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The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
‘It's thrilling': almost three centuries of the Belfast News Letter go online
There was a packed news agenda on 3 October 1738. The father of the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin had been arrested after being found with a stolen horse. Cannon fire rang out in St Petersburg to mark a Russian victory over the Ottoman Empire. In America, four families had been killed in Virginia in clashes with Native Americans. Meanwhile, a horse fell in the Thames at Westminster, nearly causing a drowning. Welcome to the pages of the Belfast News Letter, where updates on the French Revolution run alongside adverts for brandy and the American Declaration of Independence was reported as a contemporary event. The 3 October copy has a special place in newspaper history – it stakes a claim as the oldest surviving edition of the world's longest continuously published English language daily newspaper. In fact, the paper is so old that it predates the UK's switch to the Gregorian calendar. The edition would have been published on 14 October according to modern dating. For the first time, the News Letter's coverage of the most momentous events of the past three centuries can now be accessed free by anyone with a library pass or an online subscription, after the completion of a project to digitise its surviving editions. Everything from the Crimean war to the Troubles in Northern Ireland are covered, thanks to the joint project between the Northern Ireland Office, the British Library and online platform, Findmypast. While the earliest editions are austere in appearance, Ben Lowry, the Belfast News Letter's current editor, said they had many of the ingredients of the modern-day newspaper. 'They look so severe that they're like a reminder of an almost ancient age of poverty and hangings,' he said. 'But actually, you see the genesis of newspapers in them. They're full of fun. They have gossip. They have salacious stories.' The first edition was probably published in 1737, some 60 years before the Act of Union and 175 years before the sinking of the Titanic, a major news event for a paper published in the city where the doomed liner was built. The American Declaration of Independence, reproduced in its 27 August 1776 edition, featured alongside adverts for books, an appeal for a lost watch and a reward for finding a stolen horse – one guinea for finding it, or three for delivering the horse and thief. Adverts were the only items featuring illustrations at the time. Theft was denoted by woodcut prints of the devil. It was once thought that its publication of the declaration was a Europe-wide scoop. The editor sneaked a peek at the document as it travelled to London via Northern Ireland – or so the story goes. Like other journalistic stories of triumph, it appears the tale may have grown in the telling. In truth, two London papers, the St James Chronicle and the General Evening Post, had already printed the historic text a week earlier. While the paper was dominated by world events, even the oldest editions have examples of unusual yarns too good to leave out. The 20 April 1739 edition carried a lengthy piece about a marriage near Dunluce, County Antrim, at which the bride was so drunk she demanded to go to bed the moment the ceremony had been completed, only to fall and break her nose. She was later spotted in bed with a man who was not the groom. The oldest surviving edition recounts the dramatic tale of an Italian woman who stabbed and killed a man who had been harassing her for 18 months. The earliest copies ran across just two pages and were largely made up of letters from around the world, or material relayed from other sources. 'There was a lot more censorship during this early period,' said Beth Gaskell, lead curator of news and moving image at the British Library. 'There's a bigger focus on international news and a lot of verbatim reporting of events. There's less opinion because it was dangerous. But that doesn't mean that you don't get these kinds of really interesting stories.' From 1789, the paper was dominated by the French Revolution, but the news could be a little on the slow side. In the days that followed the storming of the Bastille, an edition stated: 'The French mails, which arrived this morning, brought little of consequence.' However, accounts of the tumultuous events in Paris appeared later that month, including how 'armed burghers paraded the city, attended by drums, beating to arms', before giving accounts of the storming itself. It described the Bastille's governor 'holding out a white flag and opening one of the gates' before a party entered and were fired upon. It states the governor was later beheaded. On Thursday 11 April 1912, the paper ran an enthusiastic if lowkey piece on the Titanic's maiden voyage. 'The departure yesterday from Southampton of the newest ocean giant, the Titanic, of the White Star Line, was an event that marks the last note of progress in modern shipbuilding,' it stated. 'A large concourse of people had gathered to speed the vessel on her maiden voyage and she made an impressive picture as she quietly glided in brilliant sunshine.' Just five days later, it ran what looked like a modern-day headline, albeit on page seven. 'The Titanic sunk. Collision with iceberg,' it declared. '1,500 lives lost.' In a sign of the printing timeframes, the front page of the same edition ran an advert for White Star Line and its 'triple screw' steamers, including the Titanic. The Belfast News Letter was founded by Francis Joy, a lawyer and notary. His death was recorded in the paper in 1790, but he had the misfortune to die just as the paper carried a lengthy obituary of Benjamin Franklin, one of America's founding fathers. Joy's passing was given a single sentence. Lowry said he had not 'given up hope' that more of the oldest editions would be located, but said the new digital archive would open up the existing back catalogue to anyone wanting a glimpse into the past over their morning coffee. 'It is thrilling,' he said. 'It's very important history, but above all, it's very readable and enjoyable history.'
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
The Greek Revolution and the Violent Birth of Nationalism: A ‘crooked line' leading to war and independence
The Greek Revolution and the Violent Birth of Nationalism Author : Yanni Kotsonis ISBN-13 : 978-069121526 Publisher : Princeton University Press Guideline Price : £30 The bicentenary of the 1821 start of the Greek war of independence from the Ottoman empire has prompted several academic studies, chief of them Mark Mazower's The Greek Revolution: 1821 and the Making of Modern Europe. The war (which continued until 1827) is now referred to as 'the Greek Revolution' because it indicates the creation, on liberal lines, of the first modern state in Europe. Well, almost. The author acknowledges that the 'Septinsular Republic' of the seven principal Ionian islands (1800-1807) was 'the first modern Greek state', even though Greece itself had not yet come into existence, and the islands looked across at a mainland that remained under Turkish rule. Kotsonis excellently details the way that the 'revolution' simmered while the imperial powers of Russia, Britain and France weighed up their territorial options: the war of independence could not have opened if diplomatic conditions had not permitted it. It was a 'crooked line' rather than a straight one, leading directly to war and then independence. The impetus may have come from Greeks in Odesa, but the decisions were made by the great powers, as they were at Vienna in 1815 and Versailles in 1918-19 and, as we see only too horribly today, on the future of Ukraine (where the Greek 'revolution' began!) READ MORE On the nature of 'violence', Kotsonis offers that it was caused, and justified, by the concept of a unified Greek-Christian state whose primary purpose was to defeat and eliminate the Muslim Turk. 'It was a Christian war of liberation from an alien, Oriental power.' [ Old-fashioned Greece has no chance of becoming truly developed Opens in new window ] This seems to explain how Greece became, then and now, the border of Europe and its bastion against immigration, which is largely Muslim. As a historian's argument, this is both simplistic and naive, ignoring as it does the chessboard profile of the Balkans. His story ignores the entire 'Great Idea' (first enunciated in 1844) which aimed to embrace all ethnic Greeks and directly or indirectly caused the Balkan wars of 1912-13 and the disastrous Asia Minor campaign of 1920-22, which humiliated and bankrupted Greece morally and politically. The modern state was created by the fiat of the Russian, British and French empires. The author, although Greek in origin, is a Russian specialist (at New York University) and his bias in this book towards the Russian contribution to Greek independence is overwhelming and at times alarmingly overstated. His assertion that 'Greek independence became a certainty because of Russian arms and diplomatic persistence' is simply unsustainable. One 'Russian' fact is, however, inescapable: the 'revolution' was conceived in Odesa, which, like Taganrog, Nizhyn and Kherson (now fought over by Ukraine and Russia), was originally a Greek city, and remains a matter of concern for diasporic Greece today. Kotsonis's book needs to be read alongside Liberalism after the Revolution: the intellectual foundations of the Greek state c. 1830-1880 by Michalis Sotiropoulos because the emergence of violence and that of liberalism have coincided throughout modern Greek history and have bedevilled the creation of a modern democratic state up to the present day. Kotsonis tells us that 'Solidarity within the elite' had effectively suppressed discontent, which was certainly true of the well-established landowners and tax-gatherers under Ottoman rule of mainland Greece. It remains true of conservative Greece today, and explains the virtual exclusion of the Left from political life. It also explains the continuing presence of discontent and the undercurrent of violence (which frequently breaks the surface) within the Greek state which is, admittedly, not within the scope of this book. In Kotsonis's thesis, war and nationalism were synonymous, but he seems to discount the continuing presence of violence. To refer in his epilogue to Pontic Greeks coming into the new state, without referring to the violence (both physical and mental) which that influx has occasioned, is to limit his argument about how 'violence' exists in the modern state. Kotsonis acknowledges that the consequences of creating the state of Greece 'are still with us' and that the status of modern Greece is 'up for grabs'. He can say that '1821 is a current event' and that 'the Revolution is still with us and there are new stories to be told', but he doesn't tell them, although his references to his research make it clear that he knows what they are. The insistence throughout this book on the polarisation of Christian and Muslim conceals the fact that languages, faiths, cultures and, indeed, landscapes themselves can never be defined by nation states (as Kapka Kassabova shows in her recent Elixir: in the Valley at the End of Time). Kotsonis's writing is casual, and refreshingly unacademic, but the lack of a bibliography is disappointing, and the author's suggestions for further reading are surprisingly superficial. Richard Pine's books include Greece Through Irish Eyes (2015) and The Eye of the Xenos: Letters about Greece (2021). He contributes Letter from Greece to The Irish Times.
Forbes
22-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Longines Celebrates A Century Of GMT With The Spirit Zulu Time 1925
In 1908, Longines designed Turkish Watches that displayed dual time zones, which was pivotal for the Ottoman Empire for the simultaneous reading of Turkish and Western time. In 1925, Longines unveiled the Zulu Time watch featuring dual time zone functionality. This watch was used as a tool by the military and civilian aviators and navigators, who relied on precise timekeeping for safe and effective communication. Original Longines Zulu Time from 1925 Longines The dial of Zulu Time displayed a maritime flag representing the letter "Z," which signified the time at the zero meridian in Greenwich, London—now known as Universal Time Coordinated (UTC). Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 commemorates 100 years since the introduction of the first GMT functionality. The brand has partnered with Henry Cavill with a campaign that poses the poignant question: 'What time is it there?' This simple question captures the essence of global connectivity, highlighting how time can bridge distances between loved ones. Zulu Time watch becomes a symbol of shared experiences and moments in an increasingly globalized world. The Longines Spirit Zulu Time collection was re-introduced in 2022. The collection initially featured 42 mm models in steel. In 2023, Longines added 39 mm versions, including models with gold elements. In 2024, the collection was further expanded to include a titanium version. In 2025, Longines introduces five new references - a two-tone commemorative edition, two commemorative steel models, and two steel models with blue ceramic bezel and anthracite dial. The two-tone commemorative edition features a 39-mm stainless steel case, an 18K rose-gold bidirectional rotating bezel with a circular-brushed insert. The 24-hour graduations on the bezel allow wearers to track a third time zone. The matte black dial offers good legibility with contrasted rose-gold-colored hands and indexes. Both the hands and hour markers are coated with Super-LumiNova for optimal readability. Additionally, the dial features five stars positioned above the 6 o'clock marker, along with a date window and the years '1925 – 2025' engraved in a subtle tone-on-tone finish, marking the centennial anniversary. In addition to the two-tone commemorative edition, Longines introduces two commemorative models in stainless steel with 39 mm and 42 mm case sizes. These two watches feature bidirectional rotating bezel with two-tone, matte black and polished black, ceramic insert. A matte black dial with contrasting applied rose-gold Arabic numerals that are coated with Super-LumiNova. Like two-tone model, these have special '1925 – 2025' engraved on the dial. The last two references introduced by Longines are again in stainless steel in either 39 mm and or 42 mm case size. These two watches feature bidirectional rotating bezel with blue ceramic insert and vintage inspired lacquered numerals and triangle reference mark coated with Old Radium Light Super-LumiNova (fauxtina in watch geek speak). The anthracite dial has granular texture and features yellow gold applied numerals filled with Old Radium Light Super-LumiNova. All five references have a screw-down crown and are water resistant to 100 meters. They are accompanied with steel bracelet with double-folding safety clasp and push-piece opening mechanism. Two-tone version comes with an additional black Nato strap. All the models are powered by ETA-based exclusive Longines caliber L844.4, an automatic movement with silicon balance spring, making it up to ten times more resilient than the ISO 764 anti-magnetic standard requires. The movement offers power reserve of up to 72 hours and is chronometer certified from the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). With five new references, Spirit Zulu Time 1925 provides options suitable for both frequent travelers and everyday use. Prices range from USD 3,300 steel models to USD 4,350 for two-tone commemorative model.
The Guardian
14-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Hagia Sophia restoration to protect 1,500-year-old Unesco ‘masterpiece'
Standing beneath the stone archways, grand murals and filagree lamps of the Hagia Sophia, the architect Hasan Fırat Diker reflects on his vocation: the protection of a fragile structure that is both Turkey's grandest mosque and perhaps its most contentious building. He is overseeing some of the most intense restoration and preservation works in the Hagia Sophia's nearly 1,500-year history, including efforts to strengthen its grand central dome and protect it from earthquakes. 'We are not just responsible for this building but to the entire world public,' Diker said, gesturing at the crowds of visitors kneeled on the plush turquoise carpets or gazing at the murals of feathered seraphim. He pointed up at the gold mosaic and blue mural interior of the main dome, what he describes as one of the many 'unsolved problems' of the Hagia Sophia's design. The imposing structure, first built in AD537 under the Byzantine (or eastern Roman) empire, is visibly uneven in places, in particular the grand dome, which for hundreds of years has sat perched atop four columns of different dimensions. The entire building is a patchwork of repairs after the collapse of the original dome in an earthquake in 558 plus several of the surrounding half-domes in later tremors. The Hagia Sophia still bears features from when it was one of the world's grandest cathedrals before its conversion into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest in 1453 of what was then Constantinople. Transformed into a museum under the Turkish republic in 1935, a Turkish court controversially reclassified it as a mosque five years ago. The decision sparked fierce criticism, including from Unesco, which called the Hagia Sophia 'an architectural masterpiece' and said the decision to reclassify it undermined 'the universal nature of its heritage'. Diker's role, alongside other architects, engineers and art historians appointed by the Turkish authorities, will be to conduct the most extensive restoration works in years. The team will remove the lead covering the main dome and look for ways to strengthen the fragile joints between the semi-domes and the main cupola in order to prevent earthquake damage. They will also examine the four supporting pillars and parts of the structure below ground. 'This may be one of the greatest restorations of the current period in Turkey,' Diker said. Their mission only proved more pressing when last month a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Istanbul, causing buildings across the city to tremble. Diker immediately rushed from his office to peer at the mosque's interior and inspect for damage. Turkey sits atop two fault lines, making it extremely susceptible to earthquakes, which can prove deadly when combined with infrastructure issues. Two powerful earthquakes that struck the country's south-east in early 2023 killed more than 53,000 people, and destruction covering the size of Germany was blamed on widespread corruption in the construction industry. Istanbul, a city of 16 million people, densely packed older buildings and architectural wonders, reckons daily with fears of the next large quake. 'In the most terrifying scenario, an earthquake will shake the entire structure,' Diker said. 'The main arch connecting the main dome and semi-domes could tremble and there might be cracks that occur.' An earthquake could also jolt the minaret into the domes, or cause the arches to collapse entirely. Diker gestured to trace the arc between the two squat domes either side of the grand central dome as he pointed to patchworks of three separate periods of restoration and repair since the sixth century. 'For the moment, we will deal with the outer surfaces, the minarets and the main dome. We will better understand after removing the dome's lead covering,' he said. 'These reconstructions over different periods created layers of buildup on the dome's surface … we know at the moment it's not a perfect sphere due to the multiple interventions. The problem is not the dome itself but what is holding it up – for now. But when we uncover it we will better see the cracks.' The team will peel back hundreds of years of the building's history to look at how to strengthen the structure. They are also hoping to uncover hidden murals from Hagia Sophia's time as an Ottoman mosque that may lie beneath some of its gold and yellow surfaces. The restoration works have no set timetable, and the scaffolding soon to cover the interior is intended to allow for business as usual, while a specially designed cover will protect the fragile exposed surface of the dome from rain or intense heat. 'We need to care for the comfort of our visitors,' Diker said. 'Those who come here should be able to see as much of the Hagia Sophia as they can despite the restoration.'
