This blog will explore the stories of objects and themes in the collection, 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.
The Ascott Martyrs: Early Pioneers of the Trade Union Movement
🕑 3 min read Well-behaved women seldom make history (or change society for the better)
The hidden history of St. Ebbes
🕑 6 min read What lies beneath the Westgate?
Magdalen or Maudlin? A very Oxford conundrum
🕑 5 min read Why can't the people decide how to say Mary's surname?
St. Giles’ Fair: a brief history
🕑 3 min read How long has this beloved custom been happening?
A volunteer’s view: becoming a digital curator
🕑 7 min read Tina explains how she created her food sustainability online exhibition
Myths and Legends of Oxfordshire
🕑 6 min read Witches, Mistresses and Wedding Woes: did you know this about Oxfordshire?
Bill Heine: the man behind the ‘Headington Shark’
🕑 7 min read Why did Heine choose to have a shark sticking out of his house?
Abe Lazarus and Oxford
🕑 12 min read The story of a local legend who fought for workers' rights, decent housing and against fascism.
May Morning at Magdalen College Oxford
🕑 8 min read What's the deal with May Morning in Oxford?
The Lady with the Camera: Grace Mitchell
🕑 4 min read The story of a snap-happy nurse who treated soldiers in Oxford during the First World War
An Industrial Oxford?
🕑 4 min read What stopped Oxford booming during the Industrial Revolution and beyond?
Workhouse Paupers in Oxford
🕑 7 min read What was the difference between being poor and a pauper in 19th century Oxford?