I’m always looking for things to use to lend “artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative,” as Gilbert and Sullivan put it.
And I found this: Yester*Vid. Want to see dance moves from the 1920s? Want to see the oldest footage of New York, London, Chicago? Want to see THE Queen Victoria in a carriage, holding her Pomeranian (dog, that is)?
I think this is great! Even if your book isn’t set in the past, if the past plays a part (and doesn’t it always?), it could be useful to be able to describe what someone in an old photo is wearing, or to refer to some little detail that would add characterization or might even end up being a plot point.
Yester*Vid has a YouTube channel, too. Highly recommended.
A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: Look at one of Yester*Vid’s offerings and concoct a plot involving it.
MA
Dan Antion
April 3, 2017 at 7:36amI don’t dare look until I get home. Sounds like a great resource. Thanks!
Marian Allen
April 3, 2017 at 8:06amYou’re a wise man. The day would be over, and you’d still be watching old film. 😀
Joey
April 3, 2017 at 12:53pmI had no idea.
I think I’m glad I don’t have time today and had to bookmark it.
Marian Allen
April 3, 2017 at 1:46pmWonderful stuff!
Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt
April 5, 2017 at 8:47pmWe’ve had video for a good while now. I have family movies of my great grandfather at the turn of the century. The TWENTIETH century – in the Mexico City of dictator Porfirio Diaz (a trump in his day).
The old fashioned cars down Paseo de la Reforma. Even horse-drawn carriages.
Marian Allen
April 6, 2017 at 6:35amWhat a treasure, Alicia! 🙂