Rachel Midura
@rmidura.bsky.social
Digital historian of early modern Europe in Virginia. Posts on historical travel, mail, diplomats, spies 🕵️ Author of Postal Intelligence: The Tassis Family and Communications Revolution in Early Modern Europe (Cornell, 2025). Now on #17thC conspiracy.
Pinned
Rachel Midura
@rmidura.bsky.social
· Feb 18
I've just cleared a few to-do list items and been alerted that the first pre-ordered copies of Postal Intelligence have arrived (!) so now seems like as good a time as any to share some exciting and troubling tidbits from my ten years with Europe's postal technocrats 1/? #earlymodern 🗃️
Reposted by Rachel Midura
This storyline has been old for decades, yet it seems like every day there's another new installment.
November 18, 2025 at 8:32 PM
This storyline has been old for decades, yet it seems like every day there's another new installment.
Reposted by Rachel Midura
hey y'all! my questionnaire on player experience in historical videogames is now LIVE! if you play videogames about the past, we want to hear from you! edu.nl/7w3yn
November 6, 2025 at 10:35 AM
hey y'all! my questionnaire on player experience in historical videogames is now LIVE! if you play videogames about the past, we want to hear from you! edu.nl/7w3yn
Reposted by Rachel Midura
When cats are confused by or upset about something, they just smack the shit out of whatever it is that's frustrating them and I think that's beautiful.
October 28, 2025 at 8:50 PM
When cats are confused by or upset about something, they just smack the shit out of whatever it is that's frustrating them and I think that's beautiful.
Reposted by Rachel Midura
A (long) thread of (anglophone) #StarterPacks and #feeds of interest to #EarlyModern #skystorians.
The first two posts list a sample of hashtags for which Bluesky feeds currently exist. The following forty-two(!) posts list starter packs for scholars of various aspects of early modern history.
The first two posts list a sample of hashtags for which Bluesky feeds currently exist. The following forty-two(!) posts list starter packs for scholars of various aspects of early modern history.
October 12, 2025 at 2:45 PM
A (long) thread of (anglophone) #StarterPacks and #feeds of interest to #EarlyModern #skystorians.
The first two posts list a sample of hashtags for which Bluesky feeds currently exist. The following forty-two(!) posts list starter packs for scholars of various aspects of early modern history.
The first two posts list a sample of hashtags for which Bluesky feeds currently exist. The following forty-two(!) posts list starter packs for scholars of various aspects of early modern history.
Reposted by Rachel Midura
If you want to know more about our use of handwritten text recognition software (Transkribus) on the wills project, tune in on Zoom next week 👇
All welcome (not just postdocs!).
#EarlyModern 🗃️ #DigitalHumanities #HTR #CitizenScience
All welcome (not just postdocs!).
#EarlyModern 🗃️ #DigitalHumanities #HTR #CitizenScience
Project Research Fellows Harry Smith and Emily Vine are looking forward to speaking as part of the Warwick History 'Post-Doc' Club series, next Wed 22 October @ 17.00.
They'll be discussing 'Digitization & Citizen Science'📜💻
Follow this link for Zoom details:
warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/his...
They'll be discussing 'Digitization & Citizen Science'📜💻
Follow this link for Zoom details:
warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/his...
October 14, 2025 at 11:13 AM
If you want to know more about our use of handwritten text recognition software (Transkribus) on the wills project, tune in on Zoom next week 👇
All welcome (not just postdocs!).
#EarlyModern 🗃️ #DigitalHumanities #HTR #CitizenScience
All welcome (not just postdocs!).
#EarlyModern 🗃️ #DigitalHumanities #HTR #CitizenScience
Sharing a great new video for our (funded!) History MA here at Virginia Tech. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or info for students who may be interested: #academicsky
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzZl...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzZl...
Inside the Master of History Program at Virginia Tech
YouTube video by Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
www.youtube.com
October 8, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Sharing a great new video for our (funded!) History MA here at Virginia Tech. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or info for students who may be interested: #academicsky
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzZl...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzZl...
Reposted by Rachel Midura
Being a podcaster costs $40 for a decent mic and $18 per month for hosting. The hard part is having something interesting to say. Get a degree in that!
October 4, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Being a podcaster costs $40 for a decent mic and $18 per month for hosting. The hard part is having something interesting to say. Get a degree in that!
Had a lovely brief visit back in the Bay! Great fun discussing #17thcentury conspiracies with groups at Stanford and Berkeley 🕵️♀️
October 4, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Had a lovely brief visit back in the Bay! Great fun discussing #17thcentury conspiracies with groups at Stanford and Berkeley 🕵️♀️
Reposted by Rachel Midura
1. Modeling data does not a historical argument make.
2. Lefebvre might have written an early classic, but his sources are not the complete 'archive' of Great Fear rumors.
1/n
2. Lefebvre might have written an early classic, but his sources are not the complete 'archive' of Great Fear rumors.
1/n
August 28, 2025 at 3:00 PM
1. Modeling data does not a historical argument make.
2. Lefebvre might have written an early classic, but his sources are not the complete 'archive' of Great Fear rumors.
1/n
2. Lefebvre might have written an early classic, but his sources are not the complete 'archive' of Great Fear rumors.
1/n
Reposted by Rachel Midura
The evil that men do lives after them
July 3, 2025 at 6:42 PM
The evil that men do lives after them
Finally got to do the secret itinerary tour of the Palazzo Ducale! It was amazing. Friend described the vibe perfectly as “classy torture bureaucracy.” 🗃️
May 24, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Finally got to do the secret itinerary tour of the Palazzo Ducale! It was amazing. Friend described the vibe perfectly as “classy torture bureaucracy.” 🗃️
Just saw that my article "The Black Chamber: Opening Europe’s Post" is now up on @historytoday.com ! 📯🕵️🗃️
www.historytoday.com/archive/feat...
www.historytoday.com/archive/feat...
The Black Chamber: Opening Europe’s Post
www.historytoday.com
May 22, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Just saw that my article "The Black Chamber: Opening Europe’s Post" is now up on @historytoday.com ! 📯🕵️🗃️
www.historytoday.com/archive/feat...
www.historytoday.com/archive/feat...
1,425 photographs at the archive today, that might be a personal best. RIP my shoulders though ☠️
May 21, 2025 at 5:13 PM
1,425 photographs at the archive today, that might be a personal best. RIP my shoulders though ☠️
Yay, just got word that the Historical Games in Research and Teaching roundtable has been accepted for #aha2026! Looking forward to talking about the pedagogy keeping me sane during AI-ification and all the rest. This hopefully means the linked panel and creative session will be appearing as well 🤞🗃️
May 14, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Yay, just got word that the Historical Games in Research and Teaching roundtable has been accepted for #aha2026! Looking forward to talking about the pedagogy keeping me sane during AI-ification and all the rest. This hopefully means the linked panel and creative session will be appearing as well 🤞🗃️
Reposted by Rachel Midura
✨✨Maps & newspaper research from LwM & MRM teams (@danielwilson.bsky.social @joshrhodes.bsky.social @jonhistorian61.bsky.social @nottinauta.bsky.social @ruthahnert.bsky.social @npedrazzini.bsky.social @kallewesterling.bsky.social + more) featured in @pnas.org this week!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Historians use data science to mine the past | PNAS
Historians use data science to mine the past
www.pnas.org
May 2, 2025 at 12:51 PM
✨✨Maps & newspaper research from LwM & MRM teams (@danielwilson.bsky.social @joshrhodes.bsky.social @jonhistorian61.bsky.social @nottinauta.bsky.social @ruthahnert.bsky.social @npedrazzini.bsky.social @kallewesterling.bsky.social + more) featured in @pnas.org this week!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
If anyone cares to weigh in, I'd be curious how realistic this sounds to #earlymodern or #medieval folks who know this particular journey well! I'll also be diving back into the postal materials, of course. 🗃️
As well as times based on mode of travel. Based on current ratios (still being tested against sources) this 398.48 km path from Rome to Bologna would take fast couriers at least 26 hours (~3 days), riders around 60 (~7 days), and pedestrians around 100 (~12 days).
May 9, 2025 at 12:56 AM
If anyone cares to weigh in, I'd be curious how realistic this sounds to #earlymodern or #medieval folks who know this particular journey well! I'll also be diving back into the postal materials, of course. 🗃️
Reposted by Rachel Midura
Two new teasers from the forthcoming Italian Itineraries data for routes in Italy, #16thc - #18thc. On the left, heat map showing difficulty of travel based on elevation and slope. On the right, shortest route by km between Rome and Bologna #earlymodern #digitalhistory 🗃️
May 9, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Two new teasers from the forthcoming Italian Itineraries data for routes in Italy, #16thc - #18thc. On the left, heat map showing difficulty of travel based on elevation and slope. On the right, shortest route by km between Rome and Bologna #earlymodern #digitalhistory 🗃️
Finally warm enough to work on the porch with my favorite assistant 🐈⬛ #catsofacademia #academicats
May 8, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Finally warm enough to work on the porch with my favorite assistant 🐈⬛ #catsofacademia #academicats
Job klaxon for Virginia Tech, please share! #intelligencehistory #militaryhistory #skystorians 🗃️ careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us...
Details | Instructor in Modern Military History | Careers | Division of Human Resources | Virginia Tech
careers.pageuppeople.com
May 2, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Job klaxon for Virginia Tech, please share! #intelligencehistory #militaryhistory #skystorians 🗃️ careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us...
enjoying in-my-bones certainty that I am working on the right project for my second book. I can't remember who to thank for this advice, so I'll pay it forward: think of the part you most enjoyed writing from the first project. That's the method and/or sources you want to spend more time with! 🗃️
April 29, 2025 at 9:55 PM
enjoying in-my-bones certainty that I am working on the right project for my second book. I can't remember who to thank for this advice, so I'll pay it forward: think of the part you most enjoyed writing from the first project. That's the method and/or sources you want to spend more time with! 🗃️
Reposted by Rachel Midura
I don't know whose cat needs to hear this, but you LITERALLY just ate.
April 26, 2025 at 6:03 PM
I don't know whose cat needs to hear this, but you LITERALLY just ate.
Reposted by Rachel Midura
Reposted by Rachel Midura
I have taken
the grant funds
that were in
your NEH account
and which
you were probably
using
for humanities research, training, and outreach.
Screw you
the statues will be so numerous
so heroic
and so cold.
the grant funds
that were in
your NEH account
and which
you were probably
using
for humanities research, training, and outreach.
Screw you
the statues will be so numerous
so heroic
and so cold.
April 25, 2025 at 12:28 AM
I have taken
the grant funds
that were in
your NEH account
and which
you were probably
using
for humanities research, training, and outreach.
Screw you
the statues will be so numerous
so heroic
and so cold.
the grant funds
that were in
your NEH account
and which
you were probably
using
for humanities research, training, and outreach.
Screw you
the statues will be so numerous
so heroic
and so cold.
did anyone else conveniently forget how much transcription went into researching for an #earlymodern book? 😵💫 I can thank #16thcentury Spanish administrators for re-activating the eye-twitch I got during qualifying exams...
April 24, 2025 at 7:20 PM
did anyone else conveniently forget how much transcription went into researching for an #earlymodern book? 😵💫 I can thank #16thcentury Spanish administrators for re-activating the eye-twitch I got during qualifying exams...