60 Second Histories
Siege of Lichfield
A brief account of the sieges of Lichfield during the English Civil War
60 Second Histories
WW1 weapons - bayonet & pistol
A description of one of the oldest weapons still in use, the bayonet and how it was used in close quarter combat and also the Webley revolver
60 Second Histories
Life in the trenches - Part 6
This video explains how soldiers made raids on enemy trenches. Part 6 of a 7 part series
60 Second Histories
Life in the trenches - Part 4
This film talks about troop rotation and how it ensured soldiers weren't always on the frontline. Part 4 of a 7 part series
60 Second Histories
Cromwell
A Parliamentarian soldier describes Oliver Cromwell, his character and his achievement in developing the New Model Army
National Film Board of Canada
The Bicycle: Fighting AIDS with Community Medicine
Pax Chingawale pedals his bicycle over 20 km a day, visiting his neighbours from house to house. His travels take him to twenty villages, in Zomba District, southern Malawi, Africa. The Bicycle chronicles Pax's journeys as he battles...
Amor Sciendi
Florentine Baptistery: The Renaissance Begins
The competition that started the Renaissance (which is a thing). This is the story of Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi. A note on my mistakes: The doors shown at the end of the video are not the doors Ghiberti made after 1401....
Curated Video
Aethelflaed part 2: Teen Years and Education of an Anglo-Saxon Noblewoman
Aethelflaed's early teen years were spent in Wessex during a time of relative peace. She had the time and luxury of continuing her studies. What was education like for young Anglo-Saxon nobels? Learn what royal women and girls were...
Curated Video
Francisco Goya's Third of May Painting
On May 2nd, 1808, Spanish citizens rose up against the occupying French forces. The next day, the French struck back at dawn. Hundreds of Spanish citizens were rounded up and shot. When Ferdinand VII regained power, Goya requested...
Amor Sciendi
St. Peter's Bascillica Explained
A history of the largest religious structure on earth: St. Peter's Bascillica
Curated Video
Political and Personal Struggle in Francisco Goya's Paintings
In the early 1800s, the French invaded Spain and overthrew Ferdinand VII. Goya initially supported the French invasion, hoping they would restore democracy and end the inquisition but the reality of living through war affected Goya...
Curated Video
Miss Lala: the Iron Jawed Acrobat
Let me introduce you to Miss Lala also know as, Olga Kaira, “Olga the Mulatto”, “Olga the Negress”, “The Venus of the Tropics”, “The Cannon Woman” and “The African Princess.” Miss Lala possessed incredible strength, an all-around circus...
60 Second Histories
Crime and Punishment in Victorian Times
A description of crime and punishment during Queen Victoria's reign when there was once around two hundred crimes that carried the death penalty and hangings were carried out in public.
Curated Video
Overview of the Disasters of War Series by Francisco Goya
Francisco Goya's series of aquatint prints, The Disasters of War are hard to look at. Rather than focus on the bombastics of usual war art, he depicts the suffering of regular people - the starving, assaults, executions. He does not...
Weird History
The Most Ruthless Female Rulers In History
When most people picture a dictator, the first thought that comes to mind is usually of a strongman in military regalia. Seldom does one picture a dictator as a woman, and for good reason. There really hasn't been a female dictator in...
Weird History
What It Was Like to Be a Spectator at the Roman Colosseum
Ancient Romans loved their sports and entertainment, and the Colosseum put on the grandest games in all of ancient Rome. With its gladiators, interchangeable arenas, exotic animals, and the rare naval reenactment, being a spectator in...
Curated Video
Aethelflaed part 3: Marriage to Aethelred, Ruler of Mercia
Around 886, Alfred took London, reverting it back to Saxon hands. He quickly handed London to Lord Aethelraed of Mercia, perhaps as a wedding gift. Aethelraed and Aethelflaed were married around 886. The couple poured their money and...
Curated Video
Why is the Background of the Mona Lisa Unique?
Leonardo da Vinci's understanding of the natural world and the forces that shape it influenced every aspect of his artwork, from the foreground to the background. Learn how aerial perspective and the horizon line create the illusion of...
Curated Video
Aethelflaed part 7: Military Strategy and Leadership
Learn how Aethelflaed balanced violence and diplomacy to bring all of England back under united, Anglo-Saxon rule. Did Aethelflaed fight in battle? Or did she direct from behind the lines? How did Aethelflaed and her forces capture Derby...
Curated Video
Mona Lisa del Giocondo
In 1550, art historian Giorgio Vasari noted in his book on Renaissance artwork that, "Leonardo undertook to execute, for Francesco del Giocondo, the portrait of Mona Lisa, his wife." But there was dispute about Mona Lisa's true identity...
Curated Video
Mona Lisa: the Universal Portrait
Leonardo da Vinci once said that "art is never finished, just abandoned." Art, science, and the natural world were not separate subjects for da Vinci. He was a man who never stopped learning and it seems fitting that we never seem to...
Curated Video
What Technique and Materials Did da Vinci Use to Create the Mona Lisa?
Why do Mona Lisa's eyes seem to be looking at us, no matter where we stand? The answer has to do with a set of meticulous artistic choices that da Vinci used for this portrait. Learn how Leonardo da Vinci used the verdaccio, chiaroscuro,...
Curated Video
The Mona Lisa: Introduction to the Painting and the Painter
Leonardo da Vinci was a prolific artist and scientist. His intricate anatomical illustrations informed the structure of his most famous painting - the Mona Lisa. It is a painting of an ordinary woman that has inspired extraordinary...
Curated Video
Aethelflaed part 4: Life as a Mother and Queen of Mercia
What were the duties of a Anglo-Saxon royal women? Learn what role these women played in social, domestic, and legal affairs in their lands. In addition to the usual responsibilities, in the early 900s, Aethelflaed took on more of the...