Rachel MacGregor

What’s your costume for World Book Day this year? I’m going as a Generative AI Subsidiary Content Aggregation Addendum to an already one-sided academic publishing contract

Leaflet produced by the Committee of African Organisations, London, in 1959. It advertises a mass demonstration from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square on 30 August 1959 in protest against proposed French nuclear tests in Algeria. The headline reads 'Africa says no to French tests', with an illustration of a mother and child near the mushroom cloud of a nuclear explosion. From the archives of the Trades Union Congress, document reference: MSS.292/882.71/2.

Leaflet produced by the Committee of African Organisations, London, in 1959. It advertises a mass demonstration from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square on 30 August 1959 in protest against proposed French nuclear tests in Algeria. The main text is shown in the shape of a mushroom cloud, and opposes exploitation through colonialism and horrors resulting from nuclear tests. From the archives of the Trades Union Congress, document reference: MSS.292/882.71/2.

'Africa says no'... 'Campaign against this nuclear madness'

In 1959 the anti-nuclear and anti-colonial movements combined in London to oppose French nuclear tests planned for the Algerian Sahara. The first tests took place in 1960 - during the Algerian war of independence against France.

Bookshelves. Mezzanine. Banners.

IN A LOCAL ARCHIVES. WONDERFUL PLACE.

Lovely banner

2026 AUAC Conference: Who is Responsible for the Archives? Who is Responsible for the Archives? An Interdisciplinary Approach to Ethics in a Digital Age When: Friday 26 June 2026, 9:00–5:00 pm Where: Aston University campus in Birmingham, UK, and online (hybr...

Consider submitting a proposal for this upcoming hybrid conference on Archives and Ethics! Experts from all fields are welcome! padlet.com/dturner2_23/... @astonuniversity.bsky.social @astonpress.bsky.social

😱

please don’t lick the archives

Three images: A poster with the caption 'Weimar Cinema: From 1919 to 1933'. A display case with three film programmes: 'Hai-Tang', 'Madchen in Uniform' and 'Vampyr'. A view of the exhibition space, including three of five display cases.

New exhibition at the MRC!

Weimar Cinema from 1919-1933, showcasing items from the Illustrierter Film-Kurier collection.

Illustrated programmes for early cinema classics, international hits and films which reflected social and political ideas of the Weimar era.

The very same! Literally there for just over 12 hours. There were cocktails aplenty and it looked like a nice town - I should go back!

An aperol spritz with a jaunty striped straw

A passion fruit martini

At a hen do in Farnham as you do (wherever that is). But there are cocktails #ConfinedCocktails

I'm just muting big accounts who misuse alt text now. It's no loss.

You need the description at the top, it just needs to be succinct.

THEN you can have the jokes, laughs and snark. That's fine on social media, it adds needed context.

I misread that as Tamagotchi and wondered if they might not be a bit crunchy…

Already planning my next project 🧶

Knitting Through Digital Decay: A Collection of Digital Preservation Jumpers No One Asked For (But… I’ve been truly overwhelmed by the interest in my Digital Preservation knitting patterns — thank you to everyone who has reached out…

I have GREAT news: digitalpreservation-blog.lib.cam.ac.uk/knitting-thr...

No known disorder and yes knee scar from falling over on pretty much my first day at school and being taken into the staff room and given tea with sugar in from one of the teachers’ groovy Pyrex cup and saucers

I certainly did. Going to present at an all staff meeting about it in April pour encourager les autres

Yeah that’s not the best part 😱

Fair enuff. It should be neither political nor controversial but here we are.

I did this recently with @archiveswm.bsky.social and it gets more positive. And I have already started to enact my pledges 🙌

All good things come to an end It is with great sadness that we are sharing the news that the UCL Faculties of Social & Historical Sciences and Arts & Humanities have decided to close the IAS on 31 July 2026.

It is with great sadness that we are sharing the news that the UCL Faculties of Social & Historical Sciences and Arts & Humanities have decided to close the IAS.

We will close our doors forever on 31 July 2026.

Follow the link to leave thoughts, comments, memories 💗

www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

Glass of red wine in front of a bottle of French vin rouge with a pasty in the foreground

A little glass of vin d’Anjou surviving from our last French holiday matched with a cheese and onion pasty from Colston’s bakery in Worcester. Can recommend #ConfinedCocktails

Labour History Review essay prize 2026 Entries are invited for the Labour History Review postgraduate essay prize for 2026. The deadline for entries is 30 June 2026, and details are set out below. Download the entry form (Word document)…

Entries are invited for the Labour History Review postgraduate essay prize. The deadline for entries is 30 June 2026
(Please share widely)
sslh.org.uk/2026/02/19/l...

@kirkdalebooks.bsky.social am seconding Poisonwood Bible and also Demon Copperhead (and to David Copperfield a bit but with the usual Dickens caveats)

Had not seen this advertised but it looks excellent and highly relevant! Will get it in the diary.

Born-Digital Personal Archives: Status, Projects and Ethical Questions

Looking forward to speaking at the National Library of Norway’s event on Born-Digital Personal Archives, sharing work on access, ethics, and infrastructure for digital collections. Do say hello if you’re attending! www.nb.no/hva-skjer/bo... #DigitalPreservation #Archives

Images © Reach Plc / Ruth Millington

Images © Stuart Lamb / Arts in Redditch

Images © Stuart Lamb / Arts in Redditch

NEWS: C20 has supported listing Eduardo Paolozzi's polychromatic Pop Art murals (1983) at Kingfisher Shopping Centre in Redditch, described as the 'Ravenna of the New Towns' by historian Owen Hatherley. The 12 mosaic panels depict the towns industrial heritage.

➡️ c20society.org.uk/news/support...

Thin crepe style pancakes served on plates on a table

Traditional British pancake (crepe to an American?) served with sugar and lemon. Just like my mother made and hers before her etc

Only 60 ? 😜

Match-box makers photographed working from home in c.1906. The photo shows a woman and girl assembling matchboxes with cut pieces of card and assembled boxes on a table in front of them. They are sitting in front of a fireplace and next to a bed which has piles of flatpack boxes, a basket and rugs on it. The bedroom includes patterned wallpaper, pictures on the wall and a large decoration in a glass dome on top of the mantlepiece.

Match-box makers, c.1906

In 1906 'sweated' (poorly paid) homeworkers were put on public display as part of a 6 week exhibition organised by the Daily News

The exhibition handbook included photos of workers (mostly women) in their usual domestic working conditions
warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...

Thoughtful and well brought up 😂