Insights in Iceland

Another Wednesday, another post coming to you from a random corner of the world. You could be forgiven for thinking Second Glance History has turned into a travel blog.  I promise we’ll resume our regularly scheduled programming of poison-detecting guinea pigs and singing dogs soon. But for today, join me in discovering how much more there Read More

Clip of the Week: June 2, 2021

A letter addressed in a peculiar manner has been correctly delivered by the Chesham postal officials. It was sent, without name, to a draper, and in addition to the words “Chesham, Bucks,” there was a sketched plan, with the words, “Narrow alley, with old houses, leading up steps, over railway, and to hill where view Read More

You’ve Got Mail

Hope your National Thank a Mail Carrier Day celebrations were first class! If you didn’t know this was a thing, perhaps your invitation was lost in the mail. In honor of this underrated holiday, I have for your reading pleasure an anecdote about a dead—that is to say, undeliverable—letter belonging to Henry Ward Beecher. If Read More