Mass Observation Archive

Queer Everyday - Mass Observation Archive What does it mean to be queer every day? Since 1937 Mass Observation has been recording the everyday thoughts, feelings and opinions of people in the UK. In 1982 the National Lesbian and Gay survey be...

Thanks so much for flagging this! Mary is right, the link should be massobs.org.uk/queer-everyd...!

Ultimately we hope that the project will not only carry on the work of NLGS in collecting the voices of the LGBTQIA+ community, but we also hope it will provide the chance for everyday stories, hopes, thoughts and feelings to be part of the archive. More info > massobs.org.uk/queer-everyd... (4/4)

The second way you can get involved is by responding to our directive questions! These are inspired by questions asked by the National Lesbian and Gay survey in the 1990s and 2000s. Again, there's no set way to respond to these and you only have to respond to whatever you're interested in 🧵 (3/4)

You can write, type, email, collage or photograph your day! All diaries will be anonymised and can be posted to us for free via Freepost RTGY-AYJE-YSSC, The Mass Observation Archive, The Keep, Woolards Way, Brighton BN1 9BP or online : universityofsussex.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... 🧵 (2/4)

We're looking to capture experiences of what it means to be queer in the UK today! To do that we're collecting day diaries for 12th February. It doesn't matter what you get up to, or how you record it, we'd love to have it!🧵 (1/4) #LGBTplusHM #lgbthm26

BBC Radio 4 - Illuminated, Bolton: The Happiest Town on Earth? Does Bolton hold the secret to happiness?

Bolton: The Happiest Town on Earth? In the 1930s MO asked he people of Bolton "What is happiness to you and yours?". In this episode researchers knock on the doors of those who live in the same spot as the original correspondents, hearing their reflections on happiness

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

Typed questions about the use of public libraries. Next to the text is a clip art image of a blue-ish human-like creature using a computer.

And 'The Public Library - 1999'...

Text asking questions about your relationship to the NHS and medical professionals. There is a clip art image of a faceless doctor holding what could be a stethoscope on the back of an also faceless patient

But also here in 'YOU AND THE NHS - 1997'

Typed text asking questions about gardening next to a clip art image of pink and green flowers

For those interested, 1997 onwards also saw the introduction of some stunning use of clip art in our directive letters, as demonstrated in the gardening directive

A film photograph of a very plastic deckchair facing outwards a very neatly mown lawn surrounded by flower beds

We're thinking about a set up like this and a calippo ice lolly on blue monday...

(Image from our the garden and gardening directive, 1998)

a scan of a brown envelope. Drawn in red pen is a little smiley face with a speech bubble saying 'Keep up the good work'

We received these words of encouragement, on the back of an envelope, from one of our writers today! They might have meant it for the postal service, but we like to think it was for us 😏

Queer Scrapbooks and Archival Fragments Come learn more about queer ephemera in the archive, make your own scrapbookand hear more about our LGBTQ+ History Month open call.

And! If you're near The Keep next month you can join us for our LGBTQ+ history month event looking at queer scrapbooks and their role in archives! Come along to see our collections, including NLGS material, and have a go at doing some scrapbooking yourself: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1972540179...

Queer Everyday - Mass Observation Archive What does it mean to be queer every day? Since 1937 Mass Observation has been recording the everyday thoughts, feelings and opinions of people in the UK. In 1982 the National Lesbian and Gay survey be...

The questions, along with lots more information about how to submit your writing and diaries to us can be found on our website: There's loads more information on our website: massobs.org.uk/queer-everyd...

As well as day diaries, we’re also reissuing questions asked by NLGS in the 1980s and 1990s to see how everyday life has, and has not, changed. The questions are inspired by those asked by the team at NLGS.

This year we’re doing an open call for ordinary day diaries from the LGBTQIA+ community, and specifically we’re asking people to record their day on the 12th February. Whatever you get up to, we’d love to have it in our collection!

A scan of a yellow flyer advertising the National Lesbian and Gay Survey. It has a collage of different photographs of people and in the middle it reads 'so who will write the lesbian and gay history of the nineties..?' the bottom of the flyer has further information about how to take part.

In 1982, inspired by the work of MO the National Lesbian and Gay survey began, it sought to capture what everyday life was like for queer people living in the UK. For our latest open call we're continuing the work of NLGS and asking what does it mean to be queer every day?

#lgbtqhistory

Did you know we have a newsletter where you can keep up to date with all the latest MO news? We also share summaries and trends we've seen in the latest directive responses, as well as our latest events and opportunities! You can sign up here: subscribe.emailblaster.cloud/MjEyMjQ/122....

These all sound really interesting! We were having a discussion the other day about how whilst of our topics touch on wellness and wellbeing we've never explicitly asked about it. Maybe it's one to add to the list!

Ooh great choices! We loved the hands directive, we got some amazing responses to that. We do love when a researcher comes to us with a topic like that, especially if it's something we haven't even thought of before!

Amazing! Have you had a favourite directive out of all the topics you've done so far? We always wonder which people enjoy and why!

The MO team are all back in the office now and don't worry, there was a big stack of directive responses waiting for us to sort through and start it all again for 2026!

But that's not all! We also (with the help of our placement student Khaleda and volunteer Libby) catalogued and made available the Ali Jacques collection, the largest collection we have created by one individual 😅

As well as that, our annual diary day on the 12th May generated 941 pages of writing from 416 people!

In response to those 9 different topics our writers have sent us over 1,300 pages of writing, with an average of 200 people responding to each directive! 📝

Prior to the winter break the MO team tallied up our end of year stats! 🧮 In 2025 we sent out 9 different directive themes, covering everything from feelings about your hands, to reflections on Covid five years on to how you feel the temperature 🌡️

We're excited to say that this event is now sold out! But we still have lots of exciting in-person events coming up throughout the year. View them all here: massobs.org.uk/engagement/e...

Two pages from a sketchbook side by side. On the left are line drawings of faceless bodies wearing loose nightwear, on the left is what appears to be a self portrait drawn in blue ink. The subject is sat hunched on a chair looking forwards with a pen in hand.

In her drawings and diaries Ali often seeks to subvert and critique prevalent beauty standards, and the collection reveals the strain of this resistance and the complexity of her relationship with her own body.

A line drawing of a woman looking at the covers of magazine, it has the caption 'isn't it human nature to copy...yearn for "brighter things"'

Through her diaries, sketches and photography Ali documents what life was like for a woman working in the creative industries during the 1990s and 2000s. Ali’s relationship with her body, diet culture and fashion is a constant focus of her work.

A photo album filled with pictures of Ali. Most have been taken in photobooths and show her at various stages of growing out her hair.

Two sketch book illustrations. On the left there are five women drawn in various evening gowns. The drawings are line drawings done in biro. On the left there is an illustration of a woman in an oversized blazer with shoulder pads, a flared skirt and leggings.

We’re just finishing up cataloguing the amazing Ali Jacques collection. Ali was a woman of many talents and the collection features her fashion illustrations, acting audition tapes, sketches and drafts of scripts and novels.

A stack of brown envelopes under some very harsh office lighting

We've just sent our our most recent directive! Topics include feeling the temperature, sexuality and secrecy and Christmas greeting cards and we’re really pleased to be partnering with academics from @northumbriauni.bsky.social, @liverpooluni.bsky.social and @manchester.ac.uk on these!