Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 6h

What do a Sydney dog transport business and the Paris public transport system have in common? Absolutely nothing. But I’ve been seeing a Donny’s Dog van increasingly often and every time I wonder: what’s the RATP doing in Sydney. Thank you for your attention 🙃

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Reposted by Briony Neilson

Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 1d

Attention French historians and researchers in adjacent fields: the call for papers is now open for the next George Rudé conference. 8–10 July 2026, in Perth, Western Australia. Generous funding ($3300AUD) is available to support research students' travel. Deadline for proposal is 15 December 2025.

George Rudé Society @georgerudesociety.bsky.social · 5d

We're very excited to announce our Call for Papers for the 25th George Rudé Seminar, the largest gathering of scholars of French history & culture in the southern hemisphere! Taking place in beautiful Boorloo/Perth at the Uni of Western Australia 8-10 July 2026. Pls share!
h-france.net/rude/cfp/

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Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 8h

Yep, just one 🙃

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Reposted by Briony Neilson

Sophie Loy-Wilson @sophieloywilson.bsky.social · 1d

“We have survived”

At the Bicentenary 1988, as a recreation of the 1788 white invasion of Australia came into view on La Perouse headland in Sydney, indigenous Australians watched the tall European ships approach, and quietly, furiously protested from the shore :

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Reposted by Briony Neilson

Ole Birk Laursen @olebirklaursen.bsky.social · 10h

Looking forward to talking about my next book "The Indian Revolutionary Movement in Europe, 1905-1918" in the Séminaire franco-britannique d'histoire on 7 May 2026 in Paris. Thanks to @johnerik-h.bsky.social for the invitation. sfbh.hypotheses.org

Séminaire franco-britannique d'histoire | Actualités du séminaire franco-britannique d'histoire

sfbh.hypotheses.org

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Reposted by Briony Neilson

Sarah-Maria Schober @smschober.bsky.social · 21h

Want to work on the history of hair? I am looking for a doc and postdoc to join my project team researching #earlymodern hair, race, trade and multispecies history at the University of Lucerne.

Do apply and spread the word!

www.unilu.ch/en/universit...

www.unilu.ch/en/universit...

PhD position in History (100%, 4 years) - Vacancies - University of Lucerne

Assistant or doctoral positions, employment or internship: Looking for a job at the University of Lucerne? Find our listed open positions and apprenticeships here.

www.unilu.ch

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Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 10h

Meanwhile over on 1st dibs, this 9m² prefab capsule used as athletes' housing during the Munich Olympics in 1972 is available for purchase.
Designed by Peter Hübner, the model was originally intended for affordable student housing.
All yours for €80,000 (+ €3,000 for shipping from Spain).

photo shows a prefab unit with stairs leading down and open door. Munich 1972 and the Olympic rings are stamped on the outside

interior view of the prefab capsule with blue carpet and aqua rug, green frame metal bed with aqua mattress, posters on the far wall, window at right, green metal frame chair at left

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Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 1d

From this Sunday fingerprints and mugshots will be taken of all non-EU citizens entering the Schengen area. Never felt more welcome!

Europe’s new biometric border checks: what do non-EU travellers need to know?

Visitors arriving in any of the Schengen area’s 29 countries will have their faces and fingerprints scanned under the new entry/exit system

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Briony Neilson

Dr Sarah J Young @sarahjyoung.bsky.social · 1d

Interesting and rather bizarre story that I will need to incorporate into my class on Pushkin this afternoon
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

The Pushkin job: unmasking the thieves behind an international rare books heist

The long read: Between 2022 and 2023, as many as 170 rare and valuable editions of Russian classics were stolen from libraries across Europe. Were the thieves merely low-level opportunists, or were bi...

www.theguardian.com

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Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 1d

Attention French historians and researchers in adjacent fields: the call for papers is now open for the next George Rudé conference. 8–10 July 2026, in Perth, Western Australia. Generous funding ($3300AUD) is available to support research students' travel. Deadline for proposal is 15 December 2025.

George Rudé Society @georgerudesociety.bsky.social · 5d

We're very excited to announce our Call for Papers for the 25th George Rudé Seminar, the largest gathering of scholars of French history & culture in the southern hemisphere! Taking place in beautiful Boorloo/Perth at the Uni of Western Australia 8-10 July 2026. Pls share!
h-france.net/rude/cfp/

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Reposted by Briony Neilson

Lauren Pikó @booklearning.bsky.social · 1d

The planning and heritage industries do a terrible job in general of engaging with the horrors of what went on in these sites, often with grotesquely whitewashed results (e.g. "Springthorpe", the generic suburban estate built on the grounds of Mont Park Hospital in northeast Melbourne).

El Gibbs @bluntshovels.bsky.social · 1d

any further changes must include justice for the thousands of disabled people who lived and died in these places, and who also fought for liberation

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Psychiatric hospital to 'urban parkland': Sydney's public space dilemma

The challenge of transforming a major piece of Sydney's public space from a former mental health hospital to an "iconic urban parkland" is a delicate dance for the state government.

www.abc.net.au

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Reposted by Briony Neilson

Society for French Historical Studies @sfhs.bsky.social · 1d

New issue of FHS is out now! Policing and State Power in France and the French Empire: read.dukeupress.edu/french-histo...

Volume 48 Issue 3 | French Historical Studies | Duke University Press

read.dukeupress.edu

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Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 2d

Art photography shop in Paris in 1948 (photograph by Édouard Boubat, Centre Pompidou)

b&w photo of a shopfront with 'Photographie d'Art' written along the top and the glass in the windows and front doors whited out

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Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 2d

Thanks to everyone who zoomed in from near and far – some from very, *very* far away indeed – to this event today. Very grateful to everyone for your interest and especially to @petermcphee.bsky.social for being such a generous interlocutor 📖 📕

George Rudé Society @georgerudesociety.bsky.social · 5d

Our next event is this Monday! Briony Neilson's new book on children and crime in turn-of-the-century France is out (🥳) and we're hosting one of our semi-regular book talks. Briony will be discussing it with the great Peter McPhee. Register via the link!

Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 5d

Coming up this Monday 6 Oct at 1pm (Sydney time) I'll be talking with Peter McPhee about my book which explores the history of children, youth, welfare, criminality, punishment, incarceration etc in France at the turn of the 19th/20th century. All welcome. Register at the link in the original post.

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Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 2d

Thank you so much for zooming in and for your interest!

Reposted by Briony Neilson

Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 5d

Coming up this Monday 6 Oct at 1pm (Sydney time) I'll be talking with Peter McPhee about my book which explores the history of children, youth, welfare, criminality, punishment, incarceration etc in France at the turn of the 19th/20th century. All welcome. Register at the link in the original post.

Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 23d

I'm honoured to be speaking to @petermcphee.bsky.social on Mon 6 Oct at 1pm AEDT about my book Dangers of Youth: Age, Criminality, and Juvenile Justice Reform in Third Republic France at an online event hosted by the George Rudé Society. Please register here: uni-sydney.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Picture shows a book cover for Dangers of Youth

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Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 3d

"THIS is the BEETLE with her thread and needle" – costume design for a character in a pantomime, c.1860 (pencil and watercolour by Richard Wynn Keene, V&A)

drawing in pencil and watercolour of a beetle standing on her back legs and working a large needle with front legs into a cloth edged with lace

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Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 4d

Visited Parramatta's Female Orphan School today. Built in 1813 to house young girls in colonial New South Wales, in 1880s it became Rydalmere Psychiatric Hospital. In 1980s it was left derelict and hundreds of its convict-made bricks were removed and used to restore Hyde Park Barracks over in Sydney

colour photo of a three-storey sandstone and brick building: Female Orphan School in Parramatta

colour photo of a wall the top of which has bricks exposed showing that several layers of bricks have been removed

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Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 4d

Saw this at a special screening a few weeks ago – if you haven't yet watched it, you really need to.

Rebecca Ruth Gould @rrgould.bsky.social · 4d

The Encampments is streaming for free on the Palestinian film platform Watermelon+ @watermelonpictures.bsky.social through 8 October
watch.watermelonpictures.com/the-encampme...

The Encampments - The Encampments - Watermelon Pictures

When a group of students launch a movement protesting genocide, they spark a nationwide uprising in solidarity with the people of Gaza.

watch.watermelonpictures.com

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Reposted by Briony Neilson

George Rudé Society @georgerudesociety.bsky.social · 5d

Our next event is this Monday! Briony Neilson's new book on children and crime in turn-of-the-century France is out (🥳) and we're hosting one of our semi-regular book talks. Briony will be discussing it with the great Peter McPhee. Register via the link!

Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 5d

Coming up this Monday 6 Oct at 1pm (Sydney time) I'll be talking with Peter McPhee about my book which explores the history of children, youth, welfare, criminality, punishment, incarceration etc in France at the turn of the 19th/20th century. All welcome. Register at the link in the original post.

Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 23d

I'm honoured to be speaking to @petermcphee.bsky.social on Mon 6 Oct at 1pm AEDT about my book Dangers of Youth: Age, Criminality, and Juvenile Justice Reform in Third Republic France at an online event hosted by the George Rudé Society. Please register here: uni-sydney.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

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Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 5d

Thank you!

Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 5d

No pressure – I can imagine you have 1000 better ways to spend a Sunday evening 😊

Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 5d

I've just checked – you're in Corvallis, is that right? Here in Sydney we're 18 hours ahead of you, so the time actually translates to 7pm on Sunday 5 Oct for you. Not such a ridiculous hour after all. That said, please don't feel obliged to tune in! But would love to hear your thoughts of course 😊

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Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 5d

Coming up this Monday 6 Oct at 1pm (Sydney time) I'll be talking with Peter McPhee about my book which explores the history of children, youth, welfare, criminality, punishment, incarceration etc in France at the turn of the 19th/20th century. All welcome. Register at the link in the original post.

Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 23d

I'm honoured to be speaking to @petermcphee.bsky.social on Mon 6 Oct at 1pm AEDT about my book Dangers of Youth: Age, Criminality, and Juvenile Justice Reform in Third Republic France at an online event hosted by the George Rudé Society. Please register here: uni-sydney.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

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Reposted by Briony Neilson

Andrew Israel Ross @aiross.bsky.social · 5d

I'm developing a new course on the history of policing (with England, France, and USA as cases we will use) and am surprised that I'm not coming up with many examples of already-existing courses. Anyone teach something like this? #skystorians

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