Written back in 2023, this guest blog took the top spot for the second year running. In this post Dr Simon Faulkner, Senior Lecturer in Art History and Visual Culture at Manchester School of Art, considers the history and meanings of the raised fist using examples that include posters and photographs from the museum’s unique collection.
The history of the raised fist demonstrates just how significant visual symbols have been for the development of democratic politics.
Continuing with symbols, a guest blog for LGBT+ History Month clearly appealed to lots of you, as it was one of our most read of 2024. Written by Gillian Murphy, Curator for Equality, Rights and Citizenship at LSE Library, it explores the symbols created through activism, logo competitions, resistance, and community.
We regularly share posts from the PHM team and back in May PHM’s Collections Assistant Jaime Starr explored the 40th anniversary of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM). Myths are dispelled and the story of how lifelong relationships were forged is part of a fascinating insight. Look out for Jaime’s second instalment; a piece about solidarity from marginalised communities, including the experiences of Black and Asian miners during the strike.
Book tickets for Solidarity Forever: 40 Years of LGSM at PHM on Thursday 27 February 2025.
We were treated to a trio of blogs about miners strikes in an anniversary year for not only the 1984 to 1985 Miners’ Strike. PHM Researcher Dr Shirin Hirsch first takes us back to the lesser known 1974 Miners’ Strike and the legacy this created for the years that followed. We hear about the events of 40 years ago and the Miners’ Strike (1984-1985) with Dr Bob Dinn, Visitor Experience Supervisor, and from Amy Todd, a PhD student working for PHM, who looks at the women’s movement against pit closures during this year long strike. You can read our full collection of Miners’ Strike related blogs – look out for a post about a project which led to the discovery of some hidden gems within the museum’s collection.
In October we celebrated the centenary of Ellen Wilkinson MP taking office. Penned by PHM’s Visitor Experience Supervisor, Sara Ferri, following her research in our archives about the incredible life of one of the first female Labour MPs. Sara shares a story that begins in Manchester and sees Ellen follow her commitment to social justice throughout her life. The collection is in the museum’s Labour History Archive & Study Centre, accessible by appointment, so you can come and see it for yourselves.
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