Tuesday, 15 July 2025

Margarine

 On 15 July 1869 Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès patented margarine, a cheap substitute for butter. Big deal, you might think but remember that in the 19th century poor people survived mostly on bread. It was a big part of their diet and butter was expensive. Margarine was a big help to the poorest. 🧈

Monday, 14 July 2025

Gertrude Bell

 Gertrude Bell was born on 14 July 1868. She was an archeologist and writer. And she wrote about her travels in the Middle East. Gertrude was also an anti-suffragist. She believed women should NOT be allowed to vote and she campaigned against it.

The Nazis Disapproved of Makeup

The Nazis strongly discouraged make-up. While not actually illegal lipstick, hair dye and painted nails were frowned upon. Girls in the Hitler Youth were forbidden to have them.

In contrast, in Britain using make-up was encouraged with slogans like ‘beauty is your duty’. Like most things, cosmetics were in short supply but women improvised, dying their legs brown to make it look as if they were wearing stockings and using boot polish as mascara.

Tuesday, 24 June 2025