Inspired by. The BBC, British Museum and Manchester re-write history.

There’s a revolution in the archives as the BBC and British Museum attempt to document world history, while Manchester’s museums and galleries make sure they get in on the act

An old hankie, a compass and some old computer parts: this doesn’t sound like a list of world-changing objects, does it? And yet it is: the handkerchief in question depicts the Peterloo Massacre; the compass was used by an escapee from the POW camp made famous by The Great Escape; and those computer parts belong to the world’s first commercial computer. And all of them are on display in Manchester.

In fact, these objects and others form part of a new nationwide project recently launched by the BBC and the British Museum. Called A History of the World in 100 Objects, this does exactly what it promises: it tells the story of human beings through the products they invented. And while the main part of A History of the World concentrates on 100 objects drawn from the British Museum’s archives (and describes them in a series of 100 radio broadcasts), our local museums have got together with BBC Radio Manchester to compile their own list of the top ten Mancunian objects that articulate both our own and global history.

Alongside the handkerchief and compass is a sundial made for the Liverpool Road Station in Manchester (the world’s first passenger railway, no less) and the remains of a Roman altar. The full list of objects can be seen here.

So what does this list tell us of Manchester’s past? It speaks of ordinary folk demanding the right to vote (and risking their lives in the process); of men who just wouldn’t take it lying down, and of policemen who should have known better. It whispers of the horrors of slavery and the bloody struggle for emancipation, and it tells the story of inventions, like the computer, that even now effect the way we live, work and play.

It’s the kind of story we at Creative Tourist, and the museums and galleries who support us, are proud to tell. It’s the kind of story that’s peppered with contradictions and dark moments, but which, ultimately, reflects the independent, imaginative kind of place that Manchester is. And with that in mind, Creative Tourist will feature inspirational historic objects and artefacts throughout the History of the World project and beyond. Check out our Inspired By series and keep your eyes peeled as we unveil some of the wonderful (and occasionally wacky) objects held in Manchester’s museums collections. Manchester’s museums and archives – not so dry and dusty now, eh?

Image: Oliver Philpot’s compass, as used in the ‘Wooden Horse’ escape from Stalag Luft III in 1943. Courtesy Imperial War Museum.

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