Emily Cockayne
@rummage.bsky.social
Cultural/social/materials historian: Hubbub / Cheek by Jowl / Rummage (reuse & recycling) /Penning Poison. Anonymous letters (OUP, 2023) UEA Associate Prof at UEA History. + embroidery & occasional cats.
Agent: Clare Alexander. Website: www.rummage.work
Agent: Clare Alexander. Website: www.rummage.work
Bois Durci plaque, France c.1857 from powdered sawdust (rosewood or ebony) & slaughterhouse blood, steam-heat hydraulically pressed to look like carved hard wood. An ethically complex compound, but my favourite 19thC plastic. These were sometimes stuck onto pianos to make them look more high-end.
November 13, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Bois Durci plaque, France c.1857 from powdered sawdust (rosewood or ebony) & slaughterhouse blood, steam-heat hydraulically pressed to look like carved hard wood. An ethically complex compound, but my favourite 19thC plastic. These were sometimes stuck onto pianos to make them look more high-end.
Context help! I’m trying to fix a possible date on this papier mache snuff box. I *think* the words are “Playing at Hazar”. Anyone got any leads? I suspect the box is e19thc and possibly American.
November 7, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Context help! I’m trying to fix a possible date on this papier mache snuff box. I *think* the words are “Playing at Hazar”. Anyone got any leads? I suspect the box is e19thc and possibly American.
The modern plastics story develops here, with billiard balls. A $10,000 competition in 1863 ramped up experimentation. These English-made 'Crystalate' (cellulose nitrate) balls, sold by Burroughes & Watts, date from the early interwar period. Fears that they could explode were eventually quashed.
November 5, 2025 at 8:28 AM
The modern plastics story develops here, with billiard balls. A $10,000 competition in 1863 ramped up experimentation. These English-made 'Crystalate' (cellulose nitrate) balls, sold by Burroughes & Watts, date from the early interwar period. Fears that they could explode were eventually quashed.
Monix Ivorine Sandwich Flags tell a story about plastics use c. 1930. Monix specialised in printing onto plastic; the company also made tags for garden plants. Possible sandwiches offered: 'cress', ham & tongue, sardine. Reuseable & wipe-cleanable, they straddle the fripperies/utilitarian divide.
November 4, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Monix Ivorine Sandwich Flags tell a story about plastics use c. 1930. Monix specialised in printing onto plastic; the company also made tags for garden plants. Possible sandwiches offered: 'cress', ham & tongue, sardine. Reuseable & wipe-cleanable, they straddle the fripperies/utilitarian divide.
Halex Xylonite 'Cloth Brush', from the late 1930s. Made by the British Xylonite Company, an early plastics manufacturer, based in Hale End, Walthamstow from 1900.
This is one of the objects that forms part of the collection I am using for research for my project at AIAS, Aarhus this year.
This is one of the objects that forms part of the collection I am using for research for my project at AIAS, Aarhus this year.
November 3, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Halex Xylonite 'Cloth Brush', from the late 1930s. Made by the British Xylonite Company, an early plastics manufacturer, based in Hale End, Walthamstow from 1900.
This is one of the objects that forms part of the collection I am using for research for my project at AIAS, Aarhus this year.
This is one of the objects that forms part of the collection I am using for research for my project at AIAS, Aarhus this year.
Back to watercolour sketching, after to-ing and fro-ing to collect plastics for my project here in Aarhus. This cameo brooch is made from early thermoplastics, a melted down set of false teeth. The pink (gum) part is vulcanite, the ivory (tooth) cellulose nitrate - two plastics I am researching.
November 2, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Back to watercolour sketching, after to-ing and fro-ing to collect plastics for my project here in Aarhus. This cameo brooch is made from early thermoplastics, a melted down set of false teeth. The pink (gum) part is vulcanite, the ivory (tooth) cellulose nitrate - two plastics I am researching.
Reposted by Emily Cockayne
Should you find yourself in the general Peterborough area, I'm giving a talk in aid of the John Clare Cottage appeal on Sat 15 Nov, 3pm
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inconvenie...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inconvenie...
Inconvenient People: Madness, Misdiagnosis & the 19th Century
Join Sarah Wise for a talk on Victorian 'madness', misdiagnosis and John Clare - supporting the Clare Cottage thatch appeal.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
October 24, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Should you find yourself in the general Peterborough area, I'm giving a talk in aid of the John Clare Cottage appeal on Sat 15 Nov, 3pm
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inconvenie...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inconvenie...
Reposted by Emily Cockayne
Yarvin is a full-blown techno-fascist and the fact that the University of Oxford sees fit not only to platform him but to give him the floor entirely should sound the loudest alarm bell it's possible to sound about the number of elite fascist sympathizers in the UK right now.
“Following his lecture, Yarvin will debate the legendary British historian David Starkey on history and the future of conservatism.” Everything about this is so cursed. Masks off at the University of Oxford.
October 20, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Yarvin is a full-blown techno-fascist and the fact that the University of Oxford sees fit not only to platform him but to give him the floor entirely should sound the loudest alarm bell it's possible to sound about the number of elite fascist sympathizers in the UK right now.
I live in Denmark at the moment, so haven’t been able to see my new paperback. Back for a flying visit, here she is at Waterstones, on the shelf two books away from PV Glob’s book on bog bodies — which I read as a (morbid) child, sparking my interests in history and Denmark!
October 16, 2025 at 7:42 AM
I live in Denmark at the moment, so haven’t been able to see my new paperback. Back for a flying visit, here she is at Waterstones, on the shelf two books away from PV Glob’s book on bog bodies — which I read as a (morbid) child, sparking my interests in history and Denmark!
Handwriting help needed! What is this place or institution in Lambeth in 1862?
October 13, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Handwriting help needed! What is this place or institution in Lambeth in 1862?
Daily Telegraph today:
September 27, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Daily Telegraph today:
Paperback publication day!
September 25, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Paperback publication day!
Penning Poison is out in paperback soon! Exciting!
September 17, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Penning Poison is out in paperback soon! Exciting!
Danish morning walk:
September 11, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Danish morning walk:
Reposted by Emily Cockayne
🎉Welcome at AIAS today:3️⃣4️⃣ fellows start in either an individual fellowship, in a theme group or in a tandem fellowship. They arrive from diverse research areas with explorative projects to be hosted and transformed at AIAS in an #interdisciplinary, #international community
aias.au.dk/events/show/...
aias.au.dk/events/show/...
Welcome to 34 new fellows at AIAS
Arriving from around the globe and from Aarhus University on 1 September, 34 new AIAS fellows have their first day at AIAS to embark on cutting-edge research projects, becoming a part of the transform...
aias.au.dk
September 1, 2025 at 2:07 PM
🎉Welcome at AIAS today:3️⃣4️⃣ fellows start in either an individual fellowship, in a theme group or in a tandem fellowship. They arrive from diverse research areas with explorative projects to be hosted and transformed at AIAS in an #interdisciplinary, #international community
aias.au.dk/events/show/...
aias.au.dk/events/show/...
One more in the series 'is this the same person many years apart?'
What do we reckon?
What do we reckon?
August 20, 2025 at 7:53 AM
One more in the series 'is this the same person many years apart?'
What do we reckon?
What do we reckon?
Another is this the same person a few years apart. Is he even wearing the same suit? This one is from Swansea, taken in the same photography studio:
August 12, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Another is this the same person a few years apart. Is he even wearing the same suit? This one is from Swansea, taken in the same photography studio:
Does anyone think these photos could be of the same woman, a few years apart?
August 9, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Does anyone think these photos could be of the same woman, a few years apart?
Objects of Poverty edited by @joeharleyhistory.bsky.social & Vicky Holmes, is out in just over a month. It includes a chapter by me about cobbled together whistles. The cover features one of my whistles plus a bonkers barometer.
Pre-order your copy!
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/objects-o...
Pre-order your copy!
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/objects-o...
July 17, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Objects of Poverty edited by @joeharleyhistory.bsky.social & Vicky Holmes, is out in just over a month. It includes a chapter by me about cobbled together whistles. The cover features one of my whistles plus a bonkers barometer.
Pre-order your copy!
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/objects-o...
Pre-order your copy!
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/objects-o...
I last had time to sew in November. I'm trying to get back into it. I'm bad at faces, so apologies to @arifa.bsky.social for my version of the cover of your amazing book (which I loved so much).
Rules : I reuse materials I already own / I can't spend longer sewing than reading
Rules : I reuse materials I already own / I can't spend longer sewing than reading
July 1, 2025 at 4:42 PM
I last had time to sew in November. I'm trying to get back into it. I'm bad at faces, so apologies to @arifa.bsky.social for my version of the cover of your amazing book (which I loved so much).
Rules : I reuse materials I already own / I can't spend longer sewing than reading
Rules : I reuse materials I already own / I can't spend longer sewing than reading
Reposted by Emily Cockayne
And what about the word "HOMO" (in which all letters are crossed out except for the "M"), including a small "z" as part of the M, you may ask?
That's easy and tricky, and here I need a bit of your help.
That's easy and tricky, and here I need a bit of your help.
June 28, 2025 at 7:05 AM
And what about the word "HOMO" (in which all letters are crossed out except for the "M"), including a small "z" as part of the M, you may ask?
That's easy and tricky, and here I need a bit of your help.
That's easy and tricky, and here I need a bit of your help.
Reposted by Emily Cockayne
Bit later than some, but happy to have finally finished my marking and have had a little holiday up in Scotland.
If anyone knows of any teaching opportunities next academic year. Or if anyone needs a freelancer to do some archival work, please get in touch.
If anyone knows of any teaching opportunities next academic year. Or if anyone needs a freelancer to do some archival work, please get in touch.
June 22, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Bit later than some, but happy to have finally finished my marking and have had a little holiday up in Scotland.
If anyone knows of any teaching opportunities next academic year. Or if anyone needs a freelancer to do some archival work, please get in touch.
If anyone knows of any teaching opportunities next academic year. Or if anyone needs a freelancer to do some archival work, please get in touch.
Preorder your copy now!
It’s here! Objects of Poverty: Material Culture in Britain from 1700 www.bloomsbury.com/uk/objects-o...
June 20, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Preorder your copy now!
Reposted by Emily Cockayne
As one of the UEA eight, I think this is a very important question.
Eight compulsory redundancies. Just how much do you hate your staff that you go through the trouble of destroying the livelihoods of these colleagues, for just *eight* salaries. What's that, in relation to the entire operating budget of the university?
www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/s...
www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/s...
Latest update on UEA's financial sustainability plan | UEA
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">A UEA spokesperson said:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Follo...
www.uea.ac.uk
June 18, 2025 at 9:00 AM
As one of the UEA eight, I think this is a very important question.