There are always some bits that just don't fit anywhere else, and this is the page where you'll find them!

[Banquet at] The Public Ledger (Godey's, 1867)

Among the Old Masters (Leisure Hour, 1868)

An interesting look at picture forgeries, frauds and thefts arising from Britain's war with France, which resulted in many paintings being stolen and a rash of forgeries carried out with the knowledge that no one was likely to know what happened to the originals.

Our Dustbins (Leisure Hour, 1868)

Think recycling is new? Here's a look at the many ways that the rubbish of British dustbins was re-used, recycled and repurposed in the 19th century.

Wealth from Rubbish: Old Boots and Scraps of Leather, by W. Gibson (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1878)

Old boots were in great demand to be "translated" into shoes for the poor, or failing that, to be made into glue!

The Philosophy of Punning (Demorest, 1879)

A look at some classic puns by famous authors and others.

Wealth from Rubbish, by W. Gibson (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1879)

More proof that recycling isn't as modern as we think...

July (Demorest, 1880)

A look at the scorching month in country and city.

A Glance Down the Agony Column, by Richard Pigott (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1887)

Newspaper readers today might be surprised to learn that the "front page" of a Victorian paper was often dedicated to what we would call "want ads" or "personals."

The Elixir of Youth, by Rev. S. Baring-Gould (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1889)

On the peculiar habit of arsenic-eating.

Next of Kin Wanted (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1889)

Addressing the question, still raised today, as to whether there are untold millions held in trust by the government, waiting to be claimed by "lost heirs."

Funny Names (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1891)

Some genuine names given to babies and registered at Somerset House.

Remarkable Accidents, by James Scott (The Strand, 1895A)

The case of the flying boiler; the water pot that started a fire; the ghostly gravedigger; the man who shot himself whilst sleeping; and other quirks of fate.

Gretna Green Marriages: Their History and Romance, by "Northward Ho!" (Windsor Magazine, 1896A)

A Home for Stray Bottles, by William Owler (Windsor Magazine, 1896B)

Remember when you could return bottles to the store? That was a holdover from the days when the company that bottled a product actually owned the bottle, and expected to get it back! Elaborate systems were set up in Victorian Britain to collect used bottles and return them to the proper manufacturers.

Crowds, by Jeremy Broome (The Strand, 1898B)

Young Men in Business Hours (Ladies Home Journal, 1898)

Why young ladies should not distract their young men during working hours.

A Sheep's Coat at Sunrise, a Man's Coat at Sunset, by J.R. Wade (The Strand, 1899A)

An account of a record-holding achievement of creating a fully finished coat in a single day - from shearing the sheep to the final fitting.

Renowned Duels of Modern Times, by A. de Burgh (Windsor Magazine, 1900B)

Though dueling was outlawed in England, it was still "frequent" in France and other European countries even in the late 1890's.

Have You an Old Print Worth a Fortune? (Strand, 1901A)

Apparently chances were good that one might...

Peculiar Weddings, by Alfred H. Broadwell (Strand, 1901A)

The marriage of a centenarian; a wedding ceremony in which all members and guests were executioners; a wedding in which the party traveled by truck and motor car; a wedding in a balloon; a wedding on bicycles; and a couple who perhaps wanted to prepare for the future by getting married in a cage containing "the two biggest and ugliest lions of the Boston Zoological Society."

Some Out-of-the-Way Records, by Frederick A. Talbot (Strand, 1901A)

Records for school attendance, lengthy speeches, long swims, longer walks and bike rides, and a gentleman who bathes daily in the North Sea.

The Way They Went to Paris (Strand, 1901A)

Some curious methods of traveling to the Paris Exposition, often involving the payment of a wager - such as a gentleman who walked to Paris backwards, another who tried to make the journey on hands and knees, and another who rolled a 500-lb. wine-barrel all the way from Vienna.

A Pocket Burrow, by H.J. Holmes (Windsor Magazine, 1903A)

A look at what is to be found in an Englishman's pockets.