Shaun

Sir John Ross, engraving, 1833. [My collection] He's looking very honest and friendly. #NavalHistory

War of 1812 Valentines by others, rated!

River Raisin National Battlefield Park Foundation: 4/10, an attempt was made.

Fort Malden National Historic Site: 9/10, nice aerial view, holiday spirit, funny message.

Well no wonder Canada won this war. 😩

The death of General Zebulon Pike, as a Valentine's Day card with the message "Our love is EXPLOSIVE! Happy Valentine's Day!"

USS Constitution vs. HMS Guerriere as a Valentine's Day card with the message, "Valentine you blow me away!"

The death of Sir Isaac Brock at the Battle of Queenston Heights as a Valentine's Day card with the message, "Valentine, you've got me right in the heart!"

Jumping on Bluesky to share my War of 1812 valentines for the special occasion! ❤️⚔️ Maybe don't send the Brock one to your Canadian friends.

"Trying hard to do the bluesky thing," they wrote in their biography, lying.

An illustration of "Jolly Old Christmas" from The Illustrated London News, December 21 1844. A Santa Claus-like figure wears a crown of holly studded with wine bottles and wine glasses. He holds a speckled round pudding garnished with a sprig of holly and drinks from a wine glass with a content expression. Children dance on his oversized hand, and an elf-like assistant helps to hold up the glass up.

The 2-litre pudding mould I have is SOOOO big, it doesn't even fit in my largest pot. I need to use a cloth to make one of those round puddings, like in 19th century illustrations. (Here's Jolly Old Christmas from the Illustrated London News, 1844).

A photograph of traditional Christmas Pudding on a blue willow pattern plate, on my (former) kitchen counter with a backdrop of cookbooks and small appliances.

I love my new job and apartment, but I don't love the tiny kitchen and I never make special recipes anymore. I found a pic of last year's Christmas pudding (my first attempt!) and I'm reminded that it's almost Stir-Up Sunday.

I don't get it. This sounds like a classic case of catching the wrong people in a blockchain. Thanks for introducing me to the Clearsky tool, however.

I thought much too hard about this. Anyway I am begging people to watch 'A Desert Between Us and Them'

10 shows to get to know me:

A Desert Between Us and Them (2013)
PBS Nova
Mr. Rogers’ factory visits (I still love these! www.misterrogers.org/articles/fac...)
The Simpsons
The Real Ghostbusters
The Last Place on Earth (1985)
Transformers
Steven Universe
Sharpe TV series
Hornblower TV series

I follow some Napoleonic people already, but I will definitely check out the starter packs! Between that and Canadian history, I will triangulate a course to the War of 1812. 🤞🏻

When I make super unwise sleep schedule decisions, one added bonus is seeing all of the British social media I follow. (When it's morning in Britain, I'm in trouble).

I'm aware of some of these tips and tricks, but not all of them, so I'm saving this for future reference. Bluesky definitely feels a lot like "classic twitter" in terms of how easy it is to curate and filter your feed.

I really like the starter packs, I've followed a few military history ones.

A starter pack for Canadian military #history. It’s a small list but it can always grow bigger.

And if you’d like to be added or removed, let me know.

go.bsky.app/CF3nF4E

Welp, I followed the whole coastal history starter pack. (Not that I am making that or really any kind of content here on a consistent basis).

Is there such a thing as a War of 1812 Starter Pack? 👀

It's up! We now have a #CoastalHistory starter pack. People can also use and search the hashtag. If you're working on coastal history and want to be included, let me know. go.bsky.app/Pfa95p7

Trying to get my redcoats to fortify the camp but they keep lounging insouciantly. :/

I've had "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" in my head for like a week straight. This is what happens when you live in the Great Lakes region for too long.

A painting of several of Queen Victoria's children, all dressed n white with blue trimmings.

Because I just met 🎉Jo Paoletti🎉, I'll be reposting my thread on the idea that "boys used to dress in pink and girls in blue, but then that switched for important symbolic/historic reasons," which is completely untrue yet very popular on the internet. #FashionHistory

Hello, Central Casting? Yes, I'm the person who called earlier about a character actor. I need the sleaziest scumbag guy you have, I want everything about him to scream corruption and cronyism, like sex trafficker level evil—

What do you mean Matt Gaetz has another job now??? He's not available??

This is a late-model carronade mounted on a battery carriage (two iron wheels, which would damage the deck if you fired it on a wooden vessel). At sea, carronades were mounted on slides, rather than carriages. It is much shorter than a gun, with an elevation screw at the rear, rather than a quoin (which was a wooden wedge to control elevation). The elevation screw is missing, but the loop for the screw is visible behind the breech of the gun. There is a breeching loop above the button. Two reinforces - the first with a royal cipher (George the Third in this case). The trunnions are below the barrel, as on all carronades. Red tompion in the muzzle. There is a second carronade behind. Both are on the port side of the weather deck of HMS Unicorn.

This is a carronade (named after the Carron foundry in Falkirk) for use by merchant ships. Usually a heavier calibre than a gun, but much shorter range. Interestingly, carronades weren't counted when rating a Royal Navy ship (ships were rated by numbers of guns).

#GunneryIsFunnery

Both really. I hope it will get easier as it gets more populated around here.

A few pictures of the Great Lakes freighter museum ship Col. James M. Schoonmaker, which we visited on the 10th of November for "The Fitzgerald Experience"—which did NOT involve sinking with all hands, what museum ship organization can afford that?

"Trying hard to do the bluesky thing," they wrote in their biography, lying.

Question for all the people who read history books:

Where/how did you find out about the last non-fiction history book you read?

#booksky

The excellent gift shop at Fort Meigs Historic Site!

Note to my new followers that I also have this account, where I sometimes post food-related old timey stuff

Ohhh! I love old timey food!

When Christmas Started Creeping Christmas starts earlier every year — or does it?

You know what also creeps? How early in the year we share this piece by editor Bill Black.

A seal point siamese cat next to a folded t-shirt that reads "HMS Victory" with part of the ship and a large Union Flag visible.

Happy Caturday! I'm packing for our traditional Trafalgar Weekend getaway. (Not that we will be anywhere near either Spain or England).

I miss her so much (The Internet Archive) :(

Not only do I have dozens of books saved there as personal faves, it has been an invaluable scholarly resource for me writing papers. I really hope they're ok.