This course will take place online.
We’ll use a range of digitised materials from the special collections at Bishopsgate Institute to reimagine everyday life in the city on a Friday, a Saturday, and a Sunday. Our themes include street markets, church going, commuter cultures, high street shops, big nights out, and office life.
Who is this course for?
- Anyone curious to discover richly detailed information about London’s social history
- Informal learners seeking an engaging and fun introduction to everyday lives in the modern city
- Creatives, historians, and writers looking for fresh ideas and inspiration for projects
- Archive geeks who take delight in viewing and learning from original historical materials, such as pamphlets, guidebooks, photographs, and illustrations.
What can I expect?
- The subject is examined through photographs, pamphlets, press cuttings, memoir, and more from Bishopsgate Institute’s special collections.
- The tutor interprets the materials in a series of informative PowerPoint talks, organised thematically
- The talks are richly illustrated with digitised historical sources, many of them rare and some unique to the Institute
- There are opportunities for student participation through informal small group discussion, and via the chat function and questions
- Short homework activities and suggested ideas for further reading allow students to extend their learning between sessions, should they wish to do so.
Joining via Zoom
This course or event will be held via Zoom. You need a computer/laptop or mobile phone to access the Zoom website, and a reliable internet connection. For further information on how to join a Zoom meeting, you can watch the joining video here.
You will need a computer or other device to connect with Zoom and a notebook/paper and pen/pencil, or digital equivalent.
Bursary places
We provide a number of funded bursaries to people who find it hard to pay the full or concessionary rates. Find out more information on how to apply.
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You will learn
- Richly-detailed information describing the minutiae of daily life in London from published and unpublished sources produced during the period under scrutiny
- Insight into the everyday experiences of men and women from different classes and backgrounds from the 1880s to the 1970s
- The contrasts between ‘then’ and ‘now’ in London’s social history, especially how attitudes to the sabbath have changed over time
- The joys and challenges of discovering the past using original historical materials.
Meet the Tutor
Dr Michelle Johansen
Dr Michelle Johansen is a social historian specialising in the history of modern London, with a particular emphasis on social class and mobility, gender, professional lives, and regional identities. Her publications include articles in Teaching History, the London Journal, and Cultural and Social History. Michelle has more than ten years' experience of delivering learning sessions at Bishopsgate Institute for all types of learners, from primary school pupils to undergraduates to informal adult learners. Her teaching approach places the emphasis on access to original historical documents, which provides a uniquely dynamic and immersive classroom experience.
Course Overview
Week 1
Friday – we look at the end of the working week, including commuter life and staff social events
Week 2
Saturday – we explore city life on a Saturday, from West End shops to big nights out
Week 3
Sunday – we discover the changing character of the sabbath in the city, including habits of church going and debates around Sunday opening
