MetaFilter posts tagged with london and history

Cokaygne in my brain

Abiezer — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:42:16 -0800

Past Tense is 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.

Blind Justice

ecorrocio — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:08:16 -0800

Blind Justice..... Sir John Fielding, 1721-1780, brother of novelist/playwrite Henry Fielding (Tom Jones), was a blind magistrate at the Bow Street court (known as the "Blind Beak of Bow Street"), home of London's first professional police force, the Bow Street Runners. Wonderfully fictionalized in a series of books by Bruce Alexander (a.k.a. Bruce Cook).

A survey of London's remaining professional darkrooms

nthdegx — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:05:05 -0800

A survey of London's remaining professional darkrooms

The Other Eastenders

Abiezer — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:16:37 -0800

Kamal Chunchie charts the history of the black and Asian community in Canning Town, east London, in the 1920s and 1930s. It tells the story of the Coloured Men's Institute and its founder, Kamal Chunchie, a man who can rightly be called east London's first black and Asian community leader. One of the many excellent East London history projects at Hidden Histories.

Holmes' and Watson's World

digaman — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:01:27 -0800

One minute and four seconds in London, 1904. Birkbeck College professor Ian Christie rediscovered this footage in an archive in Canberra, shot for a travelogue by film pioneer Charles Urban.

Photographs at the very beginning of London's Swinging 60's

nickyskye — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:29:00 -0800

Forty years ago, Swinging London was yet to swing. Everything was in black and white and, in class-bound Britain, fashion photographers were trades-men – polite, smart, seen but not heard. A new breed of snappers changed all that – Terry O’Neill, Brian Duffy, David Bailey and Terence Donovan. Bailey and Donovan started their careers in the West End studio of the doyen of fashion photographers – John French. Celebrated East London photographers at that time. Terry O’Neill, about. Brian Duffy, a well known photograph of his, David Bowie. Terence Donovan David Bailey. A bit about him and his girlfriend, Jean Shrimpton, a popular model of the day. The Counterfeit Body: Fashion Photography and the Deceptions of Femininity, Sexuality, Authenticity and Self in the 1950s, 60s and 70s The Age of Sex: Bad Boys and the Sexualized Body in 1960s Fashion Photography John French at the Victoria & Albert Museum

Collage: online image database

paduasoy — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 12:13:18 -0800

Collage is an online image database from the collections of the City of London Libraries and the Guildhall Art Gallery. Images cover the last five centuries. You can search by key word or browse by theme, artist/engraver, person or place. Some random pictures I liked: the Duchess of Devonshire canvassing, 1784; the interior of St Bride's, Fleet Street, 1830 (the inside of the church was destroyed by bombing in the Second World War, so it's interesting to compare the restored church with the picture); and A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in London, 1825.

There're also some Virtual Exhibitions - "The London that never was" is particularly interesting.

If you want to visit the Guildhall Art Gallery itself, entrance is free on Fridays.

20th Century London Project

peacay — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 14:49:39 -0800

The Exploring 20th century London project draws on some 8000 items from the Museum of London, Transport Museum, Jewish Museum and the Museum of Croydon. Material includes photos, drawings, posters, artefacts, sound files etc. Browse/search by theme, timeline and location. [sitemap]

Getting it straight in Notting Hill Gate

tellurian — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 19:36:01 -0800

Tom Vague's History Walk (PDF downloads) of the Notting Hill district is an evocative roll call of books, films, personalities, restaurants, anecdotes and a timeline strung together to cover the period 1950 to 2005. [whet your appetite inside]

Hair and fat and everything nice.

OmieWise — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 09:01:25 -0800

London's 'flushers': "If you really thought about where you were going and what you were doing you'd either be shit scared or you wouldn't go there. We're shit shovellers. Some of the jobs I do a high percentage of the country would turn around and say: 'Poke that up yer arse mate as far as you can put it.'" The history of London's sewers. The craptacular sewerhistory.org. More entries in the Night Haunts series.

"As much of life that the world can show"

anastasiav — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 08:58:32 -0800

The Illustrated London News :: an archive

Ben Franklin Slept Here

matteo — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 09:23:50 -0800

Jefferson has his Monticello; Washington, Mount Vernon. Now, Benjamin Franklin's only surviving residence, Number 36 Craven Street, London, opened its doors to the public. More inside.

Historic theatrical and performing arts ephemera

madamjujujive — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 12:54:59 -0800

Theatre History is the Theatre Museum of London's vast online collection of ephemera, containing more than 1500 objects that record the history of the performing arts in Britain since the 1600s. There's lots of goodies, but don't miss the goldmine of fabulous photos, posters, and prints.

Sir John’s House of Curiosities

annaramma — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 08:33:24 -0800

Sir John Soane (1753-1837) was responsible for the design of quite a few of London’s public buildings (and to some extent, its phonebooths). His home, now a museum, is filled to the brim with architectural relics, sculptures, paintings, drawings, stained glass, and assorted curiosities. Almost unchanged since his death, it also contains the gravesite of his wife’s beloved dog Fanny, a mummified rat, an Egyptian sarcophagus, and an imaginary monk named Padre Giovanni. Best of all, on the first Tuesday of every month the museum has a candlelight tour which enhances the spooky splendor of the rooms.

Let her go, let her go, God bless her...

languagehat — Fri, 11 Jun 2004 11:50:04 -0800

The story of "St. James Infirmary." You thought it was a piece of old New Orleans? Turns out St. James Hospital was in London (and treated lepers), and the song goes back at least to the 18th century (though it used to be sung to the tune of "Streets of Laredo"). Rob Walker's Letter From New Orleans #13 describes the results of his obsessive researches. If you have more info, he wants to hear from you! (Via Wordorigins, a site any word lover should know.)

The full Mayhew online

raygirvan — Mon, 29 Sep 2003 04:52:26 -0800

The Bolles Collection on the History of London at the Tufts University Perseus Digital Library contains, among other transcripts, the searchable text of all four volumes of the Henry Mayhew's classic 19th century account London Labour and the London Poor: Volume 1 (costermongers and street-sellers); Volume 2 (more street-sellers, cleansing, and sewer work); Volume 3 (vermin destroyers, street entertainers, labourers, cabbies, vagrants); and the Extra Volume (vice and beggars). Read of the sellers of fake pornography; snail-sellers; death and fire-hunters; a depressed street clown; "pure" (i.e. dog dung) finders; and more. The past really is another country.

19 Princelet Street

plep — Thu, 01 May 2003 10:59:41 -0800

19 Princelet Street , Spitalfields. A permanent celebration of London immigrant life.
'Described as the nation's answer to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, 19 Princelet Street in London's East End was refuge to hundreds of Jews fleeing persecution from the Nazis.

The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

mediareport — Thu, 03 Apr 2003 16:43:15 -0800

The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London, 1674 to 1834 A fantastic, fully searchable database of criminal cases from another era, e.g., speaking scandalous and reflecting Words on His Majesty, assault with sodomitical intent and the appalling Mortal Wound with a Pitchfork on the hinder part of the Head. The Old Bailey's published record was a popular read at the time. Also included is a typology of crimes, a history of London policing before the bobbies, essays about gender and punishment and lots more historical background. [via the always marvelous Researchbuzz]

Hidden Underground

Orange Goblin — Mon, 09 Dec 2002 09:02:45 -0800

Disused Stations on the London Underground - they're there, but we don't see them. This site gives a list of places to spot glimpses of these mysterious stations, as well as details of stations that were almost built. Fascinating for a Londoner, and perhaps something to look out for if you plan on visiting the city.