…We think that this observation of an open air election meeting at Burton’s Works on Wednesday 26 January matches these photographs taken by Humphrey Spender. The observation was written by Walter Hood who worked for the Labour party during the election. He mentions Spender (HS) arriving at the meeting….
…The Worktown Archive is a unique historical document of everyday life in Bolton and the first Mass Observation study to take place in Britain. View Worktown photographs by Humphrey Spender View a selection of Mass Observation archive material Map showing location of Worktown photographs The Bolton Worktown blog Background of Mass Observation’s founders…
Unitarian Church on Halliwell Road. The church is still in use today (2012)
…s pockets to make sure that small change was handy, pressed down the latch of the door. To his surprise it would not open. For all his need and effort, and for all the sight of food through the glass pane who could not get in. He tried another, marked Café, with dishes of biscuits and fruit temptingly visible. That too was locked. He called “Open! Hello!” thinking it possible that all the shops were kept closed for fear of theft. He was answered b…
Earlier in the year we decided that looking for each of the locations in the 930 Spender photographs would be far too time consuming for just the two of us, especially as neither of us know Bolton that well, being a Mancunian and a Wiganer. So we decided it would be good to ask you lot, the members of the public, and so the mini project ‘Worktown: Lost Locations’ was born. Our own searches had revealed that a number of the locations were differen…
…A guided tour round some of the Bolton pubs featured in Mass Observation’s Worktown study and the book ‘The Pub and the People’. The tour is free but places are limited- please book by emailing worktownobservation@gmail.com. The Worktown Observation Centre will be observing Bolton 26 July to 2 August. www.worktownobservation.co.uk…
…graphs will focus on spectators who observe the sports and spectacles within the Bolton area. Richard is looking for volunteers who live in the Borough of Bolton to work with him on the next part of the project. To find out more please contact Richard on 07977230172 or visit www.HumphreySpenderScholarship.com….
Tom Harrisson, leader of the Worktown study was an early advocate of the Jack Kerouac school of writing. Other Mass Observers describe his manic, mammoth writing bouts, from which he would emerge dazed, and sometimes quite smelly. Observer Walter Hood describes him typing away with a George Formby 78 playing over and over again on his gramophone. So you can picture the scene here’s Lancashire legend, George Formby’s “Hindoo Man” which sort expre…
…is Is Your Photo exhibition taking place at the Photographers’ Gallery in London. It has been curated by Russell Roberts, Reader of Photography at The University Of South Wales. “The Mass Observation Archive marks a fascinating historical project but still remains an important living resource. Its photographic contents offer ways to consider the development of new forms of realism in Britain to study everyday life in parallel with its extensive wr…
…0th Century Britain”. Keynote speakers will include Caitriona Beaumont of London South Bank University, author of “Housewives and Citizens: Domesticity and the Women’s Movement in England, 1928-1954” and Jeremy Burchardt of University of Reading, Chair of the Interwar Research Group. Paper Proposals There is an open stream on any aspect of leisure in 20th Century Britain. Proposals can be submitted to r.snape@bolton.ac.uk by January 16th 2015. Cos…