In 2015, the Islamic State (ISIS) attacked the 2,000 year-old Arch of Triumph in the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria. This raised serious questions about what jihadist groups like ISIS were truly hoping to gain. It is important to keep in mind the location of ISIS which is in both parts of Iraq and Syria. […]
Britain took over tennis this summer as Andy Murray conquered home and abroad to win the Olympics and the US Open in a breathless summer of sport. With the first British man to hoist a Grand Slam trophy since 1936, does Murray represent a new leaf in British tennis? Firstly let me satisfyingly deflate a […]
Without any parliamentary notice, the disgusting ‘Contagious Diseases Act’ was suddenly passed in 1864. Effectively ‘legalising’ prostitution and placing it under police control, it allowed the stop and search of any woman suspected of being a prostitute. Such a ‘search’ included a bodily examination, totally violating and humiliating anyone forced to participate.
Throughout history, women have often played a pivotal but underappreciated role in political resistance. Traditional gender norms of the mid-20th century placed women in less political roles; they were subservient housewives. In reality, many women have been crucial in the fight against totalitarian regimes, the Mirabals illustrating as such. Megan Dina Garlick interviews Lecturer of […]
Haddon Sundblom was the artist who created the iconic Coca Cola Santa Claus in 1931. Inspired by Dr Peter Yeadle’s third year module, Popular Imperialism and Popular Culture, Ben Beach explores the man who, for many, defined early twentieth century advertising illustration.
Today, Manchester’s Market Street boasts dozens of busy high-street retailers and restaurants. But once upon a time, the site was home to the Clarion Café, a powerful institution for social activists. On the 3rd of June 1968, Valerie Solanas entered the Decker Building in New York City and fired a single bullet through the body […]
It is the stuff of horror films everywhere: A changeling switched by evil fairies to wreak havoc in the human world. A woman gone mad, possessed by an evil spirit and the ritual of exorcism used to rid her body of it. But these common Hollywood themes have deep historical origins. They are rooted in […]
Manchester’s Arndale covers 1,500,000 square feet of retail floor space, making it Europe’s largest city-centre shopping mall. How Manchester’s streets see over 750,000 shoppers flocking to the city centre on a weekly basis, a step backwards into history is necessary. Mass consumerism as we know it developed from the late Victorian period, in which the […]
President of the History Society Jamie Lawless speaks candidly to Henry Lee about life in the public eye, ‘that ball’ in 2012 and how he’s got himself back on track in 2013 in his first public interview. For a man with such responsibility on his shoulders, on first impressions Jamie Lawless has the demeanour of […]
Thank you everyone who made it to our annual Staff/Student Pub Quiz! We had a great turnout, filling the entire of 256, and some great competitive spirit among you all. It was great to see staff and students engaging with each other! Following on from this, we have some more socials and events we are […]
Haddon Sundblom was the artist who created the iconic Coca Cola Santa Claus in 1931. Inspired by Dr Peter Yeadle’s third year module, Popular Imperialism and Popular Culture, Ben Beach explores the man who, for many, defined early twentieth century advertising illustration.
These were the final words of William of Orange, nicknamed Father of the Fatherland, after being shot in 1584. These words encapsulated the dire circumstances faced by the Dutch at that moment, embroiled in a war of independence after enduring decades of oppression from their Hapsburg overlords. The Wars of the Roses were a series […]
James Brannan explores one of the favoured interrogation technique of law enforcement for centuries, torture. Kate Ayling explores Johannes Junius, Dr Jenny Spinks’ Undiscovered Hero, a German mayor who was convicted of witchcraft in 1628.
Keir Forde explores the topical subject of secret police and surveillance throughout history. Capital punishment has historically focussed on the criminal facing the death penalty. George Scrafton explores the intriguing world of the executioner.
