Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 1d

📖 Louise Brown (the first IVF baby) has written about the Edwards Centenary Conference panel session which we hosted on the 26th September. Read it here: buff.ly/N1i5xAT

#ivf #ivfhistory @rogerhighfield.bsky.social

Celebrating 100 Years of IVF Pioneer Sir Robert Edwards at Cambridge — Louise Brown: World's First IVF Baby

Churchill College, Cambridge, recently hosted a moving celebration of Sir Robert Edwards’ 100th birthday. As the first IVF baby, I joined a panel reflecting on Bob’s legacy—from his groundbreaking…

buff.ly

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 5d

Richard Vinen, Professor of History at King’s College London, will be giving a free lecture at Churchill College on 21st October, titled ‘De Gaulle is France. Not a bastard.’ Churchill in the shadow of de Gaulle. No need to register, the event is free and open to all buff.ly/2gTriyk

De Gaulle and Churchill shaking hands during a state visit in 1960. They are surrounded by other people, including Clementine Churchill near the back of the image

1 2

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 7d

🎉 It's one month until we'll be hosting our stall at History Day!

📅 Tuesday 4th November
🕰️ Drop in between 11:00-16:00
📍 Senate House, London

🎟️ Book your free place here: buff.ly/fBb8TJR

@senatehouselib.bsky.social @ihr.bsky.social

#HistDay25

An graphic advertising History Day, showing someone holding a facsimile of archive material featuring images of pots. The details of the event, along with the logos of the organisers are included at the top.

1 1

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 10d

📰 As well as this publication, we also look after a collection of newspaper clippings documenting the activities of the Labour Party Black Sections, which includes articles from the Caribbean Times and photographs of members of the National Executive.

#blackhistorymonth #archives #history #Labour

A selection of newspaper articles with headlines 'A resolute agenda for Black Sections', 'Coup for Black Sections' and 'Black Section stands firm', NEWB 2/1.

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 10d

The publication was dedicated to:

'the 500 Black pioneers who sailed to England aboard the Empire Windrush 40 years ago. They launched the final conquest of racism and colonialism in Britain. The Black Agenda belongs to them.'

The first page of 'The Black Agenda', NEWB 2/1.

1

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 10d

📦 In 1983, Black Labour Party MPs established the Labour Party Black Sections. Black Sections worked towards political representation for Black communities.

📕In 1988, the group published The Black Agenda, exploring policing, racism, fascism, immigration, education, and employment.

The front cover of the publication 'The Black Agenda', NEWB 2/1.

1 1

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 11d

🎥 Last week our team of Archive Assistants spent an afternoon filming a video on what we do to make our reading room a comfortable and productive space for our researchers.

👀 Keep your eyes peeled for the final video appearing on our socials soon.

A member of the team being filmed using a magnifying glass.

Three members of the Archives Team standing outside the front of Churchill College.

1 5

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 11d

Article by one of Friday evening's panellists Emma Barnett reflecting on the Bob Edwards Centenary conference panel session: emmabarnett.substack.com/p/the-painfu...

#ivf #ivfhistory

1 2

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 11d

It does indeed. You can view the catalogue here archivesearch.lib.cam.ac.uk/repositories... We also have a small collection of Patrick Steptoe's papers, oral histories of early IVF patients and a collection of scrapbooks created by Barbara Rankin (Bob Edwards' long-time secretary)

Collection: The Papers of Sir Robert Edwards | ArchiveSearch

archivesearch.lib.cam.ac.uk

1

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 12d

On Friday evening we were delighted to host a panel session for the Bob Edwards Centenary conference: His life, work and legacy
Thank you to all our speakers, our chair @rogerhighfield.bsky.social and everyone who came along and made it such a great event! 🙏
Supported by @cam-repro.bsky.social

Panellists, left to right: Mike Macnamee, Louise Brown, Emma Barnett, Richard Gardner, Fiona Bennett and Jenny Joy

Chair Roger Highfield delivering opening remarks on the stage at the podium

Audience at the Bob Edwards centenary conference panel session

Emma Barnett speaking at the Bob Edwards centenary conference panel session

1 1 3

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 12d

📖 In our latest blog, former Archives Centre By-Fellow Richard Vinen shares some of his favourite documents which he found in our collections when working on his new book 'The Last Titans: Churchill and de Gaulle' published by @bloomsburyhist.bsky.social last month.

buff.ly/iuFIXWi

3 photographs of Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle in Paris, walking side by side in 1944.

2

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 14d

🔗 You can find out more about Edwards' work and his archive in an online exhibition exploring his career, collaborations, and impact.

buff.ly/0puf7r2

📷Robert Edwards with his wife and geneticist, Ruth Fowler in the 1950s, EDWS 18/5/3.

Louise Brown presenting Robert Edwards with the Barbara Eck Manning Award, The Edwards Papers, EDWS 18/6/6

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 14d

🗣️ Yesterday, over 200 people came together at a conference in Cambridge to honour Edwards' life, work and legacy, organised by the Archives Centre, the Edwards family, and @loke-ctr.bsky.social

A facsimile exhibition of archive material from the Robert Edwards papers prepared for the conference held at Churchill College.

1

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 14d

📄 At the Archives Centre, we look after the Bob Edwards papers which shed light on his collaboration with Patrick Steptoe (obstetrician & gynaecologist) and Jean Purdy (nurse & embryologist). All 3 were responsible for the breakthrough in IVF which revolutionised fertility treatment.

Edwards with collaborators (Steptoe and Purdy), and Lesley and @louisejoybrown (first IVF mother and baby) in 1979, EDWS 18/9/1/4.

1

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 14d

🚼 On this day, 100 years ago, the IVF pioneer Robert Edwards was born.

🎓 One of the most influential scientists of the twentieth century, Edwards spent much of his career in the Department of Physiology at the University of Cambridge. He was also a Fellow here at Churchill College.

Professor Sir Robert Edwards sitting in the lab, EDWS 18/5/18.

1 2

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 16d

📣There are still a few tickets available for the Bob Edwards Centenary conference tomorrow, Friday 26th September. Register now to join us for this special event ⬇️

@loke-ctr.bsky.social @cam-repro.bsky.social @pdncambridge.bsky.social @rogerhighfield.bsky.social

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · Apr 28

Friday 26th September 2025 - Bob Edwards centenary: His life, work and legacy will be held @loke-ctr.bsky.social and at Churchill College.

Find out more and register to attend:
buff.ly/soKuAC7

Registration page: buff.ly/PCFmVF2

#ivfhistory @cam-repro.bsky.social
@pdncambridge.bsky.social

Bob Edwards centenary: His life, work and legacy - Churchill Archives Centre

Join us for this panel session on Robert Edwards’ Life and Legacy chaired by Roger Highfield (Director of the Science Museum Group). The panel will feature Emma Barnett (British Broadcaster and…

buff.ly

2

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 17d

⭐ It's hard to believe it was just a week ago that over 70 people joined us for our Open Day!

🔎 As always, we loved talking to visitors about our collections, work, & anything archive related!

🙏A big thank you to everyone who came over to the Centre & the #OpenCambridge team.

Visitors talking to our conservation team.

Visitors watching videos on the Centre's work and collections.

Visitors looking through facsimiles on the history of Churchill College.

Visitors browsing our reading room display.

4

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 19d

📺 70 years ago today, commercial television was broadcast in the UK for the first time.

To mark the occasion, History undergraduates at @angliaruskin.bsky.social have curated an online exhibition, drawing on our collections, to explore this moment in broadcasting history.

buff.ly/5GMK7na

The control room at Winter Hill station in Lancashire, used to broadcast Granada Television and ABC Weekend TV. Papers of Percy James Grigg, PJGG 10/4.

A photograph of the Lichfield Station building, used to broadcast the ITV signal in the Midlands. Papers of Percy James Grigg, PJGG 10/4.

A photograph of the control desk and transmitter hall at Croydon Station, used to broadcast the London ITV signal. Papers of Percy James Grigg, PJGG 10/4.

3 6

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 23d

📚 Whether you're an undergraduate, postgraduate, academic, or independent researcher, our research grants and By-Fellowships are designed to support work using our collections here at Churchill Archives Centre.

🔗 Click the link to find out more & apply: buff.ly/JGsTtHK

A poster advertising the By-Fellowships and Research Grants offered by Churchill Archives Centre. The text included on this image can be found at the link in the main post.

9 5

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 24d

Happening today!

Drop in between 11:30 and 15:30 here at the Archives Centre to see our collections, meet our team, and learn about how we care for our collections.

@cambridgefestival.bsky.social

#opencambridge #heritageopendays #Cambridge

Conservation tools for cleaning archival material.

1

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · Sep 11

Barbara Hepworth's 'Four-Square (Walk Through)' is a much-loved landmark of the Churchill College grounds.

But did you know that it is actually a replacement for a different Hepworth statue that lived at Churchill briefly in the 1960s?

Read more in our new exhibition in the Wolfson Theatre foyer!

Photo of 'Four-Square (Walk Through)', a large statue made of four metal slabs with circles cut out

Photo of 'Squares with Two Circles' being installed by a crane in 1966

1

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · Sep 10

It's just one week to go until our Open Day!

Visit our reading rooms, find out how architectural blueprints are made, and see demonstrations by our conservation team.

📅 Wednesday 17th September
⏰ Drop in anytime between 11:30 and 15:30. No booking required.
📍 Churchill Archives Centre, Cambridge

Photographs of visitors looking at a conservation exhibition.

1

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · Sep 10

Everyone who visits Churchill College loves our green spaces – but have you heard of Sheila Haywood, the landscape architect who designed the site?

Visit our new exhibition outside the Wolfson Lecture Theatre to read about her work…

Photo of people on the grass at Churchill College on a sunny day

Photograph of the exhibition panel 'Shaping the Landscape' which explores Sheila's contribution to the college site

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · Sep 9

Find out more about the college's early history by visiting our new exhibition ('Churchill College: Past, Present, Future') which is in the foyer of the Wolfson Theatre, near to the library.

Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · Sep 9

Did you know Churchill College’s first cohort of students came from 10 different countries?

Arriving in October 1960, the matriculating postgrads hailed from Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, India, Nigeria, Scotland, and South Africa. (© Lafeyette Photography Ltd.)

The first cohort of Churchill College students sitting and standing for their matriculation photo

1