The fear of antibiotic resistance is at the forefront of world headlines in 2015. But, to understand this fear, we need to delve into the history of antibiotics. The discovery of penicillin is arguably one of the most significant scientific discoveries in history. Penicillin turned out to be a powerful antibiotic that has saved, and […]
The 17th century Rokeby Venus painting by Diego Velázquez has been damaged by two Just Stop Oil protesters in the National Gallery in London. Armed with hammers, the two students smashed the protective glass of the painting. The same painting suffered a slashing in 1914 by the suffragette and fine arts student Mary Richardson. Known […]
Throughout the lengthy development of historical academic fields, there has often persisted the notion of an underlying patriarchal bias. The scope of research being conducted has often had an institutionalized predisposition to focus upon male scholars, figures and ideas, leading to the neglect of the vital roles women have played throughout history. […]
Welcome to Issue 4! A big thank you to everyone who participated in the facebook event we used to give out articles – it was a huge success! We will be using this method for all future issues so if you missed out, become a fan at: facebook.com/themanchesterhistorian to subscribe to all future updates and […]
The Black Panther Party and Black Power as a whole, are often not given this space: they are deemed separate from the civil rights movement and thus, not worthy of commemoration. For instance, there are at least thirty statues of Martin Luther King across the United States, but none to Black Panthers.
Many readers will already know of the Rosetta Stone and its monumental impact on history. Discovered during the Napoleonic campaigns in Egypt around the turn of the 19th century, the Stone was taken to England and now rests in the British Museum. It is an immense thing, needing a new gallery built in the museum […]
‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breath free’ begins the inscription below the Statue of Liberty. Yet despite this, early 20th century immigration to the United States was often greeted with hostility and not the open arms you’d expect in a country built by immigrants for immigrants. Across the Upper […]
James Strachan blogs about Yugoslavia and it’s rise and fall under ‘Sloba’. Jo Perdicchia, guest blogger and University of Cardiff graduate, details the impressive life of Hiroo Onoda, the last Japanese soldier to surrender years after the Second World War.
“Reality is as thin as paper, and betrays with all its cracks its imitative character. A hundred times I had to try and test its taut skin with my hands, and had found it hopelessly botched.” These are the words of Jewish Galician writer Bruno Schulz, a globally relevant artist and painter, particularly recognised among […]
Thinking of applying for a role on next year’s Manchester Historian team? Read the role descriptions, download the application form and apply for a great role on a great team! Sarah King summarises 1974 in ten photos from around the globe. Peer Mentoring Student Coordinator Sophie Praill gives some advice on preparing to write the […]
The French Revolution, renowned for its transformative revolutionary politics and societal impact, initiated substantial changes in the pursuit of liberty and equality. While the revolution is often celebrated for its achievements, like the abolition of the absolute monarchy and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in 1789, the same efforts […]
Michael Buffong, director of All My Sons and artistic director of the Talawa Theatre Company, has answered many questions about the all-black cast. Yet the talent of the actors blinds the preconceived commentaries of Miller’s play based on the All- American family, and each character is performed flawlessly. The Exchange hosts the play in its […]
‘Som una nació. Nosaltres decidim.’ (We are a nation. We decide.) Catalonia is a region in limbo. Since the semi-autonomous province in north-west Spain held an illegitimate independence referendum in 2017, the population of 7.5 million has been in the dark, wondering what the Spanish government will decide for their long-term future. Unsurprisingly, the crisis […]
Although most of us are aware of the tradition, and some give a nod of penitence towards it, very few of us participate in the lent fast. However, it would be even harder to imagine giving up the mince pies, advent calendars and hearty winter meals we indulge in over December. For medieval Britons marking […]