Sailor Twain Or The Mermaid In The Hudson

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New York & Hudson River :

The treasure trove! The New York Historical Society

Ephemeral New York—full of goodies

The Bowery Boys—essential!

A beauty on the river, a marvelous way to experience the Hudson, with a crew of some of its greatest champions, Pete Seeger’s beloved Clearwater

The Hudson River Valley Review—from the Hudson River Valley Institute, gateway to the historic Hudson Valley!

Millbrook Winery is a flagship Hudson Valley winery. Their Tocai Friulano is served up and down the river towns for good reason.

Whitecliffe Winery: another Hudson Valley award-winning vineyard

Len Tantillo seems to take color photos of the Hudson’s past, including in the days of Sailor Twain, like this one.

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The Vanishing Art of Letter Writing?

Victorian Rituals an introduction

Letters, Letter-writing and Other Intimate Discourse, by Wendy Russ—lots of links to more

On Victorian letter-writing manuals, from Victorianweb.org

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For map lovers

Matt Knutzen’s blog of the priceless New York Public Library Maps Division

Strange Maps! (thanks, Warren!)

Historical Charts: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) keeps a list of historical navigation charts, and here is clickable, zoomable example of what the pilot Utterson and Twain would have been using aboard the Lorelei (this one from 1865) (Thanks, Anne!)

The David Rumsey maps database: tons of searchable maps! (Thanks, David!)

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VICTORIANA

From the University of Texas, a magnificently illustrated Glossary of Victorian Sartorial Terms!

Superb photo exhibits at Clio Visualizing History.

Dating in the Victorian Age: “The Unsuitable Suitor of 1879″—from Victoriana.com

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Essential tool for historic typography: MyFonts.com

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A few outstanding WEBCOMICS (but who has time for that?)

Tune—from the virtuoso Derek Kirk Kim, a new panel every day.

Friends with Boys—by the incomparable Faith Erin Hicks

HARK! A VAGRANT—Kate Beaton! The must-read for lovers of wit and history and everyone else too. And for the occasional saucy mermaids.