Eighteenth century writer, philosopher and early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft faced censure in her lifetime, not just for her radical beliefs, but also for her rejection of societal norms. Long after her death, however, attitudes began to shift, as she gained recognition as a trailblazing fighter for women’s equality and became an inspirational figure in the women’s suffrage movement. Lady’s Own Paper | 16 November 1867 Following on from our blog on the life of Mary Wollstonecraft, in this second and final blog we shall examine the writer’s legacy. We shall look at how negative contemporary v ..read more

Eighteenth century writer and philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft was an early advocate of women’s rights. Lambasted during her lifetime for her refusal to conform to societal norms, she is seen today as one of the first feminist philosophers. The Sketch | 29 September 1897 In part one of our special blog series, we will examine the life of Mary Wollstonecraft, using newspapers found in our Archive. We will trace her life from its early difficulties, through to the publication of her trailblazing novels and pamphlets, learning how she was condemned and censured by the press of the time. Register ..read more

This week we are visiting the seaside town of Morecambe with the addition of brand new title the Morecambe Visitor. Meanwhile, in all, we’ve added 102,467 brand new pages over the last seven days, with updates to 24 of our existing newspaper titles from Banbury to Batley, from Chorley to Crawley, from Market Harborough to Motherwell. So read on to discover more about this week’s new title the Morecambe Visitor, and also to learn more about one of the town of Morecambe’s claims to fame: being the home of the UK’s longest running national beauty contest, Miss Great Britain, for over thirty year ..read more

In October 1947, actress Eileen Isabella Ronnie Gibson, also known as Gay Gibson, disappeared from the ship upon which she was travelling home from South Africa. Her disappearance, which later led to a murder trial, hit headlines across the globe, as the sensational case mirrored plots akin to those to be found in books authored by Agatha Christie. Daily Mirror | 19 March 1948 In the first part of this special blog series, which you can read here, we took a look at who Gay Gibson was, and examined the hours and minutes leading up to her disappearance. In this second and final part, also using ..read more

The murder of 21-year-old actress Eileen Isabella Ronnie Gibson, who went by the name stage name of Gay Gibson, whilst she was travelling home from South Africa aboard the Durban Castle, in October 1947, made headlines across Britain and the world. Sunday Pictorial | 4 October 1959 Also known as the ‘Porthole Murder,’ thanks to the method in which Gay’s body was disposed, the case gained notoriety due to its parallels with film noir and popular fiction penned by Agatha Christie. In part one of a series of special blogs, using newspapers from the time, we will take a look at the murder of Gay ..read more

This week at The Archive we have added an impressive 70,552 brand new pages, as we mark the launch of International Women’s Year in January 1975 by the United Nations, which would form the basis of International Women’s Day. Meanwhile, we’ve added one brand new title from Scotland, the Cumbernauld News, whilst we also see updates to six of our existing titles from across the United Kingdom. So read on to discover more about our brand new title of the week, as well as to learn which of our six existing titles we have updated. You can also find out all about 1975’s International Women’s Year, a ..read more

In the late 1930s a newcomer made her way onto British cinema screens: Princess Kouka. From Sudan, Princess Kouka, born Tahia Ibrahim Belal, had been spotted by film producer Walter Futter, who was determined for her to appear in his next film. Using newspapers from the time, we uncover the legacy of this largely forgotten film star, who travelled to Britain and impressed audiences across the country. ‘A Notable Newcomer’ On 18 December 1936 London’s Daily News reported on the impending arrival of ‘another notable newcomer to English pictures’ – Princess Kouka. But unlike her peers, Princess ..read more

American-born jazz age superstar Adelaide Hall (1901-1993) was a Black music legend, who from 1938 onwards made Britain her home. She went on to have a long and successful career in the UK. In this very special blog, as part of Black History Month on The Archive, we will celebrate this jazz age queen who came to Britain and entertained thousands of people via her stage and radio performances, using newspapers taken from our Archive. Adelaide Hall | Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News | 28 June 1940 A Star Is Born To go back to the beginning of Adelaide Hall’s remarkable life, we’re going t ..read more

Born in 1909 in Chicago, ‘dancing anthropologist’ Katherine Dunham was known as the ‘matriarch and queen mother of Black dance.’ Her father was a descendant of enslaved West Africans and Madagascans, whilst her mother hailed from Canada. Katherine Dunham | The Tatler | 15 September 1948 A multitalented artist, academic and activist, for many years Katherine Dunham ran the Katherine Dunham Dance Company, the only self-supporting African-American dance troupe in the mid-twentieth century. It was during this time that Dunham toured the United Kingdom, and in this special blog, we learn more abou ..read more

The aristocratic Mitford sisters – Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica and Deborah – hit the headlines throughout their lifetimes, with tales of scandal and intrigue filling the pages of the press from the 1920s and beyond. Four of the Mitford sisters, from left to right: Nancy, Unity, Jessica and Diana | The Sketch | 6 January 1932 Born to David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, and his wife Sydney, alongside brother Thomas, the Mitford sisters often shocked society, whether it be through their political views, or their private lives. In this special blog, we shall unravel the remarkabl ..read more