BSECS2027 closes TOMORROW. Submit your abstracts on the conference theme of 'Authenticity & Artifice' or on any other subject relating to the #18thC here: www.bsecs.org.uk/conferences/... #skystorians 🗃️

bsecs.org.uk

BSECS - Submit a Proposal

Submit a Proposal. BSECS welcomes proposals for the Annual Conference. The deadline for submission of papers and panel proposals is usually November.

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Brodie Waddell @brodiewaddell.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Nov 12th - PhD Lighting Talks at @ihrscb.bsky.social! A chance to introduce your PhD project in 3-5 minutes on any aspect of society, culture or belief, 1500-1800. Organised by @teaphaine.bsky.social and @annajpravdica.bsky.social. Email abstract to tmt29@cam.ac.uk by Oct 12th. #EarlyModern 🗃️

If you would like to attend the seminar, do keep an eye out on our webpage (very soon to be updated with our events for this term) or you can always follow us on Bluesky @ihrscb.bsky.social. We tend to meet on Thursdays during term time at 5.30 pm — all are welcome!

PhD Lightning Talks
Deadline: 12 October, Event: 12 November

The Society, Culture, and Belief Seminar is inviting applications for lightning talks from PhD students on their research. We ask that these talks be 3-5 minutes. This is a fantastic opportunity to talk through your research with a broader audience of fellow students and more seasoned academics, as well as test out some ideas in a comfortable and welcoming environment. The talks will be followed by a brief Q&A session.The event will take place on Thursday, 12 November, 2026, from 5.30 pm onwards. For those presenting in person, we typically continue the conversation after the seminar over drinks or dinner. We’re open to applications from students working on any geographical region between 1500-1800.If you would like to participate, please email: tmt29@cam.ac.uk by 12 October 2026 with a 300-word thesis summary and a brief bio.

Society, Culture & Belief, 1500 – 1800

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Dr Gillian Williamson @georgianfun.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Look what arrive in the post today!

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Hallie Rubenhold @hallierubenhold.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

RIP Annie Chapman.

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Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 08/09/2026

Very pleased @royalhistsoc.org will be there at this annual introduction to @ihr.bsky.social and the many supports and community it offers to those beginning a PhD in #History #Skystorians

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Dr Gillian Williamson @georgianfun.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

That should of course say 18th century

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Dr Gillian Williamson @georgianfun.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Back in the 17th century blokes sent this sort of stuff to the Gentleman’s Magazine. Perhaps it’s just the medium that has changed

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Dr Gillian Williamson @georgianfun.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

I was a Cambridge undergraduate 1978-81 and at the time on the margins of university Right. None of this surprises me. There is a continuity of right wing ‘grooming’ by academics made easier due to the collegiate and residential nature of the university. What is new is vast pots of American money

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BSECS @bsecs.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Today’s workshop at our PG/ECR conference — challenges and opportunities in international research!

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BSECS @bsecs.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Starting our PG/ECR conference today with discussion of plants and natural histories!

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BSECS @bsecs.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

We have INCREASED the value of 2 of our awards! The BSECS-Bodleian Fellowship is now worth £2,000, & the BSECS-Georgian Papers Fellowship is now £1,250. The deadline is the 1 February 2027. #18thC #skystorians #PGR #ECR Details of all our awards available here: www.bsecs.org.uk/prizes-and-a...

bsecs.org.uk

Prizes and awards Archive - BSECS

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BSECS @bsecs.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Submissions for #BSECS2027 close on the 15 September this year. Yes, this is earlier than usual... This year's theme is 'Artifice and Authenticity' but (as always) we welcome proposals on any #18thC topic. GET WRITING #skystorians 🗃️ See our Website for details: www.bsecs.org.uk/conferences/...

bsecs.org.uk

BSECS Annual Conference

BSECS Annual Conference: the annual meeting of the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies is Europe's largest and most prestigious annual conference

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The Architectural Heritage Fund @archhfund.org.uk · 02/09/2026

In the 1970s, Clevedon Pier – once hailed as ‘the most beautiful pier in England’ – faced demolition. But, after years of campaigning, planning & fundraising, the Grade I Pier was restored & reopened. Today, it welcomes over 100,000 visitors a year. 👇 ahfund.org.uk/anniversary/... #AHF50

A historic photograph of Clevedon Pier. Credit: Clevedon Pier and Heritage Trust.

Clevedon Pier after its reopening. Credit: Clevedon Pier and Heritage Trust.

Clevedon Pier today. Credit: Clevedon Pier and Heritage Trust.

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BSECS @bsecs.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Our PG/ECR conference in collaboration with @sfeds-bs.bsky.social @doctorants1718.bsky.social kicks off tomorrow in Montpellier! Very excited to welcome our delegates soon.

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Save the date: The British History in the Long 18th Century Seminar returns on 7 October, with Miles Ogborn (QMUL) speaking on 'Law, Violence and Empire: Understanding the Jamaican Uprising Trials of 1832'. We're in person at the IHR and online on Zoom. Free registration opens soon. #Skystorians

history.ac.uk

British History in the Long 18th Century

Supported by Mark Storey and Carey Karmel, in memory of Arthur Burns

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Dr Gillian Williamson @georgianfun.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

My tip as a parent who’s been there x3: buy it all from Poundland because every single item will be wrecked after three years

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Elise Watson @ewatson.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

#earlymodern #bookhistory Workshop Call for Papers: Women’s Professional Networks in the Early Modern Book Trade, University of Edinburgh 6-7 May 2027 Please feel free to share with anyone who might be interested!

Call for Papers
Women’s Professional Networks in the Early Modern Book Trade
University of Edinburgh
6-7 May 2027

Over the past two decades, women’s book history and feminist bibliography have exploded with renewed interest. Even so, women’s work is still to an extent seen as an exception or curiosity. It examines them from a gender history perspective, asking to what extent their relationships were influenced or determined by constructions of femininity. Proposals should therefore involve a dimension of gender analysis beyond simply the inclusion of female subjects.

This conference will seek to explore (but is not limited to) to the following themes and questions:

*Gendered Networks. To what extent were professional book trade networks gendered? How did these networks intersect with other types of women’s networks, whether they be familial, friendly, religious, political, or intellectual?
*Identity and Representation. Did women express professional solidarity with other women, and how did this manifest? How did women’s self-representation in imprints and paratext differ from men’s?
*Legal and Structural Considerations. In what ways were women’s professional networks dependent on legal structures of inheritance in their region, or participation in guilds? How did these networks stretch across economic and class divisions?
*Digital Approaches. Can digital humanities tools such as network visualisation effectively help document these relationships?

The conference will also host the launch of a new collaborative database sourcing biographical information about women in the early modern book trade.

Contributions will be published in a volume of conference proceedings, to be submitted by the end of 2027.

Proposals for papers of maximum 20 minutes, including title, an abstract of up to 300 words, and a biography of up to 150 words should be sent to Dr Elise Watson, elise.watson@ed.ac.uk, by 20 December 2026. While all papers will be delivered in person, virtual attendance will be available as well.

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The Georgian Lords @georgianlords.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

A reminder that @histparl.bsky.social will be co-hosting a workshop investigating the history of Westminster Hall in the Jubilee Rooms on 17 September. There are still a few places available, so do contact Dr Robin Eagles if you would be interested in attending. Further details in the post below.

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Dr Gillian Williamson @georgianfun.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Just stayed in the most disgusting Airbnb in Edinburgh complete with mice infestation. And what’s more we discovered it was refused a licence as the owner is not a fit and proper person. So not even legal.

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Dr Gillian Williamson @georgianfun.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

T**t or worse I’ve spent the summer as a pedestrian with small grandchildren in central London and this is corrosive bullying and dangerous behaviour

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Dr Gillian Williamson @georgianfun.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... As one of her constituents I wonder whether, while she has her pen in her hand, she could reply to the letter I sent her over a year ago. I’ve never even had a holding response.

bbc.co.uk

Kemi Badenoch pens letter to Clacton voters ahead of by-election

The Tories are not standing in next week's election, triggered by Nigel Farage's resignation.

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Dr Adam James Smith @elementaladam.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Come and see Professor Matthew McCormack at the York Georgian Festival next week! SHOES & THE GEORGIAN MAN Monday 10th August 1.30pm, York Mansion House Book tickets: www.mansionhouseyork.com/york-georgia... @historymatt.bsky.social #18C #18thC @bsecs.bsky.social

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Miasma @itsthemiasma.eurosky.social · 31/07/2026

🚨

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Grace Murray @mazinggrace.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

It’s the last day of my Huntington Library fellowship today, during which I’ve been on the hunt for imaginative readers of #earlymodern instruction & recipe books 👀 It’s been such a wonderful place to read and write over the summer, especially about plant knowledge!

Hand-coloured image of a rose in the 1633 edition of Gerard’s herbal at the Huntington

Printer’s device (1610) of a Pegasus annotated with the word ‘hors[e]

Statue of Diana outside the American gallery

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Andy Marshall @fotofacade.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

A glimpse of the early C16th Number 1 Myddylton Place, Saffron Walden, where history is written into the walls. Look closely for the 👻 ghost of a medieval shopfront hidden in plain sight—a time capsule revealing secrets from centuries ago.

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New-Cleckit Dominie @ncdominie.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

This is just to say I have OCRed the text thet was in tne arch:ve and whicb yov were prabaldy seamhing for "breahtast" Fargme ms fheg mem debo:w5 sb ?mccf mmb 5c oc1b

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Reminder that the deadline for Birkbeck's Access to Postgraduate Study Scholarships is 31 July. A great scheme for studying on a master's degree programme at an ace institution. Wide range of eligibility criteria (see next post). Do encourage eligible applicants (or apply yourself). 1/2

bbk.ac.uk

Birkbeck Access to Postgraduate Study Scholarship - Birkbeck, University of London

The Birkbeck Access to Postgraduate Study Scholarships offer funding towards tuition fees for full-time and part-time taught postgraduate courses.

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Dr Gillian Williamson @georgianfun.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

I know! I’m aiming not at you (never!) but at critics of the Nolan film who can’t seem to move beyond their public school take on Classics

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Dr Gillian Williamson @georgianfun.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

And only the fullness of time will tell whether the Nolan version is itself a ‘classic’ film

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Dr Gillian Williamson @georgianfun.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

It’s a film, not an O level Classics exam

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