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Dr Aidan Norrie 🦄 @aidannorrie.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

New LJ article! And to w(h)et your appetite, Caroline has written a blog post on the plans to bring water back to the moat of the Tower of London. (see what I did there? And who says academics aren't fun?!) thelondonjournal.org/blog.html#Wi...

thelondonjournal.org

Blog | The London Journal

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

New research article: 'The Tower of London’s Forgotten Architects: Lewis Alexander Hall and the Royal Engineers, 1840–1847', by Caroline Wilhelmson: www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/...

Abstract
This article introduces the life and work of Lewis Alexander Hall, who was Commanding Royal Engineer for the London District from 1841 to 1847. Together with his team of engineers and draughtsmen, he oversaw major changes at the Tower of London and led the construction of some of its most iconic buildings—including the Waterloo Barracks, which now house the Jewel House. Yet, Hall is very little known and hardly ever cited in scholarship, despite the deep and tangible impact he had on the Tower’s architectural and military development in the mid-nineteenth century. As with most military men, his role has been overlooked by scholars who have usually focused on the works of architects Anthony Salvin and John Taylor. Meanwhile, Hall’s ingenious solutions and undertakings have typically been credited to the Duke of Wellington, who was then Constable of the Tower. This article thus seeks to address this injustice, showing how Hall’s achievements at the Tower continue to be relevant today.

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Rebekah Higgitt @rhiggitt.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Article and thread on history of London, mapping and digital humanities #dighum 🗃️ Locating London's History and Layers of London were both indispensable for my Metropolitan Science project and histories of the scientific instrument trade

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Ben Railton @americanstudier.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

The new school year is almost upon us, but summer isn’t quite done, & neither are the summer #ScholarSunday threads! Here’s my 290th of public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more below, share widely, & enjoy, all! 🗃️ +

blackwhiteandread.com

#ScholarSunday Thread 290 (8/23/26) – Black and White and Read All Over

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

It's time for another 🧵 on one of the articles from our 50th anniversary special issue, 'London's Past Today'. Today, we come onto the penultimate article of the issue: 'Layering London’s History: Digital Mapping and Spatial Technologies in Historical Research', by @justincolson.bsky.social.

tandfonline.com

Layering London’s History: Digital Mapping and Spatial Technologies in Historical Research*

The opening decades of the twenty-first century have seen an explosion of spatial approaches to urban history, which have allowed historians to combine analyses to gain new cultural and experientia...

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Call for chapters: Made Municipal: the LCC through its everyday objects. All reposts much appreciated. x

Made Municipal: the LCC through its everyday objects
Background
Following on from the Sixty Years on from the London County Council: Legacy, Impact, Learning film screening and conference in spring 2025, we are keen to capture and build on some of the histories and research that were represented, which highlighted the need for further and increasingly diverse scholarship about the London County Council.
The Council is often held in a certain degree of reverence regarding the achievements delivered across - and beyond - the boundaries of London from the time of its conception in 1889, and as being emblematic of a type of governance which may no longer be possible in a contemporary context. Since the publication of Andrew Saint’s edited book, Politics and People of London: London County Council, 1889-1965 in 1989, more research has emerged on the LCC, with the increasing availability of unofficial archives and the release of previously closed records revealing more nuanced narratives that have the potential to open up more diverse, representative histories.
We appreciate that talking comprehensively about the Council’s broad and interconnected operations is a monumental task, and thus we’re keen to find innovative ways to throw light on the panorama of its work, rather than focus on discrete, dislocated entities. To do so, we were inspired by Professor Andrew Saint, whose unusual contribution to the film screening night at The London Archives was a foot-long bar of LCC-branded soap. This sparked a wide-ranging discussion spanning issues of care, industry, and education in parentis, as undertaken by the LCC, and prompted us to consider that the operation of the LCC could perhaps be best understood through its material culture and its presence in residents’ day-to-day lives.

Using a lens of material culture to explore the work of the LCC allows us to break out from the thematic silos which might otherwise be imposed upon its history, crossing between departments and people - whether LCC employees or those that used its services - that will result in some fascinating and revelatory perspectives.
We are particularly interested in how this might better contextualise some of the under-represented histories of the Council, to reveal their importance within the wider spectrum of its work. Unlike histories that focus on particular departments or typologies, this enables us to shift towards traversing siloed narratives to provide a richer, more rounded perspective on the LCC, which we feel is more authentic to its operation, whilst also challenging how objects are often documented in museums and archives.

Call for chapters
Using a material culture approach, the collected volume will present a history of the LCC through a significant physical manifestation of objects that denote its municipal authority across the County of London. Each chapter will start with an image of the everyday LCC object, setting the scene for a more diverse re-telling of its history. It will be edited by the organisers of the Sixty Years on from the London County Council: Legacy, Impact, Learning film screening and conference held in March 2025, Dr Ruth Lang, Dr Dawn Pereira and Dr Rosamund Lily West.
We invite 4,000-5,000-word chapters which use an everyday LCC object as a starting point. We encourage a range of methodologies for approaching how the objects will be used as catalysts for storytelling. We are particularly interested in including those covering the early LCC period (1889-1914) and the interwar period, which is often underrepresented in LCC histories. Suggestions of types of objects include:
Objects; heraldry, uniforms, school awards, furniture, cutlery
Ephemera; pamphlets, tickets, brochures, phonebooks
Documents; official publications, maps, memoranda and minutes,
We see this approach as offering a more accessible way to delve into complex discussions on topics that may, at first glance, seem less engaging, such as regulation, commissioning, deindustrialisation plans, procurement, etc. We’re also keen to identify controversial objects that open untold/silenced stories and to consider whether there are global implications for the different themes and subjects discussed.

This publication would build upon Andrew Saint’s 1989 edited book, Politics and People of London: the London County Council, 1889-1965, which was the last book on the LCC to offer a broad history, so this would be a timely and much-needed re-examination of the LCC and its legacy. The book will be academic and rigorous and will include good-quality images to complement the visual, object-based approach. The aim of this book is to be an academic/trade crossover, with an audience of both specialist academics and an interested public.
Please email LCC60yearson@gmail.com with your name, a 50-word bio and a 250-word abstract by 31st October 2026.
Please include a clear indication of the object your chapter intends to focus upon (including images and potential sources/locations of the object itself where possible), along with a summary of its purpose and relevance, and the outline of your intended scope of investigation.

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Dr Aidan Norrie 🦄 @aidannorrie.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Such a wide array of London-y goodness… if I do say so myself 😉

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Our latest issue of the journal, 51.2, is now out! Here's what goodies are available inside (or, if you prefer, via the relevant webpage)... 🧵 www.tandfonline.com/toc/yldn20/c...

tandfonline.com

The London Journal

Volume 51, Issue 2 of The London Journal

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Becky Guest @beckyguest.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

A fittingly glorious day and apt location to meet up with @thelondonjournal.bsky.social at @tandfresearch.bsky.social London offices today ☀️ The team are thoughtful, thorough and timely so if you have relevant research, or a book or exhibit you’d like reviewed, this is your journal!

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Time for another 🧵about one of the articles from our 50th anniversary special issue, 'London's Past Today'. This week we'll be taking a deeper dive into 'Modalities of London’s Past in Film and Television', by Charlotte Brunsdon.

tandfonline.com

Modalities of London’s Past in Film and Television

London is an old city, a pre-cinematic city, and its oldness, and particularly its Victorian-ness, has formed a persistent strand in its cinematic and televisual embodiments. There are some long hi...

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

New research article: 'Intertextuality, Intermediality, and Intervention: Re-Negotiating Early Literary Depictions of London’s Chinese Community Through The Murder of Mr Ma (2024)', by Calvin Goh: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Abstract
This article examines how intertextual and intermedial approaches facilitate revisionary practices in the representation of Chinese people living in London. I argue that the protagonists in John Shen Yen Nee and S. J. Rozan’s novel The Murder of Mr Ma (2024) grant the Chinese community a (semi-)representative voice that challenges earlier depictions of Chinese characters in literary fiction. My interest in the topic is inspired by how Chinese diaspora groups are represented in literature and what their treatment and experience may reflect of the cities in which they reside. I argue that the novel’s representations of the Chinese community subvert offensive stereotypes by highlighting the reality and impact of structural racism.

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

New exhibition review: Lawrence Jackson on 'Underground (and Surface)', a collaboration between artist Jock McFadyen and musician Jem Finer, at London’s Guildhall Art Gallery.

tandfonline.com

Underground (and Surface)

Published in The London Journal: A Review of Metropolitan Society Past and Present (Ahead of Print, 2026)

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

It's time for another 🧵 on one of the articles that made up our 50th anniversary special, 'London's Past Today'. This time, it is the turn of 'ReOrientalism: Representing London’s Muslim History Through its Adapted Mosques', by Nur Sobers-Khan & Shahed Saleem.

doi.org

ReOrientalism: Representing London’s Muslim History Through its Adapted Mosques

‘Three British Mosques’ was co-curated by Shahed Saleem, Christopher Turner, and Ella Kilgallon and exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Pavilion of Applied Arts at the Venice Biennale 202...

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

doi.org

ReOrientalism: Representing London’s Muslim History Through its Adapted Mosques

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

New blog post by Ian Stone: 'With Due Acknowledgement: From Bermondsey’s Tanneries to The London Journal', reflecting on his research on the Leathersellers’ College in Bermondsey and its archival presence, and its place in his wider research and teaching: thelondonjournal.org/blog.html#St....

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The London Journal Blog
In these posts, our authors explore topics related to their published articles, including methodological or theoretical issues, matters of contemporary relevance, and questions raised by their research that need further investigation. We hope that reading these short pieces will enhance your understanding of the linked published articles and encourage new research on London.

With Due Acknowledgement: From Bermondsey’s Tanneries to The London Journal
By Ian Stone | Posted 15 June 2026

The acknowledgements of an academic article are a funny thing. They are probably passed over by most readers, whereas they might be the first—and indeed only—part of the article to attract the attention of others eagerly seeking evidence that their contribution to the published endeavour has been rightfully recognised. As a historian, I have always enjoyed reading the acknowledgements because they tell a story, albeit truncated, of how history came to be written. I thought I would expand upon the acknowledgements in my recent article on Leathersellers’ College in Bermondsey to set out the fuller story of how this article went from genesis to publication.

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

New post on our blog from Stephen Ridgwell: ‘Fugitive Material: The Case of the Nineteenth-Century Playbill’: thelondonjournal.org/blog.html#Ri...

A playbill sticker at work. John Orlando Parry, London Street Scene (1836). Wikimedia Commons.

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

New research article: 'Villadom, Burglary, and the Criminal Suburbanscape of London in the 1880s and 1890s', by Shu-chuan Yang: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Abstract
By addressing a specific intersection of suburban villadom and home security, this article interrogates how the offence of burglary carried deep implications for understanding the evolving concept of London’s criminal suburbanscape in the 1880s and 1890s. It argues that the popular representations of burglary in London-based periodicals not only reflect the social realities of criminality but also the history of crime and policing, weaving together the lived experience of London’s suburbanites. The expansion of villa suburbs typically carries connotations of fear and anxiety to involve thinking about the creation and dissemination of ‘the gentle art of burgling’, the growth of the private security industry, and the shifting significance of policing and crime prevention alongside the verbal and nonverbal representations of crime and criminals. At the heart of the article, therefore, are press depictions of how suburban burglary becomes an indicator for shaping visions of real-life exploits of criminals in the context of the New Journalism.

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

New research article: 'The Leathersellers’ College, Bermondsey: A National Centre for Technical Education in Leather Manufacturing', by Ian W. Stone: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Abstract
The Worshipful Company of Leathersellers worked with educational establishments, charities, and institutions of local government at the end of the nineteenth century to provide instruction in leather manufacturing in Bermondsey. Subsequently, firms (through their trade federations) and central government came to play a greater, even a dominant, role in supporting that education, although both its form and purpose were always contested. As manufacturing in Britain began to decline, and as government policy changed in the 1960s to support an expansion of further and higher education through broader institutions—colleges of technology, polytechnics, and universities—there was little place for specialist colleges like the Leathersellers’, and it eventually closed in 1978. Its history, then, affords us a valuable case study of the vicissitudes of vocational education in Britain and London.

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Jack Hanlon @jackhanlon.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

www.thelondonjournal.org/blog.html#Ha... A new piece up on the @thelondonjournal.bsky.social blog including some unpublished bits from my PhD; a few of my photos; and some reflections on Smithfield's long life/slow death prompted by Justinien Tribillon's @vittles.bsky.social article about Rungis

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

New post for our new blog! 'Smithfield is Dead, Long Live Smithfield' by @jackhanlon.bsky.social, in which he reflects both on his historical research on Smithfield Market, and the market's uncertain future. All reads and reposts much appreciated.

thelondonjournal.org

Blog | The London Journal

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Tom Sojka @tomsojka.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Happy to report I’ve joined the Editorial Board of @thelondonjournal.bsky.social and will be serving as the Book Reviews Editor (post-1800), so please reach out with pitches!

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Time for another 🧵 about one of the articles from our landmark 50th anniversary special issue, 'London's Past Today'. On this occasion, we're taking a deeper dive into @helenjuliapaul.bsky.social's 'The Grit in the Oyster: Deptford, Enslavement, and the Challenges of Memorialisation' (available OA).

tandfonline.com

The Grit in the Oyster: Deptford, Enslavement, and the Challenges of Memorialisation

London was the first slaving port in Britain, although it was subsequently overshadowed by Bristol and Liverpool. It still lags behind the western ports in its attempts to memorialise Britain’s rol...

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Our first new issue of 2026 has been published! A 🧵 on its contents...

tandfonline.com

The London Journal

Volume 51, Issue 1 of The London Journal

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

tandfonline.com

The Grit in the Oyster: Deptford, Enslavement, and the Challenges of Memorialisation

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

New research note: 'The Report of Stanisław Adamczewski’s Internship at the Natural History Museum, 1946–1947: A Translated Edition', by Hubert Kowalskia and Wojciech J. Zabłocki: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Abstract
The German occupation of 1939–1945 left a huge mark on the capital of Poland. After the end of hostilities, Warsaw—ruined and looted—came back to life. For the State Zoological Museum, one of the ways to rebuild scientific life was to send employees on foreign internships. The Archives of the Museum and Zoological Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences contain a report by the entomologist Stanisław Adamczewski, who between October 1946 and October 1947 undertook an internship at the Natural History Museum in London. This several-page document is a description of the activities of the London museum that also reveals the situation in the country and the Polish reality. It is also a description of the enormous support provided by the British Council and English scientists to Polish researchers operating in extremely difficult conditions. The document, which has been translated in full here for the first time, also demonstrates the significance of international scientific contacts, especially in the aftermath of the war.

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Dr Aidan Norrie 🦄 @aidannorrie.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

A bumper issue of @thelondonjournal.bsky.social is now available for your reading pleasure! I learned so much from all these articles, so I am really pleased they’re officially out in the world 🥰

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Another bump for this; expressions of interest due in by 24 March.

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Another bump for this; expressions of interest due in by 24 March.

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

New article: 'Symbolic Violence and ‘Branding’ in the Puritan Reformation of London, 1634–1660', by Paul Barrett: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.....

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

A reminder that we are still look for a joint book reviews editor, covering books on modern London. Could that be you? Let us know! Expressions of interest due by 24 March.

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Compiling a thread of threads we’ve done on articles from our 50th anniversary special issue, ‘London’s Past Today’. 🧵

tandfonline.com

The London Journal

50th Anniversary Special Issue: London’s Past Today. Volume 50, Issue 1 of The London Journal

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Time for another 🧵 on one of the articles from our 50th-anniversary special issue, 'London's Past Today'! The article we're highlighting today is Katie Donnington's '(In)human Capital: London and the Legacies of Transatlantic Slavery'.

tandfonline.com

(In)human Capital: London and the Legacies of Transatlantic Slavery

London played a key role in the history of transatlantic slavery: it was an important port in the Atlantic trade, a hub of commercial organisation, a market for slave-produced commodities, and a co...

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Claire Titley @clairelouisetitley.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

The exhibition ended yesterday but delighted by this thoughtful review by The London Journal.

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Dr Catherine Freeman @catgqf.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

I am so glad that I was given a place on @thelondonjournal.bsky.social's ECR publishing workshop today. Not just because the views were wonderful. The session was so supportive, informative & friendly. A brilliant idea! Thank you 🙂 Also nice to see @drdiongeorgiou.bsky.social in person.

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Jack Cox @jackandrewcox.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Great afternoon at the first @thelondonjournal.bsky.social early career historians publishing workshop.

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Kerry L @kerrymlove.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Nice afternoon at @thelondonjournal.bsky.social publishing workshop - really helpful and encouraging, thanks to the organisers!

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Dr Dion Georgiou 🇨🇾❤️🇬🇾 @drdiongeorgiou.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

En route to today’s @thelondonjournal.bsky.social event on publishing for ECRs. Looking forward to catching up with @aidannorrie.bsky.social, @jackhanlon.bsky.social, @catgqf.bsky.social, and others.

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Dr Dion Georgiou 🇨🇾❤️🇬🇾 @drdiongeorgiou.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Interested in joining our wonderful editorial board, as a modern book reviews editor? Do get in touch!

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

We are looking for a new Joint Book Reviews Editor to join our editorial board. They would cover the period from 1800, working alongside Kirstin Barnard, who covers the medieval/early modern period. You can check out the full Call for Expressions of Interest here; and please do also share widely.

thelondonjournal.org

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Dr Bethany L. Donovan @bethanyldonovan.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

So excited to share my first article! With huge thanks to @aidannorrie.bsky.social and @kitfrench1348.bsky.social

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