Cokaygne in my brain

November 8, 2009 6:42 AM

Past Tenseis a publishing project exploring London radical history. Their website has texts telling us about William Cuffay, the black Chartist tried and transported for levying war against Queen Victoria; an account of an early instance of women's organised labour struggle during the 1908 Corruganza box-makers strike; the drunken uproar of the 18th-century elections for the spurious Mayor of Garratt, really putting the 'mock' into 'mock election'; a yeoman farmer in Kett's Great Rebellion of 1549; the burning of the Albion Mills; and much more, including some walking tours to locations linked to radical history in various parts of the metropolis.
posted by Abiezer (7 comments total)

Bit of a radical rejection of the hegemony of The Man's design values too, but the text's the thing.
posted by Abiezer at 6:43 AM on November 8 [7 favorites]

And I failed to link this to the words 'elections for the spurious Mayor of Garratt' in the post, if a mod fancies helping out.
posted by Abiezer at 6:45 AM on November 8

Insert readability, and it's a lovely site. Thanks!
posted by shetterly at 7:54 AM on November 8 [2 favorites]

Great find, Abiezer!

I don't mind the layout (or lack of one) but then I grew up reading usenet on linux terminals. And not to get all wikipedian on you guys but the people who run this would probably welcome some html assistance as long as it didn't make it hard for them to update the site.
posted by Kattullus at 12:03 PM on November 8

It says "I exist, look at me and the flash car I possess, I listen to music that is modern and cool and I therefore embody these qualities, I insist on dominating your attention and consciousness for the duration I am in your presence."
posted by freebird at 4:34 PM on November 8

Having read the Mayor of Garrat piece, it's tempting to get a t-shirt made with 'Don't Blame Me, I Voted Squire Blowmedown' but your chances of meeting anyone who knew what the hell the reference was are vanishingly slim I suppose.
posted by Abiezer at 4:53 AM on November 9

But that one time somebody gets the reference it'll be pretty special.
posted by Kattullus at 5:56 AM on November 9