The Mass Observation Archive Annual Report 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2020 Report Number 40 www.massobs.org.uk [email protected]
Trustees of the Mass Observation Archive
John Brewer Simon Garfield Jane Harvell Kitty Inglis Michelle Johansen Claire Langhamer Jeremy MacClancy Lucy Noakes
Public Benefit Statement
The Archive is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (registered charity number: 1179673) in the care of the University of Sussex as part of the University’s Special Collections. The Archive seeks to benefit the wider community by providing the public with the opportunity to gain knowledge of everyday life in 20th and 21st Century Britain through access to the original Mass Observation social research organisation (1937 to early 1950s), and newer material collected continuously since 1981.
The Archive proactively engages in educational outreach with schools, Further and Higher Education institutions and the local and national community. This outreach provides the opportunity for intergenerational and interregional learning.
The Archive also provides the opportunity for people all over the UK to participate in the recording of their everyday lives, either through participation in the national Mass Observation Project and other related projects and partnerships or through the donation of their personal papers and diaries to a publicly accessible archive.
2
Contents
1. Introduction to this report ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2. Access ...... 4 3. Academic Teaching ...... 4 4. Projects and partnerships ...... 5 5. NVCO ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. 6. Adam Matthew Digital ...... 6 7. Education and outreach ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. 8. 12th May ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. 9. Events ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. 10. Trustee changes ...... 7 11. Staff changes ...... 7 12. Volunteers ...... 7 13. The Mass Observation Project ...... 8 14. Friends of the Mass Observation Archive ...... 8 15. Collections ...... 8 16. Publications ...... 9 17. External conferences, talks and exhibitions ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix 1 ...... 13
3
1. Access
Research visits 226 individuals visited the Mass Observation Archive and made 430 orders for material (see fig.1 and fig.2). The number of physical visits made to the Archive decreased during this year as The Keep, where the Archive is based, was closed to researchers in March 2020 following the government guidelines relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Keep reopened on 28th July 2020.
Group visits This year, the Mass Observation Archive hosted 42 group visits at The Keep (Appendix fig.3). These visits were attended by 456 people. A list of groups who visited during 2019-2020 is available in Appendix fig.4. The Mass Observation team delivered online teaching sessions to groups following The Keep’s closure in March 2020.
Online Access
Mass Observation Online Researchers continue to be able to access parts of the Archive through the Adam Matthew product, Mass Observation Online. The publishers have reported that during the year, the resource was accessed 18,790 times (Appendix fig. 5). The new Mass Observation Project resource (see section 4) was accessed 10,672 times. 22 of these visits came from members of the University of Sussex. The Mass Observation team are developing plans to launch the resource to academics at the University of Sussex.
2. Academic Teaching
Between October 2019 and March 2020 physical teaching sessions were delivered to Undergraduate and Postgraduate students from both the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton across a range of disciplines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mass Observation team delivered online teaching sessions to groups including MSc Social Research Methods modules in June 2020 for the ESRC Doctoral School and Queer in Brighton community group.
Susanne Rose and Kirsty Pattrick gave a talk to staff and students and State Archivist at Keene State College, New Hampshire on 27 April 2020. This talk was even to support their Mass Observation inspired project to record experiences of COVID-19 at their college.
4
3. Projects and partnerships
100 Voices that Made the BBC: The Birth of TV
The Mass Observation Archive supported David Hendy and Alban Webb (University of Sussex) on the AHRC funded project on the history of the BBC. Fiona Courage advised the project on how Mass Observation recorded the BBC throughout the Second World War.
As part of the project, the Mass Observation Archive participated in an event at The Keep to explore how the Second World War was broadcast by the BBC. Participates at the event were given the chance to hear rare recordings from the BBC’s vaults, including recording relating to the Blitz and D-Day. War correspondent Allan Little gave a talk at the event.
JSTOR’s Open Community Collections
Karen Watson (University of Sussex Archivist) oversaw the publishing of the Mass Observation Archive’s Observing the 1980s collection onto JSTOR’s Open Community Collections. This is an initiative resource aimed at unlocking the potential of special collections archival collections by making them freely available on the platform for all to use. Observing the 1980s was a JISC funded project which digitised selected material from the Mass Observation Project to create an online teaching resource.
To view the JSTOR collection visit www.massobs.org.uk/about/news/216-observing- the-1980s-now-on-jstor.
Lasting Diaries
Mass Observation supported the The Lasting Diaries project run by BBC Radio Cumbria, Up for Arts Cumbria and Barrow Library in 2019. The project was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Inspired by the Mass Observation diarist, and Cumbrian resistant, of Nella Last, the project collected diaries by people from Cumbria. Themes covered included Brexit, austerity, climate change, technology and the high street. Extracts were voiced by actors and broadcast on BBC Radio Cumbria. The diaries written for this project have been deposited with the Archive.
Learning to Live with Risk and Responsibility: Understanding Popular Responses to COVID-19
Mass Observation staff supported Dr Nick Clarke’s (Associate Professor of Human Geography) successful application to British Academy COVID-19 small grants scheme. The project will use material collected by Mass Observation during the COVID-19 pandemic to investigates how citizens have responded to the pandemic. The research aims to develop a better understanding of how people interpreted
5
demands to act responsibly and translated them into practices of everyday life. The project will include a workshop in 2021 to disseminate the research findings.
Richard Slee: Mantelpiece Observations
Bolton Museum is leading a two-year Arts Council National Lottery funded project in partnership with the Mass Observation Archive and the Museum of the Home (formerly known as Geffrye Museum). The project has enabled the creation of a new body of work by artist Richard Slee based on Mass Observation’s 1937 Mantlepiece reports. The exhibition opened at Bolton Museum in September 2020 and will tour to Hove Museum in 2021. In November 2020, the Mass Observation team worked with Bolton Museum to produce a series of online public engagement events, including an online conversation with Rachel Hurdley (University of Cardiff), and Claire Langhamer (Mass Observation Archive Trustee and University of Sussex)
Unlocking Our Sound Heritage (UOSH)
Unlocking Our Sound Heritage (UOSH) is a three year British Library project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project aims to transform our access to sound collections across the UK, digitising recordings and make them available online or onsite in archives.
Recordings from the Mass Observation Archive Australia Migration Project (SxMOA25) have been digitised as part of the project.
4. Adam Matthew Digital
The Mass Observation Project Online was published in summer 2020 by Adam Matthew Digital. This resource contains responses to Mass Observation Project Directives from 1981 to 1990. The Archive worked with Adam Matthew Digital to obtain permission from the writers who contributed between 1981 to 1990 or show reasonable due diligence in contacting these writers. As well as the Directive responses, the resource contains essays introducing and contextualising the Mass Observation Project and video interviews with academics exploring the collection.
Professor Claire Langhamer, Dr Jill Kirby and Dorothy Sheridan spoke at an online even to launch Mass Observation Project Online in June 2020. This event was organised by Adam Matthew Digital with support from the Mass Observation Archive.
12th May Diary Project
The Mass Observation Archive repeated its call for day diaries written on the 12th May. This years diary day was during COVID-19 lockdown and was the focus of many media reports (see section 12) and widely circulated on social media. Over 5,000
6
electronic diaries were submitted to the Archive from individuals, compared to 181 the previous year. 500 of these diaries are research-ready. A new fixed-term post is being created to support the cataloguing of the additional diaries.
As in previous years, participants were asked to send in their diaries electronically and asked to share the copyright of their diary with the Archive. No other instructions were given to the diarists.
5. Trustee changes
Dorothy Sheridan retired as a Trustee in February 2020 following 9 years on the board. Sheridan has worked with the Mass Observation Archive since the 1970s working as an archivist and launching the Mass Observation Project, with Professor David Pocock, in 1981. In 1990 she became the Directive of the Mass Observation Archive until her retirement in 2011. In recognition of her achievements, Sheridan has been offered an honorary Doctorship from the University of Sussex.
John Brewer and Lucy Noakes joined the MOA Board of Trustees during the reporting period.
John Brewer graduated from Oxford University in 1987 with a BA in Modern History. He worked in financial markets, as a trader and investor, for nearly thirty years and is now retired and living in Brighton. Professor Lucy Noakes is a social and cultural historian at the University of Essex with specific interests in war, memory, gender and national identity.
6. Staff changes
Ella Beales assessed with the digitisation of the Mass Observation Project (Section 6). These posts were funded externally by Adam Matthews Digital.
7. Volunteers
Ella Beales, Monica Birchill, and Olivia Simpson assisted with the care of the Mass Observation collections between October 2019 and March 2020. These placements came to an end in March 2020 following Government guidance relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tom Bench (Curating Collections and Heritage MA) and Oliver Conaboy (Creative Writing MA) completed placements with staff working at the Mass Observation Archive as part of their postgraduate studies at the University of Brighton. Both Tom and Oliver worked on the Archive’s 12th May collection.
7
8. The Mass Observation Project
During this reporting period, the Mass Observation Project Panel increased from 483 to 755. The reason for this increase is related to publicity about the Mass Observation Archive during the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020 we stopped accepting new applications to join the Mass Observation Project.
Of the current writers, 74% are women (71% in 2018-2019), 25% are men (28% in 2018-2019) and 1 % identify as transgender or gender fluid.
A breakdown of the response to each Directive can be seen in figure 6 in the appendix.
Four of the Directives issued this year were themes suggested by academic researchers. These commissioned Directives raised £8,000 (see figure. 6 in the appendix).
9. Friends of the Mass Observation Archive
Income from the Friends of the Mass Observation Archive decreased by £124 this year, totalling £480. The number of Friends decreased by 3 to 42 (see fig. 7 in the appendix).
10. Collections
12thMay day diaries (hybrid collection) A collection of day diaries from across the UK from people of all ages including school children.
Age UK diaries (electronic collection) 1050 diaries collected by Age UK from various U3A groups across the country during in lockdown.
COVID-19 diaries written by Non-Mass Observers (electronic collection) Collection of diaries, drawings and poems created between February 2020 and September 202
The Lasting Diaries (electronic collection) Diaries and related material created as part of the The Lasting Diaries a project run by BBC Radio Cumbria.
Letters to our legacy (electronic collection) Letters to our Legacy was a project developed by Natalie Page Fairbank and Sarah Khan. They wanted to find a way to capture life in 2020 to be shared with future generations. Themes covered in these letters: motherhood; being a woman; COVID-
8
19; everydaylife; the future. The majority of the letters are from the UK, although some of the letters are from the US and there is one from Nigeria.
The Mass Observation Archive is currently reviewing its collection policy. The new policy will be published in the 2020-21 year.
11. Publications
Brown, Beck. Blitz Spirit, Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, 2020.
Casey, Emma. “Gambling, Status Anxiety and Inter-Generational Social Mobility: Findings from the Mass Observation Archive.” Sociology (Oxford), vol. 54, no. 2, 2019, pp. 003803851987498–396., doi:10.1177/0038038519874981.
Child, Phil. “Blacktown, Mass-Observation, and the Dynamics of Voluntary Action in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” The Historical Journal, vol. 63, no. 3, 2019, pp. 1– 23., doi:10.1017/s0018246x19000268.
Edwards, Sian. “‘A Richness That Is Lacking Now’: Country Childhoods, Nostalgia and Rural Change in the Mass Observation Project.” History (London), vol. 104, no. 363, 2019, pp. 941–963., doi:10.1111/1468-229X.12921.
Eost-Telling, Charlotte L, et al. “The Methodological Relevance of Mass Observation Data.” Innovation in Aging, vol. 3, no. Supplement_1, 2019, pp. S757–S757., doi:10.1093/geroni/igz038.2778.
Grant, Colin. Homecoming: Voices of the Windrush generation, Pengiun, 2019
Kingston, Paul. “The Application of Mass Observation Data in Social Research.” Innovation in Aging, vol. 3, no. Supplement_1, 2019, pp. S756–S757., doi:10.1093/geroni/igz038.2777.
Malcomson, Patricia and Malcomson, Robert. The Bedford Diary of Leah Aynsley, 1943-1946, Bedfordshire Hist Rec Soc, 2020
Olsen, Veronica, et al. “Exploring Public Perceptions and Understanding of Dementia: Analysing Narratives from the Mass Observation Project.” Dementia (London, England), 2019, pp. 147130121986146–1471301219861468., doi:10.1177/1471301219861468.
Walter, Tony, and Tara Bailey. “How Funerals Accomplish Family: Findings From a Mass-Observation Study.” Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, vol. 82, no. 2, 2020, pp. 175–195., doi:10.1177/0030222818804646.
9
12. Events, talks and conferences
Claire Lanhamer ‘IHR 'Historical Research' Lecture (2020)- Writing histories of 2020: responses and perspectives’ 29th July 2020. Lucy Noakes ‘Why the Blitz Spirit is the wrong metaphor for fighting COVID-19’ 10th June 2020
13. Media attention
Print ‘Homecoming by Colin Grant, review: a formidable challenge to those still nostalgic for a lost empire’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/non-fiction/homecoming- colin-grant-review-formidable-challenge-still-nostalgic/ 12th October 2019
‘Sex: an investigation - what is really going on between the sheets in Britain's homes?’ INews https://inews.co.uk/opinion/comment/sex-an-investigation-what-is- really-going-on-between-the-sheets-in-britains-homes-815408 23th October 2019
‘The Guardian view on Steve McQueen’s Year 3 project: a portrait of hope’ 13th November 2019
‘Hundreds of Britons Volunteered for a Diary-Keeping Project in 1937. They Left an Invaluable Record of World War II’ https://time.com/5764204/wwii-home-front- britain/, 17/1/2020
‘Human Screenome Project wants you to share everything you do on your smartphone’ https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/human-screenome-project/ 02/02/2020
‘When Londoners Risked Their Lives To Watch Football During Air Raids’ The Londonist, 21/02/2020
‘Erik Larson's Latest Book Focuses On Winston Churchill During The Blitz’ https://www.peoriapublicradio.org/post/erik-larsons-latest-book-focuses-winston- churchill-during-blitz#stream/0 2/03/2020
‘Vicky Randall Obituary’ https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/mar/12/vicky-randall-obituary, 13/03/2020
‘Mass Observation Project on COVID-19 Experience Borrows Concept from WWII Effort’ https://greenwichfreepress.com/health/mass-observation-project-on-covid- 19-experience-borrows-concept-from-wwii-effort-137776/ , 08/04/2020
10
‘‘The more mundane, the better’: Mass observation during the coronavirus’ https://retriever.umbc.edu/2020/04/the-more-mundane-the-better-mass- observation-during-the-coronavirus/, 08/04/2020
‘Create a visual record of the COVID-19 crisis with Mass Isolation Australia project’ https://www.capturemag.com.au/news/create-a-visual-record-of-the-covid-19- crisis-with-mass-isolation-australia-project 08/04/2020
‘Isolated and want to capture the moment? This photographic project gives Ballarat people the chance to record their coronavirus experience’ https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/6706418/mass-isolation-the-inspiration-for- photographic-art/ 08/04/2020
‘https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/18360407.rspb-birdwatch-survey- common-bird-lancashire-gardens-revealed/’ 08/04/2020
‘Coronavirus: WW2-style study of everyday lives launched’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-52229919 14/04/2020
‘Coronavirus: Pandemic diaries study led by Swansea University’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-52273526/coronavirus-pandemic-diaries- study-led-by-swansea-university, 30/04/2020
‘Five things you need to know today, and the power of the notebook’ https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/04/24/five-things-you-need-to- know-today-and-the-power.html, 24/04/2020
‘Why We Should All Be Keeping Coronavirus Journals’ TIME https://time.com/5824341/wwii-diaries-coronavirus, 24/04/2020
‘Write it down’ https://www.independent.com/2020/04/28/share-your-quarantine- story/, 30/04/2020.
‘Share Your Quarantine Story: Santa Barbara Historical Museum Asks for Personal Reflections’https://www.independent.com/2020/04/28/share-your-quarantine- story/, 28/04/2020
‘First 'Mass Observation' experiment since World War Two as lockdown diaries project is launched’ https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/heritage-and- retro/heritage/first-mass-observation-experiment-world-war-two-lockdown-diaries- project-launched-2553717, 30/04/2020
‘Historic England launches lockdown photography project’ https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/may/01/historic-england- launches-coronavirus-lockdown-photography-project, accessed 01/05/2020
11
‘May's Photo Festivals’https://phmuseum.com/news/may-photography-festivals- 2020 01/05/2020
‘Yes, Mass Observation Still Wants to Know about Your Life’ https://daily.jstor.org/yes-mass-observation-still-wants-to-know-about-your-life/ 06/05/2020
‘English football during World War II showed how sport can heal and unify during times of crisis’ https://www.espn.com/soccer/english-premier-league/story/4092879/english- football-during-world-war-ii-showed-how-sport-can-heal-and-unify-during-times-of- crisis 12/05/2020
‘Mass Isolation Australia: This New Photography Project Is Documenting Life in Lockdown’ https://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/art-and- design/article/mass-isolation-australia-new-photography-project-documenting-life- lockdown-and-it-wants-your-photos 12/05/2020
‘What's in your lockdown diary today’ https://www.brunel.ac.uk/news-and- events/news/articles/What%27s-in-your-lockdown-diary-today 13/05/2020
‘Paul Workman: Locked down in London, Day 50’ https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/paul-workman-locked-down-in-london- day-50-1.4936179 13/05/2020
‘Furlough, babes? It's a strip of mink on a maxi dress!’ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8333623/As-asked-write-lockdown- memoirs-JAN-MOIR-imagines-celebrities-write.html, 19/05/2020
‘COVID Diaries’ https://cnynews.com/suny-oneonta-creates-covid-19-diary-project, 21/05/2020
‘Malton Museum appeal for your coronavirus pandemic stories’ https://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/news/18694806.malton-museum-appeal- coronavirus-pandemic-stories/ 11/09/2020
‘We need to talk about fashion’s waste problem’ https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/26-09-2020/we-need-to-talk-about-fashions-waste- problem/ 26/09/2020
Radio
Jessica Scantlebury appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Hidden History of the Mantelpiece with Rachel Hurdley.
12
Simon Garfield was interviewed by the BBC World Service and local radio stations about Mass Observation’s 12th May appeal.
Appendix 1 Fig. 1 Number of visits made by individual researchers 2016-2020
% of all visits to Special Year To MOA % of all visits to The Keep Collections
2019-2020 226 49 9
2018-2019 317 51 10
2017-2018 287 43 10
2016-2017 315 51 11
Fig. 2 Number of documents issued from the MOA to researchers at The Keep 2016- 2020 Year Number of documents 2019-2020 430 2018-2019 882 2017-2018 1009 2016-2017 811
Fig. 3 Group visits 2015-2020 Year To MOA Attendance 2019-2020 42 456 2018-2019 83 1834 2017-2018 110 1505 2016-2017 98 1601
Fig. 4 Group visits made to the MOA in 2017 – 2018 Number Date Name of group / institution/organisation in group 08/10/2019 Art history MA, University of Sussex 15 08/10/2019 Art history MA, University of Sussex 8 12/10/2019 Queer in Brighton 10 15/10/2019 History BA, University of Sussex 15 17/10/2019 Wivelsfield Historical Society 20 22/10/2019 American Studies BA, University of Sussex 17 22/10/2019 American Studies BA, University of Sussex 5 29/10/2019 History BA, University of Sussex 15
13
30/10/2019 American Studies MA, University of Sussex 4 04/11/2019 Heritage MA, University of Sussex 8 04/11/2019 Linguistics MA, University of Sussex 9 05/11/2019 Linguistics MA, University of Sussex 6 05/11/2019 Art History, MA, University of Sussex 8 06/11/2019 American Studies MA, University of Sussex 4 12/11/2019 Education BA, University of Sussex 15 13/11/2019 American Studies MA, University of Sussex 4 19/11/2019 Art history MA, University of Sussex 8 27/11/2019 American Studies MA, University of Sussex 2 18/12/2019 Librarians from the University of Brighton 20 08/01/2020 Welcome Wednesday 9 04/02/2020 Film BA, University of Sussex 10 05/02/2020 Welcome Wednesday 11 11/02/2020 Social Work MA, University of Sussex 15 11/02/2020 History BA, University of Sussex 13 11/02/2020 History BA, University of Sussex 15 11/02/2020 History BA, University of Sussex 15 13/02/2020 English BA, University of Sussex 10 14/02/2020 History BA, University of Sussex 15 26/02/2020 Sociology BA, University of Sussex 25 05/03/2020 Welcome Wednesday 7 06/03/2020 Sociology BA, University of Sussex 8 06/03/2020 Sociology BA, University of Sussex 15 09/03/2020 Criminology MA, University of Sussex 11 09/03/2020 Media BA, University of Sussex 4 11/03/2020 Applied Linguistics MA, University of Sussex 7 16/03/2020 Geography BA, University of Sussex 28 Keene State College New Hampshire (Online 27/04/2020 session) 8 Queer in Brighton/Queer Heritage South 18/06/2020 East (Online session) 10 Doctoral School, the University of Sussex 20/06/2020 (Online) 4
Fig. 5 Access to Mass Observation Online 2015-2020 Number of sessions from members Number of sessions Year Sessions of the University of Sussex made from The Keep 2019- 18,790 2,525 110# 2020 2018- 27,018 2,048 288 2019 2017- 28,573 2,318 405 2018 2016- 29,403 3,154 331 2017
14
# The Keep was closed to the public March – July 2020 following the Government guidance relating to the transmission of COVID-19
Fig. 5 Access to Mass Observation Project Online 2020 Number of sessions from Number of sessions Year All sessions members of the University of from The Keep Sussex July – September 10,672 22 0 2020
Fig.6 Directive themes 2019-2020 Date Topic Commissioner Funding No. sent Response out Winter 2019 Mantelpieces and In house to NA 510 153 (30%) (No 116) treasured objects support the mantelpieces exhibition at Bolton Museum, The Museum of the Home and Hove museum Unlocking Sound Unlocking Our NA 510 139 (27%) Sound Heritage (South East) Election Day (12th In house NA 510 144 (28%) December 2019) Special The coronavirus* In house NA 674 451 Directive responses (No 117) from 284 individuals Spring 2020 Gender Professor Emma £5,000 754 258 (34%) (No 118) Rees from the University University of of Chester Chester Coronavirus In house NA 754 Responses update* to this Directive have been amalgamate d with Directive number 117. Summer 2020 COVID-19 and time* Dr Rebecca £3,000 754 140 (19%) (No 119) Coleman at (UKRI) Goldsmiths University London and Dr Dawn Lyon at the University of Kent. Black Lives Matter* In house NA 754 133 (18%) *Responses to these Directives Directive are still arriving at the Archive.
15
Fig.7 Income from the Friends scheme (Reporting period: April 6 2018 – April 5 2019)
Year Number of Friends Amount raised 2019-2020 42 £480.90 2018-2019 47 £604.99 2017-2018 65 £1099.49
16