Elizabeth Oliver
@elizabetholiver.bsky.social
Likes history, archives, museums, libraries. Volunteer. Kidney transplant recipient (18 years - thank you NHS). Carpe diem.
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
Lovely essay in the @lrb.co.uk on Renaissance era libraries and their influence
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Anthony Grafton · No Cheese Please: The First Bibliophiles
The library made possible a new kind of intellectual life. Machiavelli, when he’d been exiled from Florence, described...
www.lrb.co.uk
August 2, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Lovely essay in the @lrb.co.uk on Renaissance era libraries and their influence
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
With Tom Lehrer's passing, I suppose this is a moment to share the story of the prank he played on the National Security Agency, and how it went undiscovered for nearly 60 years.
July 27, 2025 at 9:01 PM
With Tom Lehrer's passing, I suppose this is a moment to share the story of the prank he played on the National Security Agency, and how it went undiscovered for nearly 60 years.
18 years since my kidney transplant. Grateful thanks to the NHS & my donor’s family.
More donors are needed. Please join the Organ Donor Register and discuss your wishes with your family.
More donors are needed. Please join the Organ Donor Register and discuss your wishes with your family.
July 25, 2025 at 9:00 AM
18 years since my kidney transplant. Grateful thanks to the NHS & my donor’s family.
More donors are needed. Please join the Organ Donor Register and discuss your wishes with your family.
More donors are needed. Please join the Organ Donor Register and discuss your wishes with your family.
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
Nature will always find a way.
July 19, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Nature will always find a way.
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
American libraries are under attack. I have written a long piece for @theobserveruk.bsky.social on the MAGA assault on libraries (and archives), and the strong librarians fighting back. observer.co.uk/news/interna...
‘There is no political power without power over the archive’
Titles banned, data deleted, the nation’s librarians sacked without explanation – Donald Trump’s war on books is a threat to democracy across the world, ...
observer.co.uk
July 12, 2025 at 5:42 AM
American libraries are under attack. I have written a long piece for @theobserveruk.bsky.social on the MAGA assault on libraries (and archives), and the strong librarians fighting back. observer.co.uk/news/interna...
Wordle 1,480 2/6
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Well, that was a fluke.
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Well, that was a fluke.
July 8, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Wordle 1,480 2/6
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Well, that was a fluke.
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Well, that was a fluke.
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
📢 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT 📢
Our very special 'Will of the Month' post - co-written by 2 of our @zooniverse.bsky.social volunteers, Will Johnson & Barbara Tearle, is now live! 📜
The testator, Edward Fetiplace, had links to Henry VIII & Anne of Cleves 👑 🧵1/2
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
Our very special 'Will of the Month' post - co-written by 2 of our @zooniverse.bsky.social volunteers, Will Johnson & Barbara Tearle, is now live! 📜
The testator, Edward Fetiplace, had links to Henry VIII & Anne of Cleves 👑 🧵1/2
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
Will of the Month: A country squire and Castle Keeper to a Duke and a King
Will Johnson, Barbara Tearle, Emily Vine This edition of our ‘Will of the Month’ series is a very special one. It’s the fruit of a collaboration: the research and transcription were completed by Zooni...
sites.exeter.ac.uk
July 3, 2025 at 8:52 AM
📢 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT 📢
Our very special 'Will of the Month' post - co-written by 2 of our @zooniverse.bsky.social volunteers, Will Johnson & Barbara Tearle, is now live! 📜
The testator, Edward Fetiplace, had links to Henry VIII & Anne of Cleves 👑 🧵1/2
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
Our very special 'Will of the Month' post - co-written by 2 of our @zooniverse.bsky.social volunteers, Will Johnson & Barbara Tearle, is now live! 📜
The testator, Edward Fetiplace, had links to Henry VIII & Anne of Cleves 👑 🧵1/2
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
Now *this* is what AI is good for! This is an expert system developed by applying machine learning to a specialist, selected dataset, is designed for a specific, technical purpose, refined by human experts. And does not require the wholesale theft of creators' copyright intellectual property.
X-ray reveals ancient Greek author of charred first century BC Vesuvius scroll | Archaeology | The Guardian
🏺 #ClassicsBluesky #BlueskyClassics #AncientBluesky 🏛️
🏺 #ClassicsBluesky #BlueskyClassics #AncientBluesky 🏛️
X-ray reveals ancient Greek author of charred first century BC Vesuvius scroll
Ink traces show text is part of work by Epicurean philosopher Philodemus, burned during AD79 volcano eruption
www.theguardian.com
May 6, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Now *this* is what AI is good for! This is an expert system developed by applying machine learning to a specialist, selected dataset, is designed for a specific, technical purpose, refined by human experts. And does not require the wholesale theft of creators' copyright intellectual property.
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
And we've also been thinking about future 'Will of the Month' blog posts 📜✍️
If you missed it, you can catch up on April's post here 👇
#skystorians #history #earlymodern @uoearchhist.bsky.social
2/2🧵
If you missed it, you can catch up on April's post here 👇
#skystorians #history #earlymodern @uoearchhist.bsky.social
2/2🧵
📢 Our April 'Will of the Month' blog post is now live! 📢
It explores the will of a Wiltshire gentleman & his detailed burial requests 📜
His personal bequests included his 'riding Coat', his wife's wedding ring, & an 'imbrodered purse' 👚💍👛
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult... #history #skystorians
It explores the will of a Wiltshire gentleman & his detailed burial requests 📜
His personal bequests included his 'riding Coat', his wife's wedding ring, & an 'imbrodered purse' 👚💍👛
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult... #history #skystorians
May 2, 2025 at 8:43 AM
And we've also been thinking about future 'Will of the Month' blog posts 📜✍️
If you missed it, you can catch up on April's post here 👇
#skystorians #history #earlymodern @uoearchhist.bsky.social
2/2🧵
If you missed it, you can catch up on April's post here 👇
#skystorians #history #earlymodern @uoearchhist.bsky.social
2/2🧵
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
📢 NEW Will of the Month Post 📢
April's post explores the will of a Wiltshire gentleman who left remarkably detailed burial instructions
He wished to be buried under the communion table, named his 6 coffin bearers, & even donated his funeral pall to the parish 1/2
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
April's post explores the will of a Wiltshire gentleman who left remarkably detailed burial instructions
He wished to be buried under the communion table, named his 6 coffin bearers, & even donated his funeral pall to the parish 1/2
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
April 22, 2025 at 7:05 AM
📢 NEW Will of the Month Post 📢
April's post explores the will of a Wiltshire gentleman who left remarkably detailed burial instructions
He wished to be buried under the communion table, named his 6 coffin bearers, & even donated his funeral pall to the parish 1/2
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
April's post explores the will of a Wiltshire gentleman who left remarkably detailed burial instructions
He wished to be buried under the communion table, named his 6 coffin bearers, & even donated his funeral pall to the parish 1/2
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
Happy 97th birthday to one of America's greatest living satirists, Tom Lehrer!
Here's a musical selection that seems particularly appropriate for the start of @aseh.bsky.social's annual meeting...
#TomLehrer #Comedy #envhist #ASEH25 🗃️📜
Here's a musical selection that seems particularly appropriate for the start of @aseh.bsky.social's annual meeting...
#TomLehrer #Comedy #envhist #ASEH25 🗃️📜
Tom Lehrer - Pollution - with intro
YouTube video by The Tom Lehrer Wisdom Channel
youtu.be
April 9, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Happy 97th birthday to one of America's greatest living satirists, Tom Lehrer!
Here's a musical selection that seems particularly appropriate for the start of @aseh.bsky.social's annual meeting...
#TomLehrer #Comedy #envhist #ASEH25 🗃️📜
Here's a musical selection that seems particularly appropriate for the start of @aseh.bsky.social's annual meeting...
#TomLehrer #Comedy #envhist #ASEH25 🗃️📜
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
For archivists, the phrase ‘dusty archives’ is fighting talk!
Behind the scenes cleaning & collections care helps to give documents the best chance of long-term survival
We've been hard at work with a smoke sponge, de-griming those documents ready for researchers!
#Archive30 #ArchiveConservation
Behind the scenes cleaning & collections care helps to give documents the best chance of long-term survival
We've been hard at work with a smoke sponge, de-griming those documents ready for researchers!
#Archive30 #ArchiveConservation
April 4, 2025 at 1:24 PM
For archivists, the phrase ‘dusty archives’ is fighting talk!
Behind the scenes cleaning & collections care helps to give documents the best chance of long-term survival
We've been hard at work with a smoke sponge, de-griming those documents ready for researchers!
#Archive30 #ArchiveConservation
Behind the scenes cleaning & collections care helps to give documents the best chance of long-term survival
We've been hard at work with a smoke sponge, de-griming those documents ready for researchers!
#Archive30 #ArchiveConservation
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
Don't mess with archivists. We keep receipts.
"The Danish National Archives holds a ground-breaking document (...) With a single stroke of a pen, the USA accepted that the whole of Greenland was Danish territory".
jyllands-posten.dk/indland/ECE1...
"The Danish National Archives holds a ground-breaking document (...) With a single stroke of a pen, the USA accepted that the whole of Greenland was Danish territory".
jyllands-posten.dk/indland/ECE1...
The Danish National Archives holds a ground-breaking document proving that President Donald Trump is wrong about Greenland
In a high-security storage facility at the Danish National Archives (Rigsarkivet) is a 100 year old sheet of paper with an American promise about Greenland. This is the fascinating story which Preside...
jyllands-posten.dk
March 28, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Don't mess with archivists. We keep receipts.
"The Danish National Archives holds a ground-breaking document (...) With a single stroke of a pen, the USA accepted that the whole of Greenland was Danish territory".
jyllands-posten.dk/indland/ECE1...
"The Danish National Archives holds a ground-breaking document (...) With a single stroke of a pen, the USA accepted that the whole of Greenland was Danish territory".
jyllands-posten.dk/indland/ECE1...
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
📢 NEW WILL OF THE MONTH POST 📢
March's post takes us from the island of St Helena to Calcutta in 1720
It explores the will of the widow of an East India Company chaplain, including shipping 'moveable property' overseas, charity, & ownership of an enslaved woman.
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
March's post takes us from the island of St Helena to Calcutta in 1720
It explores the will of the widow of an East India Company chaplain, including shipping 'moveable property' overseas, charity, & ownership of an enslaved woman.
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
March 25, 2025 at 8:25 AM
📢 NEW WILL OF THE MONTH POST 📢
March's post takes us from the island of St Helena to Calcutta in 1720
It explores the will of the widow of an East India Company chaplain, including shipping 'moveable property' overseas, charity, & ownership of an enslaved woman.
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
March's post takes us from the island of St Helena to Calcutta in 1720
It explores the will of the widow of an East India Company chaplain, including shipping 'moveable property' overseas, charity, & ownership of an enslaved woman.
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
Astonishing fact on #bbcr4today earlier, discussing the Heathrow power failure. Heathrow requires 41MW; a new data centre nearby needs 150MW. Stark illustration of the underpinning energy consequences of data storage.
March 24, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Astonishing fact on #bbcr4today earlier, discussing the Heathrow power failure. Heathrow requires 41MW; a new data centre nearby needs 150MW. Stark illustration of the underpinning energy consequences of data storage.
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
We really enjoyed speaking to @transkribus.bsky.social recently, and are delighted to see this write-up of our project.
The blog post provides an overview of our project and how we're using Handwritten Text Recognition 📜✍️
@uoearchhist.bsky.social @zooniverse.bsky.social @leverhulme.bsky.social
The blog post provides an overview of our project and how we're using Handwritten Text Recognition 📜✍️
@uoearchhist.bsky.social @zooniverse.bsky.social @leverhulme.bsky.social
What makes us value certain objects? 🧐
The Material Culture of Wills project is transcribing 25,000 early modern wills, to find out how people's relationships with their possessions changed over 250 years.
Find out more in this Success Story: bit.ly/3Fk8U8O
@materialwills.bsky.social
The Material Culture of Wills project is transcribing 25,000 early modern wills, to find out how people's relationships with their possessions changed over 250 years.
Find out more in this Success Story: bit.ly/3Fk8U8O
@materialwills.bsky.social
How the 'Material Culture of Wills' project transcribed 25,000 wills with Transkribus
Discover how the Material Culture of Wills project uses Transkribus to transcribe 25,000 early modern wills, unlocking new insights into material culture.
blog.transkribus.org
March 12, 2025 at 9:35 AM
We really enjoyed speaking to @transkribus.bsky.social recently, and are delighted to see this write-up of our project.
The blog post provides an overview of our project and how we're using Handwritten Text Recognition 📜✍️
@uoearchhist.bsky.social @zooniverse.bsky.social @leverhulme.bsky.social
The blog post provides an overview of our project and how we're using Handwritten Text Recognition 📜✍️
@uoearchhist.bsky.social @zooniverse.bsky.social @leverhulme.bsky.social
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
📢 WEBINAR NEXT WEEK! 📢
We're hosting a Zooniverse progress update Webinar on Wednesday 19 March @ 14.00 GMT
We'll:
Share some exciting volunteer finds 📜
Share updated stats about project progress 📈
Answer questions submitted in advance 🙋
Joining info: sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
🧵1/2
We're hosting a Zooniverse progress update Webinar on Wednesday 19 March @ 14.00 GMT
We'll:
Share some exciting volunteer finds 📜
Share updated stats about project progress 📈
Answer questions submitted in advance 🙋
Joining info: sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
🧵1/2
March 12, 2025 at 9:04 AM
📢 WEBINAR NEXT WEEK! 📢
We're hosting a Zooniverse progress update Webinar on Wednesday 19 March @ 14.00 GMT
We'll:
Share some exciting volunteer finds 📜
Share updated stats about project progress 📈
Answer questions submitted in advance 🙋
Joining info: sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
🧵1/2
We're hosting a Zooniverse progress update Webinar on Wednesday 19 March @ 14.00 GMT
We'll:
Share some exciting volunteer finds 📜
Share updated stats about project progress 📈
Answer questions submitted in advance 🙋
Joining info: sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
🧵1/2
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
A lovely bit of meta marginalia here by Hugh the Painter.
"The image of the painter and illuminator of this work.
Hugh the painter"
Hugh, the 11th century artist of Bodleian Library MS. Bodl. 717, goes meta and paints himself at work on the manuscript itself.
Hugh the painter"
Hugh, the 11th century artist of Bodleian Library MS. Bodl. 717, goes meta and paints himself at work on the manuscript itself.
March 11, 2025 at 12:57 PM
A lovely bit of meta marginalia here by Hugh the Painter.
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
📢 New 'Will of the Month' Post! 📢
For February @lsangha.bsky.social uncovers the fascinating story of a London citizen and former prisoner, who examined his conscience when he made his will in 1607 ⏳📜
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
#history #skystorians #earlymodern @uoearchhist.bsky.social
For February @lsangha.bsky.social uncovers the fascinating story of a London citizen and former prisoner, who examined his conscience when he made his will in 1607 ⏳📜
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
#history #skystorians #earlymodern @uoearchhist.bsky.social
February 25, 2025 at 8:49 AM
📢 New 'Will of the Month' Post! 📢
For February @lsangha.bsky.social uncovers the fascinating story of a London citizen and former prisoner, who examined his conscience when he made his will in 1607 ⏳📜
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
#history #skystorians #earlymodern @uoearchhist.bsky.social
For February @lsangha.bsky.social uncovers the fascinating story of a London citizen and former prisoner, who examined his conscience when he made his will in 1607 ⏳📜
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
#history #skystorians #earlymodern @uoearchhist.bsky.social
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
📢 A Zooniverse Progress Update! 📢
We're delighted that (as of last week) 2,582 users (and counting!) have contributed to our Zooniverse site 👩👩👧👦
@zooniverse.bsky.social volunteers have checked 353,402 lines of transcribed text 📜✍️
The total time spent by volunteers is 7,816 hours 23 minutes ⏳
1/3🧵
We're delighted that (as of last week) 2,582 users (and counting!) have contributed to our Zooniverse site 👩👩👧👦
@zooniverse.bsky.social volunteers have checked 353,402 lines of transcribed text 📜✍️
The total time spent by volunteers is 7,816 hours 23 minutes ⏳
1/3🧵
February 17, 2025 at 8:30 AM
📢 A Zooniverse Progress Update! 📢
We're delighted that (as of last week) 2,582 users (and counting!) have contributed to our Zooniverse site 👩👩👧👦
@zooniverse.bsky.social volunteers have checked 353,402 lines of transcribed text 📜✍️
The total time spent by volunteers is 7,816 hours 23 minutes ⏳
1/3🧵
We're delighted that (as of last week) 2,582 users (and counting!) have contributed to our Zooniverse site 👩👩👧👦
@zooniverse.bsky.social volunteers have checked 353,402 lines of transcribed text 📜✍️
The total time spent by volunteers is 7,816 hours 23 minutes ⏳
1/3🧵
Wonderful exhibition at MK Gallery of Vanessa Bell’s paintings, furniture, china etc. On until 23 Feb. Only let down by disappointing selection of postcards. #VanessaBell
February 13, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Wonderful exhibition at MK Gallery of Vanessa Bell’s paintings, furniture, china etc. On until 23 Feb. Only let down by disappointing selection of postcards. #VanessaBell
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
Hi Brigitte! Off the top of my head I don't know of examples but I can alert the team to look out for them. Down the line we will be able to search our data and find these and similar 'needles'! Gardening tools and musical instruments are examples of things on our list to look at ...
@materialwills.bsky.social could you possibly help please? I’m looking for early C16 wills or inventories which mention garden tools, in particular watering equipment. This is like looking for a needle in a haystack but I just got to ask in case someone has spotted that ‘thumb pot’! Thank you!
February 7, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Hi Brigitte! Off the top of my head I don't know of examples but I can alert the team to look out for them. Down the line we will be able to search our data and find these and similar 'needles'! Gardening tools and musical instruments are examples of things on our list to look at ...
Reposted by Elizabeth Oliver
A combination of AI, the particle accelerator @diamondlightsource.bsky.social & colleagues from Oxford’s Classics Faculty is helping us to see the unseen inside a scroll @bodleianlibraries.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
First glimpse inside burnt scroll after 2,000 years
The document charred by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius is being 'unwrapped' using X-ray scans and AI.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 5, 2025 at 6:06 AM
A combination of AI, the particle accelerator @diamondlightsource.bsky.social & colleagues from Oxford’s Classics Faculty is helping us to see the unseen inside a scroll @bodleianlibraries.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Excellent service from HM Passport Office. On 21 Jan used Post Office in Aylesbury (v helpful staff member) to have photo taken and old passport sent off. New passport delivered 4 Feb.
We complain about public services, so credit where it is due.
We complain about public services, so credit where it is due.
February 4, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Excellent service from HM Passport Office. On 21 Jan used Post Office in Aylesbury (v helpful staff member) to have photo taken and old passport sent off. New passport delivered 4 Feb.
We complain about public services, so credit where it is due.
We complain about public services, so credit where it is due.