The e-Gateway
for Historians. Jan/Feb/Mar 2007:
Volume VIII, Number 1 ISSN:1471-745X
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MARBLE ARCH,
'Marble Arch' was designed by John
Nash in 1828; it was originally intended to be the gateway entrance to
but being too too
narrow for the grand processions that took place, it was moved in 1852 to
become a gateway to
Marble Arch stands near the site of the
old Tyburn gallows.
It was at Tyburn where, from
the late 14th century until the late 18th century, public executions took place
before large crowds of bloodthirsty spectators.
In 1714, more than 150,000 spectators gathered
to watch the execution of the notorious highwayman, Jack Shepherd.
THE HISTORY GATEWAY
HISTORY.COM LINKS
PREMIER HISTORY
ORGANISATIONS
(Institutions & archives)
SPECIALIST &
REGIONAL SOCIETIES
e-REVIEWS, ARTICLES &
PUBLICATIONS.
Homepage:
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____________________________________________________________________________
EDITORIALS, by Fiona Bengtsen.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
January, 2007
HISTORY MATTERS
History in flux
Contrary to popular belief history is not static; the way we
view it changes with each generation.
Every new fact unearthed by researchers on a given topic alters our
perspective. Think attitudes to past wars, think slavery. And now even the way
we record our history has changed.
History today does not necessarily mean written
history. Very few of our present-day
transactions are paper-based and even those that are, employ such inferior
quality ink and paper that these records will not be permanent; they will fade
and disintegrate long before future historians have had the opportunity to
study them.
For old school historians the word ‘history’ means legal
documents, letters and diaries, but today even the written word is not recorded
with pen and ink anymore. The millions
of emails and text messages flying around the ether, daily, contain fascinating
insights into today’s lifestyle but they are deleted and have gone
forever. We bank on line. We buy and sell items on line. We buy our airline, concert and rail tickets
this way too. And we even sign for our
parcels on an electronic tablet. Never
mind a paperless office we are creating an archive-less future.
This is not all bad news for today’s historians, however,
because much of the information already stored and previously hunted down in
libraries and archives is now on line.
Since 2004 Google has scanned 1 million books from NYPL and the
universities of Stanford,
Many Record Offices are also on line where portions of
documents can be viewed from your home computer. This has been a boon to family historians who
no longer need to traipse the length of the country to visit archives.
Our generation will be remembered through sound and vision;
colour photographs, sound tracks from recording devices, videos with moving
pictures of our activities and monitor-read information, but not through
physical documents – perhaps a more rounded view of the world than that of the
Victorians but more remote. There is
special magic in handling the very documents our ancestors touched – a step
back in time, an intimate contact with that generation.
The biggest problem with this wonderful animated history we
are bequeathing to the future is its transmission. Computer systems evolve and change
rapidly. Floppy disks become CDs which
become mini-disks and every type we ‘upgrade’ our material to the new system we
lose definition. Hopefully the problem of degradability will be solved before
we lose the information. This is not
history as we knew it but it is still history.
We have embraced the new technology and must learn to coexist with it but
it does mean that how we viewed history has changed forever.
October, 2006
KNOW YOUR
THE HISTORY CHANNEL - LAUNCHES FREE VIDEO PODCASTS
The History Channel is launching its first ever series of
video podcasts to coincide with the return of the hit series 'How London Was
Built', starring the charismatic Adam Hart-Davis.
Four walking tours of
The tours are full of interesting facts (did you know St James's Palace is on the site of an old leper hospital?) and hidden attractions, such as Ye Olde Mitre Tavern in Holborn. Originally built for Bishop Goodrich, and later named after his hat, the pub is notoriously hard to find and has been regarded as something of a local secret, until now.
The 4 x 5 minute expeditions include tours from Selfridges
to
The tours accompany the series 'How London Was Built', showing on The History Channel on
Thursdays at
The video podcasts are available to download free at
www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/podcasts
<http://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/podcasts>
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July, 2006.
Solving
life’s big mysteries.
THE HISTORY CHANNEL - BIOGRAPHY CHANNEL – AND OTHER TV
CHANNELS, WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A CHARITY, MAY HELP TO SOLVE MYSTERIES.
|
P |
ROBABLY the best-known missing
person to-date is that of Lord Lucan who disappeared in November 1974 following
the murder of his children’s nanny and an attack on his estranged wife. The Seventh Earl of Lucan,
aged 39, has not been seen since.
Although there have
been numerous reported sightings of the aristocrat over the years,
neither he nor his body have ever been found.
He was officially declared dead by the High Court in 1999.
An investigation
into the Lord Lucan murder case was reopened in October 2004 - almost 30 years
after his disappearance - when a new a
new, computer-generated image was issued of how Lord Lucan would look aged
about 70 years.
Detectives used DNA
profiling to try to solve the case. But
so far DNA
testing has failed to provide conclusive evidence that sheds any light on the
Lucan mystery which still grips the imagination of the public.
Now in a ground-breaking
partnership between the National Missing Persons Helpline, and the newly
launched Crime and Investigation Network, (Sky 531) there are hopes of solving
some long-term mysteries.
For the first time regular
television appeals for information on unidentified bodies are being shown on
national television.
The
Following a successful trial the short appeals will now be shown up to 20 times each week, between programmes, from September.
Ross Miller, Head of
Communications for National Missing Persons Helpline, says: "This is an
example of how niche channels can help the voluntary sector - it is the first
time a media partner has offered us regular appeals specifically for our
unidentified cases.
The National Missing Persons Helpline has a dedicated ID & Reconstruction department which can produce age progressions of missing people, post mortem artist's impressions, facial reconstructions and can perform detailed searches on our extensive database.
An extensive database of the
unidentified cases from the
For further information please
contact:
Ross Miller - National
Missing Persons Helpline - 020 8392 4513 / 07957 406940 or media@missingpersons.org
Alexes Rogers - The Crime
& Investigation Network on 0207 941 5751 or email alexes.rogers@bskyb.com
The Crime & Investigation Network was launched on
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Waves of Destruction – ancient Tsunamis hit
There are Tidal Waves, like the Severn Bore and then there are
Tsunamis. In the wake of the devastation
wreaked by the most recent of these killer waves we examined the history of
ancient tsunamis and found details of three uncomfortably close to home to
home: Tsunamis of biblical proportions, like the recent catastrophic one in
South-East Asia, have been recorded in the annals by many past historians like
Heredotus, but perhaps the one closest to us in Britain occurred long before
man put pen to paper. Called the Storegga Slides, the first of these three
massive earth slides was triggered by a earthquake,
about 30-35,000 years before present, off the coast of western
For full
geological details of these events see: http://www.brunel.ac.uk/depts/geo/iainsub/studwebpage/best/Storegga.html
For
further information on local Tsunamis see the BBC programme detailed
below.
Tsunami 1607 recalls the Tsunami wave that caused massive
flooding in
See BBC website for
transmission date and time. www.bbc.co.uk
And watch out for ‘Killer Waves’ programme
on National Geographic at the end
of January. See www.nationalgeographic.co.uk
for transmission details.
February, 2005
CHARIOTS
OF
Two amazing finds
during recent weeks have thrown new light upon life in Roman Britain. One discovery by archaeologists excavating
part of a garrison in
ARCHAEOLOGY AND ‘THE LITTLE PEOPLE’
Our folk
history is peopled with mysterious miniature human beings who have appeared in
the ancient literature, songs and the art of most continents for
centuries. These creatures are often
credited with strange powers, and have been either revered or feared by their
‘normal’ neighbours right into the 20th century. Children everywhere have grown up with
stories of elves, fairies, leprechauns, pixies, and trolls, all creatures who
were believed to live either underground, in deserted areas or inside mountains. Now it looks as if archaeology has proved
that there is at least a grain of truth in these stories with the discovery of
homo floresiensis, a diminutive modern man, by archaeologists on the remote
Indonesian
An Australian
research team at Liang Bua cave,
If such humans
also existed in Europe, as scientists believe is possible, then it is likely
that they would come into conflict with the larger homo sapiens which would
account for stories of ‘little people’ living on the edges of society, either
by choice or because they had been driven out.
Such small individuals would be more agile, and fleet-of-foot, than
their larger neighbours which may give rise to tales
of vanishings and flight. To survive
alongside homo sapiens these diminutives may have
evolved a system of co-operation with their larger neighbours by supplying them
with services, hence the stories of elves as shoemakers etc.
Time and again
folk stories have been proven to have an element of truth in them. With the
help of science and archaeology, perhaps we are on the verge of discovering,
once and for all, if these fairy-tales are true or false.
November, 2004:
The
www.merciacinema.org.uk
Not
all history is about saving crumbling documents covered with ancient, illegible
handwriting. Documents and photographs
of the 20th century are as much in need of collection and
conservation as those from previous centuries.
Here we have a very enthusiastic, pro-active society that has embarked
upon a very worthwhile project in compiling A National Gazetteer of Cinema Buildings, and
would be very pleased to hear from anyone who has information about cinema
buildings in their area. They will provide
you with a survey form for completion.
Log on to their website for more details. www.merciacinema.org.uk
The
Mercia Cinema Society was started by four people in
Anyone
interested in the ‘hardware’ of cinema is invited to join. The annual
membership is £10.00 / £15.00 (payable to Mercia Cinema Society). If you would like a book-list, or have any
questions about the society, and for
a free trial issue of the
Mercia Bioscope please contact the Administrator Mervyn Gould
: Mervyn.Gould@virgin.net
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June,
2004:
PRISONERS OF THE TOWER 1100-1941,
An innovative new exhibition at the Tower of London
A new and exciting exhibition,
Prisoners of the Tower, was opened at the
The Episcopal ring and crozier of
Ralph Flambard, one of the Tower’s first prisoners, is on display, as is the
prayer book of Anne Boleyn and the chair in which German spy Josef Jakobs, was
shot in 1941 – the last person to be executed at the Tower. Another curious exhibit is an enormous
rhinoceros horn which belonged to Sir William Wade, the Lieutenant of the Tower during the
reign of James I.
As many of the Towers detainees
were of noble birth, like Sir Walter Raleigh, they were accorded the privileges
of their status, hence they were allowed servants, entertained, and dined
royally. Imprisonment in this case,
meant loss of freedom but not loss of rank.
However, many were still subjected to torture in this grim institution,
although the much-feared rack was used far less often than is imagined. An inherited Victorian preoccupation with all
things gruesome is blamed for our fascination with this aspect of the Tower’s
history.
A ‘must’ for your visits list,
the exhibition runs until 5th September this year. Opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday 9 to
1800 hrs, Sunday and Monday 10 -1800 hrs, with last admission at 1700 hrs. Tickets give entrance to all parts of the
tower including the exhibition, and can be purchased on-line in advance through
the website: www.historicroyalpalaces.org.uk
______________________________________________________________________________________________
September, 2003:
NEW
ON-LINE HISTORY COURSES FROM
The College-on-the-Net was conceived in 2001 by archaeology tutor
Lyn Bright, who decided to launch an on-line course to address the shortage of
tutors in GCSE and A level Archaeology in
This enterprise was
a such a success that the choice of courses has now been extended, to include Archaeology, World Archaeology,
Classical
Civilisation, Local History, Egyptology, Creative Writing, and Life Coaching.
These multi-level courses are now taught on-line by
a collective group of independent academics, lecturers and specialist trainers.
LOCAL HISTORY – the latest
College-on-the-Net course, will be launched this
month, September. Entitled - Down Your Way: research techniques in
local history, this 20 session course covers a wide range of aspects on
local historical research, from the
basics, including document analysis and locating historical resources, through to oral history techniques,
historical photography, and gender, ethnic, industrial, and transport history
(including aviation). Issues such as
anthroprometrics are also covered in the final session.
The introductory block covers the
origins of place names, newspapers as an historical resource, and an
introduction to parish records. The importance of organisation is addressed in
this section.
Other sessions examine the English Poor Law,
Education and Public Health, use of census etc., and the role of the armed
forces.
Interaction
– ‘Law and Order’ looks firstly at pre-constabulary policing; then at resources
relating to the 1829 and 1839 Constabulary Acts. A particular feature of this
section is the re-enactment of a 19th century arson trial. The evidence, from
this well documented Essex arson trial, is put to the students, who are then
asked to act as the jury, returning a verdict of guilty or not guilty.
Tutors will endeavour to tailor the
course to individual needs. For example the course focus can include Scotland,
Wales, Ireland, and the Channel Isles if required; or if a student has a
specific research project in mind (or wishes to write a book), tutors will to
assist them.
Course cost -
£175. See website for
further details.
www.college-on-the-net.co.uk
or www.college-on-the-net.com
LAUNCHED THIS MONTH – current WORLD ARCHAEOLOGY
A new archaeological magazine out
this month, and sister to Current ARCHAEOLOGY magazine, looks at the whole
world from Egypt to Peru, China to Pompeii, and brings you up to-date on how
modern research can throw new light on old findings. In the first few issues, CWA promises to look
at well-known tourist sites, like Ephesus, showing solutions to the problem of
conserving, and yet opening to the public, new discoveries like pavements and
wall paintings. The magazine will also
look at ordinary dwellings like those in Amarna in Ancient Egypt, and a Mayan
city, La Milpa in Belize, Central America, as well as considering life in
pre-Roman Pompeii.
Subscribers to this new magazine have the opportunity to
obtain special offers and bargain packages now.
Try www.archaeology.co.uk for more details about Current World ARCHAEOLOGY.
___________________________________________________________________________________
July, 2003:
AN INITIATIVE TO PROVIDE HISTORY
WEBSITES FOR LOCAL USE.
The BBC Coventry and Warwickshire
website www.bbc.co.uk/coventry was
launched in April 2001, as part of the BBC's project to provide local websites
for every English county www.bbc.co.uk/england
The site covers everything in
local news, events, opinions and entertainment. Local history was also added to
reflect the importance of the area's history to its current identity.
Web producer, Faye Claridge said:
"Local history is a key section on the website now. In particular, the
events of World War Two have had such an impact on the attitude, appearance and
population of Coventry that it was very important we covered the period
thoroughly on the website.
"The spirit of optimism and
forgiveness that came with peace is something people from the Coventry area can
be really proud of. Through the website, locals and international internet
users alike can now remember this spirit in a unique way."
The material is really special
and includes exclusive online films, never heard before audio clips and a
wealth of photographs.
In addition to war features, the
section covers archaeology, industrial history, stately homes, historical
figures and more. Explore it all here:
www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/features/local-history/
Contributions, opinions and
suggestions are also warmly invited from anyone with an interest in the area's
history.
Almost sixty
years after the end of one of Europe's bloodiest conflicts, the electronic
pages of People's War at www.bbc.co.uk/ww2 will provide a blank sheet for both
first-hand memories and those stories related by families telling what their
parents and
grandparents did during
the wartime years.
"The idea
for People's War came from the realisation that as the survivors of the Second
World War get ever fewer, there is a great need for their children, and
grand-children to find out what they did, where they served, and what really
happened to them," says Liz Cleaver, Controller of BBCi Factual &
Learning, whose team created the site. "People's War will bring together
these stories to interweave military
history with personal
history and help provide the nation with some of the answers they deserve.
"Working
with museums and military networks across the UK, the BBC has created a
framework on which contributors can hang their stories. And because all the
stories are captured electronically we can sort and cross reference these to
build up a vast
database that connects
former military units, and colleagues, who have perhaps not seen one another
for nearly sixty years."
"The BBCi
website is uniquely placed to undertake this huge task," adds Ashley
Highfield, BBC Director of New Media & Technology, "providing a
national archive of life during World War II in a modern and relevant way, and
giving a voice to everyone who experienced life during such a crucial period of
modern history."
People's War
can be found on the BBCi website at www.bbc.co.uk/ww2. You can simply log on at
home, or get help and advice on how to take part from one of the pilot centres
taking part in the BBC project. These
include museums, libraries and community groups around the country, for example
the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library at Norfolk Library Service, the East
Midlands Museum Libraries and Archive Council, the Westminster Community
Reminiscence Group at the Cabinet War Rooms, and Coventry Libraries and
Log on to: www.bbc.co.uk/ww2
for more details.
May, 2003:
An unmissable, four-part drama for BBC TWO by Peter Moffat
with Toby
Stephens as Kim Philby - Samuel West as Anthony Blunt
Tom Hollander as Guy Burgess - Rupert Perry-Jones
as Donald Maclean
In 1934 when four idealistic,
As Peter Moffat’s screenplay for
BBC Two demonstrates, these handsome, intelligent and privileged young men had
a confidence and arrogance that marked them out as prime targets for the KGB
recruiting agents lurking in the college quads during the 1930s. All were complex characters with a desire to
live life to the full. All
enthusiastically embraced and venerated communism, and abhorred fascism, and
yet all were very different individuals.
Every one of them eventually worked for the British Intelligence
Services where they became probably the most notorious,
and devastatingly effective spies in the history of modern intelligence.
But this is no historical
documentary with added extras, this is a thrilling, action-packed drama which
contains graphic scenes of sexual acts and violence. The beautifully
photographed, fast-moving film, took only 10 weeks to shoot in
Peter Moffat, who wrote the
screen play, told HistoryGateway that
he experienced considerable obstacles during his historical research, including
misinformation and contradictory accounts of events. Even after all these years, it seems that
doors only open a chink in the world of espionage. Because of these barriers, we were told, it has been
difficult to piece together the truth, so certain events and characters have
been created, or changed for dramatic effect.
Peter’s most valuable source was the Vasili Mitrokhin archives, which
consist of thousands of copied KGB documents dating from the 1920 and smuggled
out of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Our historical and political perspectives have shifted considerably
since 1934, so it will be interesting to see how the viewing public now judges
these men, as heroes or traitors? The
series starts in early May. Don’t
miss the opportunity to see this beautifully crafted, but provocative film
which is destined to be talked about for years!
Check website for full details of transmission dates and times: www.bbc.co.uk
April, 2003:
WAR
and the
Daniel Libeskind’s extraordinary
War Museum North hovers on the edge of the
Last week HistoryGateway visited
the museum at the invitation of The History Channel, for a private view and
presentation which was also enjoyed by an invited audience of History Channel
devotees.
As we all soon discovered, within the building the chaos theory continues, Walls lean,
ceilings and floors slope and curve. In
some areas space is upward, but walls encroach, in others space is outward., open like a clearing. Vehicles hang preciptitously above the
visitor, preparing to plunge down a ramp.
The displays too, are different
from conventional museums. Here, there
are no exhibits dedicated to battle plans and tactics, instead the emphasis is
on the individual, and how war has shaped people’s lives from 1900 to-date. What he/she wore, experienced, coped with,
and suffered. Part of this suffering is
shown in graphic detail by The Big Picture -
a large-scale, audio-visual presentation, projected all around the
visitor onto 20 screens simultaneously, some over 5 metres high. There are three shows, each using powerful
images and soundtracks of personal experiences.
The effect is profoundly moving, particularly when children recount
their stories of suffering from wars around the world.
This is an extraordinary war
museum, not least because of its usual shape, but also because of the anti-war
element running through the entire building.
The disorientation and confusion of war, and its aftermath, are
graphically and confidently displayed in The Imperial War Museum North. It presents a twenty-first century view of
war that has not been addressed previously, to our knowledge, by any war museum
in this country. Our verdict is, that it is well worth the journey from wherever you
live.
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