1931: Smoky-eyed Norma Shearer attends the Oscars in a brocade shirt and skirt with fur sleeves. Is that a corsage I spot? Associated Press 1948: Lois Maxwell wins New Actress of the Year at the Golden Globes, wearing a felt cape embellished with fiery flora. Nigel Dobinson, Getty Images 1955: Grace Kelly wears a Paris […]
Any reader of the Manchester Historian is bound to have seen the ‘worker bee’ upon just about every surface in the city centre; from public bins to engravings in the Town Hall’s mosaic floor, it is hard to ignore the insect as a powerful motif embodying the Mancunian identity. But where does it originate from? […]
The discovery of Richard III’s remains in Leicester marks a significant moment for both Historians and Archaeologists in this country. The fact that the remains of the king were situated in Leicester is not what is significant, although the ignominy of an English King being buried ungraciously under a car park does make for an […]
The union between England and Scotland was solidified with the 1707 Acts of Union; creating what we know as ‘Great Britain’. 2007 saw the 300 year anniversary of this union and it was celebrated with the release of a commemorative £2 coin. The September 2014 referendum, on the issue of Scottish Independence, featured weightily in […]
The summer of 2021 will live long in the memory of English football fans as manager Gareth Southgate took England to the very edge of glory, aiming to end 55 years of footballing hurt and rekindle the spirit of previous glory. Whilst ultimately ending in heartbreak for Southgate’s young squad, the feeling generated by his […]
Many European football fans view South America as the ultimate embodiment of football as much more than just a game, with incredible fan culture and intimate relationships between football and politics. In Passion of the People (1994), Tony Mason seeks to study the origins of the beautiful game in the continent and examine the accuracy […]
Euripides’ writing style is modern in its presentation of women as an integral part of society. Yet in spite of this modernity regarding gender, the women in Bacchae are still constrained to their ‘traditional’ roles as child bearers. Therefore, Euripides’ presentation of women as vital has patriarchal undertones, as they are presented as being necessary […]
James Pidliswyj reviews Brian Cox’s new series on British discoveries and inventions, Science Britannia. Leonardo Da Vinci was, without doubt, one of the greatest minds in human history who is often said to have been, scientifically at least, hundreds of years ahead of his time. However, this seems to be an idea that grates on […]
The BLM movement illuminated the symbolic and emotional power attached to who and what councils and communities choose to exalt in civic space. In March 2021, Manchester Council conducted public consultations to ‘ensure’ the public realm was ‘holistic’ and ‘meaningfully reflected the city’s communities past and modern-day identity’. Yet questions regarding the history of revered […]
In Russia, memories of Stalinist repressions and the Gulag are contentious topics. Despite over 20 million people perishing as a result of Stalin’s purges and many more being forced into labour camps in Siberia, the Kremlin, through propaganda and censorship, has consistently attempted to sanitise its dark history, which it portrays as a necessary measure […]
What began as the religious mission of one man became one of modern China’s most pivotal historical events. The Taiping Rebellion (1850-64) destabilised the Manchu Qing Dynasty, devastated the southern regions of China, saw the death of around 20,000,000 and would later act as inspiration for revolutionaries such as Sun Yat-Sen and Chairman Mao, shaping […]
Jack Crutcher investigates the histories of the foods that now cover our tables in the festive period. From mince pies to turkey to yule logs, the history of eating at Christmas is extensive and international. Alex Byrom reviews Michael Wood ‘in conversation’ with Tristram Hunt MP. Charlotte Johnson interviews public historian and new staff member […]
As yet another state breaks international law, chemical weapons are again at the forefront of the debate about human rights. Tom Oliver looks at how has the rhetoric of human rights developed since its inception. A review of Dr Parthasarathi’s lecture on the European-Asian economic divergence. Popular images of the first transatlantic migrants depict fierce […]
We all know plenty about Sicily, Crete and Cuba, but what about those tiny little patches of land in Earth’s vast oceans? Here’s a few interesting facts about three islands you may only know very little about… NASA Thursday Island (Waiben) Waiben is the local Melanesian name for this island located just North of the […]
