Old Photograph Children Making Sphagnum Moss Dressings Orkney Islands Scotland

Old photograph of children making Sphagnum Moss Dressings on the Orkney Islands, Scotland. Millions of wound dressings made from Sphagnum, or bog moss, were used during World War I. Europe has a long history of the exploitation of peatlands. The Netherlands, for example, once had large areas of peatland, both fen and bog. Between 100 AD and the present, they were drained and converted to agricultural land. The English broad lands have small lakes that originated as peat mines. More than 90% of the bogs in England have been damaged or destroyed. A handful of bogs have been preserved through government buyouts of peat mining interests. Over longer time scales, however, some parts of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales have seen expansion of bogs, particularly blanket bogs, in response to deforestation and abandonment of agricultural land.



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Old Photograph Coronation Day Kirkwall Orkney Islands Scotland

Old photograph of Coronation Day in Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands, Scotland. The day included public cheers, community gatherings, and toasts to the new monarch. Kirkwall is the largest town and capital of the Orkney Islands. The town is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046 when it is recorded as the residence of Rögnvald Brusason the Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his uncle Thorfinn the Mighty. In 1486, King James III of Scotland elevated Kirkwall to the status of a royal burgh; modern road signs still indicate The City and Royal Burgh of Kirkwall. The name Kirkwall comes from the Norse name Kirkjuvagr, meaning Church Bay, which was later changed to Kirkvoe, Kirkwaa and Kirkwall.



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Old Photograph Model Boat Yachting Pond Kirkwall Orkney Islands Scotland

Old photograph of the model boat yachting boat pond in Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands, Scotland. Famously known as the Peedie Sea, meaning " small sea " in the local dialect, serves as a centerpiece for a long-standing tradition of model yachting in the Orkney Islands.


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Old Photograph Crofters Cutting Hay Orkney Islands Scotland

Old photograph of crofters cutting hay on the Orkney Islands, Scotland.



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Old Photograph Motorcyclists Orkney Islands Scotland

Old photograph of motorcyclists on the Orkney Islands, Scotland.



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