The Local History Society organises regular lectures on a variety of topics. Talks are not only about Barnet, but also about wider interests.
- Talks are held at St John's Parish Church (Wood Street, EN5 4BW)
- Talks begin at 3pm and are approximately 45 minutes long
- Talks are £2 or free to members of Barnet Museum and Local History Society
Video archive
Please enjoy these videos created by the Museum community.
Gresham History lectures
Books, Libraries and Civilisation (includes Professor Edith Hall and Richard Ovenden) gres.hm/books-libraries; starts 28/10/2021
This series covers the history of books, libraries and knowledge, from the library established by King Ashurbanipal of Assyria in the 7th century BC, to the libraries of the ancient Greeks and Romans, including Alexandria in the 3rd century BC, to the manuscript heritage of the seats of learning in Timbuktu, widely considered to have one of the earliest Universities in the world, with its foundation in AD 989 pre-dating The University of Bologna by almost a century.
Black History Month (we have some lectures from previous years, incudes Dr Oneyka Nubia, Professor Farah Karim-Cooper and Robin Walker, gres.hm/black-history-month starts 6/10/2021
In 2021-22 Professors will discuss Diversity in Medieval and Early Modern England, Shakespeare, Race and Performance, and the world-famous Manuscripts of Timbuktu, (home to one of the first Universities, a century or so ahead of Bologna).
The Hidden History of How Protestantism Went Global by our very popular history of religion Professor Alec Ryrie (1m lecture views last year) gres.hm/missionaries; starts Weds 22/9/2021
The story of Christianity’s global spread is usually told in two parts: first the conquistadores took Catholicism to the Americas and elsewhere in the 16th and 17th centuries; and then the global empires of the 19th and 20th centuries brought Protestant missionaries to most of the rest of the planet. This lecture series takes us into new research revealing the forgotten piece of the puzzle connecting those two stories: how Protestants and evangelicals laid the foundations for their global reach before the high imperial age. These hesitant early missionary ventures did not win many converts, but they formed Europeans’ assumptions about ‘race’, ‘justice’, ‘civilization’, ‘religion’ and the nature of Christianity itself. To see the world through those early missionaries’ eyes is to see not only why their ventures were so slow and stumbling, but how their experience primed the age of Christian expansion which followed, producing worldviews which still underpin our own secular age.
Stuart Britain by Dr Simon Thurley, Dr Anna Keay and Dr Anna Whitelock gres.hm/stuart-britain starts 15/10/2021
This series covers European influences on culture under the Stuart Kings James I and Charles I, and then the cultural shock of the revolutionary decade of 1649-60 when Parliament ruled Britain.
Three Crises of Capitalism: The Great Depression to the Present (Economic History) by Professor Martin Daunton, gres.hm/three-crises starts 9/11/2021
Three major crises of capitalism have affected large parts of the world over the last 100 years: the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Oil Shock of the 1970s, and the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. Each crisis both undid and remade the economy and many of the fundamental assumptions about the way politics and society should work. Today, the shock of COVID-19 - also covered in the last lecture - is doing the same. What will the world that emerges look like?
How Not to be Human: Exploring Humanity Through Science Fiction Professor Jim Endersby (History of Science/ Philosophy) gres.hm/science-fiction starts 27/10/2021
This series will focus on the ways in which writers and film-makers have explored the question of what it means to be human in science fiction, by contrasting an imagined human nature with women, apes, machines and aliens–all of which have been imagined at various times as “non human”. Questions of race, gender, reason and emotion will be woven through all four lectures, to illustrate some of the rich and varied ways in which fictions based in science have imagined what (if anything) constitutes “human nature”.
Race Colonialism & Power in the Legal System Professor Leslie Thomas QC (classified as a law series, but covers some recent history) gres.hm/race-law starts 30/9/21
Historically, law has been designed to serve the interests of the powerful and privileged. At its worst, the legal system can be a cynical facade for violent repression. But law can also be a vital tool in the hands of the oppressed, and a means of fighting back. This lecture series will explore the dynamics of race, class and power in the legal systems of the UK and the Commonwealth Caribbean, how those systems have been shaped by the legacy of colonialism, and how the legal system plays a dual role as an instrument of oppression and as a means for the oppressed to defend themselves.
Sex: A Modern History Professor Joanna Bourke gres.hm/sex-history starts 7/10/21
The history of sexuality is not only about sex. It sheds light on human relationships, needs and desires, expectations and exceptions. This series of lectures by Professor Joanna Bourke grapples with six important debates within modern history, including what is sexual pleasure, how do we know what is “deviant”, does pornography reflect or create sexual norms, how does society's attitude to sex work relate to women’s status within society, does monogamy have a history (and future), and why is abstinence such a heated political choice? Although the main case studies are drawn from Britain and the U.S., attention will also be paid to global trends. The lectures explore sexuality as a mirror for wider social arrangements.
The Misrule of Law Thomas Grant QC (classified as a law series, but covers legal history from Galileo to segregation in the US) gres.hm/misrule-law starts 22/11/21
"What is the “rule of law”? The idea is of a fair and independent judiciary such that every person enjoys equal treatment under them and equal access to them. Anybody living in Britain now would be likely to say that that idea is an obvious precondition to a civilised society and the minimum they expect from their own society. The rule of law is treated as part of the natural order of things rather than something which has had to be strived for: however little we actively think about the rule of law in our daily lives it is a given in our decision-making and our sense of our relationship with the state. But the rule of law is a fragile concept, which has been arrived at after centuries of historical struggle, requiring constant nurturing and protection. In this series of three lectures I will show how the rule of law can be subverted, and the law abused, to further the aims of privileged elites.
Music Under Stalin Professor Marina Frolova-Walker (classified as a music series, but is music history; includes live performances) gres.hm/music-stalin starts 23/9/21
This course will focus on the relationship between composers and the Soviet state during the Stalin years (1929-1953). The period of relative artistic freedom in the 1920s, which resulted in the flowering of extreme modernist trends as well as the emergence of rough-hewn ‘proletarian music’, ended with the gradual centralization of control over culture that unfolded between 1929 and 1936. The infamous ‘Lady Macbeth affair’ of 1936 not only threatened Shostakovich’s career, but issued a strong warning to artists in every field that the new doctrines of Socialist Realism were to be taken seriously. By trial and error, Soviet composers eventually worked out what Socialist Realism meant for their art: a transparent and conservative style of music, often relying on folk-derived themes.
And some individual lectures on
The Death of Richard II: CSI Meets History by Professor Sarah Hainsworth, 1pm, Thurs 21 Oct 2021 (or watch later) gres.hm/richard-iii-bones
Europe's Search for Sustainable Security by Professor Patricia Clavin, 6pm, Mon 1 Nov 2021 (or watch later) gres.hm/europes-security
Portraits, Biographies and Public History by Professor Ludmilla Jordanova, 6pm, Tues 2 Nov 2021 (or watch later) gres.hm/portraits-biographies
Brexit: What Have We Learned So Far? Professor Anand Menon, 6pm, Weds 26 Jan 2022 (or watch later) gres.hm/brexit-learned
Oxford's Savilian Professors of Geometry: 400 Years On (History of Maths) Professor Robin Wilson, 6pm, Tues 3 May 2022 (or watch later) gres.hm/savilian-professors
Bernini and the Remaking of Rome, by Dr Loyd Grossman, 6pm, Tues 10 May 2022 (or watch later) gres.hm/bernini-rome
Inigo Jones and the Architecture of Necessity by Dr Simon Thurley our Provost 6pm, Tues 14 June 2022 (or watch later) gres.hm/inigo-jones
This series covers the history of books, libraries and knowledge, from the library established by King Ashurbanipal of Assyria in the 7th century BC, to the libraries of the ancient Greeks and Romans, including Alexandria in the 3rd century BC, to the manuscript heritage of the seats of learning in Timbuktu, widely considered to have one of the earliest Universities in the world, with its foundation in AD 989 pre-dating The University of Bologna by almost a century.
Black History Month (we have some lectures from previous years, incudes Dr Oneyka Nubia, Professor Farah Karim-Cooper and Robin Walker, gres.hm/black-history-month starts 6/10/2021
In 2021-22 Professors will discuss Diversity in Medieval and Early Modern England, Shakespeare, Race and Performance, and the world-famous Manuscripts of Timbuktu, (home to one of the first Universities, a century or so ahead of Bologna).
The Hidden History of How Protestantism Went Global by our very popular history of religion Professor Alec Ryrie (1m lecture views last year) gres.hm/missionaries; starts Weds 22/9/2021
The story of Christianity’s global spread is usually told in two parts: first the conquistadores took Catholicism to the Americas and elsewhere in the 16th and 17th centuries; and then the global empires of the 19th and 20th centuries brought Protestant missionaries to most of the rest of the planet. This lecture series takes us into new research revealing the forgotten piece of the puzzle connecting those two stories: how Protestants and evangelicals laid the foundations for their global reach before the high imperial age. These hesitant early missionary ventures did not win many converts, but they formed Europeans’ assumptions about ‘race’, ‘justice’, ‘civilization’, ‘religion’ and the nature of Christianity itself. To see the world through those early missionaries’ eyes is to see not only why their ventures were so slow and stumbling, but how their experience primed the age of Christian expansion which followed, producing worldviews which still underpin our own secular age.
Stuart Britain by Dr Simon Thurley, Dr Anna Keay and Dr Anna Whitelock gres.hm/stuart-britain starts 15/10/2021
This series covers European influences on culture under the Stuart Kings James I and Charles I, and then the cultural shock of the revolutionary decade of 1649-60 when Parliament ruled Britain.
Three Crises of Capitalism: The Great Depression to the Present (Economic History) by Professor Martin Daunton, gres.hm/three-crises starts 9/11/2021
Three major crises of capitalism have affected large parts of the world over the last 100 years: the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Oil Shock of the 1970s, and the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. Each crisis both undid and remade the economy and many of the fundamental assumptions about the way politics and society should work. Today, the shock of COVID-19 - also covered in the last lecture - is doing the same. What will the world that emerges look like?
How Not to be Human: Exploring Humanity Through Science Fiction Professor Jim Endersby (History of Science/ Philosophy) gres.hm/science-fiction starts 27/10/2021
This series will focus on the ways in which writers and film-makers have explored the question of what it means to be human in science fiction, by contrasting an imagined human nature with women, apes, machines and aliens–all of which have been imagined at various times as “non human”. Questions of race, gender, reason and emotion will be woven through all four lectures, to illustrate some of the rich and varied ways in which fictions based in science have imagined what (if anything) constitutes “human nature”.
Race Colonialism & Power in the Legal System Professor Leslie Thomas QC (classified as a law series, but covers some recent history) gres.hm/race-law starts 30/9/21
Historically, law has been designed to serve the interests of the powerful and privileged. At its worst, the legal system can be a cynical facade for violent repression. But law can also be a vital tool in the hands of the oppressed, and a means of fighting back. This lecture series will explore the dynamics of race, class and power in the legal systems of the UK and the Commonwealth Caribbean, how those systems have been shaped by the legacy of colonialism, and how the legal system plays a dual role as an instrument of oppression and as a means for the oppressed to defend themselves.
Sex: A Modern History Professor Joanna Bourke gres.hm/sex-history starts 7/10/21
The history of sexuality is not only about sex. It sheds light on human relationships, needs and desires, expectations and exceptions. This series of lectures by Professor Joanna Bourke grapples with six important debates within modern history, including what is sexual pleasure, how do we know what is “deviant”, does pornography reflect or create sexual norms, how does society's attitude to sex work relate to women’s status within society, does monogamy have a history (and future), and why is abstinence such a heated political choice? Although the main case studies are drawn from Britain and the U.S., attention will also be paid to global trends. The lectures explore sexuality as a mirror for wider social arrangements.
The Misrule of Law Thomas Grant QC (classified as a law series, but covers legal history from Galileo to segregation in the US) gres.hm/misrule-law starts 22/11/21
"What is the “rule of law”? The idea is of a fair and independent judiciary such that every person enjoys equal treatment under them and equal access to them. Anybody living in Britain now would be likely to say that that idea is an obvious precondition to a civilised society and the minimum they expect from their own society. The rule of law is treated as part of the natural order of things rather than something which has had to be strived for: however little we actively think about the rule of law in our daily lives it is a given in our decision-making and our sense of our relationship with the state. But the rule of law is a fragile concept, which has been arrived at after centuries of historical struggle, requiring constant nurturing and protection. In this series of three lectures I will show how the rule of law can be subverted, and the law abused, to further the aims of privileged elites.
Music Under Stalin Professor Marina Frolova-Walker (classified as a music series, but is music history; includes live performances) gres.hm/music-stalin starts 23/9/21
This course will focus on the relationship between composers and the Soviet state during the Stalin years (1929-1953). The period of relative artistic freedom in the 1920s, which resulted in the flowering of extreme modernist trends as well as the emergence of rough-hewn ‘proletarian music’, ended with the gradual centralization of control over culture that unfolded between 1929 and 1936. The infamous ‘Lady Macbeth affair’ of 1936 not only threatened Shostakovich’s career, but issued a strong warning to artists in every field that the new doctrines of Socialist Realism were to be taken seriously. By trial and error, Soviet composers eventually worked out what Socialist Realism meant for their art: a transparent and conservative style of music, often relying on folk-derived themes.
And some individual lectures on
The Death of Richard II: CSI Meets History by Professor Sarah Hainsworth, 1pm, Thurs 21 Oct 2021 (or watch later) gres.hm/richard-iii-bones
Europe's Search for Sustainable Security by Professor Patricia Clavin, 6pm, Mon 1 Nov 2021 (or watch later) gres.hm/europes-security
Portraits, Biographies and Public History by Professor Ludmilla Jordanova, 6pm, Tues 2 Nov 2021 (or watch later) gres.hm/portraits-biographies
Brexit: What Have We Learned So Far? Professor Anand Menon, 6pm, Weds 26 Jan 2022 (or watch later) gres.hm/brexit-learned
Oxford's Savilian Professors of Geometry: 400 Years On (History of Maths) Professor Robin Wilson, 6pm, Tues 3 May 2022 (or watch later) gres.hm/savilian-professors
Bernini and the Remaking of Rome, by Dr Loyd Grossman, 6pm, Tues 10 May 2022 (or watch later) gres.hm/bernini-rome
Inigo Jones and the Architecture of Necessity by Dr Simon Thurley our Provost 6pm, Tues 14 June 2022 (or watch later) gres.hm/inigo-jones
The British Records Association series of webinars
British Records Association News Release
News Release: 24 February 2021 Information Alert in a post-truth age
There is a crisis of misinformation in our ‘post-truth world’ and it has led to growing cynicism and distrust of all information. This has raised concerns around the use and preservation of the public record and the danger that trustworthy sources of communication will be overlooked or underused. The British Records Association has therefore joined forces with the Institute of Historical Research to deliver The Shock of the Record: Archives and Truth, a series of webinars discussing the vital role of records as a source of evidence.
The webinars start on 18 March and can be booked through the Institute of Historical Records website Shock of the Record: Why Archives Matter.
‘Are you uneasy about the reliability of what you are reading and hearing? Do you want to find out more? Do you know that archives may exist to help you? Information held in public and private archives may provide the evidence you need to understand more about the major issues of today’ says Julia Sheppard, Chair of the British Records Association’s Archives Advocacy Group.
The first webinar, Why Archives Matter, sees historian Professor Sir Richard Evans, the Archivist of the United States David Ferriero, and journalist and politician Daniel Finkelstein, discuss the vital role of archives as a trusted source of evidence. Alice Prochaska of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission and Oxford University, and Jean Seaton, Professor of Media History at the University of Westminster and author of an Official History of the BBC, will co-chair the session, which will be moderated by Professor Jane Winters of the School of Advanced Study, University of London.
On 17 June the second webinar, Evidence Under Attack, will examine just who creates records and why with Dr Andrew Flinn, University College London’s Director of the Archives and Records Management MA programme, Laura Millar, independent consultant and scholar in records, archives, and information management, and Anthea Seles, Secretary General of the International Council on Archives. The Bodleian Library’s Richard Ovenden will chair and Professor Jo Fox, Dean of the School of Advanced Study, will moderate.
On 11 November the third webinar, Truth and Trust, will look at untruth, particularly in oppressive regimes. Susan Stuart, formerly of the University of Glasgow, will address the distinction between both. Stanley Griffin of the University of the West Indies will talk about truth in colonial archives and in oral cultures such as Rastafari. Iyra Buenrostro-Cabbab from the University of the Philippines will discuss issues of truth in oppressive regimes and the use of photographs and listening to illuminate the experiences of political prisoners.
Three more insightful webinars are planned for 2022.
They will be delivered on Zoom and are free to attend but must be booked via the Institute of Historical Research's website The Shock of the Record: Archives and Truth.
Notes to editors
The British Records Association
Founded in 1932, The British Records Association (BRA) is a charity which aims to promote the preservation, understanding, accessibility and study of our recorded heritage for the public benefit.
Institute of Historical Research
Founded in 1921, The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) is one of nine institutes that comprise the University of London's School of Advanced Study. The IHR is dedicated to training the next generation of historians, and to producing and facilitating ambitious, innovative historical research.
IHR Partnership Seminars
IHR Partnership Seminars address new areas of research and approaches to the past. Partnership Seminars are collaborative, interdisciplinary, cross-sectional, global, and online. Seminars are hosted by leading international scholars and provide opportunities to hear cutting-edge research by historians.
Twitter @ShockOfRecord
Amanda Engineer
Hon Secretary
British Records Association
News Release: 24 February 2021 Information Alert in a post-truth age
There is a crisis of misinformation in our ‘post-truth world’ and it has led to growing cynicism and distrust of all information. This has raised concerns around the use and preservation of the public record and the danger that trustworthy sources of communication will be overlooked or underused. The British Records Association has therefore joined forces with the Institute of Historical Research to deliver The Shock of the Record: Archives and Truth, a series of webinars discussing the vital role of records as a source of evidence.
The webinars start on 18 March and can be booked through the Institute of Historical Records website Shock of the Record: Why Archives Matter.
‘Are you uneasy about the reliability of what you are reading and hearing? Do you want to find out more? Do you know that archives may exist to help you? Information held in public and private archives may provide the evidence you need to understand more about the major issues of today’ says Julia Sheppard, Chair of the British Records Association’s Archives Advocacy Group.
The first webinar, Why Archives Matter, sees historian Professor Sir Richard Evans, the Archivist of the United States David Ferriero, and journalist and politician Daniel Finkelstein, discuss the vital role of archives as a trusted source of evidence. Alice Prochaska of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission and Oxford University, and Jean Seaton, Professor of Media History at the University of Westminster and author of an Official History of the BBC, will co-chair the session, which will be moderated by Professor Jane Winters of the School of Advanced Study, University of London.
On 17 June the second webinar, Evidence Under Attack, will examine just who creates records and why with Dr Andrew Flinn, University College London’s Director of the Archives and Records Management MA programme, Laura Millar, independent consultant and scholar in records, archives, and information management, and Anthea Seles, Secretary General of the International Council on Archives. The Bodleian Library’s Richard Ovenden will chair and Professor Jo Fox, Dean of the School of Advanced Study, will moderate.
On 11 November the third webinar, Truth and Trust, will look at untruth, particularly in oppressive regimes. Susan Stuart, formerly of the University of Glasgow, will address the distinction between both. Stanley Griffin of the University of the West Indies will talk about truth in colonial archives and in oral cultures such as Rastafari. Iyra Buenrostro-Cabbab from the University of the Philippines will discuss issues of truth in oppressive regimes and the use of photographs and listening to illuminate the experiences of political prisoners.
Three more insightful webinars are planned for 2022.
They will be delivered on Zoom and are free to attend but must be booked via the Institute of Historical Research's website The Shock of the Record: Archives and Truth.
Notes to editors
The British Records Association
Founded in 1932, The British Records Association (BRA) is a charity which aims to promote the preservation, understanding, accessibility and study of our recorded heritage for the public benefit.
Institute of Historical Research
Founded in 1921, The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) is one of nine institutes that comprise the University of London's School of Advanced Study. The IHR is dedicated to training the next generation of historians, and to producing and facilitating ambitious, innovative historical research.
IHR Partnership Seminars
IHR Partnership Seminars address new areas of research and approaches to the past. Partnership Seminars are collaborative, interdisciplinary, cross-sectional, global, and online. Seminars are hosted by leading international scholars and provide opportunities to hear cutting-edge research by historians.
Twitter @ShockOfRecord
Amanda Engineer
Hon Secretary
British Records Association