Hugh Aldersey-Williams
@hoooaw.bsky.social
Dutch Light: Christiaan Huygens and the Making of Science in Europe, Tide, The Adventures of Sir Thomas Browne in the 21st Century, Periodic Tales and other things.
Not sure I’ve done quite the ‘proper analysis’ called for here, but I did something in www.hughalderseywilliams.com/books-findings
November 13, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Not sure I’ve done quite the ‘proper analysis’ called for here, but I did something in www.hughalderseywilliams.com/books-findings
Happy birthday (and death day) to Sir Thomas Browne, who had the foresight to write about this particular coincidence.
His advice is as good now as ever: ‘Though the World be Histrionical, and most Men live Ironically, yet be thou what thou singly art, and personate only thy self.’
His advice is as good now as ever: ‘Though the World be Histrionical, and most Men live Ironically, yet be thou what thou singly art, and personate only thy self.’
October 19, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Happy birthday (and death day) to Sir Thomas Browne, who had the foresight to write about this particular coincidence.
His advice is as good now as ever: ‘Though the World be Histrionical, and most Men live Ironically, yet be thou what thou singly art, and personate only thy self.’
His advice is as good now as ever: ‘Though the World be Histrionical, and most Men live Ironically, yet be thou what thou singly art, and personate only thy self.’
RIP Tony Harrison. When I was writing a thing about the German WW1 chemist Fritz Haber, I wrote to him in relation to his then recent play Square Rounds. He sent back this typed postcard, patiently answering my questions, and ending up, ‘I doubt it will be revived in my lifetime. Afterwards, maybe!’
September 27, 2025 at 5:47 PM
RIP Tony Harrison. When I was writing a thing about the German WW1 chemist Fritz Haber, I wrote to him in relation to his then recent play Square Rounds. He sent back this typed postcard, patiently answering my questions, and ending up, ‘I doubt it will be revived in my lifetime. Afterwards, maybe!’
Very pleasing that my letter @lrb.co.uk should come out on his day!
September 4, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Very pleasing that my letter @lrb.co.uk should come out on his day!
Constantijn Huygens was born on this day in 1596. As he grew older – and older – he wrote himself little birthday odes. On his 70th: ‘How many Septembers, Lord, and how many fourth days will you suffer me yet?’ At 82: ‘Cease murderous years and think no more of me . . .’ (He died at 90.)
September 4, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Constantijn Huygens was born on this day in 1596. As he grew older – and older – he wrote himself little birthday odes. On his 70th: ‘How many Septembers, Lord, and how many fourth days will you suffer me yet?’ At 82: ‘Cease murderous years and think no more of me . . .’ (He died at 90.)
Huygens didn’t just predict the ‘seaside’, he lobbied to bring it into being, imagining a grand avenue from The Hague to Scheveningen, which still exists today. It was built without him in the end, but he made sure he got some credit for it by building up his role in his long poem Zeestraet.
August 25, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Huygens didn’t just predict the ‘seaside’, he lobbied to bring it into being, imagining a grand avenue from The Hague to Scheveningen, which still exists today. It was built without him in the end, but he made sure he got some credit for it by building up his role in his long poem Zeestraet.
Off to the seaside (II)? The English word seaside, meant as a holiday destination, was coined by the Dutch Constantijn Huygens in 1670. This is his verse to the painter Peter Lely (then in England) containing its first usage:
August 23, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Off to the seaside (II)? The English word seaside, meant as a holiday destination, was coined by the Dutch Constantijn Huygens in 1670. This is his verse to the painter Peter Lely (then in England) containing its first usage:
Lovely Lübeck, Hanseatic city. From the days of trade before nationalism.
August 21, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Lovely Lübeck, Hanseatic city. From the days of trade before nationalism.
In Hamburg, disappointed to find no commemoration of Hennig Brand at the site in St. Michaelisplatz where, in 1669, he was the first person to discover a chemical element – phosphorus.
August 20, 2025 at 10:06 AM
In Hamburg, disappointed to find no commemoration of Hennig Brand at the site in St. Michaelisplatz where, in 1669, he was the first person to discover a chemical element – phosphorus.
Today in 1662, Christiaan Huygens writes to his brother Lodewijk: ‘At Hofwijck there’s also masses of fruit, apples, cherries and melons, of which we ate the first yesterday.’ (here’s the evidence!)
July 19, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Today in 1662, Christiaan Huygens writes to his brother Lodewijk: ‘At Hofwijck there’s also masses of fruit, apples, cherries and melons, of which we ate the first yesterday.’ (here’s the evidence!)
Delighted that Dutch Light is coming out next month in China. Here’s the brilliant cover from China Worker Press.
June 19, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Delighted that Dutch Light is coming out next month in China. Here’s the brilliant cover from China Worker Press.
Vincenzo Latronico’s Perfection models itself as an update of Perec for the extremely online age. It struck me as more like Bouvard et Pécuchet with wifi. Bonus: it’s also designed in the undesignery house style of @fitzcarraldoeds.bsky.social that its protagonists would surely approve. Recommended.
June 10, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Vincenzo Latronico’s Perfection models itself as an update of Perec for the extremely online age. It struck me as more like Bouvard et Pécuchet with wifi. Bonus: it’s also designed in the undesignery house style of @fitzcarraldoeds.bsky.social that its protagonists would surely approve. Recommended.
Went to the Fitzwilliam for the Dürers, but lingered in the brilliant and disturbing ‘Rise Up’ exhibition
May 16, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Went to the Fitzwilliam for the Dürers, but lingered in the brilliant and disturbing ‘Rise Up’ exhibition
A fun architecture / geography / politics quiz here: 36 mystery European parliament buildings for you to work out.
(in fact the cover of a fascinating book by @sophiapsarra.bsky.social which is also open access here: uclpress.co.uk/book/parliam...)
(in fact the cover of a fascinating book by @sophiapsarra.bsky.social which is also open access here: uclpress.co.uk/book/parliam...)
April 28, 2025 at 8:23 AM
A fun architecture / geography / politics quiz here: 36 mystery European parliament buildings for you to work out.
(in fact the cover of a fascinating book by @sophiapsarra.bsky.social which is also open access here: uclpress.co.uk/book/parliam...)
(in fact the cover of a fascinating book by @sophiapsarra.bsky.social which is also open access here: uclpress.co.uk/book/parliam...)
Just remembering the 2009 Identity: 8 Rooms, 9 Lives exhibition @wellcomecollection.bsky.social when we were able to present issues of sex and gender without controversy.
April 18, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Just remembering the 2009 Identity: 8 Rooms, 9 Lives exhibition @wellcomecollection.bsky.social when we were able to present issues of sex and gender without controversy.
Christiaan Huygens, astronomer, physicist, engineer and inventor, the greatest scientist on the European stage between Galileo and Newton, was born on this day in 1629. His father, the diplomat and poet, Constantijn Huygens, recorded the event. . . . 1/4
April 14, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Christiaan Huygens, astronomer, physicist, engineer and inventor, the greatest scientist on the European stage between Galileo and Newton, was born on this day in 1629. His father, the diplomat and poet, Constantijn Huygens, recorded the event. . . . 1/4
All sorts have washed up at @sainsburycentre.bsky.social’s World of Water exhibition. Faves: Athanasius Kircher’s fiery earth; George Vincent’s Dutch Fair on Yarmouth Beach; Julian Charrière torching an iceberg; and Maggi Hambling
April 9, 2025 at 2:11 PM
All sorts have washed up at @sainsburycentre.bsky.social’s World of Water exhibition. Faves: Athanasius Kircher’s fiery earth; George Vincent’s Dutch Fair on Yarmouth Beach; Julian Charrière torching an iceberg; and Maggi Hambling
Texts from many of my books and articles, even some from decades ago, have been stolen by Meta to train its AI. This is in clear contravention of copyright law. I’ve written to protest this to Meta and to Lisa Nandy MP, and am now joining the @societyofauthors.bsky.social #DoTheWriteThing protest
April 3, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Texts from many of my books and articles, even some from decades ago, have been stolen by Meta to train its AI. This is in clear contravention of copyright law. I’ve written to protest this to Meta and to Lisa Nandy MP, and am now joining the @societyofauthors.bsky.social #DoTheWriteThing protest
I love this. A journey imagined, never made. Matthew of Paris’s 13th century itinerary map for pilgrimage to Jerusalem
March 28, 2025 at 9:59 AM
I love this. A journey imagined, never made. Matthew of Paris’s 13th century itinerary map for pilgrimage to Jerusalem
Fretty on the Norfolk coast today
March 26, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Fretty on the Norfolk coast today
Word of advice for element collectors: when it comes to plutonium, best stick to the homoeopathic version!
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
March 22, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Word of advice for element collectors: when it comes to plutonium, best stick to the homoeopathic version!
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
What’s got into Wikipedia?
March 11, 2025 at 1:25 PM
What’s got into Wikipedia?
Wonderful to see de Keyser’s charming portrait of Sir Constantijn Huygens as the Guardian’s ‘Masterpiece of the week’: www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
March 7, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Wonderful to see de Keyser’s charming portrait of Sir Constantijn Huygens as the Guardian’s ‘Masterpiece of the week’: www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
From the conclusion of my Christiaan Huygens biography, Dutch Light.
Now unexpectedly and horribly pertinent.
Now unexpectedly and horribly pertinent.
March 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM
From the conclusion of my Christiaan Huygens biography, Dutch Light.
Now unexpectedly and horribly pertinent.
Now unexpectedly and horribly pertinent.