Ephemera stories

Alan Ward is a multi-disciplinary artist, based in Manchester. Many of his commissions are informed by research and engagement, whether historical or community led. Archives and artefacts, both personal and institutional, have become a significant reference point for exploration and reflection on ideas centred on the construction of historical narratives, identities, and individual and collective […]

Thanks to Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse (1982) and its adaptations for stage and screen, many people nowadays are familiar with the plight of animals in wartime. Our colleague Joseph Hardwick reveals how ephemera uncovered as part of his research into ecclesiastical history can reveal more about links between animal welfare and religion during the First

This is the final one of our 2022 summer internship blog posts, in which Fanni Putz – now a final-year Literature and Creative Writing student at Northumbria University – showcases her creative work coming out of the project and offering a thoughtful, compelling reflection on what it means to write about war now, for someone

In this excellent post, our 2022 summer intern Alice Wilson shares a thoughtful account of her ephemera research journey from an obscure First World War object to investigating newspaper coverage of the Falklands War 40th anniversary. I imagine the title of this blog post has you visualising adventurous archaeological expeditions; stumbling over a hidden and

For UK National Poetry Day 2022, here is a fantastic reflection on ephemera in war poetry by our summer research intern Joel Everett.  My role in the War Ephemera project has been as a student researcher, taking note of where ephemera appears in the poetry of the First World War and (although with less emphasis)

This three-part blog post was researched and written by our research intern Elizabeth Bowman. It consists of an overview of how Britain treated Egyptians during the war, a close analysis of one particular source relating to Egypt during the war, and a creative response to this item. As part of her work on the team

Dr Alexander Jackson has been a curator at the National Football Museum since 2011. For the last eight years, he has been researching and writing, Football’s Great War: Association Football on the English Home Front, 1914-1918, out now with Pen & Sword. He has written on various aspects of football history and has a particular

As February is LGBTQ+ History month we thought we’d ask Dr Kit Heyam a few questions about their groundbreaking work on trans possible history. Kit is a trans awareness trainer, heritage practitioner, writer and academic at Queen Mary, University of London, who co-created the highly popular #RainbowPlaque initiative. Their academic work has covered topics as