Prof Deborah Sugg Ryan

Bye bye Academia.edu I’ve left because I can’t agree to the new terms & conditions

Delighted to attend the opening of the Kingston Glamour exhibition last night with my PhD student Tara McKinney Marinus who curated the Betty Joel section

Kingston Glamour: Art, Innovation and the Suburbs – Kingston Heritage This fascinating exhibition will celebrate the borough as a site of aspiration and innovation in the Twentieth Century. Come and rediscover Kingston’s glamorous reputation for late night cabaret, race...

Off to the opening of the exhibition Kingston Glamour: Art, Innovation & the Suburbs at Kingston Museum this evening. Looking forward to seeing the Betty Joel section curated by my Uni of Portsmouth PhD student Tara McKinney Marinus www.kingstonheritage.org.uk/events/event...

I was talking to a neighbour at the weekend who works in marketing. He says he’s never seen consumer confidence so low. He said it would be great if we could attract some of the talented PGRs, post docs & academics who would have otherwise gone to the USA to help drive innovation in the UK

Apart from all the other miseries of the Immigration White Paper, it’s depressing to see an actual government uncritically relying on the unbelievably flawed media-driven university rankings.

'Hey universities, we know you're going broke, here's a 6% tax on your only surplus source of income'. Another miserable day in British Higher Education.

A young couple in World War 2 RAF & WAAF uniform

On #VEDay80 remembering my grandparents Welshman Rob & Londoner Nora & all who gave service. On VEDay Grandad, who served as an armourer in the RAF, was still away & Nanny was living in London with her family & was heavily pregnant with her first child.

Chest of drawers is v similar to one in Utility furniture catalogue & styles like this were still in production in the 50s harrislebus.com/utility-furn...

#DoTheWriteThing

Today, we'll be joining the @societyofauthors.bsky.social outside Meta's offices to protest the use of pirated works to train their AI models.

Join us if you can! More info: societyofauthors.org/2025/04/03/u...

Poster for Betty Joel exhibition showing a photo of Betty standing beside a Cheval mirror

Portrait of designer Betty Joel in the 1920s depicting her with her auburn hair in a shingled bob, wearing a yellow embroidered jacket. Underneath is one of her asymmetric bookcases.

A life-size photo of Betty Joel in the early 1920s with a long fringed shawl draped around her shoulders beside her full-length mirror with integrated lamps with glass flame shades

Desk and chair designed by Betty Joel with photos depicting some of her interiors above

A few photos from the Betty Joel exhibition accompanying Clive Stewart-Lockhart’s book launch at Olympia Auctions yesterday, closes tomorrow. This is a taster of a much bigger exhibition that will be curated by my PhD student Tara McKinney Marinus for Portsmouth City Museum & Art Gallery in 2027

I’ve written about Arthur Quarmby’s pleasingly bizarre Mole Manor for the Twentieth Century Society, having a huge amount of fun reading about Quarmby’s hugely varied output in the process!

‘It reminds you of a fascist state’: Smithsonian Institution braces for Trump rewrite of US history Normally staid historians sound alarm at authoritarian grasping for control of the premier US museum complex

Not normally staid historians share this alarm.

Today seeing that Mark Zuckerberg's company has used 13 of my books to train his AI model without paying a penny or even, seeking permission. Want to object? You can write him a letter here:https://actionnetwork.org/letters/authors-guild-author-letters-to-ai-companies/

Also how can you write about Severance's nostalgia for office glamor without citing Florence Knoll, THE designer of postwar glamor workplaces www.podchaser.com/podcasts/new...

CBS (L) and Connecticut General (R)

Things are dire. But the Royal Historical Society is still funding postgraduate research. Next deadline is 6 June 2025. Grants of £500 or £1,000 available. Details: royalhistsoc.org/research_fun...

I am listening to "More or Less" on BBC Radio4, where @timharford.ft.com and the team have successfully ripped apart the "aid to Ukraine" lies spewed by #TraitorTrump

They say the US has given $122bn (not 350 as claimed), while Europe gave $142bn so far.

Listen again at BBCSounds.

The front cover of a book on Betty Joel depicting her standing in front of a chevalier mirror

Absolutely thrilled to bits to receive a copy of Clive Stewart-Lockhart’s lavishly illustrated book on designer Betty Joel, his great aunt. There will be an exhibition on Joel at Portsmouth City Museum in 2027, curated by my PhD student Tara McKinney Marinus #WomenInDesign #WomenDesigners

NO, we don’t want to give up copyright protection Follow these tips and tricks to complete the AI consultation in no time at all (and sign our open letter!)

Academics, Authors, Artists in the UK here is a CRUCIAL #DigitalFriday task - the govt's consult on AI use of our hard work ends 25 Feb. It's deliberately intimidating but here's a guide to filling in the 9 crucial questions (u don't have to answer it all!) againstthebox.substack.com/p/time-to-ha...

The buyer of my house pulled out today. 🏠 Apparently they’ve found another property. Nice 🙃

My solicitor issued the contract today. I’m £100s out of pocket. The English home buying system needs reforming. 😤

Ooh some great fireplaces & love the kitchen cupboards & would keep that tartan carpet!

Check out The Portsmouth Papers published by the council on local history & the Portsmouth History Centre

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year. May you be as relaxed as Tenzing the Tibetan Spaniel #DogsOfBluesky

🤣 BTW I recommend Apple TV’s Schmigadoon series, which is what made me want to see the film again

The poster for the film musical Brigadoon featuring Cyd Charisse in a red dress in the arms of Gene Kelly against a red and black tartan background

I’ve been enjoying the musicals shown on BBC2 this week. Why is Brigadoon never on tv? It doesn’t seem to be available to stream either. And how about a stage revival? #musicals

Thanks for the recommendation @alistairfair.bsky.social! Michelle, I also discuss scouring sources like car boot fairs & charity shops as well as the experience of restoring, furnishing, decorating & living in my interwar house. Do read my Afterword as well as my intro!

Black form fitting strapless dress with a high low hem lined with ruffles of pink silk taffeta

Day 2: Carol’s stomach drops a mile as she walks through the door shrugging off her coat. She had somehow assumed that the staff Christmas party would be more……party-ish.

A mannequin posed as if it has fallen. The figure is wearing a cream fur trimmed silk Pelisse and a soft black hat with stockings and ice skates

Day 1: Clara knew from the beginning that Cynthia was plotting sabotage. She did not enjoy the ice skating prowess of the others, a fact well known to Cynthia. Now here she was taking her third tumble. But wait……1/2

There is a lot that is broken with the student finance model and the way that higher education is funded in this country, but the provision of maintenance loans to students is discussed less than tuition fees, and yet it is an ABSOLUTE SCANDAL that is putting thousands of students into poverty.

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