PHM is the national museum of democracy, telling the story of its development in Britain: past, present, and future.
On this blog we share posts from the PHM team and other experts, with behind the scenes stories, coverage of PHM's exhibitions and events, and highlights from the museum's unique collection.
Masks are now part of our everyday lives and possibly will be for the foreseeable future. This month is the anniversary of the UK’s first national lockdown, and we’ve a treat of a long read from People’s History Museum’s (PHM) Senior Visitor Services’ Callum White, uncovering a selection of masks and mask related objects from birth to death, from alien and nurse to Tony ‘Bliar’ which were already present in the museum’s truly unique collection.
On the 65th anniversary of the outbreak of the Vietnam War, PHM’s Visitor Services Assistant Bob Dinn tells us about an Arts and Crafts banner in the 2020 – 2021 Banner Exhibition with a very interesting connection.
#OnThisDay in 1936 the Spanish Civil War began. To highlight the Printers Demand Arms for Spain banner on show in PHM’s 2019 Banner Display, our fantastic volunteer and Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) post graduate student Beth Lane shares insight from previously unseen Spanish Civil War photographs in PHM’s internationally significant collection.
The first National Minimum Wage (NMW) was introduced on 1 April 1999, the rate was £3.60 per hour (£3 for 18 to 21 year olds). Here Darren Treadwell, Archive Officer at People’s History Museum (PHM) shares memories from his first job in 1981.
Stephen M Hornby, award winning Manchester writer, is coming to the end of his time as Playwright in Residence at People’s History Museum (PHM). During his time with us, he has written the first draft of a play called First Rumours. The play is about seasoned human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell’s time as a Labour Party candidate in the hugely controversial 1983 Bermondsey by-election.
First Rumours, was given a first rehearsed reading at People’s History Museum on Sunday 10 February 2019 followed by a Q&A with Peter Tatchell, chaired by LGBT activist and historian Paul Fairweather. In his final blog for us, Stephen reflects on the experience of having Peter Tatchell attend the rehearsed reading of the play.
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