July 15, 2004

The Word on the Street is the National Library of Scotland's collection of "broadsides" - one sheet predecessors of popular newspapers, which were around between 1650 and 1910. Try the selected highlights (Crime, Ballads, Emigration, Sport,Tragedy and disaster, Marvels, Humour) or search by subject for stuff like the wonderful monkey of Glasgow.
posted by Plegmund 20 years ago
  • "You bandy-legged, pistol-shinned shamrock! long-tailed, beatle-browed, pig-faced, long-nosed rascal! this is priceless!!! great find!
  • I love things like this. This is totally going to take up my afternoon.
  • This is wonderful, mostly because it relieves me of the burden of working today. Fascinating stuff.
  • Excellent! I've found one of my (known) ancestors listed in one of these broadsides - as part of a list of men "attainted by their accession to the rebellion" (The Jacobite rebellion that attempted to return Bonnie Prince Charlie to the British throne in 1745). Great find, Plegmund! Many thanks.
  • Excellent find, Plegmund! Many thanks!