The Salon's Second Birthday!

Today I celebrate two years since the salon threw open its doors, and what a two years it has been!

In that time I have welcomed more than half a million visitors to the site, been fortunate to make some wonderful friends and meet so many lovely readers and fans of all things 18th century. Not only that, but I've also been honoured to announce two forthcoming books from Pen and Sword Books, Life in the Georgian Court and Tales from the 18th Century Old Bailey.

The Grand Theatre and fireworks erected on the water near Court at the Hague, on occasion of the general peace concluded at Aix la Chapelle on 18 October 1784. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

To celebrate, I thought I would revisit the salon's most popular posts; I had anticipated much Marie Antoinette but I was surprised to find that wasn't the case at all!

The Marriage of Napoleon and Marie Louise
A second try for the French emperor...

The Scandalous Matter of La Reine en Gaulle
A portrait of Marie Antoinette sets tongues wagging...

Jenner, Phipps and the Smallpox Vaccination
The tale of a medical innovation...

A Twist of Fate for Dick Turpin
How a trip to the post office proved fatal for a legendary highwayman...

Floating to Jamaica: Matthew "Monk" Lewis is (Not Quite) Buried at Sea
What became of the corpse of a Gothic icon?

The salon will open again on 1st July... see you then!