In my last post, I discussed why sea blindness is not the most useful way to characterize twenty-first century sensibilities. Let’s face it, it just doesn’t make much sense at a time when beachgoers have to be warned, “Don’t take selfies with seals.” Instead, I argued, we should think critically about sea visibility, which is […]
Port Towns & Urban Cultures: International Histories of the Waterfront, c.1700 – 2000, Eds. Brad Beaven, Karl Bell and Robert James, (Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke, 2016) Despite the port’s prominence in maritime history, its cultural significance has long been neglected in favour of its role within economic and imperial networks. Defined by their intersection of maritime […]
The average Briton is unaware that 95% of the goods they buy arrived on a ship. When asked to name a “well-known British maritime personality,” most respondents said, “Captain Jack Sparrow.” These results are set forth by the Maritime Foundation as evidence of sea blindness.[i] Duncan Redford is one of the few people so far […]
Below, Port Towns & Urban Cultures’ first-ever visiting scholar, Laura Mier Valerón from the University of Oviedo (Spain), explains how she came to be involved with the project, outlines her research and discusses how being a visiting scholar with Port Towns & Urban Cultures has enhanced her research, skills and academic experiences. First of all, let me […]
Maritime Masculinities, 1815-1940 19th- 20th December, 2016, Oxford, UK Keynote speakers include: Dr Mary Conley, College of the Holy Cross, USA Prof. Joanne Begiato, Oxford Brookes University Dr Isaac Land, Indiana State University, USA The Department of History, Philosophy & Religion, Oxford Brookes University, and the Port Towns and Urban Cultures group, University of Portsmouth, invite […]
Before the Docks: London River and Port in the Eighteenth Century Museum of London Docklands – Saturday 7th May 2016 Jointly organised by Professor Sarah Palmer and Chris Ellmers, this one-day symposium will explore how key aspects of London’s river and port developed and changed during the momentous years of the eighteenth century. Full programme available here Further […]
