Dr Laura Gray Blair
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lauragrayblair.bsky.social
Dr Laura Gray Blair
@lauragrayblair.bsky.social
140 followers 190 following 21 posts
Research Manager, Science Museum Group • rare books cataloguer, National Trust • Honorary Fellow, UCL • PhD on bibliotherapy in c.19th asylums • views own
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lauragrayblair.bsky.social
I'm sure this little thing is the inspiration for the Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror IV School Bus Gremlin (1993) which I saw later aged about 8 and had nightmares about for years.
lrylandepton.bsky.social Dr Louise Ryland-Epton @lrylandepton.bsky.social · Jun 8
Bishop Seth Ward was a founder member of @royalsociety.org. He was an astronomer and mathematician. He also had a very practical interest in medicine as this blog explores.
Warning ⚠️ some of the content is pretty gruesome.
www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/dog-gre...
Dog Grease and Cat Guts: A 17th-Century Bishop's Recipe Book — Louise Ryland-Epton
Bishop Seth Ward of Salisbury was concerned for his health. In fact, he may have been a little obsessed.
www.louiserylandepton.co.uk
June 9, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Reposted by Dr Laura Gray Blair
rwldproject.bsky.social
NEW DATASET - OUT NOW!

A massive 69,000 records added to the Railway Work, Life & Death project, covering English & Welsh railways, 1855-1929.

Download our free database from our website - & please spread the word!

#Railway200
www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk
June 5, 2025 at 10:31 AM
lauragrayblair.bsky.social
Some last-minute spaces on this if you're looking for something to do this evening!
lauragrayblair.bsky.social Dr Laura Gray Blair @lauragrayblair.bsky.social · May 13
Join us at the Science Museum's Dana Research Centre (28 May, 5-7:30pm) to explore how art & science cross-pollinate, with a new artwork displayed and a panel discussion w. artists, curators & historians exploring interdisciplinary research and practice. forms.office.com/e/15zSBsYbxw
A close-up image of an artwork by Varvara Keidan Shavrova, named 'The Blade', produced in 2025. The piece is made of hand-tufted Axminster yarn, etched aluminium, and steel. It is in the shape of a fan blade, and the wool is grey, blue, and pink.
May 28, 2025 at 2:04 PM
lauragrayblair.bsky.social
Join us at the Science Museum's Dana Research Centre (28 May, 5-7:30pm) to explore how art & science cross-pollinate, with a new artwork displayed and a panel discussion w. artists, curators & historians exploring interdisciplinary research and practice. forms.office.com/e/15zSBsYbxw
A close-up image of an artwork by Varvara Keidan Shavrova, named 'The Blade', produced in 2025. The piece is made of hand-tufted Axminster yarn, etched aluminium, and steel. It is in the shape of a fan blade, and the wool is grey, blue, and pink.
May 13, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Reposted by Dr Laura Gray Blair
rogerhighfield.bsky.social
Over the past several weeks, hundreds of meeting abstracts have quietly vanished from the websites of research conferences organized by the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, Texas

www.nature.com/articles/d41...
‘Orwellian’: planetary scientists outraged over deletion of research records
Researchers say that a NASA-funded institute is over-interpreting Trump’s anti-DEI order.
www.nature.com
May 10, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Reposted by Dr Laura Gray Blair
sachacoward.bsky.social
It's not a dog whistle.
It's an air raid siren.
March 11, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Reposted by Dr Laura Gray Blair
peaceandjustice.bsky.social
Israel's disgraceful blocking of vital humanitarian aid into Gaza is an abhorrent war crime that cannot be ignored.

We need immediate sanctions on Israel, including suspension of all arms sales to the genocidal Netanyahu regime.
Unrwa chief accuses Israel of weaponising aid to Gaza
Philippe Lazzarini warns of a renewed hunger crisis unless aid and electricity supplies resume.
www.bbc.co.uk
March 11, 2025 at 10:29 AM
lauragrayblair.bsky.social
I find this characterisation so troubling - to use “whitewashing” to discuss decolonisation work? Communities are asking for inclusion and acknowledgement of their histories which have been excluded. It’s work which adds, not subtracts or covers.

From: www.museumsassociation.org/museums-jour...
An extract of the linked Museums Association article, reading: Holland said he felt that museums were currently going through a "process of reformation" comparable to that of the church. "What people are debating is the degree to which the founding principles of centuries before - how should we recalibrate them?", he said. "It's the equivalent of [asking] how many statues should we topple? How much whitewashing should we do?" "The reformation drew on aspects of the medieval church, but it was also conscious of, itself, overturning shibboleths, toppling icons, whitewashing where there had been paintings. And I think something similar is happening now."
March 11, 2025 at 10:58 AM
lauragrayblair.bsky.social
You know, it’s annoying to be refused service trying to buy wine from the supermarket because you have a baby face and no ID, but somehow being stopped from buying nighttime cold & flu tablets (after effectively crawling to the shops) feels worse
February 15, 2025 at 7:53 PM
lauragrayblair.bsky.social
Watching The Repair Shop with my nan (her favourite programme). Thrilled to see Lizzie Rowe’s story shared by her brother, who brought in a lace dress which was pivotal in her art & exploration of gender identity (it also featured in the 2024 exhibition of her art ‘Lizzie Rowe: Life and Art’) 🏳️‍⚧️ 🎨
An image of Lizzie Rowe’s painting “Dysphoria”, owned by Laing Art Gallery. The painting is a self-portrait of trans artist Lizzie Rowe, who is shown in a white lace dress with her hair up in a pink bow, wearing a necklace of white beads. She is crouching in the centre of the frame, kneeling down on the wooden floor to pick up white beads which have broken from a necklace. The background is muted in colour. To the right is a record player with a record, a small television blaring bright light, and in the background an ironing board with a dress draped over, and the iron on the end of the board is smoking and on fire.
February 5, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Reposted by Dr Laura Gray Blair
sciencemuseum.org.uk
Climate scientists are investigating whether a 2-year temperature surge is a blip or means that global warming is accelerating.

Science Director @rogerhighfield.bsky.social asks is the Earth getting hotter, faster in a new blog: blog.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/is-the-earth...

📷 Source: C3S / ECMWF
January 17, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Reposted by Dr Laura Gray Blair
hsmurphy.bsky.social
NEWS!!!

A CFP for our capstone conference, "Medicine, Slavery, and Race in the Atlantic World", King's College London, 15-17 May. A *stellar* roster of confirmed speakers. All expenses paid. Please share with anyone who may be interested.

🗃️ #EarlyModern
CFP: Medicine, Slavery, & Race in the Atlantic World — Medicine and the Making of Race, 1440-1720
www.mmor.co.uk
January 17, 2025 at 2:47 PM
lauragrayblair.bsky.social
After a bit over a year I’m back teaching 🥳 convening ‘Curating Science and Technology’ for UCL & teaching alongside some lovely Science Museum colleagues. First class yesterday & I was admiring this engraved trade card for Thomas Tuttell c. 1695-1702 on display in Science City (SMG 1934-123)
An image of the galleries of the Science Museum in London. There is a large open atrium which shows three floors of galleries filled with objects and displays. The building interior is mostly painted white and has metal beams running across the top with skylights above. An image of an engraved ‘trade card’ for Thomas Tuttell, a surveyor and mathematical instrument-maker, dating from around 1695-1702. The card shows many engravings of instruments.
January 17, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Reposted by Dr Laura Gray Blair
theguardian.com
Transatlantic slavery’s role in shaping Manchester to be explored in exhibition
Transatlantic slavery’s role in shaping Manchester to be explored in exhibition
Joint project between Guardian and city’s Science and Industry Museum will open in early 2027 The role transatlantic enslavement played in shaping Manchester is at the heart of a new exhibition developed in partnership by the Guardian and the city’s…
www.theguardian.com
January 16, 2025 at 8:13 PM
lauragrayblair.bsky.social
First day back at the collections store today & got to spend it with SMG photographers Andy & Josh plus fantastic students & tutors from Boomsatsuma, exploring the collection and learning about how we take very beautiful photos of our objects. (Object redacted as it’s yet to be revealed…!)
An image of a projector screen with a photograph of a black and yellow carriage, part of the Science Museum Group collection. The projector is stood in a large photo studio with black walls, with two photographers presenting to a group of students viewed from behind. Josh, a photographer wearing blue jeans and a cream jumper with a triangle pattern, stands behind a large stationary tripod in front of a photo set up. On a table is an object, surrounded by a lighting setup.
January 13, 2025 at 10:44 PM
lauragrayblair.bsky.social
A serendipitous day since it was also my first day back on site since having a stress fracture in my foot. Feeling lucky to work with a wonderful collection AND lovely interesting people ✨
saradominici.bsky.social Dr Sara Dominici @saradominici.bsky.social · Jan 13
My long awaited visit to the NCC finally arrived today and it was so worth it!

I got to work with some incredible objects, supported by very helpful collections access and conservation teams, and ended with a fab tour of the incredible new storage hall thanks to @lauragrayblair.bsky.social
View of objects in one of the NCC’s research rooms View of the NCC storage hall
January 13, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Reposted by Dr Laura Gray Blair
saradominici.bsky.social
My long awaited visit to the NCC finally arrived today and it was so worth it!

I got to work with some incredible objects, supported by very helpful collections access and conservation teams, and ended with a fab tour of the incredible new storage hall thanks to @lauragrayblair.bsky.social
View of objects in one of the NCC’s research rooms View of the NCC storage hall
January 13, 2025 at 5:33 PM
lauragrayblair.bsky.social
I’ve all but stopped using Facebook but I might become a super-user just to comment “This is not real” on all of the absolutely terrible AI photos which people seem totally unable to identify as AI.
January 7, 2025 at 2:40 PM
lauragrayblair.bsky.social
Apparently in Japan, your first dream of the year sets out your luck for the following year. I dreamed about the Filofax I’ve ordered myself (extremely on-brand for me) so my 2025 is looking swell
January 1, 2025 at 2:44 PM
lauragrayblair.bsky.social
Shout out to the doctor who decided that *during a cervical biopsy* was the right time to ask me about museums “going woke” [making tiktoks]
December 19, 2024 at 3:02 PM
lauragrayblair.bsky.social
I’ve reached the ‘my bones are cold no matter what I do’ state about a month earlier than usual, send help
December 2, 2024 at 5:54 PM
Reposted by Dr Laura Gray Blair
bogarty.bsky.social
Pretty pleased with this review of the Hawking Building - also getting a review of a storage facility AT ALL feels like an achievement. Cheers @theguardian.com

www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
Hawking Building review – the Science Museum’s giant new shed of the weird and wonderful
On an old RAF airfield, a no-frills metal barn has been built to house the reserve collections of the London museum and its associates, with 300,000 objects ranging from a 1960s nuclear missile to Ste...
www.theguardian.com
December 2, 2024 at 9:57 AM
Reposted by Dr Laura Gray Blair
grmorgan.bsky.social
I spoke to Vanessa Thorpe at The Observer ( @theguardian.com ) about Louis XV's stuffed rhinoceros which is on display in all his chonky brilliance in 'Versailles: Science and Splendour' in the Science Museum @sciencemuseumldn.bsky.social - opens Dec 12th:
www.theguardian.com/science/2024...
‘Photographs did not do it justice’: King Louis XV’s magnificent rhino is star of new London exhibition
After wowing the court of Versailles over 200 years ago, the jet-black beast is back in the spotlight at the Science Museum
www.theguardian.com
December 1, 2024 at 10:22 AM
lauragrayblair.bsky.social
I’ve got to say, seeing senior historians uncritically sharing material from accounts with AI profile pictures & zero sources, with less analytic thought than we’d expect from first year undergraduates, is quickly erasing the little faith I had left.
November 30, 2024 at 6:12 PM
Reposted by Dr Laura Gray Blair
grmorgan.bsky.social
Versailles: Science and Splendour youtu.be/mWlMT1GPmOg?...
I've been on gallery installing this for the last few weeks, you are going to love it:
🦏 Louis XV’s legendary rhinoceros
⏱️ The watch designed for Marie Antoinette
✨ Incredible objects and human stories from midwifery to seafaring
🧪🏛️👑🇫🇷🎇
Versailles: Science and Splendour | Official Trailer
YouTube video by Science Museum
youtu.be
November 29, 2024 at 7:37 PM