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A momentous question: decorating the Victorian home

The rise of an increasingly affluent Victorian middle class and the availability of mass manufactured goods, including furniture and textiles, contributed to an intense interest in the concept of ‘home’ and questions of taste. Magazines and books giving advice on ...

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CO 1069 – Australasia through a lens

A look at the work of Charles Percy Pickering and John William Lindt, two European photographers, whose varied paths had led them to Australia.

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CO 1069: The Colonial Office Library Photographic Collection

Stephen Cable introduces CO 1069: The Colonial Office Library Photographic Collection.

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Dig For Victory

An appeal to everyone during wartime to ‘Dig for victory’ by cultivating vegetables for the good of the country and their own better health. Context The tide of war was beginning to turn in 1942 in Britain’s favour. However, German ...

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Sarawak in pictures, a century of rule by the ‘White Rajas”

James Cronan introduces files related to Sarawak from the recently released CO 1069 Colonial Office photographic records.

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Using The National Archives website for family history research

This talk provides an introduction to the main sources for family history research available through The National Archives website. The talk will include online resources, research guides and signposts and the online catalogue/Discovery. Gerry Toop has worked at The National ...

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The Battle of the Somme: ‘Plum Pudding’ mortar bombs

This sequence opens with a title commenting on the supply operation to make the attack on the Somme possible. We then see a panning shot of a vast supply dump. This is followed by another title introducing ‘plum pudding’ mortar ...

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The Battle of the Somme: Battle Police

The film clip starts with Tommies making their way across No Man’s Land and into enemy front line trenches. We then see a title explaining that Battle Police are rounding up prisoners and wounded in No Man’s Land. From here ...

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The Battle of the Somme: ammunition dumps

This clip gives us a detailed view of preparations for the attack at the Somme. We see vast ammunition dumps followed by busy scenes of trucks moving shells and other equipment and men busily loading and unloading vehicles. The final ...

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