Hello. I'm not sure if this is the right subreddit, as most questions seem to be about wars and much older things, so apologies if I'm wrong!

I'm trying to make a game set in old banks from the 20's - 30's, but I'd like them to be somewhat accurate. I've found a few pictures on Google images, but they aren't really enough to make a whole model out of.

Is there a website for finding old blueprints? Or does anyone know a place with lots of pictures/information about old banks?

Thanks a lot.

Foreign influence? Genuine and persistent belief in Stewart right to throne?

Just started watching America Unearthed recently and while it's not the strongest show it does raise some curious points that aren't generally taught in the history of the continent. Has the academic field been influenced in any way by this show or others like it?

For example, I assume I would be able to get by in London during the time of Shakespeare but not during Chaucer's time. When did English evolve to the point that I would find it recognizable?

I play a low fantasy game in which we are setting up a guild of scholars. We want to include a fairly realistic representation of how linguistics were studies and spread historically. The setting is similar to the late medieval period, but pre-printing press (or at least the printing press isn't available to the common populace). Any information about the topic during the breadth of the medieval period (early to late), interesting anecdotes etc will be useful, as well as other resources I can look into.

Thanks!

I know the invasion lead to the Gulf War and US intervention but wanted to know about what motivated Saddam to invade in the first place. I think the war is overlooked compared to the second Gulf War and I'm interested in learning more about it, thanks

Fellow historians,

I'm hoping one of you has a grandfather, or father, who may know the history of the Army's 786th Engineering Company in WWII. My grandfather landed on Omaha Beach, Dog Green Sector (same as Saving Private Ryan) on D-Day plus two. I know only a few things about his service: he served as a medic, fought through Normandy (obviously); was in Paris; fought through Belgium; and fought at Bastogne (Battle of the Bulge). He never spoke about his service (understandably so), but the archive where his Company's records were stored burnt down a few years ago. Thus, I have no means of researching where, specifically, he fought, or if he made it to Berlin.

I'm hoping one of you has some resource or knowledge that I don't have. I'm asking on behalf of my father who doesn't know where his own dad fought.

Thanks for your help!

Did brute force of African originated humans trump the greater brain size of the Neanderthals?

Often I see TV shows and movies depicting castles as their primary residence. How accurate is this? Was it more true at certain points in history?

I thought it was an honorific, like if your party got a majority and you were a respected member, you got to carry the big fancy stick in to start the day and carry it out when it was over. I never thought there was any connection to actual weapons. Well, maybe way back in the day, but not in modern times.

I've been reading a book about myths of Australian military history (because it looked interesting and it's a topic I know nothing about), and there's a chapter that seeks to dispel the myth that there were Japanese invasion plans for (or even a "secret" invasion of) Australia. In the chapter, the author states:

Many senior Japanese officers were imbued with the aggressive imperialism that carried Japan into a ruinous war... to ultimate defeat.

What, if any, historical circumstances led to the development of this mindset among the Japanese officer corps and in the general population? I understand that there would have been cultural influences as well (and I plan on posing the equivalent question in /r/askanthropology), but I'm curious about the historical influences on this mindset. If you can recommend any books on the topic for further reading, I'd be interested.

For those who are interested in the book I'm reading, it's called Zombie Myths of Australian Military History edited by Craig Stockings, and it's really interesting. Borrowed it from the library today and I'm already over halfway through.

Just curious about whether any of his work was actually deemed viable and useful after WW2 or it was all just deemed the work of a madman and discredited.

I was listening to an episode of a The History of Byzantium and it had me wondering.