Category: Art, Fashion and Material Culture

James I to Restoration, 17th Century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Interregnum, Oliver Cromwell, Parliamentary Life

Wigs on roundheads: puritans, peruques and powder under Oliver Cromwell

In our latest blog, Dr Patrick Little of the House of Commons 1640-1660 section challenges one of the lingering stereotypes associated with the era of puritan rule… The fashion for wearing periwigs is commonly thought to have been brought into England by Charles II and his court after their return from the continent in 1660, but there is plenty of evidence to show that the … Continue reading Wigs on roundheads: puritans, peruques and powder under Oliver Cromwell

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James I to Restoration, 17th Century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Charles I, Stuart

MPs as art collectors in the 1650s

As the Royal Academy’s Charles I: King and Collector exhibition comes to a close, Andrew Barclay, Senior Research Fellow with the Commons 1640-1660 Section, considers how a number of the king’s paintings passed into the collections formed by MPs of the period… The Royal Academy’s Charles I exhibition deliberately ignores the fate of the king’s art collection after his execution in 1649. Yet the story … Continue reading MPs as art collectors in the 1650s

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Stuart, 17th Century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Charles I, Interregnum

Art, power and money: the sale of Charles I’s art collection

On Tuesday of this week – 30th January – we observed the anniversary of the regicide, the execution of Charles I. This is not the only reason Charles I has been in the spotlight recently, Dr Vivienne Larminie, Assistant Editor of the Commons 1640-60 Section, discusses the sale of Charles I’s art collection in light of the current exhibition Charles I: King and Collector… To … Continue reading Art, power and money: the sale of Charles I’s art collection

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Art, Fashion and Material Culture, 14th Century history, 15th Century History, 16th Century history, 19th Century history, Medieval, Social history, Tudor, Victorian

Peers on Parade: A Sartorial History of the State Opening of Parliament

Today’s guestblog is from Dr Charles Farris, University of Westminster, who discusses the history of the ceremonial attire worn at the State Opening of Parliament… Today is the State Opening of Parliament, an event which, for over 500 years, has served as a symbolic reminder of the unity of Parliament’s three parts: the Sovereign; the House of Lords; and the House of Commons. The ceremony … Continue reading Peers on Parade: A Sartorial History of the State Opening of Parliament

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Conferences, Seminars and Events, 19th Century history, 20th century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Buildings and Architecture, Modern, Social history, Victorian

Parliament, Politics & People Seminar: James Ford, ‘United under one roof, though separated by different arches and mouldings, Representing the Union in the Central Lobby mosaics’

At our latest ‘Parliaments, Politics and People’ Seminar, James Ford (University of Nottingham) spoke on ‘‘United under one roof, though separated by different arches and mouldings’: representing the Union in the Central Lobby mosaics, 1847-1924.’ Here he discusses his paper… In Michael Cokerell’s 2015 documentary Inside the Commons the late Charles Kennedy MP repeated an anecdote that explains the placement of mosaics of saints George, Andrew, … Continue reading Parliament, Politics & People Seminar: James Ford, ‘United under one roof, though separated by different arches and mouldings, Representing the Union in the Central Lobby mosaics’

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Conferences, Seminars and Events, 19th Century history, 20th century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Buildings and Architecture, Modern, Social history

Parliaments, politics and people seminar: Dr Geoff Hicks on ‘Memorialising Britain’s politicians: the politics of Parliament Square’

Our latest ‘Parliaments, Politics and People’ seminar paper report, thanks to Kathryn Rix of the Victorian Commons… Geoff Hicks of the University of East Anglia gave a very engaging talk on ‘Memorialising Britain’s politicians: the politics of Parliament Square, c. 1867-1917’. With its focus on the statues of Victorian politicians erected in Parliament Square, his paper provided an excellent complement to last term’s paper from … Continue reading Parliaments, politics and people seminar: Dr Geoff Hicks on ‘Memorialising Britain’s politicians: the politics of Parliament Square’

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