British History

A pair of illustrations from Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White, which launched the sensation novel trend of the 1860s

The Sensation Novelist Who Exposed the Plight of Victorian Women

Wilkie Collins drew on his legal training to dramatize the inequality caused by outdated laws regarding marital and property rights

Churchill's custom-made dentures helped him maintain his distinctive speaking style.

Winston Churchill Wore False Teeth to Deliver Historic Wartime Speeches. Now, They're for Sale

The British prime minister likely acquired the custom gold-mounted dentures around the beginning of World War II

Callum Turner (left) as John "Bucky" Egan and Austin Butler (right) as Gale "Buck" Cleven in "Masters of the Air"

The Real History Behind 'Masters of the Air' and the 100th Bomb Group

The long-awaited follow-up to "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific" centers on an American aerial group nicknamed the "Bloody Hundredth"

The envelope was sent twice: once on May 2, 1840, and again on May 4, 1840.

First Known Piece of Mail Sent Using a Stamp Goes to Auction

The 183-year-old envelope is a rare example of two early forms of prepaid postage: Mulready envelopes and adhesive stamps

Duncan Grant’s studio

This Museum Is Searching for Lost Artworks by Members of the Bloomsbury Group

The Charleston museum is launching a new initiative to acquire 50 privately owned works by 2030

Found by workers during recent restorations, the wall paintings feature three crowned motifs.

Forgotten Tudor Wall Paintings Discovered in a Cambridge University Loft Space

Unseen for nearly 300 years, the art resurfaced during restorations at Christ's College

Forensic scientist Joe Mullins created this reconstruction using the victim's skull.

See the Face of Roman Britain's Only Known Crucifixion Victim

A forensic artist has reimagined what the man may have looked like 2,000 years ago

The National Portrait Gallery in London is missing 45 items, according to PA Media's investigation.

What Are the 1,700 Items Missing From England's Museums?

Freedom of information requests have revealed more details about absent artifacts from the last 20 years

Some skeletons found in the cemetery are lying flat on their backs, while others were buried in unusual positions.

Archaeologists Discover Early Medieval Cemetery in Wales

The site contains skeletons in unusual positions and evidence of feasting rituals

The object was found by metal detectorists in Norfolk, England.

This 1,200-Year-Old Artifact Is Stunning—but Nobody Knows What It Is

The intricately decorated silver object was likely created by a highly skilled craftsperson in England

The brooch was designed by Victorian architect and artist William Burges.

Purchased for $25, This Bargain Brooch Could Sell for $19,000—Thanks to 'Antiques Roadshow'

The piece is part of a rare collection by the Victorian-era designer and architect William Burges

Volunteers repairing and refreshing the 180-foot-tall giant in 2019

This Mysterious Hillside Carving Is Actually Hercules, Researchers Say

England's 180-foot-tall Cerne Abbas Giant may have served as a landmark for gathering troops

Our ten most-read stories of the year featured the author of Anne of Green Gables, tiny penguins, Queen Charlotte and more.

Our Top Ten Stories of 2023

From the world's oldest dog to the real history behind "Oppenheimer," these were the magazine's most-read articles of the year

The Bostonians’ “preferred outcome” was for the tea to be “peacefully sent back to London,” says historian Benjamin L. Carp. “It’s only when they find out … the governor is not going to let [that happen] that they say, ‘Well, we have no choice [but] to destroy [the tea].”

The Many Myths of the Boston Tea Party

Contrary to popular belief, the 1773 protest opposed a tax break, not a tax hike. And it didn't immediately unify the colonies against the British

One side of the device was used to tell the date of Easter Sunday.

This Device Might Be England's Oldest Dated Scientific Instrument

The 712-year-old artifact is a horary quadrant, a medieval tool used to tell time based on the position of the sun

Photographs and other items connected to Florence Nightingale

These May Be the Last Photos Ever Taken of Florence Nightingale

The rare images are among a collection of artifacts connected to the "Lady with the Lamp" that recently sold at auction

Lionel Licorish, a 23-year-old sailor from Barbados, spent 14 hours keeping a lifeboat afloat in stormy conditions and swimming through shark-infested waters to rescue survivors of the Vestris disaster.

The Black Sailor Whose Heroic Actions During a Shipwreck Made Him an Instant Celebrity of the Roaring Twenties

Lionel Licorish earned accolades for rescuing as many as 20 passengers from the wreckage of the S.S. "Vestris"

Alice Tate-Harte, a conservator at English Heritage, works on a 17th-century portrait of Diana Cecil.

See a 17th-Century Portrait Restored to Its Original Appearance, Minus Lip Fillers and Other Touch-Ups

Conservators removed cosmetic changes made to a painting of English aristocrat Diana Cecil, likely to match 19th-century beauty standards

The Banksy mural in Dover, England, showed a worker chipping away a star on the European Union flag.

Banksy's Brexit Mural in Dover Has Been Demolished

Contractors are working to determine whether restoration of the piece's remains is possible

Diana first spotted the blouse on a rack of clothes presented to her by the fashion team at Vogue magazine.

Princess Diana's Engagement Portrait Blouse Is for Sale

Diana wore the garment for a portrait that officially announced her engagement in 1981

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