As part of their work on the second year core module ‘Working with the Past’, three University of Portsmouth History students – Chanel Parker, Loraya Head, and Gemma Norris – collaborated with Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery to curate a three-month exhibition that both celebrated the crafts of our ancestors and highlighted the importance of preserving the craftspeoples’ skills for future generations. In this blog, written for Hampshire Archives Trust, Chanel Parker discusses the research methods the group used when curating the exhibition.
‘Working with the Past’ is coordinated by Mike Esbester.
University of Portsmouth History student Lauren Lee produced a blog for the Railway Work, Life & Death project as part of her work on the second year core module ‘Working with the Past’, coordinated by Mike Esbester. In this blog, Lauren looks at some of the dangers encountered by goods guards while working on the railway, and reveals that tragic tale of one guard, William Jolley, who sadly lost his life while undertaking his duties.
Mike co-leads the RWLD project along with Karen Baker (Librarian, National Railway Museum) and Helen Ford (Manager, Modern Records Centre) with the assistance of Craig Shaw (Volunteer Administrator, NRM).
University of Portsmouth History student Evan Cossburne produced a blog for the Railway Work, Life & Death project as part of his work on the second year core module ‘Working with the Past’, coordinated by Mike Esbester. Mike co-leads the RWLD project along with Karen Baker (Librarian, National Railway Museum) and Helen Ford (Manager, Modern Records Centre) with the assistance of Craig Shaw (Volunteer Administrator, NRM). In this blog, Evan looks at the impact of the Second World War on railway personnel’s working conditions, focusing particularly on the accidents caused by a ‘lack of light’.
Our students’ graduation day is always a special day for us tutors (and, of course, for our students and their families and friends, too!). This year it was even more special because it marked the success of our first cohort of students who started university at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite all the challenges they (and we) faced, they have succeeded and we are so proud of them all and their amazing achievements. This short blog features a few images taken on the day as we celebrated with our undergraduate and postgraduate students. Congratulations all!
While graduation is always a day of mixed emotions – it’s exciting to see our students graduate, but it’s also sad to see another cohort leave – we were incredibly proud to watch our students cross the stage this year. They’ve been through so many challenges while studying with us, so it’s great to see them celebrating their successes with their families and friends on the day. We were sorry to see them go, but were filled with pride as they crossed the stage at the ceremony at Portsmouth Guildhall, held on the morning of Thursday 20 September. Fortunately, the weather was kind to us, too.
First up, the History team get their gowns and congregate in Park Building ready to make their way to the stage. If you’re wondering why we have different coloured gowns, it’s because each university has its own colours.
Members of the History team ready to proceed to the graduation ceremony
After the ceremony we all made our way to the ‘Graduation Village’ in Ravelin Park, where we had time to talk with our students and their friends and families (while enjoying a glass of something bubbly).
The History team, students and their guests celebrate in Ravelin Park’s ‘Graduation Village’Mick Hayes (centre) celebrates receiving his doctorate with supervisors Rob James (left) and Brad Beaven (right)
So that’s it for another year. Once again, many congratulations to you all! It’s been a pleasure working with you, and we wish you the very best for the future!
Earlier this month, a number of team members visited Hong Kong to participate in a series of institutional visits and present at an international conference on ‘Port Cities in Comparative Global History’ at Hong Kong Baptist University. To find out more about the conference, read this excellent blog by one of our PhD researchers, Charlotte Steffen, who presented their paper ‘Beyond China Town- The Multi-national Migration of Chinese Students in Europe’ on the second day of the event. The link to Charlotte’s blog is here.
Prof Brad Beaven introducing the Port Cities and Maritime Cultures research centre.Drs Tam Ka Chai, Melanie Bassett, Katon Lee, Robert James and Matthew Heaslip.
On 17 May 2023 University of Portsmouth PhD researcher, Emily Burgess, presented her paper on the press’s treatment of female gangsters from the late-nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries. If you missed the paper, the recording is available to watch here. You will need the following password T19#MUVU to access the recording. An abstract for Emily’s paper can be found below.
Emily is a graduate of the University, having studied for a BA (Hons) History degree between 2017 and 2020 (awarded First Class honours) and an MRes in History between 2020 and 2021 (Distinction). She was awarded the ‘Robbie Gray Memorial Prize’ for the Best Undergraduate History Dissertation in 2020, and started her doctoral studies in October 2021. Her programme of research is titled: ‘The monstrous to monarchical underworld: A study of female gangsters and their impact on the public imagination 1890-1939’.
Abstract
Fitting directly into constructs of the ideological ‘underworld’ as well as challenging aspects of widely accepted ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ criminality, the female gangster was presented contemporarily as an androgynous construction; directly opposing class and gender conformity which was heavily embedded in society. This period, ranging from the late-Victorian to the start of the Second World War was one of contemporary challenges and changes, including transforming press reportage and the acceleration of the ‘public imagination.’ Satiated with stories of the ‘women leaders of London underworld gangs,’ female gangsterism became a phenomenon unique to late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century urban Britain. By examining female gangsters, their notable crimes, and their refraction within the ‘public imagination’ through reportage, this paper seeks to examine the gendered implications of gangsterism, and the way in which female gangsters were fixated upon by society.
