Greetings from Houghton Street as we prepare for Spring Term. Although a shorter term of only 7 weeks, there’s still plenty going on and it feels like we, somehow, manage to squeeze 11 weeks’ worth of activity into it!
Back in Autumn Term I told you about our exciting grant with the Historical Association in which colleagues Leigh Gardner, Tirthankar Roy, and Mohamed Saleh were working with teachers to bring economic history into the national curriculum. The residential was held at LSE on 12th and 13th April, and a group of 10 very eager teachers participated in an intense workshop. You can read more about it later in this newsletter.
Recently, Julius Koschnick and Charlie Udale have successfully completed their vivas and been awarded their doctorates. Julius’s work examines the ways in which connections between academics and thinkers affected the development of the Scientific Revolution, by exploring networks of students and teachers at Oxford and Cambridge. Charlie also works on early modern economic history, but took on plague – before covid made epidemics fashionable again. Among Charlie’s most striking findings is that household lockdowns in 16th century cities slowed the spread of plague, but did not lower overall mortality: instead families died together.
It was great to see so many friends at our recent Epstein Lecture (7th March). James Feigenbaum of Boston University gave an interesting talk on census-linking and how new technology makes it easier for us to follow individuals over time – with a particular focus on telephonists in Boston. If you missed the lecture, you can watch the recording here.
Oliver Volckart’s research on the creation of a common currency in 16th century Germany is the subject of a book The Siver Empire. How Germany Created it’s First Common Currency (OUP); a free exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford Money in Renaissance Germany (12 Jan – 10 Nov); and a special book launch event here at LSE on 9th May, see the event page for full information on how to attend.
We are also very pleased to announce that Janet Hunter, Saji Emeritus Professor of Economic History, will deliver a lecture on 22nd May, focussing on her work around the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923, Japan’s most serious natural disaster of modern times. You can find out more, including how to attend at the event page.
Please do stay in touch – we’d love to know what you’ve been up to.
Patrick Wallis