A sand timer with the Earth as the sand

Events

"Clothing this Naked Earth": politics and the planet

Hosted by the LSE Library

LSE Library Gallery, United Kingdom

What do we find in the LSE Library and Women’s Library archives and special collections if we look for the earth?

This exhibition brings together some of the stories that offer answers to this question; from the Keep Britain Tidy campaign (founded by chair of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes Elizabeth Brunner), to the extraordinary series of women’s protests held at Greenham Common in the 1980s and 90s.

The exhibition also marks LSE Library as the new home of the archives of the Green Party of England and Wales, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of their founding this year. Beginning life in Coventry as PEOPLE in 1973, special guests Mitya Pearson (King’s College, London) and the Green Party Archives Group curate objects from this new and important collection.

Jean Lambert, Green Party Archive Group and former MEP:

This is a significant collection for the whole Green movement and not just the Green Party of England and Wales. It’s great that the archives now have a home at LSE. This exhibition only gives a taste of the many fascinating original documents to explore and which make clear the impact the party has had nationally and across Europe.

Daniel Payne, Library curator:

It’s been a very interesting experience to look at archives that speak about the environment within our collections, as it’s a theme I’ve not explored before. I chose the title Clothing this Naked Earth from the memoir of Wangari Maathai, which appears in the exhibition. My favourite item on display is a jumpsuit worn by one of the protestors on a march to Greenham. Having objects like these as well as text-based ones really brings it to life.

Events

Watch the recording of our event Is There an Alternative to “Growth, Growth, Growth”? 

Green Party Archive

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Green Party of England and Wales. In 2021 a Greens Archive Project was established by the Green Party to locate historically important material. LSE Library joined the Project and since August 2021 the Library has been collecting material from activists to form a Green Party archive. The archive has been catalogued by LSE Library archivist Nick White and is now available to all for consultation.

Our archives and special collections are open to all. You can browse the archives record for the Green Party and also the papers of Jonathan Porritt. If you would like to book an appointment to come view the archive, please see our access and special collections archive page, or else get in touch.

The image of the earth in the sandtimer is from a Green Party poster, which also appears in the exhibition.

Organise a tour

The Gallery is a small space and we can offer 15 minute tours on request and subject to availablity. Get in touch if you would like to arrange a tour.

Have any questions? 

Contact us via email or find out other ways to get in touch.

Accessibility

If you are planning to attend this event and would like details on how to get here and what time to arrive, as well as on accessibility and special requirements, please refer to LSE Events FAQ. LSE aims to ensure that people have equal access to these public events, but please contact the event's organiser as far as possible in advance if you have any access requirements, so that arrangements, where possible, can be made. If the event is ticketed, please ensure you get in touch in advance of the ticket release date. Access Guides to all our venues can be viewed online.

Twitter and Facebook

You can get immediate notification on the availability of an event podcast by following LSE public lectures and events on Twitter, which will also inform you about the posting of transcripts and videos, the announcement of new events and other important event updates. Event updates and other information about what's happening at LSE can be found on the LSE's Facebook page.

From time to time there are changes to event details so we strongly recommend checking back on this listing on the day of the event if you plan to attend.

Whilst we are hosting this listing, LSE Events does not take responsibility for the running and administration of this event. While we take responsible measures to ensure accurate information is given here this event is ultimately the responsibility of the organisation presenting the event.