These seem to have some resonance
History and the state: supporting institutional memory or challenging national myths?. Several historians' essays addressing this issue of particular present relevance.
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And on something that is not perhaps quite perpetuating national myth, but is still, perhaps, trying to fudge a dreadful record: ‘A Dark, Difficult, and Shameful Chapter’: Dr Ciara Breathnach on the Final Report of Ireland’s Mother & Baby Homes Commission of Investigation. Or at the very least, troubling methological issues.
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Interrogating an apparently bland, if unique, object: At first glance, the beautiful, hand-written ‘Programme of the Evenings Musical Performances at Warrawang’ may not seem particularly radical. A unique item, it was clearly created by an enthusiastic amateur musician rather than a professional. It is undated, so it is unclear if multiple performances took place, or if it was a one-off event. There is also an eclectic mix of pieces that reference different European countries and musical styles including ‘A Spanish Air’, ‘The German Waltz’, ‘A French March, ‘The King of Prussia’s March’, and several Scots tunes including ‘The Birks of Invermay’. There is no indication the creator of the programme intended it as a radical object, and yet it illustrates the harsh realities of emigration and colonisation in the nineteenth century.
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I wish somebody would ask me to review this (perhaps I should solicit?): Charles Upchurch, "Beyond the Law": The Politics of Ending the Death Penalty for Sodomy in Britain (introduction downloadable there).
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William Dorsey Swann is a name relatively unknown, forgotten entirely for nearly a century. However, his legacy was, and is, still preserved under his other name, “The Queen of Drag.” Largely recovered from court records or newspaper reports of court cases.
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