About
Hi there! I’m Ashton Kessler.
I’m a Masters student at Royal Holloway studying Public History. As you can tell I have a passion for history and so began The Magpie Historian. This website serves as both a part of my final project for my masters and a portfolio for my work.
I’m a millenial originally from North Carolina who now lives in London, England. When not studying history, I spend my time reading, consuming pop culture and hanging out with my cat, Kiki.
The title of the website comes from the idea of magpies being attracted to shiny things which I relate to as someone who has ADHD. I’m also fascinated by how they are seen as harbingers of bad or good luck depending on who is telling the story. They are remarkably intelligent creatures who sometimes get a bad rap and I do think that nuance is sorely needed when we talk about historical events and figures.
Ashton Kessler 