Category: Retroshorts
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BT Tower: London’s Most Underrated Landmark
For decades, the tallest building in London and a major tourist attraction was officially a government secret. Sam Marks dives into the history of the BT Tower.
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The Ancient Roman Origins of Pizza
The pizza we know and love today has come a long way from the vegetable-topped meal cakes enjoyed by Aeneas. Fiona MacRae discusses the ancient origins of this popular dish.
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The Unsinkable Molly Brown
A first-class passenger onboard the ill-fated RMS Titanic, Margaret “Molly” Brown’s pleas to rescue people stranded in the Atlantic saw her immortalised in film. However, her philanthropic efforts extended far beyond the immediate tragedy, as Naomi Wallace explains.
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‘A bird in flight’: A Note on the Ancient Origins of Kites
Verity Limond retraces the invention and uses of kites, from ancient China to today.
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The Ford Nucleon: Petrol Omission to Nuclear Fission
In 1958, Ford unveiled the Nucleon: a car which eschewed the traditional combustion engine in favour of a small nuclear reactor. Sam Marks explores this product of the 1950s Atomic Age which, perhaps unsurprisingly, did not develop beyond the concept stage.
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The Photoplayer: An Everything Instrument
Produced during the height of the silent film era, the photoplayer allowed accompanying music to be played automatically through its piano and percussion instruments. Sam Marks discusses the history and engineering of this cinematic orchestrion.
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Round and Round Went the Great Big Wheel: The History of an Eponymous Fairground Ride
The Ferris wheel as we know it today was created for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition in Chicago. Verity Limond explores the story of the classic fairground ride’s invention, construction, and its legacy.
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Woman’s Work: The Elusive Embroiderers of the Bayeux Tapestry
Despite remaining one of the most celebrated works of medieval art, there is little discussion of the women behind the creation of the Bayeux Tapestry. Naomi Wallace discusses the theories surrounding its origins and the needleworkers responsible for this famous masterpiece.
Retrospect Journal 