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nataliesmith.bsky.social
Natalie M. Smith
@nataliesmith.bsky.social
1.2K followers 980 following 97 posts
Associate lecturer at @mhafhs.bsky.social; Rettig Fellow. History PhD on the Swedish Empire & identity from St Andrews. Swedish & Sami History, history of empire, science and knowledge. Also expect baking, crocheting and cats 🐈
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nataliesmith.bsky.social
Natalie M. Smith @nataliesmith.bsky.social · Dec 11
Last week, I was awarded my PhD in history from the University of St Andrews 🎉

A summary of my thesis, which examines the intellectual legacies of the swedish empire, can be found here: share.google/KfNonvidgQga... #skystorians
nataliesmith.bsky.social
Just over 1 month left to get your abstracts in! #CfP #History #Skystorians #MilHist #MinorityHistory
nataliesmith.bsky.social Natalie M. Smith @nataliesmith.bsky.social · Nov 28
📢 CALL FOR PAPERS: Marginal Militaries: Navigating Historical Boundaries, Differences, and Experiences at the Military Periphery

Conference date: 22-23 October, 2026
Location: @forsvarshogskolan.bsky.social Stockholm, Sweden (hybrid participation tbc)
Cfp Deadline: 28 February, 2026
CfP: Marginal Militaries: Navigating Historical Boundaries, Differences and Experiences at the Military Periphery From enslaved soldiers in republican-era Rome to foreign mercenaries in the Thirty-Years War and commonwealth soldiers in the World Wars, militaries have never been monolithic organisations. they have served as key sites in the formation of state power and different kinds of collective belongings. Yet the boundaries that determine who may serve, under what conditions and on whose behalf have never been fixed as these boundaries have shifted in response to changing configurations of citizenship, empire, class, gender, race/ethnicity, religion, physical capacities and national identity. Militaries have functioned both as mechanism for producing social hierarchies, and as arenas in which such hierarchies are negotiated, contested and reconfigured. This conference explores how lines of inclusion and exclusion have been drawn, negotiated and experienced within military organisations across diverse historical periods and geographical contexts. The aim is to foster a nuanced conversation that broadens our understanding of military institutions by focusing on the experiences and narratives of those often marginalised within them. We welcome contributions which examine how distinctions such as the following have been historically constructed, negotiated and embodied/experienced within and/or in relation to military institutions, organisations and structures: Race, ethnicity and minority status: Gender, gender-identity/non-conformity and sexuality Nationality, migration and statelessness: Religion: Disability status: While the emphasis is on historical perspectives, proposals are invited from scholars working in adjacent fields (political science, cultural studies). It will be held 22-23 October, 2026 the Swedish Defence University, Stockholm, Sweden. We are applying for funding to hold it fully in person, but depending on the outcome, it could be a hybrid event. Please submit a preliminary title of maximum 150 characters and an abstract of maximum 350 words to MarginalMilitaries@gmail.com by no later than February 28. If you have any questions, please get in touch! Regards, Natalie Smith & Daniel Stridh
January 26, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
whaireland.bsky.social
Just a week to go to get those abstracts in. We are really looking forward to putting the programme together for our conference in Limerick - happening 29 & 30 May 2026.
whaireland.bsky.social Women’s History Association of Ireland @whaireland.bsky.social · Dec 3
We are delighted this afternoon to announced the CFP for the 36th annual WHAI conference 2026. The conference will be held at Mary I Limerick on 29 & 30 May 2026. Closing dates for submissions on the theme of 'Gain' is 31 Jan. 2026.
sites.google.com/view/whai202...
WHAI2026
Welcome to the homepage for the next Women's History Association of Ireland conference. Our next annual conference will take place 29-30 May 2026 at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. The conferenc...
sites.google.com
January 26, 2026 at 7:38 AM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
weirdmedieval.bsky.social
a book light, italy, 15th century
a medieval drawing of a blue man reading a book with a lamp suspended from his tall, curved hat
January 26, 2026 at 1:44 PM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
socialhistsoc.bsky.social
📣Apply for Small Grants Funding!

Are you looking to conduct research into social or cultural history? Do you need support with archival visits, organising a conference, or buying specialist equipment?

⏰Our next funding deadline is 1 March

socialhistory.org.uk/funding/smal...
Small Grants
The Social History Society maintains a Small Grants Fund to support our members to carry out research activities and hold events. We give priority to activities and event that would otherwise remai…
socialhistory.org.uk
January 23, 2026 at 4:52 PM
nataliesmith.bsky.social
⛄️
A tiny snowman
January 1, 2026 at 12:02 PM
nataliesmith.bsky.social
Last year, just before moving to Sweden, a lady named Joyce from a local Facebook group taught me how to knit, and I thought I'd share what I've made since then
January 1, 2026 at 10:22 AM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
joshuajfriedman.com
Goat down! I repeat: Goat down! www.dn.se/sverige/stor...
Auto-translation of news site: Storm Johannes overturned the Gävle goat. The Gävle goat has once again met an unfortunate fate.
December 27, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
drdanielletw.bsky.social
Postdoc Opportunity!

University of Southern Denmark - 3-year postdoc position in Medieval Studies

networks.h-net.org/jobs/69652/u...
University of Southern Denmark - 3-year postdoc position in medieval studies | H-Net
networks.h-net.org
December 22, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
scilicetblog.bsky.social
Feeling the winter chill? ❄️

Ever wondered “Should royal monkeys wear sweaters” when it's cold out? You’re not alone! Let's take a look at a letter letter from Olof von Dalin to Carl Linnaeus, translated by @nataliesmith.bsky.social on the topic:

scilicet.org.uk/should-royal...

#Skystorians
December 15, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
tedmccormick.bsky.social
discussed this in seminar yesterday, albeit with reference to “race science” generally. If you understand science as a historical phenomenon then the question is what was science then, not whether it would count as science now, and the implication is that what science is now is not forever, either
December 4, 2025 at 1:24 PM
nataliesmith.bsky.social
Reminder for anyone wanting to submit an abstract before the holidays!
nataliesmith.bsky.social Natalie M. Smith @nataliesmith.bsky.social · Nov 28
📢 CALL FOR PAPERS: Marginal Militaries: Navigating Historical Boundaries, Differences, and Experiences at the Military Periphery

Conference date: 22-23 October, 2026
Location: @forsvarshogskolan.bsky.social Stockholm, Sweden (hybrid participation tbc)
Cfp Deadline: 28 February, 2026
CfP: Marginal Militaries: Navigating Historical Boundaries, Differences and Experiences at the Military Periphery From enslaved soldiers in republican-era Rome to foreign mercenaries in the Thirty-Years War and commonwealth soldiers in the World Wars, militaries have never been monolithic organisations. they have served as key sites in the formation of state power and different kinds of collective belongings. Yet the boundaries that determine who may serve, under what conditions and on whose behalf have never been fixed as these boundaries have shifted in response to changing configurations of citizenship, empire, class, gender, race/ethnicity, religion, physical capacities and national identity. Militaries have functioned both as mechanism for producing social hierarchies, and as arenas in which such hierarchies are negotiated, contested and reconfigured. This conference explores how lines of inclusion and exclusion have been drawn, negotiated and experienced within military organisations across diverse historical periods and geographical contexts. The aim is to foster a nuanced conversation that broadens our understanding of military institutions by focusing on the experiences and narratives of those often marginalised within them. We welcome contributions which examine how distinctions such as the following have been historically constructed, negotiated and embodied/experienced within and/or in relation to military institutions, organisations and structures: Race, ethnicity and minority status: Gender, gender-identity/non-conformity and sexuality Nationality, migration and statelessness: Religion: Disability status: While the emphasis is on historical perspectives, proposals are invited from scholars working in adjacent fields (political science, cultural studies). It will be held 22-23 October, 2026 the Swedish Defence University, Stockholm, Sweden. We are applying for funding to hold it fully in person, but depending on the outcome, it could be a hybrid event. Please submit a preliminary title of maximum 150 characters and an abstract of maximum 350 words to MarginalMilitaries@gmail.com by no later than February 28. If you have any questions, please get in touch! Regards, Natalie Smith & Daniel Stridh
December 15, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
scilicetblog.bsky.social
Happy St Lucy’s Day! To mark the Feast of St Lucy, we thought we would share this petition from Pistoia regarding the renovation of her chapel.
December 12, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
tim-waterman.co.uk
Nominations for the 2026 Society for Disability Studies Award are now open: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com
December 12, 2025 at 9:36 AM
nataliesmith.bsky.social
Last week, I was awarded my PhD in history from the University of St Andrews 🎉

A summary of my thesis, which examines the intellectual legacies of the swedish empire, can be found here: share.google/KfNonvidgQga... #skystorians
December 11, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
mhafhs.bsky.social
Last week, our colleague, @nataliesmith.bsky.social was officially conferred her PhD in History from the University of St Andrews for her thesis Empire in Flux: The Managing of Otherness and the Creation of Swedishness During Periods of Territorial Expansion and Decline, 1645-1845. Congratulations!
December 10, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
lindaaburnett.bsky.social
Don't miss! 🌿 Pocket Books and Floating Libraries: Books as Collecting Tools in Instructions to Travelers. Anna Svensson will discuss how books haven’t just described the natural world, they’ve also helped collect it. Wed. 10 Dec, 15:00–16:00 CET Zoom link, email: instructingnaturalhistory@uu.se
Book used as a collecting tool. Image is author's own.
December 8, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
mhafhs.bsky.social
On Wednesday 10 Dec, Kristoffer Østnes (Narvik War Museum) will be giving the paper

”Guests in disguise: An Historical case study of German intelligence operations in Narvik c. 1936-April 1940”

Time: 15.00 CET
Location: Raab or zoom. Dm for link

More here: www.linkedin.com/posts/instit...
December 7, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
nataliesmith.bsky.social
📢 CALL FOR PAPERS: Marginal Militaries: Navigating Historical Boundaries, Differences, and Experiences at the Military Periphery

Conference date: 22-23 October, 2026
Location: @forsvarshogskolan.bsky.social Stockholm, Sweden (hybrid participation tbc)
Cfp Deadline: 28 February, 2026
CfP: Marginal Militaries: Navigating Historical Boundaries, Differences and Experiences at the Military Periphery From enslaved soldiers in republican-era Rome to foreign mercenaries in the Thirty-Years War and commonwealth soldiers in the World Wars, militaries have never been monolithic organisations. they have served as key sites in the formation of state power and different kinds of collective belongings. Yet the boundaries that determine who may serve, under what conditions and on whose behalf have never been fixed as these boundaries have shifted in response to changing configurations of citizenship, empire, class, gender, race/ethnicity, religion, physical capacities and national identity. Militaries have functioned both as mechanism for producing social hierarchies, and as arenas in which such hierarchies are negotiated, contested and reconfigured. This conference explores how lines of inclusion and exclusion have been drawn, negotiated and experienced within military organisations across diverse historical periods and geographical contexts. The aim is to foster a nuanced conversation that broadens our understanding of military institutions by focusing on the experiences and narratives of those often marginalised within them. We welcome contributions which examine how distinctions such as the following have been historically constructed, negotiated and embodied/experienced within and/or in relation to military institutions, organisations and structures: Race, ethnicity and minority status: Gender, gender-identity/non-conformity and sexuality Nationality, migration and statelessness: Religion: Disability status: While the emphasis is on historical perspectives, proposals are invited from scholars working in adjacent fields (political science, cultural studies). It will be held 22-23 October, 2026 the Swedish Defence University, Stockholm, Sweden. We are applying for funding to hold it fully in person, but depending on the outcome, it could be a hybrid event. Please submit a preliminary title of maximum 150 characters and an abstract of maximum 350 words to MarginalMilitaries@gmail.com by no later than February 28. If you have any questions, please get in touch! Regards, Natalie Smith & Daniel Stridh
November 28, 2025 at 10:09 AM
nataliesmith.bsky.social
📢 CALL FOR PAPERS: Marginal Militaries: Navigating Historical Boundaries, Differences, and Experiences at the Military Periphery

Conference date: 22-23 October, 2026
Location: @forsvarshogskolan.bsky.social Stockholm, Sweden (hybrid participation tbc)
Cfp Deadline: 28 February, 2026
CfP: Marginal Militaries: Navigating Historical Boundaries, Differences and Experiences at the Military Periphery From enslaved soldiers in republican-era Rome to foreign mercenaries in the Thirty-Years War and commonwealth soldiers in the World Wars, militaries have never been monolithic organisations. they have served as key sites in the formation of state power and different kinds of collective belongings. Yet the boundaries that determine who may serve, under what conditions and on whose behalf have never been fixed as these boundaries have shifted in response to changing configurations of citizenship, empire, class, gender, race/ethnicity, religion, physical capacities and national identity. Militaries have functioned both as mechanism for producing social hierarchies, and as arenas in which such hierarchies are negotiated, contested and reconfigured. This conference explores how lines of inclusion and exclusion have been drawn, negotiated and experienced within military organisations across diverse historical periods and geographical contexts. The aim is to foster a nuanced conversation that broadens our understanding of military institutions by focusing on the experiences and narratives of those often marginalised within them. We welcome contributions which examine how distinctions such as the following have been historically constructed, negotiated and embodied/experienced within and/or in relation to military institutions, organisations and structures: Race, ethnicity and minority status: Gender, gender-identity/non-conformity and sexuality Nationality, migration and statelessness: Religion: Disability status: While the emphasis is on historical perspectives, proposals are invited from scholars working in adjacent fields (political science, cultural studies). It will be held 22-23 October, 2026 the Swedish Defence University, Stockholm, Sweden. We are applying for funding to hold it fully in person, but depending on the outcome, it could be a hybrid event. Please submit a preliminary title of maximum 150 characters and an abstract of maximum 350 words to MarginalMilitaries@gmail.com by no later than February 28. If you have any questions, please get in touch! Regards, Natalie Smith & Daniel Stridh
November 28, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
nataliesmith.bsky.social
This post brings together some reflections on the themes I explored in my Rettig Fellowship, funded by the Swedish National Heritage Board and the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities. The sources (travel diaries, military maps, antiquarian accounts) have been fun to work with!
scilicetblog.bsky.social Scilicet - History of Knowledge @scilicetblog.bsky.social · Nov 26
To conclude our autumn series, @nataliesmith.bsky.social takes us through early modern descriptions of the Swedish landscape.
This article tells us what descriptions say about their authors, about empire, and so called 'objective' perspectives.

#Skystorians #Sweden

scilicet.org.uk/swedish-land...
Map showing Russia’s attack on Pirtmäki camp in Finland, by Barthold Anders Ennes, 1790.
November 26, 2025 at 3:54 PM
nataliesmith.bsky.social
This post brings together some reflections on the themes I explored in my Rettig Fellowship, funded by the Swedish National Heritage Board and the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities. The sources (travel diaries, military maps, antiquarian accounts) have been fun to work with!
scilicetblog.bsky.social Scilicet - History of Knowledge @scilicetblog.bsky.social · Nov 26
To conclude our autumn series, @nataliesmith.bsky.social takes us through early modern descriptions of the Swedish landscape.
This article tells us what descriptions say about their authors, about empire, and so called 'objective' perspectives.

#Skystorians #Sweden

scilicet.org.uk/swedish-land...
Map showing Russia’s attack on Pirtmäki camp in Finland, by Barthold Anders Ennes, 1790.
November 26, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
lauropea.bsky.social
A bilingual Dano-Norwegian/northern Sámi catechism from 1728, afaik the first printed book in Northern Sámi
book title page in gothic print, dano-norwegian and sami facing one another
November 25, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
emilyennis.bsky.social
This is a fantastic opportunity from MERL!
themerl.bsky.social The Museum of English Rural Life @themerl.bsky.social · Nov 25
Are you a PhD student & interested in using museum collections in your teaching or research?

We're running a *free* doctoral training programme for students at any institution to learn about working with collections.

Find out more:

collections.reading.ac.uk/whats-on/
Two students look at objects in the reading room at The Museum of English Rural Life.
November 25, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
antnlj.bsky.social
Nu finns det en doktorandtjänst i idé- och lärdomshistoria att söka i Lund.

lu.varbi.com/se/what:job/...
Doktorand i idé- och lärdomshistoria
Om utbildningen Information om forskarutbildningen vid Humanistiska och teologiska fakulteterna finns på https://www.ht.lu.se/utbildning/forskarutbildning/ . Utbildningen bedrivs på plats i Lund. Ar
lu.varbi.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Reposted by Natalie M. Smith
scilicetblog.bsky.social
Where would we be without Google? Before the age of the internet lots of questions went unanswered.

In this week's article @jamesafox.bsky.social takes us through a curious list of questions compiled by Leonard Wheatcroft, a 17th c. man from Derbyshire.
#Skystorians
scilicet.org.uk/where-would-...
Ashover’s parish church
November 19, 2025 at 3:26 PM