The Historic Traveler Newsletter!
February 15, 2026

To Our Readers:

I’m happy to announce that our third edition of the Hot 25 Historic Novels Alert is up and available on The Historic Traveler. We keep tabs on all the exciting new releases and issue this one-of-a-kind compellation every other month. So come take a peek—and if one or more intrigue you, add them to your wish list, or you can buy them directly from the web page. Our goal is to keep you apprised of all the new historic novels debuting from your favorite authors and new finds so you can keep your books shelves stocked with juicy reading! You can FIND MORE HERE!

Happy Discovery!

Jackie

A 24-carat-gold heart pendant gifted from Henry VIII to Katherine of Aragon has been acquired by the British Museum after it was lost for centuries. The love token was acquired by the British Museum after it raised 3.5 million pounds ($4.8 million) to save it from being sold to a private collector.

Complete with the couple's initials in red, features a picture of the Tudor rose and a pomegranate tree and is a symbol of the couple's initially devoted but ultimately doomed marriage.

The necklace was initially discovered in 2019 by a metal detectorist in a field in Warwickshire and under British treasure laws, museums across the country have the chance to acquire significant historical finds before they go for general sale.

Click here and find photos

A major campaign is underway to help save the Dumfriesshire farmhouse that Robert Burns designed and built and where he wrote some of his most famous works, including Auld Lang Syne and Tam O’ Shanter.

In the three years he spent at Ellisland Farm (1788-1791) on the banks of the River Nith, Robert Burns wrote more than a quarter of his life’s work, producing 130 poems and songs, many of which were inspired by what he called his ‘sweet poetic ground.’ 

Today, though the 140-acre site retains the field layout, paths and woodland walks Burns envisaged, the buildings of the buildings can no longer safely house the museum’s collection. Built up over decades by a dedicated team of volunteers, the collection includes manuscripts in Burns’ hand, his family flute, and other personal items. The building needs massive underwriting to preserve and create a sustainable homesite.

To find out how you can help save this important cultural asset, visit www.ellislandfarm.co.uk/donate

I recently saw this post on LinkedIn posted by the Historic England Organization…

A new independent report has revealed the economic, social and environmental benefits of our transformation of a derelict Shropshire mill.

Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, known as the “Grandparent of Skyscrapers,” is the world’s first iron-framed building. After nearly 2 decades of unsuccessful attempts to restore it, we stepped in as the “owner of last resort” in 2005. Thanks to £20.7 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, alongisde our own funding, and support from partners, the Grade I listed Main Mill and Grade II Malting Kiln were transformed into offices, cultural spaces and a community café.

The evaluation by AMION Consulting reveals that for every £1 spent, the project created £1.36 worth of benefits such as jobs, tourism and heritage preservation.

Click here and find photos

Time and Again
by Jack Finney

I recently re-read Jack Finney’s Time and Again, one of the most beloved time-travel novels ever written, not because of futuristic machinery or scientific spectacle, but because of its irresistible nostalgia. The story follows Simon Morley, a commercial illustrator in 1970 New York, who is recruited into a secret government experiment based on an extraordinary idea: that time travel can be achieved through total psychological immersion. If one surrounds oneself completely with the artifacts, atmosphere, and mindset of another era, the mind—and then the body—can slip backward in time.

Simon’s destination is New York City in 1882, and it is here that Finney’s genius shines. With meticulous historical detail—down to storefronts, elevated trains, menus, clothing, and even period photographs woven into the narrative—the novel recreates Gilded Age Manhattan so vividly that the reader feels transported alongside him. Gas lamps glow, carriages clatter over cobblestones, and the city feels textured, intimate, and alive.

Originally sent to investigate a mysterious letter, Simon gradually becomes more absorbed in the life of the past than in his assigned mission. He forms friendships and falls in love with Julia Charbonneau, a young woman whose world feels richer and more deliberate than the hurried modern era he left behind. The central tension shifts from whether time travel is possible to whether Simon will choose to return to his own time at all.

Ultimately, Time and Again is a love letter to old New York and to the longing many feel for a slower, more tangible past. It invites readers to linger over sepia photographs, to imagine the lives behind them, and to wonder whether time itself might be more porous than we believe. Warm, immersive, and wistful, it remains a classic for lovers of history and richly atmospheric storytelling.

GET THE BOOK, EBOOK and AUDIOBOOK

Here are a few articles you don’t want miss…

Hotel Des Balances - Lucerne, Switzerland
Step into the dreamlike world of Neuschwanstein Castle, King Ludwig II of Bavaria’s fairytale vision carved into the Alpine mountains. Discover the myths, music, tragedy, and imagination behind one of the most iconic castles in the world.

Love Locks Around the World: Where Lovers Leave Their Mark
Love locks are a modern romantic ritual where couples leave padlocks on bridges and landmarks to symbolize eternal devotion. From their somber origins in Serbia to iconic sites in Paris, Seoul, and beyond, this global tradition blends love, legend, and public art.

Lucerne—A “Bridge” to History With its Old-World Charm
Lucerne is a jewel of the Swiss Alps, where medieval bridges, frescoed squares, and centuries of history unfold along the River Reuss. From the iconic Kapellbrücke to panoramic lake cruises and preserved city walls, Lucerne offers an old-world experience that feels both intimate and unforgettable.

And catch up with these great features…

Jackie Lapin

Jackie Lapin is the Historic-Traveler-in-Chief at The Historic Traveler, a media outlet and membership community for history lovers offering article features, travel resources, and stunning photo galleries, alongside carefully curated recommendations for historical novels, history books, biographies, films, museums, and more that illuminate some of history’s most treasured stories. An avid historical reader herself, Jackie shares highlights from more than 500 destinations she has visited and photographed, presented through a quarterly e-magazine, website, newsletter, and the Historic Traveler International membership community—a dynamic network of like-minded travelers and readers.

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