Autumn 2012 Issue 11

In this issue: Mass Observation & the Olympics A report from the MO 75 anniversary conference New publications Mass Observers blog about the Diamond Jubilee Bolton celebrates 75 years of Worktown
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Welcome to the Autumn Bulletin!

2012 has been full of celebrations the Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics and, of course, the 75th anniversary of the foundation of Mass Observation. All of these events are reflected on in this edition of the Bulletin. In the article below, we examine how the Olympics Games have been recorded by Mass Observation over its 75 year history. There are some interesting remarks from Mass Observation diarists writing during the 1948 London Olympics! On the concluding page, we report on a recent partnership with the UK Web Archive to capture the Diamond

Jubilee. This exciting project allowed us to investigate new ways of recording, archiving and Mass Observing. Regular readers of the Bulletin will be familiar with the fact that we have been celebrating 75 years of Mass Observation and 30 years of the Mass Observation Project this year. Activities relating to these anniversaries are reported on in the Bulletin. On page 2 you can read some reflections on our recent conference, and on page 3 you can find out more information about a new exhibition at Bolton Museum, home of Mass Observations Worktown study. Jessica Scantlebury, Bulletin editor

Observing the Olympics

News of Olympics and Paralympics was almost unavoidable, as London hosted the Games for the third time this summer. But what about the 1948 London Games? Can the Mass Observation Archive tell us whether these Games made such an impact? During its early years, Mass Observation recorded observations about sporting events as varied as football, wrestling and pigeon racing. However, as most large scale sporting events were cancelled during the war, the first phase of the Mass Observation Archive is largely free of references to the 1948 London Olympics. Curiously, it appears that MO did not cover the 1948 Games. In the months before the Games, the National Writing Panel were directed to write about the manners, morals and customs of the younger generation. There is no Directive for July or August 1948. This could be because Mass Observation omitted a Directive; as was becoming increasingly common as the organisation moved towards more commercial activities: or this could simply be a consequence of the Directive question and responses not surviving in the Mass Observation offices. There are however a few indications about how British people experienced

the 1948 London Olympics in the diaries. A man from Hertfordshire writes: Did a little shopping in the morning and in the afternoon took the children to the Franklins to see some Olympic sports on the television. We saw some swimming, running relays, high-jump, and nearly some water-polo, which I regret missing. Then we went to the station to meet Win, Gillians mother, and home to tea. (Diarist 5216) Whilst a woman from Morecambe writes: The closing day of the Olympic Games. From a purely personal point of view, Im glad, as Ive been bored [of] having to listen to the constant radio reports. But I should like to have seen the closing ceremony. (Diarist 5338) It is not perhaps surprising that the diaries of people who have just witnessed a war, only modestly acknowledge the so called austerity Olympics. These diaries also represent an era before 24 hour television, the internet or Twitter.
Article continues on page 3

Mass Observation Anniversaries Conference 4-6 July 2012 by Kirsty Pattrick

The anniversary conference Friendly, intimate, surpassed all of our engrossing, expectations in being a truly inter-disciplinary. I interdisciplinary forum for cant wait to get back learning, discussion and debate on Mass Observation. into the Archive, Ive On the morning of 4th July, been really inspired. there was an air of excitement - Conference delegate as Fiona Courage, Curator of the Mass Observation Archive welcomed plenary speakers and delegates from far and wide, including America, Australia and China. People were presented with a rich conference programme to wet their appetite within their areas of academic research and personal interest. Over three days, people were given the opportunity to hear a wide spectrum of papers from the early days of Mass Observation through to debate on its role and purpose in the 21st century. Professor James Hinton and Professor Dorothy Sheridan set the scene with their plenary papers on the first phase of the Mass Observation organisation and its journey over 75 years. Delegates went on to enjoy panel sessions on the founders of Mass Observation, its work between two World Wars and its exploration of the everyday and family lives.

Me and My Hair: A Social History

Me and My Hair: A Social History by Patricia Malcolmson will be published by Chaplin Books on the 22nd October 2012. The book uses responses to the 2001 Mass Observation Project Directive on hair and hairdressing.

New Trustee for the Archive

The Trustees of the Mass Observation Archive have invited Simon Garfield to join the Trustee board. Simon is a journalist and author of fourteen books of non-fiction, including three edited volumes of diaries from the Mass Observation Archive: Our Hidden Lives, We Are At War and Private Battles. He is currently at work on a fourth volume. His website is: www.simongarfield.com

On the second day we delved into the work of Mass Observation during the 1937 Coronation - Conference delegate and the Worktown project. We heard about the National Panel and diary writing and were treated to a round table discussion with current Mass Observers. On the final day, we heard about current Mass Observation related projects, its visual aspect with photography and questions of methodology in the use and interpretation of its material. In our closing session Fiona Courage gave thanks to the original observers, the panel, the investigators, the people who had vision to create this organisation and the current Mass Observers who keep it going because of course it would not be the fond thing we are all so much in love with!

I enjoyed Talking to other researchers and sharing our interests, enthusiasms and frustrations.

Radio Reunited
The Mass Observation Archive is pleased to announce that it is involved in a project to mark 90 years since the first BBC radio broadcast. The BBC is inviting listeners to text, tweet or email in to their favourite BBC radio station a hope, a fear, an observation, question or piece of advice addressing people who may be listening to the radio in another 90 years time. The resulting messages will be archived at the Mass Observation Archive for posterity. One message from each of the 60 or so participating BBC radio stations will be sent to Blur frontman, Damon Albarn, who will use them to curate a three-minute piece, called Radio Reunited. This piece will be broadcast across the BBCs radio stations on 14 November at 5.33pm GMT, exactly 90 years after the first BBC transmission in 1922. Find out more about the project on the BBCs website: www.bbc.co.uk/ mediacentre/latestnews/2012/radioreunited.html

Education & Outreach

Suzanne Rose has joined the Mass Observation Archive as the Education and Outreach Officer. This new post, funded by the MOA Trust, has been created to develop the Archives education and outreach programme over a two year period. News about this post and opportunities relating to it will be reported on in future editions of the Bulletin.

Visiting Spender
Between 1937 and 1938 Humphrey Spender took over 900 pictures for Mass Observation. In this article the Curator of the Mass Observation Archive, Fiona Courage, recalls a recent visit to Humphrey Spenders studio and looks forward to a new exhibition at Bolton Museum.

Observing the Olympics continue... Other mentions of the Olympics are interspersed throughout the Archive; a Directive in 1949 reflects on the increasing prestige of sport and a diary written in 1972 covers the Munich Olympics. However, it isnt until 2008 that the Olympics are truly acknowledged, in the form of a Directive about the Games in China. 211 responses to this Directive were received and researchers using the responses will discover a diverse reaction to the Olympics and to the Games in general. Many writers reflect on their personal enjoyment of the Olympics: Well, I must admit to being one of the least sporty people on the planet, but I really enjoyed my ten minutes of Olympics each morning over a bowl of cereal. I have been going to the gym and trying to be fit for a good five years now, but I really I dont have a sporting bone in my body. It is so very dull. But the Olympics is a time for amateurs who have put everything they have into their sport to shine on a world stage, and everybody enjoys the personal stories of how they got there. (W3967) Whilst others offer comment on the political situation in China: I am pleased that protestors politicised the games; it was satisfying to see the Chinese authorities challenged over their treatment of Tibet, not once but many times in the progress of the flame around the world. (V3767) The majority of the responses also contemplate the impending London Olympics:

of photographs taken by Spender and artworks made by the artist and poet Julian Trevelyan. Trevelyan was based in Bolton for a short period; inspired by Surrealism, he used collage to record street scenes and cityscapes. In his auto-biography, Trevelyan recollects walking around Bolton carrying a large suitcase full of newspapers, old bills and other scraps of paper, together with scissors and pots of glue and ink. Remarkably the collage suit-case has survived the years and is also on loan to Bolton Museum as part of the exhibition. Visitors to the museum will also see documents collected and produced by Mass Observers working in Bolton. These documents have been loaned by the Mass Observation Archive who own and care for the Worktown collection. Items on display include: observations about pubs in Bolton; material relating to a local election and a report on an All-in-Wrestling match by the playwright, Bill Naughton. The exhibition opened on the 22nd September and runs until the 2nd December. Admission is free. For more information visit: www. boltonmuseums.org.uk.

Fiona and Rachel Spender in the studio

One sunny day in July Dorothy Sheridan and I had the happy opportunity to visit the studio of the late Humphrey Spender, the photographer who captured so many images of Bolton and Blackpool life in the late 1930s as part of Mass Observations original Worktown Project. Spenders wife Rachel still lives and works in the house and studio designed by architect Richard Rogers and we were able to spend time looking through some of the wonderful original prints from the Worktown project alongside other examples from Spenders prolific career. Nestled amongst the prints in the studio was the camera that Spender used to take so many of those iconic Worktown views. This camera is now on display at Bolton Museum as part of an exhibition to mark 75 years since the begining of the Worktown Project. This exhibition also features selections

A selection of material from the MOA is on loan to Bolton Museum

The Keep is coming...

One hopes that our Games in 2012 will be as well organised...The emphasis must be on the sport and not the displays although one or two striking pieces of architecture with a long practical life would be welcome. (G4313). This year, the Mass Observation Archive have asked the current Panel to record their thoughts and experiences of the London Olympic Games. Whilst we cant make up for opportunities lost in the past, we can hope that future responses will provide a colourful and illuminating insight into the London Olympics for years to come.

It is hoped that we will move into the new building over Summer 2013 with a view to opening late Autumn 2013. This means we are unable to guarantee access to the Mass Observation Archive after the end of May 2013 and may consider only issuing two Directives in 2013.
Humphrey Spenders camera

Pandmonium
Pandmonium was the biggest single inspiration for the Olympics Opening Ceremony the book is the equivalent of Pepys giving you a guided tour of the birth of electricity and the mechanical age its brilliant, exciting and essential.
- Danny Boyle
Icon books have republished Pandmonium: Coming of the Machine as Seen by Contemporary Observers by Humphrey Jennings. Jennings, who worked with Mass Observation during its founding years, is most famous as a documentary film maker for the both for the GPO Film Unit and for independent production companies. Pandmonium, which was first published in 1985, is a extraordinary history of how human imagination experienced the Industrial Revolution. For more information and to purchase this edition of Pandmonium, visit: www.iconbooks.net/pandaemonium

The Diaries of Nella Last

Profile Books have just published a collected edition of Nella Lasts Mass Observation diaries. The Diaries of Nella Last: Writing in War and Peace, brings together material already published in three volumes and substantial amount of never before published material from the war years. Nellas post-war diary, published as Nella Last in the 1950s: Further diaries of Housewife, 49 by Profile Books, has been shortlisted for the prestigious, biannual Portico Prize for literature in the non-fiction category. The winner of the award will be announced on 22 November.

Mass Observation: The Diamond Jubilee Blog

The Queen celebrated 60 years as Monarch in 2012.To mark the occassion, the Mass Observation Archive asked the current members of the Mass Observation Panel to collect observations and diaries to record the Jubilee bank holiday weekend in June onto an online blog. The blog, which will be archived as part of the UK Web Archive, is can be viewed at: http://mass-observation.blogspot.co.uk. The Jubilee couldnt have been further from my mind as I awoke on Saturday morning with 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 hen weekend 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 get a glimpse of the river... Our son took some great pictures and he is convinced that the Queen waved to him. Maybe she did! (S4507, male, Newport, South Wales) Later I watched the England match on television, every few minutes the crowd would start singing the national anthem, carried away with the Jubilee spirit I suppose. They certainly 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)

Photograph taken by J4793

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

The Mass Observation Archive specialises in material about everyday life in Britain. It contains papers generated by the original Mass Observation social 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 importance under the Designation Scheme. The MO Bulletin is produced and edited by Jessica Scantlebury. It is distributed to Mass Observers and members of the Friends of the Archive scheme. Why not join our Friends scheme - not only will you be kept up to date with the latest MO related news, but you will also help to support Mass Observations activities. See our website for further details: www.massobs.org.uk or email moa@sussex.ac.uk