Features

Arts and Humanities

This a selection of our features that fall under the subject heading 'Arts and Humanities'. This is to give you a flavour of the rich and diverse collections that you can find on the Archives Hub.

• The 50th anniversary of the publication of A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines: The novel A Kestrel for a Knave (Kes) by Barry Hines, Yorkshire-born author and screenwriter, was first published in 1968. Sheffield University Library hold the Hines papers.
• 60 years of faith and conflict: the 60th Anniversary of the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel; includes photos from the Torrance Collection
• Archive Awareness Month: for national Archive Awareness Month we created a quiz with answers to be found within the Hub's collection descriptions.
• Archives Hub and Copac: what are they and why use them?
• Bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens: collections of Dickens' life and works
• The Big Draw: descriptions of collections with artistic content, to coincide with the Campaign for Drawing's event in October 2002, The Big Draw.
• Black History Month: includes a description of the papers of Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje (1876-1932), first Secretary-General of the South African Native National Congress, and author of the first published novel written in English by a Black South African.
• Black History Month: Theatre, culture and the Beatles: various archival descriptions showcasing black theatre and culture in the UK
• Books To Grace Your Shelves: book design and illustration, with examples from Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections.
• Brass Bands: composers, bands and events.
• The Bridgewater Canal: the papers of the Duke of Bridgewater and the Bridgewater estate.
• A Cabinet of Curiosities: folk beliefs and parapsychology; some of our more curious collections.
• Calendar: twelve previous Collections of the Month features, plus illustrations from the Cyclists' Touring Club calendars for 1947 and 1950.
• Can you dig it?: descriptions for the papers of antiquarians (who largely study ancient Greece and Rome), anthropologists (who study cultures), and archaeologists.
• Charles Wesley (1707-88): a new catalogue for the personal papers of Anglican minister, Methodist preacher and religious poet Charles Wesley (1707-88).
• Christmas selection including greetings card designers.
• Christmas at the Co-op: how Co-operative Societies prepared for the festive season. As well as photographs, there are examples of publications the co-operative movement produced in the run up to Christmas.
• Cor, Blust, Squit!: the dialects and vernacular cultures of the British Isles.
• Curiouser and Curiouser: folk beliefs, curious collections, and strange histories; more from our curious collections.
• D H Lawrence (1885-1930): The D.H. Lawrence Collection at the University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections forms one of the major international research resources for the study of D.H. Lawrence.
• Designs on Delivery: GPO Posters from 1930 to 1960: University of the Arts London Archives and Special Collections Centre, in collaboration with the British Postal Museum and Archive, presents the online version of the exhibition at the Well Gallery. This includes images of all 26 posters from the exhibition, plus additional images including eight additional posters exclusively available online.
• Ditchling: A Craft Community: the unique community founded by Eric Gill in 1921; highlighting collectionss held at the Crafts Study Cenre
• Fairs and Circus History: some of the collections held at the National Fairground Archive, with photographs from fairs and circus posters.
• Festivals: the Edinburgh Festival and other summer events.
• For those in peril on the sea – Seamen’s Missions archives at Hull History Centre: The Anglican-run Missions to Seamen and the Catholic-run Apostleship of the Sea; collections of two maritime charitable organisations.
• “Gather them in” – the musical treasures of W.T. Freemantle: Sheffield-based organist, antiquarian and collector William Thomas Freemantle (1849-1931). Investigations have revealed a tenacious collector who would “endure martyrdom in Siberia” to acquire unique treasures for his library.
• George Bernard Shaw: Man and Cameraman: revealing the legacy of the writer George Bernard Shaw's photographic collection
• Gratulerer med dagen!: collections with a Norwegian flavour, to mark the centenary of Norway's independence.
• The Great War: collections reflecting personal experiences of the First World Warr, including the papers of poets and artists in the military.
• HA Rothholz: papers of the graphic and information designer H A (Arnold) Rothholz (1919-2000).
• Hats: hat-makers and milliners.
• Heavenly Harmony: Music in the Collections of Canterbury Cathedral Archives and Library: An enticing overture of musical collections held by Canterbury Cathedral Archives and Library.
• History of textiles: Scottish textile heritage: Scotland's textile industry, illustrated with many examples of Scottish textile arts and crafts.
• Hurry Up Please It's Time: papers of craftsworkers, historians, and others with an interest in time-keeping technologies, as well as the papers of scientists and inventors who have developed ways to measure time.
• Hwæt!: the papers of archaeologists, historians, linguists and literary scholars with an interest in the Anglo-Saxons, as well as records of collections of Anglo-Saxon manuscripts and artefacts.
• Interpreting Shakespeare: biographers and translators of the playwright and poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616), and those who claimed Shakespeare's work for others (or themselves); illustrated with photos of performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
• Irish Melodies: the music and literature of 18th century Ireland; Irish poet, satirist, composer, and musician Thomas Moore (1779-1852) drew much inspiration from the melodies collected by Edward Bunting (1773-1843), a collector of Irish folk songs, and by Bishop Thomas Percy (1729-1811), an author, poet and antiquarian.
• On Point: Royal Academy of Dance at 100 : A free display, mounted in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, to celebrate the centenary of the Royal Academy of Dance, in 2021, which was founded with the aim of improving the standards of dance teaching in the UK.
• The Archive of Paul Oppé: A Pioneer in the Field of Art History: The Paul Oppé Archive is the most significant acquisition in the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art’s history and has been identified as having both national importance and pre-eminence in its field.
• Personal diaries in the archive of The Salvation Army International Heritage Centre: Lieutenant Richard Greville Thonger was one of the first group of Salvationists to arrive in Switzerland in 1882 and his diary records the opposition faced by The Salvation Army, including his own imprisonment.
• Pilgrimage and Patronage: The Medieval Collections of Canterbury Cathedral Archives and Library: As part of Canterbury's annual commemoration of the pilgrimage of King Henry II (r. 1154–1189) to the city in 1174, the Cathedral Archives highlight the medieval records relating to the Canterbury Cathedral Priory and the city held in their collections today.
• Jack Pritchard (1899-1992): Pritchard co-founder of the design company Isokon Ltd.; illustrated with examples of his architecture and furniture designs.
• James McNeill Whistler: the artist, designer and writer James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903); with illustrations including paintings from the Hunterian Art Gallery, Glasgow.
• John Ruskin: John Ruskin (1819-1900), author, artist, critic, and social reformer.

• Kaye Webb: The Puffin path to modern children's literature

• Lindsay Anderson, English film, theatre and documentary director, film critic and leading light of the Free Cinema movement.
• Love letters: handwriting, calligraphy, and palaeography.
• Manchester Histories Festival: the very first Manchester Histories Festival, an exploration of Manchester's unique and fascinating past.
• Magic and Illusion: magic collections from the National Fairground Archive
• Mills Archive Trust: collections held at the Mills Archive
• Museums and Galleries Month: as part of the celebration of galleries, museums, and heritage attractions, we highlight records of museums and galleries, and the papers of curators and a taxidermist.
• My Funny Valentine: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans History Month, highlighting descriptions for the papers of many writers and artists.
• The Nobel Prizes: awarded each December for achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, peace, and economics.
• PaxCat Project: peace archives from the University of Bradford
• Pick 'n' Mix: the Archives Hub's Digital Artist in Residence created five digital designs based on archival materials.
• Poetry: this selection represents just a few of the many poets whose papers are described on the Hub.
• Railway history: 200 years of the steam engine: includes papers of writers inspired by the railway.
• Robert Burns: Robert Burns (1759-1796), the Scottish poet and collector and writer of folk-songs, including "Auld Lang Syne".
• Robert Donat: Robert Donat (1905-1958) was an Oscar-winning actor and leading theatre actor.
• SCARLET: Augmented Reality in Special Collections: enhanced learning and teaching combining digital and physical resources
• Second star to the right and keep on flying: a celebration of Peter Pan and the du Maurier family; Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (née du Maurier, 1867-1910), mother of the 'Lost Boys', hailed from the distinguished and multi-talented du Maurier family, who provided inspiration for the writer J.M. Barrie (1860-1937); illustrated with photographs from Sylvia Davies' photo album, some taken by Barrie himself.
• Shaggy Dog Stories: writers and artists inspired by dogs.
• Somerville and Ross: writers Edith Somerville (1858-1949) & Violet Martin (1862-1915) (who wrote as Somerville and Ross); and their friend, composer Ethel Smyth (1858-1944).
• The Spanish Civil War: papers of political campaigners, historians, and International Brigades volunteers, the records of aid organisations, and descriptions for collections of posters, photographs, and interviews with veterans of the Spanish Civil War
• Stanley Kubrick: outstanding film director Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999); illustrated with ten items from the Stanley Kubrick Archive.
• Thorold Dickinson Collection: the filmaker and film studies lecturer.
• Tom Eckersley: Eckersley 1914-1995) was one of the foremost graphic designers of the twentieth century working in the UK ; illustrated with designs for Guinness, London Transport, the World Wildlife Fund, RoSPA, and others.
• Town and Townscape: The Work and Life of Thomas Sharp: town-planner Thomas Sharp (1901-1978) was also a poet and novelist.
• The Archives of the Trevelyans of Wallington: Newcastle University Special Collections hold the archive of Sir Charles Philips Trevelyan. A socialist MP, anti-war campaigner and member of the first two Labour cabinets, he donated the family estate of Wallington to the National Trust. A new digital catalogue also sheds light on his wife, Mary Katharine Trevelyan, their children, staff and extended families.
• Uncovering censorship in the V and A Theatre and Performance Archives: The V&A Theatre and Performance Department display titled 'Censored! Stage, Screen, Society at 50' commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Theatres Act, which abolished state censorship of the British stage. As well as tracing the broader 300-year history of stage censorship, the display also looks at the censorship of music, film and print in the UK.
• University of Worcester Research Collections: Historic Children's Literature, in particular the works of G.A. Henty and Percy Westerman.
• Variety and Music Hall: collections from the National Fairground Archive
• Visions of the Future: Science Fiction authors, especially highlighting those whose papers are held in the Science Fiction Foundation Collection at the University of Liverpool.
• The Wallace Collection Archives: material on our founder Sir Richard Wallace: The Wallace Collection is a national museum which displays works of art and arms and armour collected by the first four marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the presumed son of the 4th Marquess. 2018 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Richard Wallace.
• The Welsh in Patagonia: the founding of a Welsh-speaking settlement in Patagonia in the mid-19th century
• What's in a place-name?: linguists, geographers, and historians who have researched place-names in the British Isles
• World Book Day: Unesco's World Book Day is about helping children to explore the pleasures of books and reading; here we highlight descriptions for a selection of authors, especially those of the authors of children's books.