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David Underdown

David Underdown

@davidunderdown.bsky.social

1.7K followers 1.9K following 1.2K posts

Data Engineer at The National Archives. Digital Preservation/Digital Archiving. Also cycling, bellringing, photography, choral singing, promming and much more

David Edward Underdown was a historian of 17th-century English politics and culture and Professor Emeritus at Yale University. Born at Wells, Somerset, Underdown was educated at the Blue School and Exeter College, Oxford. The books Revel, Riot, and Rebellion and Fire from Heaven won prizes from the North American Conference on British Studies and the New England Historical Association. After retiring from Yale in 1996, Underdown wrote a well-received book about the history of cricket in the Hambledon era, Start of Play. .. more

Political science 34%

History 28%

more

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by David Underdown

Kent Archives @kentarchives.bsky.social · 6h

This #RemembranceDay, revisit our lunchtime talk about the Orchard Family of #Folkestone, presented by archivist Liz Finn.

Liz explores the human cost of the First World War and how archives can help us bring these personal stories to light. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJRc...

Kent Archives Talk | The Orchard Family: Loss, Heartbreak and Remembrance in #Folkestone #WW1

YouTube video by Kent Libraries Registration and Archives

www.youtube.com

Reposted by British Library, Stuart Elden, David Underdown

British Library @britishlibrary.bsky.social · 6h

We’re launching our new catalogue on Monday 8 December.

To keep our collections safe while we do this, access and ordering will be suspended for a week before launch and all requests for 8 December onwards must be made on the new system when it launches.

Find out more: bit.ly/CollectionSu...

A person reaches for an item from a shelf of books.

Reposted by David Underdown

First World War Studies @fwwsjournal.bsky.social · 10h

🕊️November 11, 1918 – The Armistice of Compiègne

On November 11th, 1918, at 11 a.m., The fighting of the First World War came to an end. The armistice ended hostilities, and led to a complex post-war era defined by reconstruction, remembrance, and reimagined international relations. 🧵

Reposted by David Underdown

Glamorgan Archives Archifau Morgannwg @glamarchives.bsky.social · 11h

Today is Armistice Day

This is Mervyn Crawshay, son of Tudor and Maria Crawshay of Dimlands, Llantwit Major, and husband to Violet. He was a Captain in the 5th Dragoon Guards and one of the first to leave for France on active service in August 1914. He died at Messines, Belgium, on 31 October 1914.

Reposted by David Underdown

Henry Wilkinson @hank.mastodon.design.ap.brid.gy · 15h

For the few digipres people that follow me over here, this look into Disney's sound archives is pretty cool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUIao8E-ipM

David Underdown @davidunderdown.bsky.social · 1d

Not this time, I was taking the video

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, David Underdown

Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick @mrcwarwick.bsky.social · 1d

🚨 Archive Job Alert 🚨

📜 Fancy working with our fantastic archive collections?

We're looking for a *new* MRC Manager to lead our service!

Could this be YOU?

Find out more about the role at warwick-careers.tal.net/vx/lang-en-G...

More about the MRC at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...

Five photographs of the Modern Records Centre:
Two students walking outside the main entrance.
A view down the aisle of one of our strongrooms.
A student looking through a photograph album in our seminar room.
Digitisation Assistant at work scanning a volume.
A view of our searchroom, with an Archive Assistant handing out a document to a researcher.

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Elaine Treharne, David Underdown

UK Archive Sector Leadership @uknatarcsector.bsky.social · 1d

Hi there! We’re the Archive Sector Leadership team at The National Archives UK.

We support archives of all types and sizes across England.

Lend us a follow and we’ll keep you updated with opportunities for free training, networking, grants, written guidance and more!
(1/2)

Two people in a repository opening a drawer and examining a large colourful illustration.

Reposted by David Underdown

Lambeth Palace Library @lampallib.bsky.social · 1d

📢 Invitation to tender: we are inviting tenders for a consultancy to advise on the replacement of our current collections management system for archives and manuscripts.

Deadline for applications:

Closing date: 23:00, Thursday 27th November 2025

www.lambethpalacelibrary.info/about-lambet...

A long exposure photo of the front of Lambeth Palace Library.

Reposted by David Underdown

ianVisits @ianvisits.co.uk · 1d

Conservation work has started on one of the most unusual mausoleums in the Roman Catholic world -- the Bedouin tent shaped tomb of Sir Richard Burton and his wife, Lady Isabel.

www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/res...

Restoration of Burton’s Mausoleum starts with aim to reopen the tomb for visits

Conservation work has started on one of the most unusual mausoleums in the Roman Catholic world -- the Bedouin tent shaped tomb of Sir Richard Burton and his wife, Lady Isabel.

www.ianvisits.co.uk

David Underdown @davidunderdown.bsky.social · 2d

The honking card which tend to mar the Putney service (problem of the memorial being right next to Putney Bridge) seemed a little more distant. In a previous year there was a guy in a Royal British Legion fleece on his mobile right through the silence!

David Underdown @davidunderdown.bsky.social · 2d

#UnconfinedWalks another couple of days where I failed to take any photos while I was out. Today, to ring for Remembrance Sunday

Reposted by David Underdown

Daniel F Gosling @thegozfather.bsky.social · 2d

Item descriptions for STAC 5 (Star Chamber proceedings for Elizabeth I) underwent a significant overhaul this year, updating 40,000 items to include party names, county, and much more. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1...

Series description for STAC 5

Reposted by David Underdown

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2d

'British Asian families are being urged to record the experiences of relatives who fought for Britain for “future generations” as data reveals half the British public don’t know that Indian members of the armed forces served in the second world war.' 1/2

British Asian families urged to share stories of ‘greatest generation’ who fought for Britain

Half of UK public unaware of contribution made by 2.5m British Asian members of armed forces who served in second world war

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by David Underdown

Simon Jones @simonjones.bsky.social · 2d

The 11am silence on Armistice Day, London, 11th November 1925.

Photo of crowded London streets, open top buses crowded with people observing silence. (Rol Photo Agency via Gallica https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b53155602x)

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Rebecca Williams, Michael H. Whitworth , and 2 more Lesley A. Hall, Rebecca Williams, Michael H. Whitworth, Dolly Jørgensen, David Underdown

Charlotte Abney @abney.bsky.social · 3d

For those with a scholarly interest in Franklin, Watson, and other pioneering researchers in molecular biology, @sciencehistory.org has just opened our new landmark collection of their papers, and applications for research fellowships are currently open:

www.sciencehistory.org/hmbc

History of Molecular Biology Collection

This unparalleled collection includes Rosalind Franklin's historic 'Photo 51,' which revealed the double-helix structure of DNA.

www.sciencehistory.org

Reposted by David Underdown

Catherine Fletcher @cathfletcher.bsky.social · 4d

ICYMI yesterday afternoon a fantastic new digital resource pulling together data on the Roman road network has just launched. Explore at:

Reposted by David Underdown

Don Dechert @dondechert.bsky.social · 4d

I guffawed.

Luca @lucagalletti.bsky.social · 5d

Both the dog’s cool confidence and the cat’s bitchiness are hilarious.

David Underdown @davidunderdown.bsky.social · 5d

The National Archives' contribution to #wdpd2025 www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blogs/digita...

Celebrating digital records

Explore this blog to learn about The National Archive's digital preservation work and how you can preserve records that matter to you.

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Reposted by Elaine Treharne, David Underdown

Paige Roberts @paige-roberts.bsky.social · 5d

new British Library digital preservation policy
www.bl.uk/stories/blog...

"The policy is built around 4 interdependent principles that shape the BL approach to digital preservation: pragmatism, consistency, risk awareness, and sustainability."

via Maureen Pennock

#DigiPres #iPres25 #wdpd25

Launching our new Digital Preservation Policy

On World Digital Preservation Day 2025, we’re pleased to announce the release of our new Digital Preservation Policy.

David Underdown @davidunderdown.bsky.social · 5d

#UnconfinedWalks Didn’t get around to photos yesterday. Rather grey on the way to the office today

Reposted by David Underdown

Angela Puggioni @angelafromdpc.bsky.social · 5d

🎤 🪇Who's in for a musical intermezzo on #WDPD2025?? Colleagues from the Dutch Digital Heritage Network @netwerkdigitaalerfgoed gathered to discuss their mission to preserve all digital cultural heritage: buff.ly/xvqRuXy
#RickAstley #DigitalPreservation #WhyPreserve #ThisIsWhy #digipres

The Dutch Digital Heritage Band Preserve You

Rolling minutes from rich meetings Colleagues from the Dutch Digital Heritage Network gathered to discuss their mission to preserve our digital cultural heritage. Our fruitful meetings have resulted…

www.youtube.com

Reposted by David Underdown

Digital Preservation Coalition @dpc-chat.digipres.club.ap.brid.gy · 5d

🚨BREAKING NEWS On #wdpd2025, the #dpc has released a new version of the Global #bitlist of Endangered Digital Materials: a powerful call to action from the global #digipres community.

The Bit List identifies the digital materials most at risk of being lost […]

[Original post on digipres.club]

Reposted by David Underdown

Coalition for Networked Information @cni-org.bsky.social · 5d

📹 Presentation recordings from the National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA) Digital Preservation 2025 - Where We're At (Digital Preservation in Uncertain Times) virtual conference are now available. #DigiPres #DigitalPreservation

NDSA's Digital Preservation Conference 2025

Presentation recordings from the National Digital Stewardship Alliance's Digital Preservation Conference held October 9 and 10, 2025 virtually. The conferenc...

Reposted by David Underdown

Helen Dafter @historyhelen123.bsky.social · 5d

Day in the life of a Digital Archivist for #WDPD2025.
First up sharing the results of a staff survey on our internal digital access platform.

Reposted by David Underdown

Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick @mrcwarwick.bsky.social · 5d

Today is World Digital Preservation Day! And we're asking "Why do we preserve"? We preserve because the history of our University is really important to all of its members, past, present and future including a digital record of the changing face of our campus #WDPD2025 #DigiPres

Warwick at 60: The Changing Face of Campus

This exhibition showcases the growth and development of the University of Warwick since 1965. Using photographs from the University Archive, discover how accommodation, faculty buildings and sports…

Reposted by Martin Paul Eve, Charles West, Kris Inwood , and 7 more Martin Paul Eve, Charles West, Kris Inwood, Margot C. Finn, Aileen Fyfe, David Underdown, Katrina Navickas, Elizabeth Ewan, Karin Wulf, Renaud Morieux

Tim Hitchcock @timhitchcock.bsky.social · 6d

Really pleased to announce the launch of the all-new, all-dancing, London Lives website - www.londonlives.org It has been thoroughly re-engineered to facilitate more types of search, and redesigned for phones and tablets. The team very much hopes peope like it. 1/

www.londonlives.org

Reposted by David Underdown

History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · 6d

Guy Fawkes was born around Aprill in 1570 in Stonegate, York. He was baptised at St Michael le Belfrey (below) on the 15th of that month. His father, a Church of England lawyer, died when Guy was eight. His mother later married a Catholic, which, along with Guy’s schooling at St Peter’s

St Michael le Belfrey church York where Guy Fawkes was baptised.

Reposted by Keith Lilley, Margot C. Finn, David Underdown

Lucas Haasis @lhaasis.bsky.social · 6d

What do pirates in Madagascar, a red knitted jumper, the sunken warship Vasa, captivity and colonialism, and the Prize Papers have in common? They're all part of our new online lecture series "Ships & Seafaring 1500–1800". Join us weekly on Mondays, 1pm CET, on Zoom #earlymodern #maritimehistory 🗃️

Reposted by David Underdown

Bryony Hooper @bryonyhooper.bsky.social · 6d

#ipres2025
Ooph, this hit home.
Rosslyn Metz from Emory university's keynote gives a lot of food for thought.

Is openness always good? Should we reconsider our openness in a world focused on exploitation?