The Ballad of Captain Rigby

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Write Queer London 2012 saw poet Peter Daniels enter the Metropolitan Archives to uncover LGBT history amongst their stacks wherein he made the acqaintance of our tale's hero, the indefatigable Captain Rigby.  Captain Edward Rigby was tried for sodomy in 1698, after falling foul of

The Secret Lives of Shirts by Elizabeth (Buffy) Noble - Winning Poetry entry Write Queer London 2012

Yellow Morphy Richards iron from Geffrye Museum handling collectioncollection
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The secret lives of shirts I am flattened, And again flattened. I am forced. I am heavy as a man, hanging I am heavy as a day. I am made straight. but I have been silk, undone, wettened I have been lovingly dangled I have
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The Pankratiasts by James Duncan- overall winning entry for Write Queer London 2012

Pankration scene: the pankriatiast on the right tries to gouge his opponent's eye; the umpire is about to strike him for this foul. Detail from an Attic red-figure kylix, 490-480 BC. From Vulci, Italy.
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Squat down, pulling the back of my head onto his bare chest, Erasmus has pushed his left leg between mine. The inside of his thigh is touching the back of my balls.  My sturdy left leg knots around his sturdier right.  He has
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Write Queer London Festival has landed

Write Queer London flyer
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Discovering gay histories across London museums The Museum of London’s Write Queer London festival, which begins in December, brings together writers, poets and LGBT history in London museums for a fourth year. Curator talks, gallery tours, poetry commissions, a writing competition and creative

On Going Forth Into the Book of the Dead Exhibition at the British Museum and Coming Out the Other Side Alive

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The British Museum's Autumn blockbuster exhibition 2010 focuses on Africa, Ancient Egypt to be precise.  The round reading room has been split into 11 rooms filled with treasures and manuscripts never before seen together.  In the best traditions of explorers past, Untold London ventures into
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Singh Twins talk about EnTWINed at the Museum of London

Photo shows two indian ladies in matching saris
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In 2004 the Museum of London acquired two paintings by artist Henry Nelson O’Neil.  Titled “Eastward Ho!” and “Home Again”, both were painted in 1850s and show British soldiers embarking for the First Indian War of Independence and their subsequent return.  O'Neil's paintings
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Otto Pankok brings German Gypsies to Greenwich

Ralko in Springtime - Otto Pankok exhibition poster
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Gypsy Roma Travellers History Month has provided the backdrop to many events around the capital and beyond this year, celebrating modern Gypsy life styles and reminding us of a sometimes heartbreaking past. The German Holocaust in Europe is one aspect of Gypsy history that is
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Trail blazing summer of Indian Portraiture at the National Portrait Gallery

Kunwar Anop Singh of Devgarh riding with a falcon, Devgarh, Mewar, Rajasthan, attributed to Bakhta, c1776 Museum Rietberg Zuric
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In an international first, The Indian Portrait (1560 -1860) brings together 60 Indian paintings from collections in Europe and beyond to tell the story of Indian portrait painting from the Mughal courts to the salons of the West India Trading Company.The exhibition aims to frame the
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Visual AIDS - Graphic Responses to HIV

Oliver Winchester
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An overview of the history that lies behind some of the design work that came out of the US directly in response to HIV/ AIDS in the late 1980. In 1996 the V&A held a display, Graphic Responses to AIDS, curated by Shaun Cole, and
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Poles In London History

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Marysia Lachowicz picks out some notable Poles who lived in London, and the homes, landmarks and museums that commemorate their lives. Right: One of several portraits of Joseph Conrad held at the National Portrait Gallery. This one is by Walter Tittle and was painted between 1923
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profile picture of Babs Guthrie Articles By:
Babs Guthrie

Babs has worked in the heritage sector for over ten years, with experience working with National, local and online collections.

Special areas of interest are London Egyptophilia, ancient languages, internet geekery, interactive social media, paleontology and hidden histories.

Tweets

Thames boat tour by David Starkey anyone? http://t.co/Q9Vjrl8L http://t.co/36VvRLWk

May 16, 2012 12:42pm 19 hours ago

Tours of London's untold (oh my gosh, untold!) slavery past...... http://t.co/lsXhD1rI

May 15, 2012 11:20pm 1 day ago

Bottoms up at the Liquid history pub quiz at National Maritime Museum this Friday http://t.co/nbz89oEc

May 15, 2012 3:23pm 1 day ago

Tonight on the Southbank poet Peter Daniels will release The Ballad of Captain Rigby at Polari - London's premier... http://t.co/DW9sIta1

May 08, 2012 6:25pm 9 days ago