the mass observation bulletin autumn 2012

7/31/2019 The Mass Observation Bulletin Autumn 2012

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Autumn 2012 Issue 11

In this issue:

Mass Observation & the

Olympics

A report from the MO 75th

anniversary conference

New publications

Mass Observers blog about the

Diamond Jubilee

Bolton celebrates 75 years ofWorktown

Keep in touch!Visit: www.massobs.org.ukJoin our email list:[email protected] us on Twitter:@MassObsArchive

Welcome to the Autumn Bulletin!2012 has been full of celebrations theDiamond Jubilee, the Olympics and,of course, the 75th anniversary of thefoundation of Mass Observation. Allof these events are reected on in thisedition of the Bulletin.

In the article below, we examinehow the Olympics Games have been

recorded by Mass Observation overits 75 year history. There are someinteresting remarks from MassObservation diarists writing during the1948 London Olympics!

On the concluding page, we reporton a recent partnership with the UKWeb Archive to capture the Diamond

Jubilee. This exciting project allowed usto investigate new ways of recording,archiving and Mass Observing.

Regular readers of the Bulletin will befamiliar with the fact that we havebeen celebrating 75 years of MassObservation and 30 years of the MassObservation Project this year. Activitiesrelating to these anniversaries arereported on in the Bulletin. On page 2

you can read some reections on ourrecent conference, and on page 3 youcan nd out more information abouta new exhibition at Bolton Museum,home of Mass Observations Worktownstudy.

Jessica Scantlebury, Bulletin editor

Observing theOlympicsNews of Olympics and Paralympicswas almost unavoidable, as Londonhosted the Games for the third timethis summer. But what about the1948 London Games? Can the MassObservation Archive tell us whetherthese Games made such an impact?

During its early years, Mass Observationrecorded observations about sportingevents as varied as football, wrestlingand pigeon racing. However, as mostlarge scale sporting events werecancelled during the war, the rstphase of the Mass Observation Archiveis largely free of references to the 1948London Olympics.

Curiously, it appears that MO did notcover the 1948 Games. In the monthsbefore the Games, the National WritingPanel were directed to write aboutthe manners, morals and customsof the younger generation. Thereis no Directive for July or August1948. This could be because MassObservation omitted a Directive; aswas becoming increasingly commonas the organisation moved towardsmore commercial activities: or thiscould simply be a consequence ofthe Directive question and responsesnot surviving in the Mass Observationofces.

There are however a few indicationsabout how British people experienced

the 1948 London Olympics in thediaries. A man from Hertfordshirewrites:

Did a little shopping in the morningand in the afternoon took the childrento the Franklins to see some Olympic

sports on the television. We saw someswimming, running relays, high-jump,and nearly some water-polo, which Iregret missing. Then we went to the

station to meet Win, Gillians mother,and home to tea. (Diarist 5216)

Whilst a woman from Morecambewrites:

The closing day of the Olympic Games.From a purely personal point of view,Im glad, as Ive been bored [of] havingto listen to the constant radio reports.But I should like to have seen theclosing ceremony. (Diarist 5338)

It is not perhaps surprising that

the diaries of people who have justwitnessed a war, only modestlyacknowledge the so called austerityOlympics. These diaries also representan era before 24 hour television, theinternet or Twitter.

Article continues on page 3


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Mass ObservationAnniversaries Conference4-6 July 2012 by Kirsty Pattrick

The anniversary conferencesurpassed all of our

expectations in being a trulyinterdisciplinary forum forlearning, discussion anddebate on Mass Observation.On the morning of 4th July,there was an air of excitement

as Fiona Courage, Curator of the MassObservation Archive welcomed plenary speakersand delegates from far and wide, includingAmerica, Australia and China.

People were presented with a rich conferenceprogramme to wet their appetite within their areas of

academic research and personal interest. Over threedays, people were given the opportunity to heara wide spectrum of papers from the early days ofMass Observation through to debate on its role andpurpose in the 21st century.

Professor James Hinton and Professor DorothySheridan set the scene with their plenary papers onthe rst phase of the Mass Observation organisationand its journey over 75 years.

Delegates went on to enjoy panel sessions on the

founders of Mass Observation, its work betweentwo World Wars and its exploration of theeveryday and family lives.

On the second day we delved into the work ofMass Observation during the 1937 Coronationand the Worktown project. We heard aboutthe National Panel and diary writing and weretreated to a round table discussion with current MassObservers.

On the nal day, we heard about current MassObservation related projects, its visual aspect withphotography and questions of methodology in theuse and interpretation of its material.

In our closing session Fiona Courage gave thanks tothe original observers, the panel, the investigators,the people who had vision to create this organisationand the current Mass Observers who keep it goingbecause of course it would not be the fond thing we

are all so much in love with!

Friendly, intimate,engrossing,

inter-disciplinary. Icant wait to get backinto the Archive, Ive

been really inspired.

- Conference delegate

I enjoyed Talking toother researchers and

sharing our interests,enthusiasms andfrustrations.- Conference delegate

Radio Reunited

The Mass Observation Archive ispleased to announce that it is involvedin a project to mark 90 years since therst BBC radio broadcast.

The BBC is inviting listeners to text,tweet or email in to their favouriteBBC radio station a hope, a fear,an observation, question or pieceof advice addressing people whomay be listening to the radio in

another 90 years time. The resultingmessages will be archived at the MassObservation Archive for posterity.

One message from each of the 60 orso participating BBC radio stationswill be sent to Blur frontman, DamonAlbarn, who will use them to curatea three-minute piece, called RadioReunited. This piece will be broadcastacross the BBCs radio stations on 14November at 5.33pm GMT, exactly 90

years after the rst BBC transmissionin 1922.

Find out more about the project onthe BBCs website: www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2012/radio-reunited.html

New Trustee for the Archive

The Trustees of the Mass ObservationArchive have invited Simon Gareldto join the Trustee board. Simon isa journalist and author of fourteenbooks of non-ction, includingthree edited volumes of diaries fromthe Mass Observation Archive: OurHidden Lives, We Are At War andPrivate Battles. He is currently at workon a fourth volume. His website is:www.simongarfeld.com

Me and My Hair:A Social History

Me and My Hair:A Social Historyby PatriciaMalcolmson willbe published byChaplin Books

on the 22ndOctober 2012.

The bookusesresponses to the2001 Mass ObservationProject Directive on hair andhairdressing.

Education & OutreachSuzanne Rose has joined the Mass Observation Archive as the Educationand Outreach Ofcer. This new post, funded by the MOA Trust, has beencreated to develop the Archives education and outreach programme over atwo year period. News about this post and opportunities relating to it willbe reported on in future editions of the Bulletin.


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Observing the Olympics continue...

Other mentions of the Olympicsare interspersed throughout theArchive; a Directive in 1949 reectson the increasing prestige of sportand a diary written in 1972 coversthe Munich Olympics. However, itisnt until 2008 that the Olympics aretruly acknowledged, in the form of a

Directive about the Games in China.

211 responses to this Directive werereceived and researchers using theresponses will discover a diversereaction to the Olympics and to theGames in general. Many writersreect on their personal enjoyment ofthe Olympics:

Well, I must admit to being one ofthe least sporty people on the planet,but I really enjoyed my ten minutes of

Olympics each morning over a bowl ofcereal. I have been going to the gymand trying to be t for a good ve

years now, but I really I dont havea sporting bone in my body. It is sovery dull. But the Olympics is a timefor amateurs who have put everythingthey have into their sport to shine ona world stage, and everybody enjoysthe personal stories of how they gotthere. (W3967)

Whilst others offer comment on thepolitical situation in China:

I am pleased that protestorspoliticised the games; it was satisfyingto see the Chinese authoritieschallenged over their treatment ofTibet, not once but many times inthe progress of the ame around theworld. (V3767)

The majority of the responses alsocontemplate the impending LondonOlympics:

One hopes that our Games in 2012will be as well organised...Theemphasis must be on the sport andnot the displays although one ortwo striking pieces of architecture with a long practical life would bewelcome. (G4313).

This year, the Mass ObservationArchive have asked the currentPanel to record their thoughts and

experiences of the London OlympicGames. Whilst we cant make up foropportunities lost in the past, wecan hope that future responses willprovide a colourful and illuminatinginsight into the London Olympics foryears to come.

Visiting SpenderBetween 1937 and 1938 HumphreySpender took over 900 pictures forMass Observation. In this article theCurator of the Mass ObservationArchive, Fiona Courage, recalls arecent visit to Humphrey Spenders

studio and looks forward to a newexhibition at Bolton Museum.

One sunny day in July DorothySheridan and I had the happyopportunity to visit the studio ofthe late Humphrey Spender, thephotographer who captured so manyimages of Bolton and Blackpool lifein the late 1930s as part of MassObservations original WorktownProject.

Spenders wife Rachel still lives

and works in the house and studiodesigned by architect RichardRogers and we were able to spendtime looking through some of thewonderful original prints from theWorktown project alongside otherexamples from Spenders proliccareer. Nestled amongst the printsin the studio was the camera thatSpender used to take so many ofthose iconic Worktown views.

This camera is now on displayat Bolton Museum as part of anexhibition to mark 75 years since the

begining of the Worktown Project.This exhibition also features selections

Fiona and Rachel Spender in the studio

of photographs taken by Spenderand artworks made by the artist andpoet Julian Trevelyan. Trevelyan wasbased in Bolton for a short period;inspired by Surrealism, he usedcollage to record street scenes and

cityscapes. In his auto-biography,Trevelyan recollects walking aroundBolton carrying a large suitcase full ofnewspapers, old bills and other scrapsof paper, together with scissors andpots of glue and ink. Remarkably thecollage suit-case has survived theyears and is also on loan to BoltonMuseum as part of the exhibition.

Visitors to the museum will also seedocuments collected and producedby Mass Observers working in Bolton.These documents have been loanedby the Mass Observation Archivewho own and care for the Worktowncollection. Items on display include:observations about pubs in Bolton;material relating to a local electionand a report on an All-in-Wrestlingmatch by the playwright, BillNaughton.

The exhibition opened on the 22ndSeptember and runs until the 2nd

December. Admission is free. Formore information visit: www.boltonmuseums.org.uk.

Humphrey Spenders camera

A selection of material from the MOA is onloan to Bolton Museum

The Keep is coming...It is hoped that we will move intothe new building over Summer2013 with a view to opening lateAutumn 2013. This means we

are unable to guarantee accessto the Mass Observation Archiveafter the end of May 2013 andmay consider only issuing twoDirectives in 2013.


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The Mass Observation Archive specialises in material about everyday life in Britain. It contains papers generated by the original Mass Observationsocial research organisation (1937 to early 1960s), and newer material collected continuously since 1981. The Archive is in the care of the University

of Sussex and is housed in the Library in the Special Collections department. The Mass Observation Archive is a registered charitable trust (no 270218)and is recognised by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council as having outstanding national and international importanceunder the Designation Scheme.

The MO Bulletin is produced and edited by Jessica Scantlebury. It is distributed to Mass Observers and members of the Friends ofthe Archive scheme. Why not join our Friends scheme - not only will you be kept up to date with the latest MO related news, butyou will also help to support Mass Observations activities.See our website for further details: www.massobs.org.uk or email [email protected]

The Diaries of Nella Last

Prole Books have just published acollected edition of Nella Lasts MassObservation diaries. The Diaries ofNella Last: Writing in War and Peace,brings together material alreadypublished inthree volumesand substantial

amount of neverbefore publishedmaterial from thewar years.

Nellas post-wardiary, publishedas Nella Lastin the 1950s:Further diaries of Housewife, 49by Prole Books, has been shortlistedfor the prestigious, biannual Portico

Prize for literature in the non-ctioncategory. The winner of the award willbe announced on 22 November.

PandmoniumPandmonium was the biggestsingle inspiration for the OlympicsOpening Ceremony the book isthe equivalent of Pepys giving you a

guided tour of the birth of electricityand the mechanical age its

brilliant, exciting and essential.- Danny Boyle

Icon books have republishedPandmonium: Coming of theMachine as Seen by ContemporaryObservers by Humphrey Jennings.Jennings, who worked with MassObservation during its founding years, is most famous as a documentarylm maker for the both for the GPO Film Unit and for independentproduction companies. Pandmonium, which was rst published in 1985,is a extraordinary history of how human imagination experienced the

Industrial Revolution. For more information and to purchase this edition ofPandmonium, visit: www.iconbooks.net/pandaemonium

Mass Observation: The Diamond Jubilee BlogThe Queen celebrated 60 years as Monarch in 2012.To mark the occassion, the Mass Observation Archive asked thecurrent members of the Mass Observation Panel to collect observations and diaries to record the Jubilee bank holidayweekend in June onto an online blog. The blog, which will be archived as part of the UK Web Archive, is can be viewedat: http://mass-observation.blogspot.co.uk.

The Jubilee couldnt have been further from my mind as I awoke on Saturday morningwith a slightly sore head from the amount of champagne consumed the night before.Nothing to do with the Jubilee at all but we had travelled to Edinburgh for a friends henweekend and enjoyed a night on the town. (M4499, female, Aberdeenshire)

We made our way towards the Thames which was already thronged with huge crowds.After a little while we found a spot next to a restaurant boat and from here we could geta glimpse of the river... Our son took some great pictures and he is convinced that theQueen waved to him. Maybe she did! (S4507, male, Newport, South Wales)

Later I watched the England match on television, every few minutes the crowd wouldstart singing the national anthem, carried away with the Jubilee spirit I suppose. Theycertainly cant have been celebrating the thrilling football being played, Hodgeson can

grind out the results for sure but his teams seldom deliver much excitement. (C3167,male, Stoke-on-Trent)

In the town many of the shops had made an effort with bunting and ags. The council as such, dont seem to havedone anything but the streets look quite cheerful for a change. We have so many empty shops. I think the best shopwindow was the Oxfam shop where they had used their stock imaginatively. They had a royal blue sleeping bag foldedinto a rectangle and turned it into a union jack with the stripes and diagonals made from red and white belts and twored ties. (P1009, female, Evesham)

Photograph taken by J4793

the mass observation bulletin autumn 2012

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