London History Modules
Learning about London’s past: courses and workshops in London history
The Raphael Samuel History Centre convenes a range of modules exploring London’s past – from Roman times to the present – in some of the capital’s leading museums, archives and galleries. These modules are offered by Birkbeck College and the University of East London under the auspices of the centre, and are part of a new and exciting teaching collaboration between the two institutions. The modules can be taken individually or as part of a Certificate in Higher Education in History – which can be your first step to a degree in history. For details on how to accrue credits towards your certificate of HE and to see the full range of modules on offer go to this Birkbeck History page. To register for any of the modules listed on the pages that follow simply click here to enrol.
In addition, the centre is convening three archives workshops which are free and open to all. Click here for the details.
Everyday Life in Medieval London 1000–1500
What did London look like between 886 and 1500? Where and how did Londoners live? What did they eat and drink? How did they enjoy themselves and where did they go shopping? What illnesses did they suffer from and how were they treated? How did they deal with sanitation? This fascinating module of everyday life explores these and other questions.
Wed 21 Apr 2010, 6.30pm–8.30pm FFHI174H4ACB CE
11 meetings
Vanessa J King, BA
Museum of London
£175 (£90)/£200 (£100)
15 CATS points at Level 4
House and Home in Victorian London
What can material objects tell us about social history, and past lives and experiences? This module explores how the material world of the home shaped family lives in Victorian London, considering class and gender identities, and domestic roles and rituals. We will look at family relationships and the life cycle in the slums and lodging houses, middle-class suburban villas and aristocratic townhouses.
In addition to visual and written sources, this object-based module draws on the rich material resources of the Geffrye Museum.
Thu 22 Apr 2010, 3pm–5pm FFHI281H4ACB CE
11 meetings
Leonie Hannan, MA
Geffrye Museum
£175 (£90)/£200 (£100)
15 CATS points at Level 4
London and Empire, 1750–1950
London was at the heart of the British Empire. Using museum resources and archives, this module explores London as an imperial city, showing the control it exerted over the financial and political sinews of empire, and how its life and peoples were shaped by the experience of global rule.
Mon 12 Apr 2010, 6.30pm–8.30pm FFHI328H4ACB CE
11 meetings
Lecturer to be announced
Bishopsgate Institute
£175 (£90)/£200 (£100)
15 CATS points at Level 4
London from the East: A Social History of the East End
Based at the Museum of Childhood, we will examine the development of London’s East End since the sixteenth century. Over the centuries, the East End changed from open fields and scattered villages to densely settled terraces and housing estates. We will look at the East End’s rich traditions: as a centre of crafts and industry; as the point of reception for immigrants from many lands; and as the home of radical political and social movements. Site visits are included.
Tue 20 Apr 2010, 2.30pm–4.30pm FFHI246H4ACB CE
11 meetings
Michael Berlin, BA
Museum of Childhood
£175 (£90)/£200 (£100)
15 CATS points at Level 4