By Amy, placement student at Mass Observation In 1947, as Europe was recovering from the Second World War, there was uproar on both sides of the Atlantic. Was this a reaction to a political scandal? Was this caused by the economic fallout of the war? The answer may surprise you. Read on to find out how a post-war fashion controversy capturedContinueContinue reading “What was the big fashion controversy of 1947?”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Artist in residence: My placement with the Mass Observation Archive
By Keira Grant In 2024 I took an elective module during my undergraduate degree with the University of Sussex which hosted a session at The Keep with the Mass Observation Archive. This was my first introduction to archives, and it reignited an interest in history and culture I had not experience since my gruelling A-LevelContinueContinue reading “Artist in residence: My placement with the Mass Observation Archive”
The Autumn 2025 Directive
This is our last directive of the year, so we’d like to take this opportunity to thank our writers for their contributions and support this year. The archive would not be what it is without their input! We are incredibly grateful for the time and energy they give to Mass Observation. We’ve got three fascinating topicsContinueContinue reading “The Autumn 2025 Directive”
Event: Documenting disruption: Everyday life during times of war
MO is thrilled to be part of a collaborative event with Verian Group, ‘Documenting disruption: Everyday life during times of war’. The event will be hosted by Philippa Edward, Global CEO, Verian and will feature talks from Professor Lucy Noakes and Yves Fradier, Director of Survey and Methods (Verian). You can see an outline of theirContinueContinue reading “Event: Documenting disruption: Everyday life during times of war”
Mass Observation Annual Report 2023-2024
You can download the Mass Observation Archive’s report detailing the activities for 2023-2024 from this link.
What Relationship Does Mass Observation Have to Anthropology?
The hyphenated language of the archive Natalie Wood is a PhD candidate at the University of Manchester. Her ethnographic research explores how the entertainment-based tourism industry of Blackpool might shed light on what it means to live, work and holiday in post-industrial- cum- neoliberal Britain. In particular, she asks what it is about British lifeContinueContinue reading “What Relationship Does Mass Observation Have to Anthropology?”
The Mass Observation Critical Series
What do people believe about death and the afterlife? How does the British public imagine the monarchy and its role in British society and governance? How will the Covid-19 pandemic be remembered? What did it mean to people? How did it feel? In this series of publications, the words and writing of Mass Observers are usedContinueContinue reading “The Mass Observation Critical Series”
Researching MO: Royalty and Monarchy
Royalty and monarchy have always been of interest to Mass Observation. Indeed, it was the public debate surrounding King Edward’s relationship with Wallis Simpson that saw the formation of Mass Observation ‘It was the ‘cross-cutting of feeling through age, class, occupation and the silence of the Press till the crisis came, that helped the foundersContinueContinue reading “Researching MO: Royalty and Monarchy”
Researching MO: House and Home
In our new blog series ‘Researching MO’ we’ll be looking at different ways that MO material is used for research. Approaching the collection can sometimes be daunting, and the stories you’re looking for might not always be in the place you expect! This series will serve as a way in to the collection. Each postContinueContinue reading “Researching MO: House and Home”
Celebrating Family Histories with Mass Observation
Last week Mass Observation shared the words of Carl and Bobbie in a moving festive event. Carl Ward was an American Quartermaster who found himself stationed in Dunmow, Essex during WWII. Whilst there he bet Halcyon Elliott (although she was known as Bobbie by friends and family). Mass Observation is lucky enough to be theContinueContinue reading “Celebrating Family Histories with Mass Observation”