Some of you may be interested in a fascinating collection of Scottish
broadsides (see description below) which are online in both facsimile
and machine-readable form. The collection is searchable by word or
phrase and browsable by subject. While modest in size by corpus
standards, this collection may be useful for student projects.
Bill Fletcher
- - - - -
The Word on the Street - Broadsides at the National Library of
Scotland
http://www.nls.uk/broadsides/index.html
From the site:
How Ordinary Scots in Bygone Days Found out what was Happening
In the centuries before there were newspapers and 24-hour news
channels, the general public had to rely on street literature to find
out what was going on. The most popular form of this for nearly 300
years was 'broadsides' - the tabloids of their day. Sometimes pinned up
on walls in houses and ale-houses, these single sheets carried public
notices, news, speeches and songs that could be read (or sung) aloud.
The National Library of Scotland's online collection of nearly 1,800
broadsides lets you see for yourself what 'the word on the street' was
in Scotland between 1650 and 1910. Crime, politics, romance, emigration,
humour, tragedy, royalty and superstitions - all these and more are
here.
Each broadside comes with a detailed commentary and most also have a
full transcription of the text, plus a downloadable PDF facsimile. You
can search by keyword, browse by title or browse by subject.
Take a look, and discover what fascinated our ancestors!
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