Humphry Davy Nearly Died Laughing Surgery in the 18th Century was a brutal affair. Often the last resort treatment for severe wounds, surgery was undertaken in the 18th century only when death was likely as the act often resulted in infection and death anyway. What was needed, beyond an understanding of germ theory and clean …
Continue reading “Doctor Heal Thyself — 18th Century Medicine Gone Wrong”
In the world of Living History there are three distinct impressions people tend to assume when presenting people from the past. When we act as a third-person interpreter, we are just demonstrating what life was like at the time we are portraying. In third person interpretation, we openly acknowledge that this is the 21st Century …
We applaud George Washington for his decision to end his presidency after two terms. The peaceful transition of power is the hallmark of American History and with only one exception, every president has chosen to follow Washington’s lead. George Washington helped unify the new nation and was a leading force behind the ratification of the …
At the confluence of the Harlem and East Rivers is a narrow tidal channel – the Hell Gate. On the map, this looks like an ideal waterway between the Long Island Sound and Manhattan but Its fast currents change multiple times a day and it used to be riddled with rocks just beneath the surface …
Continue reading “National Treasure — Lost Gold at the Bottom of the Hell’s Gate”
So, I had this idea. I was going to add a third punch bowl to my tavern. I already have the two from David Wondrich which are very similar to those common in the late 18th and 19th Century. I wasn’t going to be picky; I just didn’t want to spend a huge sum of …
In the summer of 1775, George Washington and the fledgling Continental Army was unable to effectively lay siege to British-occupied Boston because the Royal Navy had a firm command of the sea-lanes and the harbor. All George Washington could do was observe the flow of enemy supplies into Boston harbor and wondered if intercepting a …
Early in January, 1778, David Bushnell, the inventor of the American Torpedo, and other submarine machinery, prepared a number of “infernals,” as the British termed them, and set them afloat in the Delaware River, a few miles above Philadelphia, in order to annoy the royal shipping, which at that time lay off that place at …
Continue reading “Beer Recipe: Battle of the Kegs — British Brown Ale”
Isaac Newton Stuck a Needle in His Own Eye Isaac Newton voluntarily stuck a needle in his eye in the name of science. The experiment was designed to test optics and color perception. He thought that if he slid a long needle behind his eyeball, between the eye and the eye socket, and started poking, his vision would …
Continue reading “Doctor Heal Thyself — 18th Century Medicine Gone Wrong”
Okay, I get it. Making a toast is a challenge. You must stand in front of the crowd, think on your feet and come up with something witty. It is fun but scary. Then there is the fact that some people choose not to drink – do we leave them out: of course not! But …
Continue reading “Be careful what you wish for: Toasting Superstitions”
Closing on a real estate deal is a lot of paperwork and promissory notes. Even if you pay “cash,” no one (except perhaps a mafia boss) will accept a suitcase filled with several hundred thousand dollars in cash. It’s just too easy to counterfeit. So, how did James Monroe and Robert Livingston, who concluded a …
Continue reading “How Did Americans Actually Transfer Money To France For The Louisiana Purchase?”
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 