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September 2024
Catland: Feline enchantment and the making of the modern world
- Friday 13 September 2024, 14:00
Join historian and author Kathryn Hughes for a fascinating feline exploration of Victorian society and discover how Britain was taken over by the ‘cult of the cat’.
By the end of the nineteenth century, cats no longer had to earn their keep by catching mice. Instead, Victorian and Edwardian Britain fell in love with cats, in part due to social and economic forces, but also due to the work of artist Louis Wain, whose drawings of anthropomorphic cats delighted the world.
Kathryn Hughes tells the incredible story of how the country became obsessed with cats, and the life of the prolific illustrator who transformed the image of cats forever.
The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World
- Friday 20 September, 14:00
A revolutionary new history of India from bestselling historian and broadcaster, William Dalrymple.
For a millennium and a half, India was a confident exporter of its diverse civilisation, creating around it a vast empire of ideas. Indian art, religions, technology, astronomy, music, dance, literature, mathematics and mythology blazed a trail across the world, along a Golden Road that stretched from the Red Sea to the Pacific.
Precipice – In conversation with Robert Harris
- Wednesday 25 September, 19:30
Join master storyteller Robert Harris in conversation about his thrilling new novel, Precipice.
Summer 1914. A world on the brink of catastrophe. In London, 26-year-old Venetia Stanley – aristocratic, clever, bored, reckless – is having a love affair with the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, a man more than twice her age. He writes to her obsessively, sharing the most sensitive matters of state. As Asquith reluctantly leads the country into war with Germany, a young intelligence officer is assigned to investigate a leak of top secret documents – and suddenly what was a sexual intrigue becomes a matter of national security that will alter the course of political history.
Lower than the Angels: A History of Sex and Christianity
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- Tuesday 1 October, 19:30
Diarmaid MacCulloch discusses the 3000 year history of the Christian experience of sex, gender and family.
Diarmaid MacCulloch’s latest book seeks to calm fears and encourage understanding by paying attention to the complexity and contradictions of Christian history. Is there a single Christian theology of sex, or a chorus of competing voices?
Join Diarmaid as he introduces an epic story of ordinary and extraordinary Christians trying to make sense of themselves and of humanity’s deepest desires, fears and hopes.
The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV
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- Wednesday 9 October, 19:30
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Historian Helen Castor explores the lives of Richard II and Henry IV whose rivalry brought their nation to the brink of disintegration.
Helen Castor tells the story of one of the strangest and most fateful relationships in English history. It is a story about power, masculinity in crisis, and a nation brought to the brink of catastrophe. At its heart, it is the story of two men whose lives were played out in extraordinary parallel, to devastating effect.
Helen will be in conversation with Sean Cunningham, Head of Medieval Collections at The National Archives.
Finding Billy Waters: How A Black Sailor Found Fame in Regency Britain
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- Wednesday 16 October, 19:30
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William ‘Billy’ Waters: busker, sailor, immigrant, father, lover, extraordinary talent, and a forgotten Black celebrity from Regency London. Waters became London’s most famous street performer. His extravagantly costumed image blazed across the stage and in print to an unprecedented degree.
Despite his contemporary renown, Waters died destitute in 1823. Join historian Mary Shannon to find out how small traces in The National Archives’ collection can lead to exciting new discoveries about Black British history and the history of disability.
SAS Daggers Drawn with Damien Lewis
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- Friday 25 October, 14:00
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Damien Lewis shares the thrilling exploits of the SAS ‘Originals’.
In the summer of 1944, the SAS undertook a crucial D-Day mission: taking on the might of the Nazi Reich, deep behind enemy lines. Using never-before-seen material, Damien Lewis uncovers the shocking realities of Nazi controlled France and the triumph of Allied resolve during the Second World War. With unflinching courage, these renegade soldiers dared all to help to bring the war to its close.
Agent Zo – In conversation with Clare Mulley
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- Wednesday 30 October, 19:30
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Discover the incredible story of the Second World War resistance fighter, Agent Zo.
One of the most decorated Polish women in history, Zo’s remarkable story was suppressed by the Soviet-backed communist regime for over forty years. Clare Mulley now brings this forgotten heroine back to life using archival research and exclusive interviews with people who knew and fought alongside Zo.
Clare will be in conversation with collections specialist, Ela Kaczmarska. Their online conversation will last approximately 30-40 minutes, followed by an audience Q&A.
A History of Britain in Ten Enemies with Terry Deary
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- Wednesday 6 November, 19:30
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Horrible Histories author Terry Deary argues that nations and their leaders are defined by the enemies they make.
Britain and the British have a proud history of choosing their enemies, from the Romans to the Germans. You might even say those enemies made Britain what it is today!
Exploring the question of how a common enemy can unite a nation far more effectively than a common friend, A History of Britain in Ten Enemies argues that nations and their leaders are defined by the enemies they make.
This talk will last approximately 30 minutes followed by a 30 minute audience Q&A.
Secrets of The National Archives: Thomas Cromwell’s notebooks
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- Friday 8 November, 14:00
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For much of the 1530s, Thomas Cromwell ran the Tudor government for Henry VIII. As the king’s chief minister, he was responsible for overseeing the huge volume of matters that needed royal consideration.
But there is a large gap in the archival record as the majority of Cromwell’s outgoing letters were destroyed at the time of his arrest. This makes his surviving papers and notebooks all the more important as from them we can see the daily business of government happening from Cromwell’s perspective. Using his notebooks as a guide, this talk will showcase these archival treasures to explore the inner workings of Tudor government from the mundane to the magisterial.
Secrets of The National Archives showcases some of the most notable documents and stories from the collection. From iconic documents such as Domesday, to hidden gems, discover The National Archives’ unique and rich collection and explore history as it really happened.
Secrets of The National Archives: Shakespeare’s will
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- Friday 15 November, 14:00
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Discover the surprising story of Shakespeare’s will.
William Shakespeare’s will was written 400 years ago in brownish iron gall ink over three large paper folios, each signed by the pen of Britain’s greatest playwright himself. Over the years, Shakespeare’s will has generated many different interpretations of his family life and his death. He famously left his wife Anne their ‘second best bed’ but was this a snub, or in fact an act of love from a dying man? Join The National Archives’ collections specialist Amanda Bevan for a closer look at the will which shows the efforts Shakespeare made to secure a lasting financial legacy for his family.
Secrets of The National Archives showcases some of the most notable documents and stories from the collection. From iconic documents such as Domesday, to hidden gems, discover The National Archives’ unique and rich collection and explore history as it really happened.
Secrets of The National Archives: Letter from Robert Dudley to Elizabeth I
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- Friday 29 November, 14:00
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Explore the private life of Elizabeth I with bestselling author, historian and broadcaster, Tracy Borman.
Tracy Borman will talk about one of her favourite documents in The National Archives’ collection to reveal the private life of Elizabeth I. Letters and accounts by the queen’s closest favourites and attendants will be interwoven with rarely seen images of her private chambers, clothing and possessions. Those who served the queen in private saw the clandestine meetings with her beloved Robert Dudley, they watched as she practised her dance steps so that she could perform flawlessly in front of the court, and, towards the end of her reign they saw the ‘crooked carcass’ beneath her carefully applied makeup, gowns and accessories.
Secrets of The National Archives showcases some of the most notable documents and stories from the collection. From iconic documents such as Domesday, to hidden gems, discover The National Archives’ unique and rich collection and explore history as it really happened.
The British High Street at Christmas
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- Wednesday 4 December, 19:30
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Start the festive season with a celebration of the British high street with historian Annie Gray.
Expect a lot of food – from butchers bedecked with turkeys to seasonal street foods we might want to bring back, and discover how the high street developed as a hub for socialising and shopping, and how Christmas came to be both happy and heinous for shoppers and shop assistants alike. Oh – and don’t forget the elephants!
Whether you love the atmosphere of a bustling shopping street, lit up with lights and enlivened by carollers, or prefer to shop at supermarkets or online, you’ll come away with a new appreciation of high street history.
Missed an event or can’t watch a talk live?
Talks are available to watch for 48 hours after the event. You will be sent a link to the recording after the event is over.