Reflections on “Contested Commemorations”, RHS Symposium at the Open University.

by | 14 Jun 2019 | Guest Posts, RHS Work

On 17 May 2019 the Open University History department hosted a Royal Historical Society symposium to reflect on the centenary of the First World War. Following four years of commemorative activity, our aim with “Contested Commemorations” was to assess how...

Cultures of secrecy and transparent archives?

by | 23 May 2019 | Guest Posts

In April 2019, during  a panel discussion at Australia’s Parliament House, Anne Twomey, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Sydney, declared that the National Archives of Australia (NAA) have become ‘completely dysfunctional’. This was due to failures...

In All Our Footsteps: Tracking Walking Histories in Post-War Britain

by | 17 May 2019 | Guest Posts

May is National Walking Month. In this piece, Clare Hickman and Glen O’ Hara reflect on their new collaborative project which has emerged from personal as well as academic interests in walking, and has led them to reflect on the intersections of environmental,...

Public History Prize

by | 14 Mar 2018 | RHS Work

In January at the Mary Ward Centre in London, we presented the awards for the 2018 Public History Prize. There were wonderful entries in all categories, displaying the diversity and creativity of historians across the country engaging with public audiences. Ahead of...

Controversial Public History

by | 09 Jan 2018 | Guest Posts

We recently visited Queen’s University Belfast to co-host a symposium on “Teaching & Researching Controversial History”. Ahead of our Public History Prize awards later this month, Dr Olwen Purdue (Director of the QUB Centre for Public History) reflects on the...