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Meet Juba Royton
Juba Royton was a slave who was brought to live in Oldham in the Eighteenth Century by Thomas Percival, a wealthy linen manufacturer. He is one of the earliest examples we can trace in the records at...
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archivesplus.org – The Big Friday Find
This week our lovely new website went live and I’m worried that some of you might have missed it. Many apologies to those of you who have already seen it, but our Big Friday Find this week is...
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It’s Queer Up North: A Drag King Workshop in Manchester
On Saturday May 11, 1996, a group of women met at the greenroom in Manchester to embark on a new and exciting experience. They were about to become men. The change, however, was only to be a temporary...
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Remember, remember the 5th of November
Remember, remember the fifth of November Gunpowder treason and plot I see no reason why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot This incendiary rhyme was part of my childhood, along with children...
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Manchester Ladies in Male Clothing
This post is the second in a series about male impersonation and ‘drag kings’ – I had no idea that the archives at the Greater Manchester County Record Office would contain such a rich and diverse...
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A Case Of History Repeating?
It’s a typical autumnal afternoon and Manchester United have just drawn 1-1 at home to Southampton, the Old Trafford crowd voices their discontent at a team playing drab football and a lack of...
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Blame it on Strictly Come Dancing – Big Friday Find
This week’s Big Friday Find was inspired by a photograph of Gladstone in Albert Square. There was a hint of Saturday Night Fever in his pose. This led us to look at other images of dancers and dancing...
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Blackley Forest Tree Planting Ceremony
Today in Blackley Forest the children of Bowker Vale Primary School planted trees to commemorate the people of Blackley who fought in both World War 1 and World War 2 and those who continue to serve in...
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A Female Soldier in the 1700s
The material in the archives at the Greater Manchester County Record Office continues to surprise me. When I started researching the history of women dressing as men, I had no idea that the archives...
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Big Friday Find: Central Library poster shop
Manchester Central Library poster shop is now live featuring a selection of posters from Central Library’s historic collections. The giclee prints on premium silk 240gsm paper make ideal Mancunian...
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Magical World of Books
This week Archives+ are taking part in various events in support of the ninth annual Chorlton Book Festival. This started on Saturday the 16th of November with our attendance at the Magical World of...
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Kitty Dennick: Male Impersonator
Women have been dressing as men for centuries, and this phenomenon is surprisingly well documented by material stored at the Greater Manchester County Record Office. In my first post on this topic I...
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Lost and Found at Sea – The Big Friday Find
This weeks find is courtesy of Helen, one of our Neighbourhood Engagement and Delivery Officers. She found and liked this small scrapbook of cuttings about a Blackley man and his exciting voyage. Mr J...
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The Story of Starstrider: A Forgotten Classic?
Digging through some of the old Granada TV boxes I have discovered files outlining one of Granada’s shows from the 1980′s which was perhaps more notable as being stepping stone in the careers of...
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Louder Than Words
‘ A wave of action speaks louder than words’ sang Tina Turner. These words inspired Dr Jill Adams to name a new genre based literary festival ‘Louder Than Words‘. Held in the Palace Hotel, Manchester...
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The Big Friday Find – Mutt and Jeff
This week’s Big Friday Find really was an exciting find, for us at least. As we are currently based at the Greater Manchester County Record Office most of our Friday Finds come from their collections...
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John Lennon’s knees? – The Big Friday Find
We never know where our trawls through the archives will take us. The Manchester Ship Canal collection has figured large in Gaynor’s workload recently. Whilst preparing images for our website, she came...
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The Big Friday Find – All Tomorrow’s Christmases
It’s that time of year when, all over Manchester, people are running around buying and wrapping presents. For the team at the Greater Manchester County Record Office it feels like all of our...
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Have a nice journey and Mind the Gap
Some of you may be thinking of making a New Year’s resolution to follow up your family history. Here are some wise words from Leslie Turner of the Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society. Like...
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Christmas Crafts and Choirs
This year we held our first Christmas event at the Rates Hall in Manchester Town Hall Extension. We had archive material including the Pantomime Collection from our Special Collections and a selection...
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