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The Hidden History of Everyday Things
Paperback
Publisher: Old Lantern House Books
Published: Jun 26 2026
Pages: 134
Weight: 0.42
Height: 0.31 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
The most ordinary objects often have the most extraordinary histories.
A chair. A button. A mirror. A key. A cup cooling on the table.
We use these things every day without giving them a second thought. Yet each one carries a hidden story shaped by invention, survival, fashion, power, labour and centuries of human ingenuity.
Discover why chairs were once reserved for the most powerful person in the room, why the dining fork was treated with suspicion, and how pockets became divided along lines of gender and fashion. Learn how mirrors changed the way people understood their own appearance, how mechanical clocks transformed human life into measurable hours, and how matches brought both convenient fire and terrible danger to factory workers.
Journey through the unexpected histories of:
- Chairs, beds and the changing meaning of comfort
- Knives, forks, spoons and the battle for the dining table
- Cups, bottles and containers that transformed global trade
- Buttons, pockets, zips and the hidden engineering of clothing
- Mirrors, combs and the creation of the modern face
- Doors, locks, windows and the growing demand for privacy
- Clocks, watches and the discipline of measured time
- Candles, matches and humanity's conquest of darkness
- Paper, envelopes and objects that carried ideas across the world
- Soap, toilets and the long struggle for cleanliness
- Telephones, radios and technologies that brought the outside world into the home
- Typewriters, hatpins, cassette tapes and other objects that quietly disappeared
Behind every invention were craftspeople, servants, factory workers, merchants, travellers and ordinary households whose lives helped shape the objects we now take for granted.
Rich with curious details, surprising connections and forgotten stories, this is a fascinating exploration of the hidden museum inside every home.
Perfect for readers who enjoy social history, forgotten inventions, historical curiosities and discovering the surprising origins of ordinary life.
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