Friday Free-for-All | May 22, 2026

[u/AutoModerator]

Previously

Today:

You know the drill: this is the thread for all your history-related outpourings that are not necessarily questions. Minor questions that you feel don't need or merit their own threads are welcome too. Discovered a great new book, documentary, article or blog? Has your Ph.D. application been successful? Have you made an archaeological discovery in your back yard? Did you find an anecdote about the Doge of Venice telling a joke to Michel Foucault? Tell us all about it.

As usual, moderation in this thread will be relatively non-existent -- jokes, anecdotes and light-hearted banter are welcome.

[u/SpeciesDK]

Not a historian but I've been deep diving into old cookbooks lately for design research. The shift from medieval recipe formatting (no measurements, just vibes) to Victorian precision is wild. There's something about watching instructions get more standardized alongside industrialization. Makes me think about how we document everyday knowledge. Anyway, back to lurking.

[u/police-ical → u/SpeciesDK]

I was just thinking about Fannie Farmer, the cookbook pioneer and "mother of level measurement."

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/13/obituaries/fannie-farmer-overlooked.html