Studying the history of port cities and their relationship to maritime endeavour and enterprise is a diverse and interdisciplinary practice, which draws on research methods from literary studies, sociology, anthropology and archaeology, and brings together aspects of social, economic and cultural history. In April 2017, the Centre for Port and Maritime History will hold its […]
Would you know how to survive in the slums of Portsmouth’s sailortown? Do you know a ‘Dockyard Tortoise’ from a ‘Crocadillapig’?[1] In the sweltering heat of late July a lucky group of participants took part in our specially-designed youth outreach workshop, ‘Sickly Slums and Sailortowns.’ The event was coordinated by the University of Portsmouth’s UP for […]
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 […]
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 […]
