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Modern

Women in the Age of Sail
There can be few historical milieus as thrilling and iconic as the lives of men at sea in the glorious Age of Sail. Yet there is always something in these images that is notable for its absence – the presence of women.
Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley is famous as the wife of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and as the author of the classic novel Frankenstein. But these two facts, interesting as they are, belie the depth of character and experience of this clever, unconventional, and…
Final scene from Hogarth's 'A Rake's Progress'
Bethlem is a place so famous for chaos and confusion that its nickname, Bedlam, has entered the English language as a synonym for madness. But has its reputation been deserved, or has it been on the wrong end of morbid fascination and sensationalism?
Napoleon crossing the Alps
In Britain, Napoleon is seen as a villain, mainly remembered for overthrowing the government and for war. His reputation is such that a (disproven) neurosis is named after him – the ‘Napoleon complex’, which suggests all those of limited height act…
Waterloo by Denis Dighton
In 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated the French throne and was exiled to the island of Elba in the Mediterranean. By February 1815 he'd escaped, thanks to the carelessness of his 'guard', his charisma, and his ability to discern…
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