Isabelle Lachat
@isastylite.bsky.social
Ph.D. Art historian, medievalist, iconoclast.
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
I've taken the paywall off this eulogy I wrote for my magical, mysterious ex-stray cat George - who died last year - in case anybody would like a read.
It was very, very hard to write but I think it might be my favourite thing I’ve ever written about cats.
www.tom-cox.com/lots-of-peop...
It was very, very hard to write but I think it might be my favourite thing I’ve ever written about cats.
www.tom-cox.com/lots-of-peop...
December 4, 2025 at 9:20 AM
I've taken the paywall off this eulogy I wrote for my magical, mysterious ex-stray cat George - who died last year - in case anybody would like a read.
It was very, very hard to write but I think it might be my favourite thing I’ve ever written about cats.
www.tom-cox.com/lots-of-peop...
It was very, very hard to write but I think it might be my favourite thing I’ve ever written about cats.
www.tom-cox.com/lots-of-peop...
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
Oscar had been warned about the dangers of placing his tongue on his spear in minus 10° C weather, but he just couldn’t help himself - 8th/9th century,
Amiens. Bibliothèque municipale, Ms. 172, f. 5v
Amiens. Bibliothèque municipale, Ms. 172, f. 5v
December 2, 2025 at 5:43 AM
Oscar had been warned about the dangers of placing his tongue on his spear in minus 10° C weather, but he just couldn’t help himself - 8th/9th century,
Amiens. Bibliothèque municipale, Ms. 172, f. 5v
Amiens. Bibliothèque municipale, Ms. 172, f. 5v
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
A #Skydiver Appears to Fall from the #Sun in a Stunning Image
#photography #Icarus Credit: Andrew McCarthy
Link for more: www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/11/andr...
#photography #Icarus Credit: Andrew McCarthy
Link for more: www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/11/andr...
November 17, 2025 at 9:53 PM
A #Skydiver Appears to Fall from the #Sun in a Stunning Image
#photography #Icarus Credit: Andrew McCarthy
Link for more: www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/11/andr...
#photography #Icarus Credit: Andrew McCarthy
Link for more: www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/11/andr...
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care?
The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity
www.cityam.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:27 AM
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
I'll be talking to the Caxton Club next month on The Medieval Scriptorium - going through all the stages of making manuscripts, including demonstration videos. There may be cats in the background. Fri 14 Nov 12:00PM CT (5.00PM GMT) #medievalsky #bookhistory
www.caxtonclub.org/event-6296386
www.caxtonclub.org/event-6296386
October 24, 2025 at 10:25 AM
I'll be talking to the Caxton Club next month on The Medieval Scriptorium - going through all the stages of making manuscripts, including demonstration videos. There may be cats in the background. Fri 14 Nov 12:00PM CT (5.00PM GMT) #medievalsky #bookhistory
www.caxtonclub.org/event-6296386
www.caxtonclub.org/event-6296386
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
Here's a treat for manuscript- and fragment-lovers everywhere: @manuelmunoz.bsky.social will speak at Senate House Library @ies-sas.bsky.social Tuesday, 30th September, 5:30pm on his research into fragments at Keio University. To attend in-person or online, register at ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
September 22, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Here's a treat for manuscript- and fragment-lovers everywhere: @manuelmunoz.bsky.social will speak at Senate House Library @ies-sas.bsky.social Tuesday, 30th September, 5:30pm on his research into fragments at Keio University. To attend in-person or online, register at ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
If you’re on academia dot edu, let me suggest that you strongly consider deleting your account.
September 17, 2025 at 7:09 PM
If you’re on academia dot edu, let me suggest that you strongly consider deleting your account.
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
For #EpigraphyTuesday an amazing #Roman gold fibula (a decorative pin for fastening garments/a brooch) carrying the Latin inscription VTERE FELIX - use this happily, one of the most common inscriptions on Roman finger rings and fibulae.
From Ostrovany, Slovakia, late 3rd c. AD
📷 KHM Wien
🏺
From Ostrovany, Slovakia, late 3rd c. AD
📷 KHM Wien
🏺
September 16, 2025 at 8:18 AM
For #EpigraphyTuesday an amazing #Roman gold fibula (a decorative pin for fastening garments/a brooch) carrying the Latin inscription VTERE FELIX - use this happily, one of the most common inscriptions on Roman finger rings and fibulae.
From Ostrovany, Slovakia, late 3rd c. AD
📷 KHM Wien
🏺
From Ostrovany, Slovakia, late 3rd c. AD
📷 KHM Wien
🏺
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
One day, nearly 2000 years ago, a cat dashed across some drying tiles, somewhere near Hadrian's Wall.
It's immortality of a kind, isn't it?
It's immortality of a kind, isn't it?
September 13, 2025 at 4:43 PM
One day, nearly 2000 years ago, a cat dashed across some drying tiles, somewhere near Hadrian's Wall.
It's immortality of a kind, isn't it?
It's immortality of a kind, isn't it?
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
Note from my notebook (2017).
September 4, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Note from my notebook (2017).
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
Some 15th-century rainbow-coloured beasts to brighten your Monday: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/rainbow-coloured-beasts-from-15th-century-book-of-hours?utm_content=bufferec024&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
September 1, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Some 15th-century rainbow-coloured beasts to brighten your Monday: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/rainbow-coloured-beasts-from-15th-century-book-of-hours?utm_content=bufferec024&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
THIS 👇👇
Some of the brightest lights I’ve known have been forced to eat shit repeatedly in their careers. And they were the “lucky” ones—in that they were able to stay in the game. Many more just got completely pushed out and we never know about them except as faceless statistics.
August 31, 2025 at 3:02 PM
THIS 👇👇
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
Nigerian composer Ayo Bankole explores African Pianism beautifully in ‘Egun Variations’ based on an Egun theme of the Yoruba people of Nigeria.
🎥Video courtesy of Onassis Stegi, Athens, part of my African Pianism recital programme.
🎥Video courtesy of Onassis Stegi, Athens, part of my African Pianism recital programme.
August 31, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Nigerian composer Ayo Bankole explores African Pianism beautifully in ‘Egun Variations’ based on an Egun theme of the Yoruba people of Nigeria.
🎥Video courtesy of Onassis Stegi, Athens, part of my African Pianism recital programme.
🎥Video courtesy of Onassis Stegi, Athens, part of my African Pianism recital programme.
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
Italy has lost one of its fiercest cultural guardians, and ARCA has lost a brilliant friend, mentor, and ally. art-crime.blogspot.com/2025/08/ital...
Italy has lost one of its fiercest cultural guardians, and ARCA has lost a brilliant friend, mentor, and ally.
"A blog about art crimes, illicit trafficking, forgery, art theft and cultural heritage protection."
art-crime.blogspot.com
August 10, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Italy has lost one of its fiercest cultural guardians, and ARCA has lost a brilliant friend, mentor, and ally. art-crime.blogspot.com/2025/08/ital...
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
All historians know the sinking feeling of tracking an "authoritative" reference back through several generations of writers to an unsourced assertion by someone nobody's ever heard of.
Now AI can make up new ones in no time at all.
Now AI can make up new ones in no time at all.
From my own academic research, even pre LLMs there was a huge danger of zombie factoids that begin in a respectable publication by mistake and then get reprinted for decades because no one is backtracing to the original source. Once bad info gets into the system it can take years to clear it out.
I've seen numerous examples of this in recent days - we're at a point where some reporters are using LLMs as a source and not even remotely properly factchecking, but also where LLM generated material is making its way into other material and being unknowingly reproduced by others.
July 30, 2025 at 8:21 AM
All historians know the sinking feeling of tracking an "authoritative" reference back through several generations of writers to an unsourced assertion by someone nobody's ever heard of.
Now AI can make up new ones in no time at all.
Now AI can make up new ones in no time at all.
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
Another hard day in the scriptorium
BL Egerton MS 609; Gospels, with the Epistle to Damasus, Canon tables, and prefaces (imperfect); 9th century; ?Western France or ?Tours, Central France; f.1r
BL Egerton MS 609; Gospels, with the Epistle to Damasus, Canon tables, and prefaces (imperfect); 9th century; ?Western France or ?Tours, Central France; f.1r
July 27, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Another hard day in the scriptorium
BL Egerton MS 609; Gospels, with the Epistle to Damasus, Canon tables, and prefaces (imperfect); 9th century; ?Western France or ?Tours, Central France; f.1r
BL Egerton MS 609; Gospels, with the Epistle to Damasus, Canon tables, and prefaces (imperfect); 9th century; ?Western France or ?Tours, Central France; f.1r
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
Talk about The Wire, Sopranos, Game of Thrones all you want, but the greatest US television program ever made is Sesame Street. It's not even close. 50+ years of treating kids across class, ethnicity, religion not as mini-consumers...but as citizens with a stake in this world.
July 18, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Talk about The Wire, Sopranos, Game of Thrones all you want, but the greatest US television program ever made is Sesame Street. It's not even close. 50+ years of treating kids across class, ethnicity, religion not as mini-consumers...but as citizens with a stake in this world.
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
🚨 CATS IN MANUSCRIPTS, repeat CATS IN MANUSCRIPTS 🚨 exhibit opening at the Walters in August!
thewalters.org/exhibitions/... #medievalsky #baltimore
thewalters.org/exhibitions/... #medievalsky #baltimore
Paws on Parchment
This paws-itively adorable exhibition explores how medieval people thought about, engaged with, and admired cats in books from the period.
thewalters.org
July 13, 2025 at 2:46 PM
🚨 CATS IN MANUSCRIPTS, repeat CATS IN MANUSCRIPTS 🚨 exhibit opening at the Walters in August!
thewalters.org/exhibitions/... #medievalsky #baltimore
thewalters.org/exhibitions/... #medievalsky #baltimore
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
In a few week I’ll be teaching a Rare Books School course on medieval manuscripts. One skill I’ll be teaching is how to recognize manuscript fragments. While this account here is rare, it’s a reminder of why the histories of scraps matter. www.leeds.ac.uk/news-arts-cu...
July 11, 2025 at 11:03 AM
In a few week I’ll be teaching a Rare Books School course on medieval manuscripts. One skill I’ll be teaching is how to recognize manuscript fragments. While this account here is rare, it’s a reminder of why the histories of scraps matter. www.leeds.ac.uk/news-arts-cu...
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
July 11: Feast of Drostan († early C7th), founder-abbot of the Pictish monastery of Deir (Deer). Several dedications to him in NE Scotland including Episcopal church at Old Deer. The old church at Aberdour, Aberdeenshire, claimed his relics. Also Dec 15. The C10th Book of Deer #medievalsky
July 11, 2025 at 6:52 AM
July 11: Feast of Drostan († early C7th), founder-abbot of the Pictish monastery of Deir (Deer). Several dedications to him in NE Scotland including Episcopal church at Old Deer. The old church at Aberdour, Aberdeenshire, claimed his relics. Also Dec 15. The C10th Book of Deer #medievalsky
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
I spend a lot of time looking at & teaching about parchment recycled in the early modern era, not just in bookbindings but any place where a piece of durable parchment might be of use, like this clothing pattern cut from a saga manuscript (Magnússon Institute 122 b fol.):
handrit.is/manuscript/v...
handrit.is/manuscript/v...
July 10, 2025 at 5:27 PM
I spend a lot of time looking at & teaching about parchment recycled in the early modern era, not just in bookbindings but any place where a piece of durable parchment might be of use, like this clothing pattern cut from a saga manuscript (Magnússon Institute 122 b fol.):
handrit.is/manuscript/v...
handrit.is/manuscript/v...
Reposted by Isabelle Lachat
"Researchers from major universities, including Waseda University in Tokyo, have been found to have inserted secret prompts in their papers so artificial intelligence-aided reviewers will give them positive feedback." 📚
www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07...
www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07...
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
The discovery raises serious concerns about the integrity of the research in the papers and highlights flaws in academic publishing.
www.japantimes.co.jp
July 10, 2025 at 11:22 AM
"Researchers from major universities, including Waseda University in Tokyo, have been found to have inserted secret prompts in their papers so artificial intelligence-aided reviewers will give them positive feedback." 📚
www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07...
www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07...