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Clip of the Week: June 16, 2021
On June 16, 2021 by ElyseRead to the end for a plot twist I guarantee you won’t see coming: A man who had committed bigamy was to-day acquitted at the Paris Assizes. He had married a woman twenty years older than himself, but she turned out to have a very bad temper, and refused to live with him. Then he
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Tattoos to Undo
On June 9, 2021 by ElyseStay tuned until the end for some shameless self-promotion! I’m way too old for teenage rebellion, but that didn’t stop me from walking into a tattoo studio recently. As I nervously contemplated which design I would spend the rest of my life staring at, I had no shortage of options. Did I want an inspirational
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Snarky in Seattle
On May 26, 2021 by ElyseSome people say, “Take a trip and forget your unhappy love affair.” What! Forget it now, only to remember it all the more later on? Never! . . . Better let your heart bleed for several days in succession and then heal itself than to staunch it by a few weeks’ trip somewhere only to
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Clip of the Week: May 19, 2021
On May 19, 2021 by ElyseBerlin—Girl postal clerk jumped on bicycle and caught convict who had escaped while being taken to prison. – The Day Book, January 18, 1913 I have so many questions, but apparently, I’m the only one. I’m guessing the journalist who filed this bare-bones story did NOT win the Pulitzer Prize that year—and not just because
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The Underwear Thief
On May 12, 2021 by ElyseIn 1921, somebody took Second Glance History’s guide to pickpocketing a little too far: For several months past, the city of Baltimore, Md., has been the “vantage point”, from which a dangerous and desperate hotel crook and accomplished thief has operated in several of the leading hotels. . . At these various hotels, the man
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5 More Times Love Conquered All
On February 3, 2021 by ElyseWho doesn’t love a good love story at this time of year? If you couldn’t get enough of last year’s unpronounceable surnames and coffin-themed pickup lines, you’re in luck. As an early Valentine’s Day present, Second Glance History is bringing you a new assortment of chocolates, er, stories with unexpected fillings. Whether you’re googly-eyed over
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Beginner’s Guide to Pickpocketing
On January 20, 2021 by ElyseFrom breaking your lease and traveling for free to becoming a juvenile delinquent, Second Glance History is all about helping you use history to make good life choices. Today, I’m pleased to present yet another guide to antisocial behavior: Pickpocketing 101. Pencils out—but best keep your wallets hidden away. Wear a fashionable hat. On arriving
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A Narrow Escape
On December 9, 2020 by ElyseDespite being a healthy, privileged resident of a highly industrialized nation, I’ve had a few close calls. I nearly strangled myself at birth with the umbilical cord—I’m still sorry about that, Mom. And then there was that time a glass coffee table spontaneously shattered a foot away from me. (It’s a thing.) Plus, who can
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How to Travel for Free
On May 20, 2020 by ElyseTravel has been around as long as we’ve had legs to walk on, but in the days before budget airlines and AirBnB, what was an impoverished, wannabe globetrotter to do? Glad you asked. If you’ve read Beginner’s Guide to Travel Writing, you’re ready for John Henry Richardson’s master class on maximizing your sightseeing while minimizing