by Kristin Holt | Jun 16, 2018 | Articles
Nineteenth Century popular belief–wholly supported by Medical Doctors’ and scientists’ claims–genuinely believed that educating females in the same manner as males invited an entire host of disastrous results. Those terrifying results included everything from destruction to the woman’s reproductive system, mental breaks (yes, insanity!), and a long list of physical diseases. Because the vast majority believed these consequences to be true, women weren’t allowed to seek education in a male-dominated classroom. The battle over co-education continued long after the late 19th Century for these reasons. Not only was the woman’s mind and body at terrible risk, should she be educated like a male, but everyone knew a female mind couldn’t take in significant learning.
by Kristin Holt | Dec 17, 2016 | Articles
I’m a woman. I’ve never fired a gun (other than a BB gun when I was twelve). I read a lot of western historical romance and I write it too. When writing The Marshal’s Surrender (the most gun-intense book so far), I still had to do a lot of research to make sure my story stood on an accurate historical platform. Where did gunmen stash their Colt revolvers? What did their holsters look like? Did they wear a belt? What about a hidden, back-up gun (like gamblers always seem to have)? In this article, I share vintage photographs and an 1877 patent image, showing those of us unfamiliar with nineteenth century firearms what they looked like.
by Kristin Holt | Sep 1, 2016 | Articles
Along with just about anything a late 19th century household could desire to obtain, Sears, Roebuck & Co. offered telephones for sale. Sears offered the newest telephone technology…until the turn of the century. The 1902 catalog is devoid of telephones. Any idea why?
by Kristin Holt | Oct 19, 2015 | Articles
At the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Charles Louis Fleishmann offered pieces of freshly baked bread made with the world’s very first commercially prepared yeast from an exhibit modeled after a Vienna Bakery. An increase demand for Fleischmann’s yeast soon followed, bringing about the building of Fleischmann plants in New York. In this article, I share five key concepts about 19th century bread baking that stood out as surprising key concepts–and I’m a bread baker…so finding myself caught off guard by such research was really something.
