Cohort 2025 Research Placement Project
About The Project
This project uses an unrivalled collection of political propaganda from the 1850s and 1860s, including newspapers, handbills, and election literature, held by Nottingham Central Library (Local Studies), to interrogate issues of popular protest and political representation as they apply to Nottingham, both historically and today.
By the 1850s, Nottingham returned two MPs to Parliament, but the right to vote remained narrowly constituted and voting was conducted in public rather than by secret ballot: consequently, election contests were subject to violence and intimidation (Beckett, 2008). The 1865 election contest witness the outpouring of tensions over political representation and popular protest as turmoil and agitation gave rise to a heated battle in print and on the streets (Bradshaw, 2015). The role of printed media was important because it could provoke conflict promoting biased views and inciting popular violence. More recent protests in Nottingham – such as those of 2011 and 2024 demonstrate the speed with which tensions can give way to violence, and how they are affected by reports and posts on social media (Loffhagen, 2024). This project will uncover more about the history and context of events in the 1850s and 1860s, as means of promoting understanding of contemporary responses to issues of popular protest and political representation.
The historical material to be interrogated is currently inaccessible due to its age, fragility and uniqueness; consequently, these stories of our city have become hidden over time. This project will explore the range of relevant resources held in Local Studies and survey related holdings at Nottinghamshire Archives and the University of Nottinghamʼs Manuscripts and Special Collections; this desk-based research will be written up as a report. This survey work will be complemented by a focus group of teachers and young people which will discuss how the material could be used to explore contemporary events and perspectives. The results will be used to develop educational resources aimed at increasing crucial, critical thinking skills in young people in the 16-24 age group, so that they are better equipped to respond to social media content including fake new and incitements to violence. The precise model of engagement will be shaped and determined by discussions with the focus group.
Whilst the outcomes will be used by the Central Library, they will be shared with other heritage and educational organisations, so that they can be adopted as widely as possible.
Project Aims
- To explore and contextualise a collection of 19th century printed materials in Nottingham Local Studies Library, relating to issues of popular protest and political representation in Nottingham’s history.
- To scope the wider collections held by the Library of relevance to understanding and drawing stories from this material.
- To survey the holdings of Nottinghamshire Archives and the University of Nottingham’s Manuscripts and Special Collections which bear on episodes and themes within the material.
- To actively engage with teachers and young people to devise a route for engaging with these holdings and to provide practical recommendations to this effect.
- To draw these findings together and connect them to contemporary Nottingham protests in 2011/2024.
- To promote wider access to the materials so that people are able to access them and use them, specifically in promoting critical thinking skills.
Project Team
- Research Candidate: Bryony Adshead
- Lead Supervisor: Dr Richard Gaunt, University of Nottingham
- Co-Supervisor: Dr Andrea Moneta, Nottingham Trent University
- Community Supervisor: Lynda Naylor, Nottingham City Libraries