Tag Archives: social history.

Some Assembly Required

Every so often you come across a story so extraordinary that you can barely believe it really happened.  Such is the saga of the ss Baikal, which I stumbled upon whilst innocently cataloguing a box of old photographs… By 1895… Read more

Crime and punishment in North Shields

Back in November 2010 Tyne & Wear Archives was given a photograph album  of prisoners brought before the North Shields Police Court between 1902 and 1916 (TWAM ref. DX1388/1). The album contains over a thousand mugshots of prisoners and several… Read more

Reinventing the Wheel

I was having a bit rummage and found this marvellous sepia photograph dated 1880:- At first sight, it appears to show a dastardly Victorian villain attempting to flee the scene of some dark deed aboard a horseless, minion-powered vehicle with feet… Read more

First World War – Viscount Grey and the Natural History Society of Northumbria

Elizabeth Garnett  – a Volunteer in the Great North Museum: Hancock Library has been investigating the fascinating link between the Natural History Society of Northumbria and a key figure in the First World War, Viscount Grey. “The lamps are going… Read more

Arcs & Sparks: Discovery Museum’s Electrical History Store

In Discovery Museum’s basement, beneath the feet of our unsuspecting visitors, there are store rooms full of even more science and technology artefacts awaiting their time in the spotlight.  My colleague Toni previously blogged about some of her experiences working to sort… Read more