Blog Roundup #38 | Abby Epplett, Historian
Abigail Epplett
Marketing Operations Specialist @ Waters | Accessibility Advocate | Available for Freelance Projects
This past week, my blog Abby Epplett, Historian hit a new milestone, reaching 250 posts on March 22. Today's roundup features a wide variety of articles, including historical hikes in New England, summaries from the webinar series Parked at Home hosted by the National Park Service, a pair of essays from my project Lord of the Rings: The Animated Musical, a book review
Museum season is fast approaching! If you would like me to visit your favorite New England historical site from April through October 2024, please let me know so I can add it to my calendar.
New England Historical Hikes
Air Line Trail State Park & West Thompson Cemetery
In early November 2023, I took a stroll through Air Line Trail State Park in Connecticut and visited West Thompson Cemetery. This easy walk and historic burial ground were a great way to enjoy one of the last warm and sunny days of the year before the winter set in, along with learning about less commonly known local history.
Cumberland Monastery
In November 2023, I took a trip to Cumberland, RI to walk the trails around the former Cumberland Monastery, formerly called Our Lady of the Valley Monastery. Once the home to Cistercians or Trappist monks, this property now contains the Cumberland Public Library, Cumberland Senior Center, and the Office of Children, Youth, and Learning for the town of Cumberland.
Parked at Home 2024
#2: Everglades National Park
Thursday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m. was the second installment of the 2024 season of Parked at Home, a webinar series hosted
#3: Amistad National Recreation Area
Thursday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. was third installment of the 2024 season of Parked at Home. This webinar featured park archaeologist Jack Johnson Amistad National Recreation Area in Texas and park ranger Allison Horrocks of Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park.
Lord of the Rings: The Animated Musical
Races: Hobbits
I used a combination of textual evidence, evolutionary theory, and historical fashion to illustrate the three breeds of Hobbits that will serve as my basis for designing future characters
Perspectives on the Sea
A major motif in The Lord of the Rings is the presence of large bodies of water, especially rivers and the Sea. Many ancient people feared large bodies of water and the people who navigated them, which was bolstered by their mythologies. Across the globe, myths concerning water are likewise divided into two main categories: creation at the beginning of time, and floods followed by the rebirth of life on earth.
Review & Bonus
Greek and Roman Technology by K.D. White
For my birthday, I received the book Greek and Roman Technology by K.D. White, published in 1984 by Thames & Hudson with Cornell University Press. While the author claimed this book was “no more than a survey, and a starting-off point” (173), his work was by far the most extensive information I have found on the subject. The book was divided into two parts. In Part I, White outlined the technologies available in Ancient Greece and Rome while explaining the environment in which these were developed. In Part II, White divided technologies into categories and explains each category in detail. At the back of the book were extensive information on White’s sources, several appendices, tables, a bibliography, endnotes, and an index.
Mainly Museums | Frederick Law Olmsted National Historical Park
Based on an article originally published on my blog in August 22, Mainly Museums recently published my review on Frederick Law Olmsted National Historical Park in Brookline, MA.