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Reposted by Mass Observation Archive

Patrick Collier @patcollier.bsky.social · 9d

So pleased to be presenting our work to the excellent scholars at and around Mass Observation & with Ben Highmore, whom we so admire, hosting.
bsky.app/profile/mass...

Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · 9d

Our next event, 'Everyday Life and the Crisis Ordinary in Middletown, U.S.A.' is now open for booking! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/everyday-l...

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · 9d

Everyday Life in Middletown is inspired by the book 'Middletown: A Study of a Midwestern City' and Mass Observation. In this event, Project Director Patrick Collier and Director James Connolly will discuss the project with Ben Highmore

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · 9d

Our next event, 'Everyday Life and the Crisis Ordinary in Middletown, U.S.A.' is now open for booking! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/everyday-l...

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · 13d

We've been having a look through some of the photographs from when the papers from Mass Observation arrived at @sussex.ac.uk! We won't lie, it makes very glad we're working with the materials now that they're boxed up and catalogued...

A black and white photograph taken in the early 1970s. There are shelves to the left of the photo. They reach from the floor to the ceiling and are filled with stacks and stacks and stacks of paper....To the right a white man in shirt and tie (Tom Harrisson) is stood at a table looking at something.

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Reposted by Mass Observation Archive

History & Policy @historyandpolicy.bsky.social · 14d

We’re delighted to publish a new Policy Paper today by Jonathan Moss & @emilyrobinson.bsky.social. They suggest that Mass Observation @massobsarchive.bsky.social - founded in the 1930s - can help us understand the reasons behind contemporary voter apathy. historyandpolicy.org/policy-paper...

Mass Observation and Political Engagement in Britain - History & Policy

Low turnout in the 2024 General Election and other signs of voter disengagement from politics pose serious challenges for the UK’s democratic system. To meet these, this policy paper argues, we need a...

historyandpolicy.org

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Reposted by Mass Observation Archive

Bloomsbury History @bloomsburyhist.bsky.social · 21d

The Mass-Observation Critical Series documents and archives the everyday lives, thoughts and attitudes of ordinary Britons.

Found out more https://bit.ly/4lPM60w

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · 22d

We decided to do an open call for lockdown diaries... we ended up with 10,000 documents. Safe to say cataloguing them all was definitely a lockdown and beyond project!

That being said, many of them are now available as part of an open-access resource! database.massobs.org.uk/projects_dat...

Mass Observation Mass-Observing COVID-19 Database

database.massobs.org.uk

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · 22d

This next week! Join Professor Lucy Noakes for her talk 'War and Peace: Mass Observers and the end of the war in Europe, May 1945' & Yves Fradier, Director of Survey and Methods (@veriangroup.com) for his talk 'Living through war: Insights from displaced Ukrainians'.

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Sep 8

Event Announcement!

'Documenting disruption: Everyday life during times of war'

We're collaborating with Verian to bring you an online webinar to look at the ways that everyday experiences of war are recorded.

Tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1602048774...

Documenting disruption: Everyday life during times of war

Join us for a collaboration between the Mass Observation Archive and Verian looking at the ways that everyday life during war is recorded.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · 29d

The third part of our current directive is all about kitchens 👨‍🍳 We enjoyed this anecdote about the dangers of open plan kitchen/dining!

a scan of handwritten writing it reads 'I mentioned to an old lady how people like a kitchen where they can chat to their guests while they are cooking. The lady said 'I couldn't have that, I don't want people to know that I have to sieve my gravy.'

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Sep 8

We'll be joined by Professor Lucy Noakes (Rab Butler Chair in Modern History, President, Royal Historical Society, University of Essex) & Yves Fradier, Director of Survey and Methods (Verian) for his talk 'Living through war: Insights from displaced Ukrainians'. Book your free space here:

Documenting disruption: Everyday life during times of war

Join us for a collaboration between the Mass Observation Archive and Verian looking at the ways that everyday life during war is recorded.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Sep 8

Event Announcement!

'Documenting disruption: Everyday life during times of war'

We're collaborating with Verian to bring you an online webinar to look at the ways that everyday experiences of war are recorded.

Tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1602048774...

Documenting disruption: Everyday life during times of war

Join us for a collaboration between the Mass Observation Archive and Verian looking at the ways that everyday life during war is recorded.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Aug 21

Although that doesn't explain this...Does it?

A black and white photo of what looks like a ferret at the bottom of some stairs

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Aug 21

These photos are all from one response to our 2006 Autumn directive 'Your Home'. The writer and his partner have just moved house, so perhaps many of the images are objects that moved with them?

a black and white photograph of a bedroom with a bed and a television mounted on the wall

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Aug 21

The thing with MO is, sometimes you read what a writer has sent and it all makes sense... but other times, you just have to try and figure out...

a black and white photo of what looks like stone fingurine of a seal

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Jul 30

Find the catalogue record here: www.thekeep.info/collections/...

www.thekeep.info

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Jul 30

As she puts it, 'Conflict and war can be explored, not just as a series of battles and victories or losses, but how their repercussions resonate through families, relationships and day-to-day life.'

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Jul 30

These documents are from our topic collection 'Dogs in Wartime'. Suzanne, our Engagement Manager, often uses these materials with school groups as a way to demonstrate both the surprising materials we have in our care, but also how war impacts all areas of life.

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A typed piece of paper from the 1940s. It is summarising from research about what people should do with their pets during war. It talks about how dogs cannot go in public shelters but a scheme has been set up where people put a notice in their window which tells pet owners that should there be a air raid and they can't get home they can shelter in this house.

A scan of an information booklet titles 'Your Dog and Cat in Wartime'

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Jul 24

If you haven't heard Jessica on Radio 4 yet, now's your chance!

Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Jul 17

If you tune in to Radio 4 next week you'll get to hear our archivist Jessica being interviewed about all things mantelpieces!

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

#history #socialhistory

BBC Radio 4 - The Hidden History of the Mantelpiece

Rachel Hurdley explores the story of the mantelpiece and how it reveals our secret selves.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Jul 22

What did you dream last night? Were you in a sports hall? Were the colours and textures of paper merging with words to create a complete experience of reading? And did the strange lady in the cupboard slowly turn into very small snakes? No?

Reference: SxMOA2/1/73/2/1/124

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Jul 17

If you tune in to Radio 4 next week you'll get to hear our archivist Jessica being interviewed about all things mantelpieces!

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

#history #socialhistory

BBC Radio 4 - The Hidden History of the Mantelpiece

Rachel Hurdley explores the story of the mantelpiece and how it reveals our secret selves.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Jul 10

As well as this, she also provides a point of view of the election which see less of at MO, not the person voting, but the person working at the poll station. She also reflects on the good news that she's been able to buy a new guitar and her fruit plants might have fruit this summer!

The writer writes that she didn't think this news was good enough to share and that it was also her late Grandad's birthday and that despite her atheism perhaps this has something to do with her luck.

She then talks about her experiences of working at her local polling station which she enjoys doing. As she works at dual poll there is a friendly competition between the two to see who ends up with the most voters

She finishes by providing examples of stories from the polls, for example a man who drove in rush to vote only to be turned way because he didn't have ID or an older lady who didn't have ID and tried to use a framed photo of herself as proof.

Finally the writer concludes with her last bits of good news which are that with the money she's earnt she's been able to buy herself guitar, and that is wonderful to be able to buy something with her own money and it be hers. Her final bit of good news is that blueberry plants she planted are flowering and she hopes they will have fruit this summer.

Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Jul 10

However, we were moved to receive this response from one of our writers, in which she begins by speaking about the fact that it's the two year anniversary since her final brain surgery

A piece of handwritten text by a 20 year old writer. She talks about the fact it is two years since her last brain surgery and as a result she has stopped having seizures. She speaks about how lucky she is to be too healthy to have to be in hospital anymore and that she might grow her hair again, something she had held off doing as part of her felt she might have to cut it again. She also talks about how lucky she is to be older than she ever thought she might be and how recounting her
experiences in therapy make her feel strong and powerful.

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Jul 10

In our most recent directive, we wanted to give our writers a chance to reflect on good news they, or people they know, had read, experienced or heard about. It was a task that lots of writers actually found quite challenging!

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Jun 19

The beauty of MO is that people write about what feels important to them, and they can format it however they want. The result is that we often receive people reflecting on all aspects of their life, and the world around them, in real time with all the contradictions and messiness that brings!

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Mass Observation Archive @massobsarchive.bsky.social · Jun 19

When people ask us what the material in Mass Observation is like, we're just going to start showing them this now

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