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History Reference Center
Full-text articles to support research in history and genealogy and lesson plans to support student learning.
Author
Series
Shire library volume 584
Language
English
Description
Austin, Hillman, Morris, Standard and Wolseley were a handful of the myriad marques that once constituted Britain's indigenous motor industry. Born in 1896 into the high summer of Victorian prosperity, the native British industry survived until the collapse of The Rover Group in 2005. Jonathan Wood chronicles this industry's 109-year read more ...
Author
Series
Shire library volume 827
Language
English
Description
In the 1950s and 1960s, British sports cars ruled the road, and their charge was led by Triumphs. From the TR2, its first modern sports car, Triumph went on to produce a host of classic sports designs, such as the Spitfire, GT, and Stag, as well as more TR models, before ending with the TR7 in the late 1970s. These represented the epitome of the contemporary classic British sports car. Fast, nimble, and gorgeous to behold, Triumphs offered the everyday...
Author
Series
Shire library volume no. 801
Language
English
Description
Nobody built sports cars like British manufacturers in the 1950s and 1960s. There was something very special indeed about the combination of low-slung open two-seater bodywork with a spartan interior, a slick sporting gearchange and a rorty exhaust note. This was wind-in-the-hair motoring, and it was affordable by the average young man British sports cars were hugely popular overseas, as well, and especially in the USA. And tellingly, when Japanese...
7) Tapestries
Author
Series
Shire library volume 868
Language
English
Description
Tapestries have been an enigmatic form of artwork for hundreds of years, with the intricate symbolism of their woven narratives still fascinating viewers today. Unicorns and fantastic beasts rub shoulders with well-heeled aristocrats; famous biblical and saintly stories are played out; allegorical figures, gods and goddesses recline in classical landscapes; and the arms and military achievements of wealthy patrons are depicted in sparkling glory....
Author
Series
Shire library volume no. 645
Language
English
Description
Presents a brief history of the mail-order homes industry, discussing the companies involved, the evolution of the industry, and the types of homes that were available for sale, and includes numerous illustrations.
10) Bridges
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
From the monumental splendour of Tower Bridge and the august span at Westminster to the engineering masterpieces at Ironbridge and the Forth, bridges comprise some of the most recognisable landmarks in Britain. Whether the smallest arch or the largest overpass, each has a rich architectural, economic, social and sometimes even religious history. This beautifully illustrated introduction by Richard Hayman explains how piety built and maintained bridges...
Author
Series
Shire library volume 879
Language
English
Description
Timber-framed buildings are a distinctive and treasured part of Britain's heritage, with such noteworthy examples as Little Moreton Hall, Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Lavenham Guildhall. The oldest are medieval but their numbers peaked in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with a revival in the nineteenth. The majority of timber-framed buildings are houses, but wood was used in all kinds of other buildings, including shops, inns, churches, town...
Author
Series
Shire library volume no. 863
Language
English
Description
Death has been a source of grief and uncertainty for humanity throughout history, but it has also been the inspiration for a plethora of fascinating traditions. The covering of mirrors to prevent the departed spirit from seeing itself; the passing bell rung to assist the soul to heaven; the "sin eater" who sat beside a coffin eating and drinking to "absorb" the corpse's sins - all of these were common approaches at one time or another. Yet in the...
Author
Series
Shire library volume 854
Language
English
Description
"This beautifully illustrated introduction to the heyday of the clockwork and electric 00 gauge trains tells their story up until 1975, when finer detailing and changing trends led to them becoming enthusiasts' models rather than children's toys."--Page 4 of cover.