Mari Takayanagi
LightNews LightNews
banner
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Mari Takayanagi
@satisfactory20.bsky.social
4.1K followers 3.3K following 490 posts
Archives, history, heritage. Women and Parliament. #NecessaryWomen. London. COYS https://www.maritakayanagi.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
satisfactory20.bsky.social
I’m at the end of a lovely week in Madrid. Tons of art and culture! Last night sangria for #ConfinedCocktails
Glass of red wine with ice, Fruit and straw. A bar in background
January 31, 2026 at 8:03 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Women’s history in Madrid: Victoria Eugenia, Queen of Spain and granddaughter of Queen Victoria, an active president of the Spanish Red Cross in WW1 #HistNursing 🗃️ from exhibition at Royal Collections Gallery www.galeriadelascoleccionesreales.es/en/exhibitio...
Glamorous portrait of Victoria Eugenia by de Laszlo Black and white photograph of Victoria Eugenia in nurse uniform Colour oil painting of Victoria Eugenia in nurse uniform with emblem of Red Cross Colour picture of Red Cross nurse helping wounded soldier with Spanish flag, a telegram illustration
January 28, 2026 at 5:50 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Women’s history in Toledo: 16thC revolutionary Maria Pacheco 🗃️ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar%C3%...
Bronze statue of young woman in long dress and sleeves
January 27, 2026 at 7:54 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Absolutely! As well as the others mentioned in this splendid thread, here’s Elisabeth Poyser, early archivist in Parliament ‘because it was thought women had special qualifications for such work.’ Featured in #NecessaryWomen
Newspaper clipping with photo of Poyser and headline ‘Women’s Post in the Lords - work on records’ Copies of book, ‘Necessary Women: the untold story of Parliament’s working women’ on a patterned tablecloth
January 17, 2026 at 12:25 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Drop a great pair of eyes from a movie or TV show 👀
Hugh Laurie as House MD with amazing blue eyes
January 13, 2026 at 9:27 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Just seen it’s #InternationalUnsolicitedDuckPicDay - not too late I hope for the original prototype Suffraduck
Rubber duck in a purple jacket and boater hat, with eyelashes and a brown wavy hair, holding Votes for Women board and wearing rosette
January 6, 2026 at 9:29 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Last month I was thrilled to speak at an event at no 11 Downing Street on celebrating women cabinet ministers! @nansloane.bsky.social spoke on Margaret Bondfield, and me on Florence Horsbrugh using my @chuarchives.bsky.social research. Many thanks @histparl.bsky.social
Ayesha Hazarika, Karen Bradley, Mari Takayanagi, Jennie Davey and Gillian Shepherd sitting at a table with red tablecloth, with red wallpaper and white mantlepiece behind. Everyone is smiling Panel sitting at table at a grand room in no 11 Downing Street with red wallpaper and tablecloth. L-R: Ayesha Hazarika, Karen Bradley, Mari Takayanagi, Jennie Davey, Gillian Shepherd, Clare Short and Nan Sloane. Grand room at 11 Downing Street full of people sitting facing a panel of women at a table, and Rachel Reeves standing to the side speaking.
December 12, 2025 at 3:19 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Thoroughly enjoyed the splendid and innovative Kandinsky exhibition @philharmonie.bsky.social too- stupendous painting, wonderful musical interpretation and I loved that his palette might as well have been one of his artworks. Thanks @melindahaunton.bsky.social for flagging
Philharmonie exterior: a silver metallic building with big ramp and swirling sides Kandinsky’s palette, a colourful mish-mash of blobs of paint
November 30, 2025 at 8:59 AM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Unexpected highlight of Paris trip: Yuja Wang in an amazing immersive experience, Playing with Fire @philharmonie.bsky.social - a virtual Yuja plays a concert as you walk around with a headset underwater, into space, alien worlds; just brilliant
Sign on wall for Playing with Fire The set: a grand piano in centre of a large room with black and white geometric patterns on walls and floor, a black pole as tree with roots, and fiery branches
November 30, 2025 at 8:55 AM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
I have had a great few days at the Visual Representations of Parliaments conference at the German Historical Institute in Paris - I spoke on 1920s flapper’ cartoons alongside @lisaberrywaite.bsky.social @sclapperton.bsky.social on party political posters at 1929 election - perfect synergy! 🗃️
Conference building exterior, red brick with many white framed windows and paved courtyard in front Conference room, wood panelled, me behind lectern, panel members at table and big screen behind
November 28, 2025 at 11:48 AM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
This is a recently discovered 'suffragette chain'! Want to know more? Come and hear me speak on 'The Speakers and the Suffragettes', online and in person at the @histparl.bsky.social seminar at the @ihrlibrary.bsky.social on Tues 28 Oct at 5PM! Free - book here www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
A black chain partly wrapped in white-ish thread with padlock on a white tablecloth
October 13, 2025 at 2:29 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Glass of wine at my last night at the Gladstone Library
Bean casserole with rice and flatbread on plate, and glass of white wine behind
October 11, 2025 at 7:31 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
I was really delighted to speak about #NecessaryWomen to an attentive and enthusiastic audience at @gladlib.bsky.social yesterday! Today it was full tilt research looking at as many files as I could during my last day of archives consultation. Phew!
Chapel, a bright modern room with white walls and wooden chairs, images of bookshelves at front and a presentation screen, with audience gathering for talk Library laminated sign ‘These cushions are for the books! Please do not sit on them. Please ask at the enquiry deal if you would like a people-cushion for your chair’
October 10, 2025 at 5:37 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Last week I climbed Snowdon to find the Gladstone Rock halfway up the Watkin Path, where Gladstone spoke to 2000 people in 1892, aged 83 - today I thought to look up @gladlib.bsky.social what Gladstone said in his diary - 🗃️
Me standing beside a big rock with a granite plaque on it The view down the mountain from the Gladstone rock - green hillside, grass and cloud
October 8, 2025 at 7:52 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
My desk this week researching in @gladlib.bsky.social archives - some nice stuff today on Women’s Liberal Federation split over suffrage in 1892, when Catherine Gladstone was President.

Still time to book on my #NecessaryWomen talk on Thursday! www.gladstoneslibrary.org/event/talk-n...
A desk with laptop, file, paper and pencil, lamp, book on book cushion, pile of books. Bookshelves in background Over an image of Mari Takayanagi and her book is text that reads: 'Book your tickets for: Necessary Women: The Untold History of Parliament’s Working Women with Mari Takayanagi, Thursday 9th October 4-5pm, Tickets: £10,
October 7, 2025 at 5:55 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Exhausted after my first day researching in the @gladlib.bsky.social archives! Learning lots about the Gladstone family women. Also being very well-fed…
Laminated sign ‘Desk reserved for viewing Archives and Special Collections’ Big slice of carrot cake with a half strawberry perched atop
October 6, 2025 at 5:59 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
@dohertyta.bsky.social spotted in St Asaph’s cathedral yesterday; WW1 Welsh nurses memorial and WW2 memorial inc a Nurse Margaret Owen #HistNursing 🗃️
Brass coloured wall plaque engraved with names and details of 5 Welsh nurses killed during First World War White marble wall plaque engraved with names of 9 men and 1 women killed during Second World War
October 5, 2025 at 9:34 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Also Catherine Gladstone memorialised in marble alongside her husband, though difficult to see her next to the wall
Large white marble memorial depicting William and Catherine Gladstone lying down at rest together
October 5, 2025 at 4:32 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Looking around St Deiniol's Church next door to @gladlib.bsky.social I was pleased to find stained glass windows to Gladstone’s daughters Helen, vice-principal of Newnham Cambridge, and Mary, his political secretary #WomensHistory 🗃️
Pair of stained glass windows depicting saints, Helen Gladstone mentioned at bottom Pair of stained glass windows depicting angels with musical instruments, Mary Gladstone mentioned at bottom
October 5, 2025 at 4:28 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Have already had the afternoon tea so that’s a start!
Three tiers of plates of sandwiches, cakes and scones, with pot of tea on side and me sitting behind
October 5, 2025 at 8:38 AM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Archivists Assemble @gladlib.bsky.social! Great to see @heritageadrian.bsky.social here by sheer coincidence
Adrian and me standing outside Gladstone’s Library, a monumental stone building with green lawn
October 5, 2025 at 8:31 AM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
I have arrived at @gladlib.bsky.social ! Very much looking forward to spending the next week here thanks to the Daisy Ronco Scholarship. If you’re in the area on Thursday come and hear my #NecessaryWomen talk!
Me standing in front of a majestic stone building with green lawn Over an image of Mari Takayanagi and her book is text that reads: 'Book your tickets for: Necessary Women: The Untold History of Parliament’s Working Women with Mari Takayanagi, Thursday 9th October 4-5pm, Tickets: £10,
October 4, 2025 at 6:07 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
I loved doing the Voodoo NÖ challenge last time!
Lying down on a grassy lawn by an old stone house on Isle of Skye in 2022 in honour of Voods Voodoo NÖ medal
October 3, 2025 at 8:39 AM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Dropped in to see display on Medieval Jewish Cemetery at St Giles Cripplegate - had no idea it was right under the Barbican! Thanks to organisers inc @medievaljews.bsky.social On until 16 Sep www.thejewishsquaremile.org/exhibition
Display board in the exhibition showing a small part of the church ceiling and pillars. Display board from the exhibition titled ‘The Role of Women’ with a picture of a female statue with many arms doing different things.
September 12, 2025 at 5:22 PM
satisfactory20.bsky.social
Pleased I managed to get to @antiquaries.bsky.social #MagnaCarta2525 exhibition this week and see the Meeting Room transformed into a lush green space, evoking the Charter of the Forest! On until 19 Sep
A room filled with artificial greenery, trees and green lighting, with exhibition cases and interpretation along the way A long handwritten parchment document unrolled in an exhibition cases- the 1225 Magna Carta and Charter of the Forest
September 12, 2025 at 5:13 PM