author
Albert Hartshorne
1839–1910
Drawn to the textures of old buildings, church monuments, and forgotten objects, this English archaeologist turned careful observation into lively historical writing. His books open small windows onto medieval and early modern Britain, from monumental effigies to the history of old glass.
1 Audiobook
Hanging in Chains
by Albert Hartshorne
About the author
Born in Northamptonshire in 1839, Albert Hartshorne was educated at Westminster School and continued his studies in France and Germany. He came from a strongly antiquarian family: his father, Charles Henry Hartshorne, was also known for historical and archaeological work.
Hartshorne became an English archaeologist and antiquary, and he was closely connected with the Royal Archaeological Institute, serving as its secretary. He wrote widely on the material remains of the past, including church monuments, domestic antiquities, castles, and glassware, with works such as Old English Glasses and studies of medieval effigies and historic buildings.
He died in 1910. What makes his work appealing today is its combination of scholarship and curiosity: he paid attention to physical details that many people might pass by, then used them to tell clear, engaging stories about everyday life and craftsmanship in earlier centuries.