Christina Riggs
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christinajriggs.bsky.social
Christina Riggs
@christinajriggs.bsky.social
3.7K followers 600 following 1.5K posts
Writer and historian: photograpy, art, archives, museums, colonialism (Egypt, Sudan). Tango dancer, Italophile, Chair in History of Visual Culture @durhamhistory.bsky.social. Author of Treasured: How Tutankhamun Shaped a Century. https://christinariggs.com
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christinajriggs.bsky.social
On a wet December #Caturday, Mitzi agrees that baking gingerbread would be a good idea. 🐈‍⬛🎄
Long-haired black and white cat with green eyes, sitting at the back of a kitchen drawer cabinet, behind a drawer containing three glass canisters of flour and sugar.
December 6, 2025 at 11:17 AM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
Online yoga class always very relaxing here. 🐈‍⬛🧘‍♀️ (Nice fabrics!)
Black cat with white chin and paws curled up asleep on blue sofa between two cushions
December 3, 2025 at 7:11 PM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
How it’s going, northern version.
Black cat on staircase, stretching up to inspect fairy lights on the handrail.
December 2, 2025 at 9:30 PM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
Trying to get back into a regular writing habit, I revived my Wordpress this weekend (am not cool enough for Substack). It looks at Victorian photo souvenirs and the visual creation of heritage. 🗃️📜📷📸

I'd also love to know if anyone can identify this bridge!

christinariggs.com/2025/11/30/c...
19th-century black-and-white photograph in an oval frame made of brass, with the gilding worn away, held by a hand just visible on left. The photograph - slightly faded (an albumen print) - shows two and a half arches of a stone bridge with jutting bustresses, crossing from the right over a rocky stream, with trees on teh opposite bank in the background. Location unknown - somewhere in England, Scotland, or Wales, based on the bridge style, landscape, and comparable 19th-century photographs.
December 1, 2025 at 9:53 AM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
Unable to get up from the sofa because Mitzi is sleeping so peacefully next to me (the heated throw might have something to do with that). Them's the rules. #cats 🐈‍⬛
Human thumb crossed with paw of a black-and-white cat curled up sleeping on taupe-coloured blanket.
November 30, 2025 at 10:31 PM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
Mitzi may not be feeling thankful for flea treatments after today’s impromptu vet visit - but I certainly am. #Thanksgiving #cats 🐈‍⬛
Long-haired black cat with white throat sitting on oak dining table next to a shallow patterned basket filled with acorn and crown prince squash, clementines, apples and ears, window behind with view of hills.
November 27, 2025 at 4:41 PM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
Mood. Not even three inches of fur is enough up in the frozen north. 🐈‍⬛❄️
Black and white cat inside a fleece-lined ‘igloo’ cat bed in pink tweed
November 20, 2025 at 12:40 PM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
It’s a rather cranky #Caturday for Mitzi, since the drizzly misty mizzle means the birds aren’t coming out to play. 🐾🐈‍⬛🐦‍⬛🌧️
Long-haired black and white cat on a patterned cushion in a window seat with grey sky visible behind.
November 15, 2025 at 2:39 PM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
Mitzi declares that the kitchen dresser has passed inspection. Only one item had to be knocked to the ground (fortunately non-breakable).

What do they even call the day after #Caturday…? Funday? 🐈‍⬛
Black and white cat with ridiculously impressive white whiskers, crouched on an antique wooden dresser with rows of china on shelves behind.
November 2, 2025 at 5:28 PM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
Flying fish and other marvels this morning, as I revamp an MA class on 'cabinets of curiosities' - via Bologna. Nice to re-read Paula Findlen and catch up with more recent work, like Federica Gigante's study of Islamic objects in the Cospi collection. 📜🗃️
www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...
Book cover: Edinburgh Studies in Islamic Art, series editor Robert Hillenbrand, title 'Isalmic Objects in 17th-century Italy: Ferdinando Cospi, the Bologna collection, and the Medici Court', by Federica Gigante. Cover image comes from a 17th-century print of Cospi's 'cabinet of curiosities', superimposed with a collage image (from the print and a photograph) of an engraved metalwork pipe body (or ewer?) of Ottoman origin.
October 30, 2025 at 1:40 PM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
Did somebody say picnic? 🐈‍⬛
Black and white cat with green eyes sitting in wicker picnic basket which rests on patterned rug in a living room setting.
October 29, 2025 at 7:30 AM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
Last of the late afternoon light before ‘summer time’ ends. #CountyDurham
Sunset over a field with water puddled in tractor ruts, scattering of small grey and white clouds in pale blue sky
October 25, 2025 at 4:30 PM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
Mitzi is thrilled that it’s a working from home day (and so am I!) 😻 🐈‍⬛ #wfh #cats
Long-haired black and white cat sitting on desk under a lamp, edge of computer screen to right of image, patterned letter trays and glass with pens and scissors on top, green colour on wall behind.
October 16, 2025 at 8:12 AM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
No idea how I just managed to locate and edit a group of email contacts in Microsoft Outlook, but it earned me this warm personal greeting from the machine overlords. I'm touched.
Screenshot from Microsoft Outlook email app with the greeting 'Good afternoon, RIGGS,!' - suggesting that it only knows my last name... The second line reads 'Achieve more with Outlook Groups'.
October 15, 2025 at 3:52 PM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
This #Caturday, why not be more Mitzi? 🐈‍⬛
Long-haired black and white cat stretched on her back on green patterned sofa with her front legs relaxed and head tilted completely back.
October 11, 2025 at 5:30 PM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
Foot warmer! My newly adopted girl wants to drape her furry self over my feet while I work - and I say YES! But to myself so I won’t disturb her…
Black cat squeezed in to lie next to (and over) sock-clad feet under a pale painted desk. Pale carpet.
October 5, 2025 at 3:52 PM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
Storm Amy is still blowing outside, but Mitzi is safe under the early 20th-cent Liberty side table. The girl has style. 🐈‍⬛ #caturday
Black and white long-haired cat seated upright on lower shelf of wooden side table. Pale carpeting, and a desk in background.
October 4, 2025 at 11:25 AM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
I have eaten
The leaves
That were on the
Mini rose plant

Which a student
Gave you
In June
As a thank you.

Forgive me
They were so crisp
Going down
And coming up again.

(Yes, Mitzi is making herself at home already.)

🐈‍⬛🐈 #cats
Black and white cat with green eyes seated on green sofa looking off to left, armchair, doorway and bookshelf in background.
September 23, 2025 at 3:31 PM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
… the divine queen Cleo, who had to be put to sleep in late June, after the sudden onset of symptoms indicating widespread cancer.

No regrets: Cleo had an amazing 6.5 months out of the shelter, opening every cupboard door, catching mice, and commandeering the heated electric throw. Big ❤️, big 💔.
Tabby and white cat held on my lap, looking at camera with an IV stent wrapped in place on her front paw after vet clinic care.
September 21, 2025 at 11:31 AM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
It’s cat 🐈‍⬛ adoption day! This 4-yr-old part-Persian beauty, currently called Mittens, will be coming home with me later today, her owner having been hospitalised with advancing Alzheimer’s. #cats

Mitzi (trial name, or Mimi?) will fill the void left by the elderly rescue I’d adopted back in January…
Long-haired black cat with white chin and throat, green eyes, white whiskers, looking down to left of shot.
September 21, 2025 at 11:31 AM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
Hazelnut harvest in the Alta Langhe, Piedmont - spent Sunday morning shelling and toasting these beauties. 🇮🇹🌰
View of a garden, rows of hazelnut trees, and green hills stretching in the distance, with a scatter of fluffy white clouds. Hazelnuts in their shells
September 14, 2025 at 1:15 PM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
Baby basil 🌿 bouquet 🇮🇹 - fresh from Liguria this morning and destined for my pre-PhD supervision lunch. 🥗
Hand holding a paper-wrapped young basil plant that looks very fresh and green
September 11, 2025 at 10:48 AM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
Turns out the upstairs neighbour has adopted a little black cat, una femmina, who looks very curious about my balcony typing. #Torino #Turin 🐈‍⬛
Head of a black cat peering over the top of a stucco-fronted building, with a blue sky tinted rose at twilight behind it.
September 7, 2025 at 5:28 PM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
The neighbours left me grapes 🍇 from their home in the Langhe and a note to welcome me back - after too long away from #Torino #Turin (and far too long waiting fruitlessly for a coach at Malpensa airport…). 🇮🇹
Green grapes on a square white plate on a wooden table
September 1, 2025 at 12:15 AM
christinajriggs.bsky.social
From the Museu Nacional do Azulejos in #Lisbon #Lisboa, a cat looking rather awkward with its little mouse friend. Possibly drawn before Portugal had cats. 🐈

(Joking! And yes, it’s a national museum dedicated to tiles.)
Panel of Portuguese tiles, about 1 m on each side, 17th c, green yellow and brown tones on white background, decorative border around central panel depicting a cat (not the cutest cat but still…) walking next to a mouse. Shell motif above.
August 27, 2025 at 4:29 PM