Through this blog, MOX volunteers share stories of objects and themes in the collection, reflect upon the events and people of Oxford, give you behind-the-scenes insights into what staff and volunteers get up to, and delve into the lesser-known parts of the city’s history.
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Oxford’s History of Dinosaur Discoveries
🕑 10 min read Oxford's pivotal role in how dinosaurs got their names
Twin Cities: Oxford and Beyond
🕑 9 min read The system of twinned towns in the UK is not one commonly known to the public, despite its long history dating back to the end of World War 2. Oxford is one of the leading cities in the UK for town twinning...
The 1605 Oxford City Charter
🕑 5 min read Oxford has seen its fair share of women who have fought to be more than simply footnotes in history. Through their actions, they have inspired or paved the way for other women to continue the journey towards an equal society. Though their actions might have been singular in nature, a personal fight, in the grand scheme of things, it is important not to only view them as such...
The Taken Road Which Made All the Difference: Honouring the Legacy of Oxford’s Prominent Women
🕑 13 min read Oxford has seen its fair share of women who have fought to be more than simply footnotes in history. Through their actions, they have inspired or paved the way for other women to continue the journey towards an equal society. Though their actions might have been singular in nature, a personal fight, in the grand scheme of things, it is important not to only view them as such...
Pink Times – A response to Section 28
🕑 11 min read November 2023 marked twenty years since the repeal of Section 28. Introduced in 1988, Section 28 was a piece of legislation prohibiting the discussion of homosexuality within schools.
Mary Sophia Merivale: Oxford’s First Female Councillor
🕑 7 min read Who was the first female councillor in Oxford and what do we know about her?
Dig In! Oxford Food Stories – Oxford Sauce
🕑 6 min read When it comes to describing what ‘Oxford Sauce’ is, many would likely differ in their answers, if they were aware of its existence at all...
Museum of Oxford funds upcoming biography for local Black British hero Charlie Hutchison (1918-1993)
🕑 8 min read The Peter McQuitty Bursary, a research bursary awarded by the Museum of Oxford to fund local heritage projects led by young people in Oxford, has chosen to award local historian Dan Poole with funding for the research and creation of a biography of Charlie Hutchison.
How Oxford became the home of the oldest surviving English newspaper
🕑 7 min read Even though the printing press was introduced to England in 1476, it was only in the 16th century that printed news took off, and even then, at a very slow pace, due to the necessity of town criers to provide them, stemming from the illiteracy of the general population.
How the Jewish community of Oxford brought coffee to England
🕑 12 min read The first Jewish settlements in the United Kingdom
A Municipal Airport for Oxford
🕑 5 min read In 1929, flying pioneer Alan Cobham launched his Municipal Aerodrome Campaign to encourage Town Councils to build local airports. He wrote to Oxford City Council’s Planning Committee but no action was taken at that time. Three years later, in 1932, an Oxford Times editorial argued that the City Council dealt with the question of a municipal aerodrome to serve the City of Oxford.
Sewage, Cholera and moving Parliament to Oxford
🕑 7 min read In 18th century Britain, many towns underwent rapid expansion, which resulted in widespread public concern around the appearance of urban surroundings. In Oxford, one such issue was the draining systems and sewage disposal, which before the late 18th century, mainly involved collection from domestic cesspits and drainage via open gutters, often in the middle of the streets.