Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
@mrcwarwick
Archives rich in social and political history from the late 19th century onwards. Follow the MRC for highlights from our collections, details of our online resources and more!
We're going back (*ahem*) 40 years and digging through the zines Some fine DIY cut and paste work on show, alongside music news, implied filth, vegetarianism, nuclear armageddon and cricket
From Strongroom to Your Screen: Digitising the Fortnightly Returns How do our digitised collections get online? What *are* the operative stonemasons' Fortnightly Returns? Digitisation Assistant Jamie Orton talks us through his latest project in our new blog at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...
#OTD in 1884 there was a demonstration in London to support Third Reform Act which gave the vote to 60 percent of adult men. Women remained specifically excluded from voting in parliamentary elections until 1918 achieving equality only in 1928. mrc-describe.epexio.com/records/LSC/...
Football in exile In 1946 Spain had two national teams. After the civil war, a Spanish Republican team was formed from exiled players. They included Emilio Aldecoa, who became the first Spanish footballer to play in the English league when he joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1943.
'Nourishing and health giving'. A glass of cold Ovaltine is a delightful Summer drink. Opinions may vary. Advertisement featured in the TGWU 'The Record' 1929. mrc-describe.epexio.com/records/TGW/...
'Barnsley is a roaring town... BUT Barnsley is always left out' Dr Kat Simpson's talk highlights the experiences of young lads in Barnsley, excluded from traditional routes of education, and explores ideas of 'social haunting' in former coalfield communities warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...
What does it mean to be the last? In 2015 deep coal mining in Britain ended at Kellingley colliery Judi Alston's talk includes film of the last day at the Big K and more recent reflective interviews with community members warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...
Some of the most powerful talks in our conference 'Blood is the Price of Coal' looked at coalfield communities after the pits had closed These and more can be watched in full at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...
On #BastilleDay, we're highlighting just some of the French Resistance sources included in the MRC's archives 131 bulletins and leaflets produced by WW2 French anti-fascist groups are digitised and freely available at mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk/search/all:r...
In 1919 laundry workers became entitled to a government-enforced minimum wage Mechanised steam laundries saved time and effort for those who could afford the service, but it could be tough work for those employed there Find out more on the 'Sweated Trades' at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...
Glamorous train travel in the Golden Age of Steam? This 1901 cartoon from 'The Railway Herald' shows some of the more ‘interesting’ habits of fellow passengers 125 years ago… Editions of the Railway Clerks' Association newspaper, 1896-1901, are free online at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...
Digitised! Some of the earliest records of UK trade unionism, containing a wealth of information for labour, social, economic, political & family history 700+ Fortnightly Returns from the Friendly Society of Operative Stonemasons online (& more to come) cdm21047.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/coll...
Football - how to succeed! #WorldCup2026 This booklet was written by Rev K R G Hunt, Housemaster of Highgate School in the 1930s. Part of the National Union of Teachers archive. mrc-describe.epexio.com/records/NUT/...
Inspired by the Tour de France, we're digging out the board games Snakes-&-ladders-esque 'Wheeling' was produced in the 1890s/1900s to cash in on the cycling boom Can YOU escape police, an unfortunate pedestrian, spikey farm machinery and a weird mossy surface to end up safely at a Derbyshire pub?
Coal conference catch-up ⛏️ On 18 June we welcomed 80+ people to 'Blood is the price of coal' - a conference on coal communities, health and welfare Recordings of 10 talks, conference photos and more are now available online at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib... #histmed #MiningHistory #envhist
For guidance on how to dress in the tennis season, the YWCA 'Our Own Gazette' from 1920 had plenty of tips #Tennis "Chic little chemise-frocks give one freedom of movement as well as grace ...mellow-shaded sponge cloth are best suited to the tennis girl". mrc-describe.epexio.com/records/YWC/...
'With Wheel and Camera' Marking #NationalCameraDay with the excellent Canonbie Cycling Club Chronicle Produced by a group of friends in the 1890s-1900s, the proto-zine features a mix of articles, 'lovely things' (photos), cartoons and a host of in-jokes cdm21047.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/coll...
'The match of the season' With women's cricket to the fore in the #T20WorldCup, we're looking back over a century to the rather stylish Sheffield works team of Thomas Firth & Sons A *lot* of 1920s flapper stereotypes in the cartoon vs rather fine photo mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk/records/IPM/...
Picnic weather today? 🥵 In 1912 Workers' Union members were gathered on the Bournville lawns, rugs and banners in hand The WU annual reports contain images of the union's activities, including demonstrations, strikes and social events like this one See more at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...
The 'Women's Employment' newspaper encouraged women to use their faculties to be treated the same as "other human beings". Published by the Central Bureau for Employment of Women in 15 Nov 1912. Part of the Institute of Personnel Management archive. mrc-describe.epexio.com/records/IPM/...
'Rob you of your beer'... In 1920 the USA introduced Prohibition - the British brewing industry was unimpressed, harnessing nationalism, new women voters and sometimes spurious medical advice to fight the threat of 'compulsory teetotalism' More at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib... #NationalBeerDay
Making the final preparations for our one day conference on coal communities, health and welfare! ⛏️ 75 delegates booked in but we could take a couple more! Contact us if you fancy joining this great line up of speakers from academia, heritage organisations, community and campaign groups on 18 June
World Cup? We're dressed for success! #WorldCup2026 Other teams are available. W J Bassett as featured in 'The Sportfolio' - Portraits and Biographies of Heroes and Heroines of Sport & Pastime, 1896 Click on the link for other well-dressed sporting heroes mrc-describe.epexio.com/records/CTC/...
Sorry we're late. We have been busy building up to #InternationalArchivesDay, and now we're exhausted! Feel the burn!
... once in Yorkshire, Machen used his artistic skills to draw posters for his local branch of the Yorkshire Miners' Association Machen's papers relating to his work as Thorne Branch Secretary, YMA Compensation Agent and President are now catalogued at mrc-describe.epexio.com/records/MAC
In 1918, a teenage miner wrote out his notes on 'The safety lamp' for his Education Committee course Born in Derbyshire, Alwin Machen moved to Yorkshire to look for work after the 1926 General Strike...
The 1811 rules of the Friendly Associated Coal Miners of Wakefield include clauses which specifically ban inappropriate hat wearing and boasting about the size of your wage packet, along with slightly more standard rules for sick pay, unemployment benefit and a yearly pub feast
On a *completely* unrelated subject, please admire the scanning of this vast parchment document which had been tightly folded for 225 years and was marginally larger than our A1 scanner bed Now online at wdc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/coll...
The 'Bolton lady noted for her athletic powers' putting bicycle theory into practice there...
'Can she ride?' We're wheeling out the New Woman for #WorldCyclingDay This 1897 edition of The Wheelwoman combines fashion tips, club news and advice to women on voting in local elections Lots more New Women, pioneer racers & 19th century cycling magazines online at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...