Tag: Material Culture

Documents & objects, Labour history news

Exceptionally rare Peterloo commemorative jug discovered

The People’s History Museum has acquired a unique Peterloo commemorative jug, which will be on display from 1 August 2026 until 3 January 2027. The finding will be of interest to labour historians, and historians of protest and working class history more generally, as objects connected to the Peterloo Massacre are few and far between. On 16 August 1819, yeomanry charged into a crowd of … Continue reading Exceptionally rare Peterloo commemorative jug discovered

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Bursary reports, Research bursaries

Graham Skeate (KU Leuven & Edinburgh) on the life, labour and spaces of Glasgow Showpeople

This report outlines my research on the spatial practices of Glasgow’s Showpeople, focusing on the domestic yards where they live between periods of travelling fairground work. These yards—often built into the city’s post-industrial landscape—are not simply resting places but complex working environments. They are shaped by Showpeople’s cultural knowledge, and wider urban pressures. My research details how these spaces are designed, maintained, and defended—what they … Continue reading Graham Skeate (KU Leuven & Edinburgh) on the life, labour and spaces of Glasgow Showpeople

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Labour History Review

Material Cultures of Class in Scottish Radical Processions, 1832–1884

Author: Sonny AngusThis is the abstract of an article published in Labour History Review (2023), 88, (2), 95-123. Read more. During the agitations around Chartism and each of the nineteenth century Reform Acts, radicals in Scotland turned out onto the streets in formal processions. They did so with a variety of vibrant materials, including flags, uniforms, costumes, and models. This article examines the purposes of, … Continue reading Material Cultures of Class in Scottish Radical Processions, 1832–1884

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Commentary, Documents & objects

Slogans and souvenirs: TUC delegate badges from 1899 to the present day

Delegates to the TUC’s annual congresses have been sent home with a commemorative badge for well over a century. But, as Mark Crail reports, these small souvenirs often carry a message about how the trade union movement sees itself. The Trades Union Congress has produced a badge for delegates to its annual Congress since the very end of the nineteenth century. The practice continues today … Continue reading Slogans and souvenirs: TUC delegate badges from 1899 to the present day

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