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massobsarchive.bsky.social
Mass Observation Archive
@massobsarchive.bsky.social
2.9K followers 610 following 81 posts
An archive of everyday life, thought and feeling in the UK. Based at The Keep in East Sussex. Find out more at massobs.org.uk

Find out more: massobs.org.uk
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massobsarchive.bsky.social
A big thank you to everyone that came and spoke to us at @ihr.bsky.social yesterday! We loved chatting to everyone about all the different ways MO materials could be used in all manner of research!
Suzanne, Ellie and Kirsty are stood behind a stall covered in leaflets. They look thrilled to be there.
November 5, 2025 at 11:16 AM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
Well, have you?

🗃️
November 3, 2025 at 4:38 PM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
Come and spend Christmas with Nella Last, our most famous diarist! We'll be reading diary extracts from Nella, as well as some of our other early MO diarists.

Wednesday 17th December, 2-4 at The Keep. Tickets are free, but limited, book yours here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/christmas-...
Banner image advertising 'Christmas with Nella'
October 27, 2025 at 10:49 AM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
Our next event, 'Everyday Life and the Crisis Ordinary in Middletown, U.S.A.' is now open for booking! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/everyday-l...
September 29, 2025 at 11:38 AM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
We've been having a look through some of the photographs from when the papers from Mass Observation arrived at @sussex.ac.uk! We won't lie, it makes very glad we're working with the materials now that they're boxed up and catalogued...
A black and white photograph taken in the early 1970s. There are shelves to the left of the photo. They reach from the floor to the ceiling and are filled with stacks and stacks and stacks of paper....To the right a white man in shirt and tie (Tom Harrisson) is stood at a table looking at something.
September 25, 2025 at 9:57 AM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
The third part of our current directive is all about kitchens 👨‍🍳 We enjoyed this anecdote about the dangers of open plan kitchen/dining!
a scan of handwritten writing it reads 'I mentioned to an old lady how people like a kitchen where they can chat to their guests while they are cooking. The lady said 'I couldn't have that, I don't want people to know that I have to sieve my gravy.'
September 9, 2025 at 10:39 AM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
Although that doesn't explain this...Does it?
A black and white photo of what looks like a ferret at the bottom of some stairs
August 21, 2025 at 1:23 PM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
These photos are all from one response to our 2006 Autumn directive 'Your Home'. The writer and his partner have just moved house, so perhaps many of the images are objects that moved with them?
a black and white photograph of a bedroom with a bed and a television mounted on the wall
August 21, 2025 at 1:23 PM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
The thing with MO is, sometimes you read what a writer has sent and it all makes sense... but other times, you just have to try and figure out...
a black and white photo of what looks like stone fingurine of a seal
August 21, 2025 at 1:23 PM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
These documents are from our topic collection 'Dogs in Wartime'. Suzanne, our Engagement Manager, often uses these materials with school groups as a way to demonstrate both the surprising materials we have in our care, but also how war impacts all areas of life.

🗃️
A typed piece of paper from the 1940s. It is summarising from research about what people should do with their pets during war. It talks about how dogs cannot go in public shelters but a scheme has been set up where people put a notice in their window which tells pet owners that should there be a air raid and they can't get home they can shelter in this house. A scan of an information booklet titles 'Your Dog and Cat in Wartime'
July 30, 2025 at 3:19 PM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
What did you dream last night? Were you in a sports hall? Were the colours and textures of paper merging with words to create a complete experience of reading? And did the strange lady in the cupboard slowly turn into very small snakes? No?

Reference: SxMOA2/1/73/2/1/124
July 22, 2025 at 3:35 PM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
As well as this, she also provides a point of view of the election which see less of at MO, not the person voting, but the person working at the poll station. She also reflects on the good news that she's been able to buy a new guitar and her fruit plants might have fruit this summer!
The writer writes that she didn't think this news was good enough to share and that it was also her late Grandad's birthday and that despite her atheism perhaps this has something to do with her luck. She then talks about her experiences of working at her local polling station which she enjoys doing. As she works at dual poll there is a friendly competition between the two to see who ends up with the most voters She finishes by providing examples of stories from the polls, for example a man who drove in rush to vote only to be turned way because he didn't have ID or an older lady who didn't have ID and tried to use a framed photo of herself as proof. Finally the writer concludes with her last bits of good news which are that with the money she's earnt she's been able to buy herself guitar, and that is wonderful to be able to buy something with her own money and it be hers. Her final bit of good news is that blueberry plants she planted are flowering and she hopes they will have fruit this summer.
July 10, 2025 at 3:22 PM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
However, we were moved to receive this response from one of our writers, in which she begins by speaking about the fact that it's the two year anniversary since her final brain surgery
A piece of handwritten text by a 20 year old writer. She talks about the fact it is two years since her last brain surgery and as a result she has stopped having seizures. She speaks about how lucky she is to be too healthy to have to be in hospital anymore and that she might grow her hair again, something she had held off doing as part of her felt she might have to cut it again. She also talks about how lucky she is to be older than she ever thought she might be and how recounting her experiences in therapy make her feel strong and powerful.
July 10, 2025 at 3:22 PM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
When people ask us what the material in Mass Observation is like, we're just going to start showing them this now
June 19, 2025 at 11:37 AM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
We've got another wonderful blog post up from a visiting PhD researcher! This time Natalie Wood (@manchester.ac.uk‬) considers the what questions early MO raises for anthropology today massobs.org.uk/2025/06/16/w...
June 18, 2025 at 3:55 PM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
We guess it's nice to be warned that what you're about to catalogue is boring....🤔
June 17, 2025 at 3:32 PM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
In 2008 we asked our writers about the 'ups and downs of friendship'. This heartfelt response to directive always moves us! We were lucky to have this writer respond to our directives for nearly two decades!
A typed piece of paper. The writer is answering questions on the ups and downs of friendship. Across the three pieces of paper he talks about missing his friend who he met when he was 19. The writer continues saying that as time progressed they both moved and bought houses near each together. After 20 years of friendship his friend's marriage broke down, and the writer suffered with anxiety and depression. They supported each other through these hard times. They both made it out the other side, retired early and looked forward to spending their retirement together. The suddenly his friend died at the age of 58. The writer says he felt devastated, and whilst he is happily married and has wonderful children and friends he still misses his friend on a daily basis. The writer says that life is not the same without his friend, they were friends for 37 year. He says that he didn't want to reflect on the ways friends fall out because it makes him too sad to think of friendships going sour when he misses his friend so much.
June 12, 2025 at 3:28 PM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
Cataloguing has begun on our 12th May diaries! So far, we've received over 250 diaries, all in differing forms, including this watercolour we received in the post yesterday 🎨 Not sent us yours yet? Don't worry. There's no deadline for sending your diary!
May 29, 2025 at 9:56 AM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
Us again! We were just wondering what you got up to yesterday? There's no deadline to take part in our annual diary day, so if you fancy writing, drawing or collaging your day yesterday we'd love to have it! You can submit your diary here: universityofsussex.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
A collage of photos and ripped paper. In the middle it says '12th May'
May 13, 2025 at 12:26 PM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
Other items in our collection demonstrate how many it was a day like any other, such as this diary from a writer in Bognor Regis
A typed VE day diary in which the author rises, goes to the shops, listens to the wireless and then goes to bed.
May 8, 2025 at 1:07 PM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
These extracts are observations and interview responses collected by our Observers on, and in the lead up to, VE day. The materials we hold from VE day do of course feature celebrations and parties, but the vast majority demonstrate people's exhaustion, grief and continuing anxieties 🗃 #History
A typed piece of text with dialogue expressing someone's hesitancy about whether or not there will actually be piece . Observations from a scene in London in the lead up to the announcement of VE day. It seems that the mood is sombre. The writer describes very little talk and feels that the streets are emptier than usual.
May 8, 2025 at 1:07 PM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
Anyone else jealous of this day? Drawing flowers, having a lemon and lime snow cone, and turning your slide into a waterslide sounds pretty idyllic to us!
April 29, 2025 at 3:22 PM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
It’s day two of #britsoc2025 and we’re back on our stall ready to take all things MO and also give out some of our lovely notebooks! We’ll be here all day so do pop by if you have a chance
A white woman stands behind a table covered in leaflets. A table cloth hangs over the table and says Mass Observation A close up of various leaflets and two brown notebooks with gold logos on the front that say ‘MO’
April 24, 2025 at 8:19 AM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
In our latest directive we asked our writers about any good news they might have received or heard recently. H260, who has been writing for us since 1981, was in no short supply of good news from her 16 great grandchildren!
A scan of a handwritten document. It is written by a retired shop keeper who is 91. She is writing about the good news she has received recently. It includes her great grandson passing his driving test, two great-grand daughters becoming sports captains and also being provided a wheelchair by her daughters so that she can now go outside in the sunshine.
April 23, 2025 at 8:19 AM
massobsarchive.bsky.social
“Valuable”, “Cathartic”, “Powerful”, “Therapeutic”. We recently hosted a workshop with of mothers who gave birth during the pandemic, facilitated by doctoral researcher Katie White (Sussex). Stories & photos from the Covid collection were used to prompt memories and generate further material.
An quote from a piece of writing from the archive. It reads: 'When I think about how my concept of time is changing now that lockdown is easing, and how it will change in the future, it’s very hard to envisage it now that I am expecting a baby. Society is opening up again, but because I am pregnant I still can’t do a lot of things I used to do with my free time. Even though cinemas, museums and restaurants are re-opening again I am supposed to avoid social contact because I am pregnant and therefore categorised as ‘vulnerable’, so I think I am best avoiding these activities for the time being. My local gym and pool is still closed. A lot of my friends are still nervous about meeting up and using public transport so I haven’t seen much of them. I’m quite bored of lockdown routine, but I can’t do a lot of things I used to do because I need to avoid too many people. Thankfully my boredom is offset by all the things I need to do before the baby is born. In this respect I feel that there is not enough time! During my pregnancy my partner hasn’t been able to come with me to my scans. I have seen the baby three times, and he only saw him once, at 12 weeks, when we went for a private scan. He wasn’t able to be there when I found out the gender of the baby at my 20 week scan. It was a shame but we are both quite pragmatic about these things.' A photo of a table with lots of paper and photographs spread across it, there are also plates with biscuits on.
April 9, 2025 at 12:12 PM