Footnotes to history

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A footnote: What explains the different footwear – boots, shoes and bare feet – in this picture of a scrubbed C19 warship?

One of the joys of scuffling around in the archives researching history is the odd stories that pop up from time to time. Small red herrings waving their fins and demanding to be explored further: topics which lead us astray and detract us from the subject we are meant to be studying.

They may personal stories, different perspectives on some well-known event, or just curiosities but they all make one stop and think.

We have gathered some of our digressions together in a group we call Footnotes to History.