The 1920s: Migration and public health

In this episode, we continue our whirlwind tour through the 1920s by introducing you to some of the fascinating people and movements of the era. We tell the story of two men trying to make a better life in England. Then, in the aftermath of World War I and a deadly influenza pandemic, we look at efforts to improve public health and morality.

To tie in with the release of the 1921 Census of England and Wales in January 2022, our 20sPeople programme explores and shares stories connecting the people of the 1920s with us in the 2020s. This exciting programme includes our new 1920s-themed exhibition in Kew.

Download the full episode transcript here.

Documents from The National Archives used in this episode: CO 956/537; HO 45/13056; CO 137/744;  HLG 47/920; DPP 1/88; MH 55/175.

If you’re interested in finding out more about records covered in this episode take a look at our research guides to Immigration and immigrants and Public health and social policy in the 20th century. For help navigating our catalogue, you can watch our top level tips on using Discovery.

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