Thanksgiving Bride 1948

Happy Thanksgiving Readers,

In 1948, a bride embraces a Thanksgiving theme for her wedding. Feathers abound.

Click here for a fun Thanksgiving wedding.

Enjoy the holiday and may our thankfulness be an every day thing.

Donna

How to Start a 1924 Model T

Hello,

Have you ever wondered how to start a Model T?  One of my characters would do well to watch this movie.

This video "shows steps required to safely start any Model T Ford built between 1908 and 1927 using hand crank or electric starter" Click here to watch how it is done.


You never know when you might need this knowledge.

Donna

Model T's

Hello,

Today's feature is that of the Model T's. This car was designed to drive over dirt trails, ford creeks, and drive on city streets. Henry Ford manufactured this car in Detroit. It changed the face of American transportation.

I loved this video, absolutely fascinating.

Click here to watch the video. It is so worth the trip.

Donna

A Model T Tractor

Dear Readers,

I love historical research, especially things with motors.

"Model T Ford 1927 Model T Ford home made tractor. It has two additional 3-speed transmissions and has a Model TT rear end (Truck). The plow is a John Deere walking plow modified with linkage to raise and lower the plow. My dad purchased this tractor in 1941 for $15.00 "My older brother is running the tractor" (This homemade tractor was used to plow Victory Gardens during the depression)"  Click here to watch

Many a farmer made his own equipment and used what he had on hand.

Enjoy,

Donna

Geared Steam Locomotives

Dear Readers,

Yes, I am still researching the perfect train for my character to ride on. I am having fun looking at different kinds of trains in our country's history.

I love this Shay Geared Locomotive.  It's haunting whistle echoes through the countryside bringing the listener back to an earlier era.  I can just picture this train in one of my novels.

"In the Cass Scenic Railroad in West Virginia, some Shay Geared Locomotives are still in use in excellent condition. Everyone must be impressed by enjoyable train and scenic beauty." Click here to learn more.


It is worth the hop over to the site just to hear the whistle.

Donna

Steam Locomotives in Denver

Good Day,

I have enjoyed watching videos on steam locomotives. I am trying to pinpoint an exact train for one of my characters to ride to a certain destination in one of my novels.

I found this link that shows a historical steam locomotive in Denver.

Click here to view.

Enjoy,
Donna

Union Pacific Steam Locomotive

Hello,

The Union Pacific Railroad used steam locomotives in it rich history. I found this link and video fascinating. I can imagine some of the characters in my novels riding trains like these.

"Departure of Union Pacific Steam Locomotive No. 844 from the Great Overland Station in Topeka, Kansas. Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010. Steam Locomotive No. 844 is the last steam locomotive built for Union Pacific Railroad. It was delivered in 1944. A high-speed passenger engine, it pulled such widely known trains as the Overland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Portland Rose and Challenger.

Hailed as Union Pacific's "Living Legend," the engine is widely known among railroad enthusiasts for its excursion runs, especially over Union Pacific's fabled crossing of Sherman Hill between Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming."

Click here to read the article and watch the video.

Donna

 

1925 Ford

Good Day to You,

One of my novels is set in the 1920's. In order to write my story better, I needed to research what the cars were like during the mid-twenties. I found this link that shows a beauty of a car that has been preserved in all of its vehicle glory.

It is sure a beauty.

Click here to view.

Donna

Photo Technology

Good afternoon,

The advancement of photo technology can enhance a writer's research. Today's featured link depicts President Lincoln in three portraits. The first in each series shows the presidential photo with color enhancement. The second photo shows the original.

One thing I noticed is how the style of the clothing had changed. One photo shows the president wearing a narrower lapel on his suit jacket and the last series, President Lincoln is wearing a much wider lapel.

Click here to view the series.

Donna

Tips for Writing Historical Fiction

Dear Readers,

Today's post will feature tips on how to write historical fiction. Some of the ideas included in the linked article include: characters, historical era, fashion, architecture, warfare, economic status, and dialogue. It is worth a hop over to the website to read the full feature.

"The hardest part of writing historical fiction is authenticity. These tips on how to write a book set in the past will help you write a historical novel that readers (and editors!) love.
Before the tips, a quip:
“It’s not a documentary. It’s a historical fiction. But we have attempted to make the world, the background, the detail of that world as authentic as possible.” ~ Jonathan Stamp."

Click here to read more.


Donna

Wallpaper in the 1860's

Hello,

I love researching old houses. Today's post will feature wallpaper found in homes in the 1860's.

"By the 1860's, in America, it may be safe to say that almost all paper used to print newspapers on was machine made. One notable exception is when newspaper editions were printed on wallpaper. Wallpaper, while a percentage was machine made in this period, the majority of it was handmade. The initial steps to produce sheets for wallpaper were much the same as in the making of other paper." Click here to read more of the article.

Making wallpaper in the 1860's was a lengthy process. I hope you enjoyed the article as much as I did.

Donna
 

Public Hospitals from 1860-1930

Hello,

I love research and writing historical fiction. Part of that research entails many hours on the Internet reading and looking at articles that will enable me to write with enough knowledge on a topic so that my readers can picture the story easily.

I needed to verify some facts about medical care for my historical novel. I found this article on the emergence of public hospitals from 1860-1930.

"The American hospital as we know it today emerged over the course of about 60 years, beginning around the time of the Civil War. Physician-staffed hospitals, with professional nursing and specialized departments and services, were products of urbanization and economic expansion during the Second Industrial Revolution—together with massive immigration and rapid strides in medicine itself. About 1880, asepsis (sterilizing) opened broad new horizons for surgeons. As physicians looked to the future with a new sense of hope, hospitals became symbolic of their new optimism and authority."  Click here to read the rest of the article and view a photo of the men's ward in a public hospital during that time period.

Donna

Victorian Women Cycling a Course

Hello Readers,

Today's clip shows women in the Victorian era riding their bicycles in a slalom course. They are quite good. The gals weave through a course and circle back around. The video features women who are old enough to put their hair up and young ladies who are not old enough to do so.

I love the styles of clothing they wore. Notice the man at the end of the clip who walks in front of the camera. He is dressed to the nines, top hat included.

Click here to watch the 36 second clip.

Donna

Historical Wedding Dresses in Australia

Good day to you readers,

While researching for a book that I am writing, I ran across this link that focuses on wedding dresses from Australia. It features dresses worn by brides from the 1800's until 1999. The styles have changed over the years but the brides looked radiant on their special days.

Click here to view.

Donna

Digging The Past

Readers,

As many of you know, I am a writer and a history buff.  One of the winners of my blog contest has a historical blog that might interest some of you.

It is called Digging The Past by writer Wesley Harris.

Here is an excerpt from one of his posts.

By Wesley Harris

Near noon on January 8, 1874, five masked men swooped down on an eastbound stagecoach about three miles west of Arcadia. While the robbers searched for valuables among the mail bags and the passengers’ pockets, the westbound coach of the Monroe & Shreveport Stage Line approached. Forcing it to stop as well, the robbers added to their bounty. The evidence points to members of the infamous James-Younger gang as the likely culprits.

Click here to read the rest of the story and to see who hid in the trees.

Digging The Past has some great historical accounts. Be prepared to spend some time over there reading. It's worth the stop.

Donna



 

 

ACFW Conference

Dear Readers,

Imagine a cruise without fear of getting seasick. That's what the ACFW conference is like. Luxury hotel, great view, more food than you can eat, and 675 of your closest friends to share this time with you.

And that doesn't even mention the excellent teaching, exciting learning opportunities, editor and agent appointment, and reconnecting from folks you haven't seen since last year.

Yesterday as I came out of the appointment room, a woman was leaving. She mumbled to herself and to everyone around her, "I just got an agent. I just got an agent." I think she was trying to convince herself as much as us. I was so happy for her! I remember conferences where I came out of the appointment room in tears because of a harsh response from an editor who told me my character was boring and nobody would want to read this story. I later learned it wasn't my character or my story that was boring, it was my pitch. It went something like this, when she asked me what my story was about, "Well, it's about this woman who lives in a small town..." and on and on I went about my heroine's backstory. That's NOT what my story was about. I did much better at my next conference, let me tell you.

Today begins the wind-down, although the day is still packed full of praise and worship, teaching, friends, fun, and food. Last night many of us went to historic Grapevine, a small town just up the highway. I took lots of pictures and will try to find a way to download them today and share with you. Tonight is the banquet and awards presentations for the various contests and mentor and editor of the year awards.

Seems like we wait all year for the conference, and before we know it, it's nearly over. But the friendships forged and connection made will last forever.

Donna

The History of Canning

Hello Readers,

I love to garden and can. The fresh produce from my garden has been a pleasant experience rich with fresh veggies for salads and other homemade dishes. My tomatoes have done well. I've put up sauces, jellies, jams, and other goods. Yes, it is hot canning in the kitchen but the high quality food is worth it.

 There is nothing like a fresh tomato pulled straight from the garden. Mouthwatering deliciousness.

Since I have been canning like crazy I decided to feature several articles on the history of canning.

The first link provides the history of commercial canning brought about by a military need for safer easier food for soldiers. Eventually the factories used tin cans and this article discusses the way the cans were made and how the food was preserved. Click here to read more about commercial canning.


The average homemaker in history preserved food from the family farm or garden by salting, curing, drying, or storing food in a cellar. I remember visiting many a cellar and seeing the curing process on farms growing up. The next link provides the history of home canning by homemakers of yesteryear.


"Carrie Hubbard Davis lived on rural Long Island in 1881, and noted in her diary that her mother had only brought her "2 fruit jars." On the other hand, city women who functioned in the cash economy because of their husbands’ salaries bought both the jars and the food to can in them. It would almost seem that American small town women, whose home economy was based on access to funds, were in the best position to get at both. Their backyard gardens and those of their farming cousins were full of seasonal produce for "putting up," and their economics allowed for the jars. Their diaries refer regularly to the "cans" and "jars" with which they provided for winter. In any case, the jar prices came down and women built up their stock of reusable containers, entrenching home canning in rural settings." Click here to read the rest of the story.

Both articles are interesting reads.

Donna

Horse Drawn Buggys

Hi Readers,

Can you picture a family driving down the dirt road or lane? Perhaps they are dressed in their Sunday finest or maybe they went to town to run their weekly errands.

Buggies were an important mode of traveling between 1815 and 1915 in England, Canada, and the U.S. It was a popular form of traveling amongst the lower and middle classes. During the Great Depression, automobiles were converted to a buggies to be drawn by horses. The price of gas would have been a luxury many could not afford. To read more about the history of buggies click here.

Donna

1911 Most Popular Names Versus 2011's Names

Good Morning Readers,

I was reading the news online this morning and came across an article that I found interesting. As an author and history buff, the post from the Social Security Administration about names from 1911 and 2011 is a fun read.

One way a writer can find names for her characters is to go to the Social Security name list. Perhaps my next novel will be set in 1929. The Social Security keeps a list of the most popular baby names for over a century. It is very helpful to see what names were popular during whatever time period I'm researching.

In 1911 John and Mary were the most popular names. How about 2011?

Click here to read more. Make sure you scroll down and look at the picture of the cute kids in 1911. So adorable. Yes, they could have been some of our parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents. Perhaps there was a John or Mary sitting on that step.

Donna

Medicine in the 1890's

Hi,

The link for today provides a glimpse at the ads used by the medical community in the 1890's. Customers could order pills and medicinal cures for a price. One of my favorites is the pink pills for paleness.

Click here to view the site. It's a fun trip.

Donna