Browse Exhibits (25 total)

Introduction

This web exhibition looks at the stories of Leicester men and women who lived through World War Two. It has been compiled by staff and volunteers at the East Midlands Oral History Archive and draws on more than 40 years of oral history interviews, as well as a wide range of other resources.

2023 marked the 400th anniversary of the publication of the plays of Mr William Shakespeare in a single volume. The book we now conventionally refer to as the First Folio (F1) was published seven years after Shakespeare's death and its publication initiated a long history of editing Shakespeare for general readers, scholars, and theatre practitioners. Much was published last year on the myriad of facts related to the preparation, publication, reception, and after-life of F1.

This exhibition, instead, aims to go beyond the 400th anniversary mark. It aims at briefly tracing the editorial trajectory of publishing Shakespeare's works, from 1623 to 2023 and into the future. The history of editing and publishing Shakespeare is not only long, but also rich and convoluted at times. Much had to be left out of this exhibition to focus on editions that have had a recognisable impact on our understanding of Shakespeare's dramatic work. Succinct as it is, we hope this exhibition serves as a starting point for those interested in exploring further the various aspects related to editing Shakespeare in the past, present, and future.

Acknowledgements

This project would not have been possible without the support of the University Library management and the Special Collections' amazing staff. Our heartfelt thanks to the editors who graciously accepted to share their ideas and comments on their work so we could bring to this exhibition the perspectives and voices of those who are some of the most renowned Shakespearean scholars of our times:

• Professor Sir Stanley Wells, Honorary President of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust 
• Professor Sir Jonathan Bate, Professor of English Literature in the University of Oxford
• Professor Stephen Greenblatt, John Cogan University Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University

We are also thankful for the corrections and feedback comments provided by Prof Stephen Greenblatt, Prof Richard Smith (University of Warwick), and Prof David Crystal, OBE (Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Bangor).

The images in this exhibition come mostly from items in the University of Leicester Archives and Special Collections; unless otherwise stated.

From July to September 2023, I, and two colleagues, had a two-month placement in the East Midlands Oral History Archive (EMOHA) as part of my course in Museum Studies at the University of Leicester.

This web exhibition examines the reasons behind undertaking this project and outlines what we have accomplished thus far. Our goal is to shed light on the daily operations of EMOHA and enhance awareness and knowledge about oral history and sound archives. 

The First World War finished in 1918. However, while there was officially a ceasefire declared on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, a formal state of war persisted for another seven months until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles with Germany on 28th June 1919. Even then, legal states of war between various countries continued into the 1920s.

It took some time for men to return from the forces. Many soldiers were unhappy with having to stay in the army longer than they felt was necessary and feelings sometimes ran high. It was said that, ‘In the event of rioting, for the first time in history the rioters will be better trained than the police’.

12,000 or more Leicestershire soldiers died during, or just after, the war. In Leicester, as in many other towns and cities, a tradition developed during the war of making street shrines recording the names of all those who had gone out from the street to serve the country, as well as being a memorial for those who were killed. A temporary war memorial was erected in Town Hall Square during the war and, more formally, on 4th July 1925, the Lutyens war memorial in Victoria Park was unveiled.

The story of Leicester during World War One has been told on the EMOHA website exhibition, 'Oral histories of the home front in Leicestershire and Rutland during World War One'.

This exhibition looks at different aspects of life in Leicester from 1918-1939. This period saw changes to almost every aspect of life in the town (as it was in 1918), and the city (as it was by 1939). The audio clips are taken from memories that were, mostly, recorded in the 1980s and 1990s. Many of the full length recordings can be found on Special Collections Online.

It has been compiled by volunteers and staff at the East Midlands Oral History Archive, particularly those who have volunteered for the Sounds for the Future project, which has been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Hidden histories from our archives, uncovered by the So that they may have life research team.

Introduction by Dr Yewande Okuleye, Research Associate

“I look forward to the time when Leicester will not be content without some University or University College in its midst, where the various branches of knowledge will have a fitting home, and the Institution be part of Leicester’s daily life.”
Dr Astley V Clarke, Presidential Address to the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society, 1912

The So that they might have life project embodied Astley Clarke’s wish for the University of Leicester to become part of Leicester’s daily life. In this case the University Archives became a site of discovery for volunteers. The project call-out to research the collection for lesser-known histories attracted local people to the University. Volunteers worked with historians and archivists to conduct historical research and heritage interpretation. They also attended a range of courses, including historical research, archives, heritage interpretation, social media, writing and using Wikipedia. This process helped to formulate a community of researchers who researched, discussed and analysed their findings with their peers and the project team .

The history about the design of the coat of arms was a natural starting point to introduce the identity of the University. It captured the ideas that the founders and the people of Leicester had about the identity of the proposed university college. This revelation provides a space to reflect about the University as a living memorial to those that died during the First World War. This research project presented an opportunity to re-examine existing histories. For example, businessman and philanthropist Harry Peach’s role as a founding father is an established narrative. However, his role within the Arts and Crafts movement and how this shaped the occupational therapy of recovering soldiers is less known. Other hidden histories brought to the surface include Sir Malcolm Sargent’s association with the University. The world-renowned British conductor was the first head of the music department.

The role women played in supporting the realisation of the vision for the University of Leicester is difficult to recover. However, sharing stories about the women associated with the founding families provides insight about their lives and personal achievements. Research shone a light on the forgotten history of women pioneers like Dr Ethel Nancy Miles Thomas and Mary Swainson. Ethel Miles Thomas made important contributions in botany and founded the first Botany department. Her role was important in formulating the strong foundation for science at the University of Leicester. Research in the archives sometimes feels like time travel, and this is exemplified in Mary Swainson’s story. Here, we can reflect on how Mary Swainson’s campaign for change in attitudes toward student mental health was pioneering in establishing student counselling.

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