Looking Back At History

Photograph taken 1864 © Reproduced by permission of Historic England Archive ref: bb89/03974 When you mention Brunel , you instantly think of his famous Clifton Suspension Bridge located across the River Avon in Bristol . However, Brunel almost didn't create famous masterpiece. A Battle of Bridges In 1829 a wine merchant named William Vick was given funds to build a bridge across the River Avon. To choose a design, the Society of Merchant Venturers held a competition. The winner would also be rewarded with 100 guineas. 23 year old Brunel entered the competition along with 21 other entrants. The competition advertisement stated:  "ANY persons willing to submit DESIGNS for the ERECTION of an IRON SUSPENSION BRIDGE at CLIFTON DOWN over the RIVER AVON, to the consideration of the Committee appointed to arrange proceedings for carrying the measure into execution, are requested to forward the same, accompanied by an Estimate of the probable expense address “‘T

The Match Seller by Otto Dix The Weimar Republic is hands down one of my favourite periods of history, which makes sense since I researched the period for my undergraduate dissertation. One of my favourite things about the Weimar Republic is the culture that it produced, particularly in terms of art. There was an increased freedom of expression during this era including a freedom to criticise society. The art was produced during this period often gave a broad view of Weimar culture as a whole and the new modern features it developed. End of Censorship The strict cultural censorship implemented under Kaiser Wilhelm had been lifted and Article 118 of the Weimar Constitution explicitly stated, "Every German has the right, within the limits of the general laws, to express his opinion freely by word, in writing, in print, in picture form, or in any other way. [ . . . ] Censorship is forbidden. [ . . . ]" - The Constitution of the German Empire 1919 (via GHI) Metr

One of my favourite ways to learn about new topics is to listen to podcasts. Simply pop you headphones in whilst you're working or cooking or put one on in the background whilst your cleaning or having a bath. In classic nerd fashion, I obviously love a good historical podcast. I tend to look for ones that are entertaining yet informative whilst keeping me engaged and not have me drifting off thinking about what I might want for dinner. Without further ado, here are my top 5 history podcasts! 1. You're Dead to Me Presented by 'Chief Nerd' of Horrible Histories and historian, Greg Jenner, You're Dead to Me cobmines comedy and history to explore a wide range of topics. In each episode, Greg is joined by an expert historian as well as a comedian to give you an alternative take on history. Together they explore the topic in depth, spouting fun facts whilst keeping you entertained. Caution, if you listen to this whilst at work you will get given weird looks for c

          You may have heard of Josephine Baker. When you hear her name you probably imagine a seductive '20s flapper dancing in a banana skirt. Whilst this is true, Baker has an interesting historical role. I see her as a sort of Forest Gump figure. By this I don't mean she loved to run and was awesome at ping pong, I mean that she was often at the forefront of pivotal historical moments, including the East St Louis race riots, the Roaring '20s, the French resistance and Martin Luther King's I have a dream speech. The more you read about her, the more you can appreciate what an incredible and interesting life she led. A St Louis Girl Freda Josephine McDonald was born in St Louis, Missouri in 1906 to a family of performers. However her parents struggled to find stable careers in performance and instead had to take alternative work. When she was 8, Josephine took odd jobs, such as scrubbing floors, to help the family income. To support her income, she also used