David Luck
Archivist at Bethlem Museum of the Mind, London, UK. Singalonglong to the gateway song. All poorly thought out views his own, don't blame his peers/employers. Contact at 'archives' on tinyurl.com/58tkxrb7
He/him.
- Reposted by David LuckReposting this query for the #HistMed lunchbreak crowd in the UK and the breakfast crowd across the Atlantic. Would be grateful for reposts.
- A query for #HistMed colleagues: is anyone aware of good histories of ALS? I know Barron Lerner's chapter on Lou Gehrig in his book When Illness Goes Public (2006), but can't think of anything else.
- Spent two days writing and rewriting a listserv email, so naturally there are at least two clear typos in the version I ended up sending. Gah!
- Reposted by David LuckA call for papers from the Stuart Hall Archive Project for an intriguing symposium in June - “‘Decoding Hall’ is a one-day symposium celebrating the launch of Hall’s digital archive–drawing on papers held at the Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham” #cfp #media #archives
- We have the tools for this already- this is after all what FoI is about. And sometimes there's even the will to implement it (IDS's 'An End to Sofa Government' was the big news 15 years ago). It never seems to quite work tho. Almost as if sitting governments don't want it to, or something.
- Reposted by David LuckGiven how much we've discovered from the Epstein files, how about also a radical public transparency act, with MPs banned from using WhatsApp etc (again, with criminal sanctions) and their ministerial inboxes made publicly available online after, say, ten years. Probably impossible in practice ofc.
- Reposted by David LuckMichaela Clark reviews an exhibition that explores and complicates the social and psychiatric norms of post-war Germany. thepolyphony.org/2026/02/04/n...
- Reposted by David Luck[This post could not be retrieved]
- Ah, the Magnificent Seven. Absolute horseshit, but brilliantly made horseshit that gets me every damn time.
- Yes, this is a big point! Thank you Teresa.
- So, part of my job is to see what people are making of the history of our Hospital. Bethlem partly exists in the gothic, horror-adjacent end of history, and so attracts a certain kind of presentation. Restraints, gore, electrodes, I thought I'd seen it all. Until... ...I stumbled onto this book.
- I found this on Amazon, while looking for a medium- sized history of Bethlem. There's one very good history (Andrews et al), which is a chonky 650 pages, and a couple of flawed-but-have-some-upside popular histories. I can never remember their name, so have to search every time.
- And this came up as second on the list. I'd never heard of it. That's fine. The Museum and Archives didn't ever meet half the authors of the other histories either. You can do a lot from home these days, and our records are on Find My Past. The image grated a bit. It's not any version of Bethlem..
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View full threadAnd most importantly 3) I get asked a ton of questions about records that have never existed.
- Hmm, I wonder if anyone has ever asked them about the Aylesbury tunnels?
- The first half of this was the funniest thing I've read this week (the governance shenanigans are amazing), but by the end it's clear that this is actually about the tragedy of a bunch of ideologues* totally failing to care properly for the young people in their charge. * Other words are available
- Apropos of nothing, let's check in with how things are going at Bari Weiss's free speech university. www.politico.com/news/magazin...
- This obviously flies in the face of my reading of the two Taytos, which is one of irreconcilable difference and entrenched hostility entirely incomprehensible to outsiders (like me).
- Reposted by David LuckCome & work with me! Senior Archivist (Military Records Project) at The National Archives (UK). £39.5k pa. Apply by Sunday 25 January. #ArchivesJobs www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi...
- Reposted by David Luck🖼️ It's the last Saturday of the Bethlem Art Fair! There's still loads of gorgeous, one-of-a-kind, affordable art to be found: from sculpture to greetings cards, pottery to oil painting. Don't miss out! Open 9:30-5pm - entry is free #affordableart #bethlemmuseumofthemind Bethlem Gallery
- Well, Matt certainly graduated from 'oh, who's he? The other Irish one?' in this episode.
- Reposted by David LuckI highly recommend @drsoandsoresearch.bsky.social - she transcribed the diary of Joseph Bell for me while I was writing SLEUTH-HOUND. I think she's the only person in the world who can read his atrocious handwriting! She's a brilliant researcher, and she just passed her viva (congrats, Dr. So!)
- Reposted by David LuckWe're looking for a Level 3 Library, Information and Archives Services Assistant Apprentice to join the @newsukarchives.bsky.social team. Details here: www.newscareers.co.uk/vacancies/41... Please share with anyone who might be interested.
- Reposted by David Luckany UK archive friends interested in a small archive-adjacent project? paid and entirely remote. DM me
- BBC running Ripper-adjacent Victorian murder mystery doc followed by a Titanic sinking reconstruction in one evening? Thoughts and prayers for my colleagues manning the enquiry services out there, it'll be a week.
- Reposted by David Luck‘Warm Spaces have also been set up again across the capital in libraries, churches and community spaces for people to get a hot drink and stay in the warmth during the day time.’ #libraries #homelessness
- Reposted by David LuckOnly ONE week left to explore the Bethlem Art Fair! 🎨🖼️ Discover unique, affordable pieces and take home something truly special. Don’t miss out! Open today 9:30am-5pm. #bethlemgallery #bethlemartfair Bethlem Gallery #affordableart
