David Underdown
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davidunderdown.bsky.social
David Underdown
@davidunderdown.bsky.social

Data Engineer at The National Archives. Digital Preservation/Digital Archiving. Also cycling, bellringing, photography, choral singing, promming and much more

David Edward Underdown was a historian of 17th-century English politics and culture and Professor Emeritus at Yale University. Born at Wells, Somerset, Underdown was educated at the Blue School and Exeter College, Oxford. The books Revel, Riot, and Rebellion and Fire from Heaven won prizes from the North American Conference on British Studies and the New England Historical Association. After retiring from Yale in 1996, Underdown wrote a well-received book about the history of cricket in the Hambledon era, Start of Play. .. more

Political science 34%
History 28%

#UnconfinedWalks no photos of yesterday’s theatre trip to see Punch. Then heading home today

#UnconfinedWalks Thursday a bit of a wander to buy a few extra bits for cooking Thanksgiving dinner

#ConfinedCocktails and having polished a piece of apple pie left over from Thanksgiving, onto Roots Revival Session IPA

Zither is likely then

Started with Frontaal Dutch Pilsner #ConfinedCocktails

How was she playing it: plucking or hitting the strings?

#UnconfinedWalks Bright and frosty, but not too windy

Reposted by David Underdown

Our next @bodleian.ox.ac.uk #maps blog by @stuartackland.bsky.social features the "false" map of #Oxford from 1644. Look at this and be prepared to be confused!
blogs.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/maps/. When is north not north? And who was Anthony Wood? @bcsmaps.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk @bbcoxford.bsky.social

#UnconfinedWalks a cold bright morning
Nearly-perfect printed and handwritten text recognition is the most consequential technical contribution to the study of human culture of the last fifteen years, and it's not even close.

It fundamentally changes our (both lay and expert) relationship with the written past.
New issue of my newsletter: "The Writing Is on the Wall for Handwriting Recognition" — One of the hardest problems in digital humanities has finally been solved, and it's a good use of AI newsletter.dancohen.org/archive/the-...
The Writing Is on the Wall for Handwriting Recognition
One of the hardest problems in digital humanities has finally been solved
newsletter.dancohen.org
New issue of my newsletter: "The Writing Is on the Wall for Handwriting Recognition" — One of the hardest problems in digital humanities has finally been solved, and it's a good use of AI newsletter.dancohen.org/archive/the-...
The Writing Is on the Wall for Handwriting Recognition
One of the hardest problems in digital humanities has finally been solved
newsletter.dancohen.org

Reposted by David Underdown

Voices in Slavery’s Archive: Law, Place & Testimony in British Guiana

making the largest collection of first-person testimony of enslaved people from the Caribbean in existence – the Reports of the Protectors of Slaves – accessible.

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/p...

#History
Project to bring voices of enslaved people to life - The National Archives
The National Archives is working with international academics to make the largest collection of first-person testimony of enslaved people from the Caribbean in existence – the Reports of the Protector...
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

#UnconfinedWalks It had seemed like it was starting to brighten up as I prepared to go out for a lunchtime ride, but by the time I actually got moving the cloud had closed in again
Happy Catalogue Week! Read about just some of the variety of cataloguing that goes on at The National Archives (UK): www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-...
Catalogue Week 2025
Archivist Jane Langford introduces our annual celebration of cataloguing projects at The National Archives.
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

#UnconfinedWalks beginning of sunset just as I got home this evening

I did look in the local antique store when I moved in in the hope of finding something. Wouldn’t need to be quite so big

Could just do with that screen in the corner of my bedroom in my art deco flat to hide the boxes etc I’ve never found another home for

Reposted by David Underdown

This article references the work of Emma Marsh in surveying the bombing debris.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I thought it might prove popular

And now Beerbliothek’s Hoppy Pale spring pale ale #ConfunedCocktails

#ConfinedCocktails not been on BlueSky much on a Saturday evening lately but today have washed down a pork stir fry with All the beer (though just one small can) from Cornwall’s St Ives Brewery

Well it is her name day after all

Reposted by David Underdown

Beatrice and Sidney Webb were the original LSE power couple, brought together by a shared interest in Trade Unions. Inderbir Bhullar traces their partnership, exploring the overlap between their private lives & their collaborative work. blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsehistory/2...
Beatrice and Sidney Webb and Trade Unions - LSE History
LSE co-founders Beatrice and Sidney Webb were brought together by a shared interest in Trade Unions. Inderbir Bhullar traces the very beginning of their partnership.
blogs.lse.ac.uk
Prevalence rates are no guide as to whether a condition is 'real' or overdiagnosed. 1 in 8 men get diagnosed with prostate cancer. Incidence rates have risen 55% since 1990. We accept this is due to better awareness & screening, & people surviving other conditions, not a fad or medical overreach.
I really cannot recommend this excellent piece on Hammersmith Bridge highly enough
Hammersmith Bridge
Where did 25,000 vehicles go?
nickmaini.substack.com

#UnconfinedWalks another chilly day. Eve oat lunchtime there were still patches of frost where sunlight hadn’t touched the grass

#UnconfinedWalks just got to the office before the rain turned to snow yesterday, but no time for photos. Today: bright, sparkly, and perishing this morning

Reposted by David Underdown

The new LCC map of 'Dangerous Junctions (for cyclists) in London highlights the risks in north Kingston. Most dangerous junction is assessed to be Kings Road with Park Road (mini roundabout), 3rd is London Rd juntion with Birkenhead Ave (opposite ASDA), and #4 Queen's Road/ Crescent Road.
Are you a community group with a passion for heritage? Or a museum, library, gallery or archive with a bold idea for community-led research?

The Spaces, Places and Belonging Community Hub is accepting applications for seed corn grants: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/community-hu... (1/2)
And we're back! Join us December 4–5, 2025 at Northeastern University in Boston for our 12th annual The Caribbean Digital Conference. Our schedule is packed with wonders and amazing colleagues. Check it out! As always, attendance is free, whether zoom or live. Hope to see you there!
#TCDXII
Our twelfth conference dedicated to Caribbean digital studies. Jamaica, 2025.
thecaribbeandigital.org