Rob Ellis
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re-histories.bsky.social
Rob Ellis
@re-histories.bsky.social
1.1K followers 330 following 77 posts
Lecturer and (Public) Historian of madness, mental ill health and LD. Manchester Metropolitan University, Pennine Heritage and the Mental Health Museum.
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re-histories.bsky.social
LD Club meets the Heritage Open Day at Pennine Heritage. Thanks to @mctom.bsky.social, Penny and the pottery team for a fun, interesting and inclusive session.
A selection of house modelled in clay. Each one sits on a small wooden board on a table covered in newspaper.
September 16, 2025 at 10:38 AM
re-histories.bsky.social
Some co-produced art from the final LD club of the year. Inspired by @ionamurphy.bsky.social and input from everyone inc @mctom.bsky.social and @lucyorkate.bsky.social. Might be of interest @roryduplessis.bsky.social
A long piece of white paper is covered with colourful drawings. There are blocks of colour as well as images of buildings, people and trees, to the top right someone has written LD Club 2025.
June 4, 2025 at 8:51 AM
re-histories.bsky.social
Exciting news from Jozefien, one of the Research Fellows on the Asylum: Refugees and Mental Health project. More to follow but I’m jealous of a trip that included the former asylum at Amiens.
A three storey brick building with a pitched roof and two lower level wings to either side. To the left are trees in full lead and grassed area with hedges.
May 21, 2025 at 3:23 PM
re-histories.bsky.social
A view of Manchester from MMU’s Oxford Road campus.
To the front are a number of trees in full green leaf. Part of the building (windows framed in orange) can be seen to the right. On the horizon and under cloudy skies are building of different heights and shapes.
May 21, 2025 at 12:37 PM
re-histories.bsky.social
In Göteborg at an event organised by the wonderful Verusca Calabria at the city’s Medical History Museum. Lots of lovely presentations and workshops and a chance to showcase the ‘bag of tricks’, which resulted from a collaboration with the brilliant @suemoffat.bsky.social and New Vic Borderlines
A cloth mat with colourful artwork and the phrase ‘Bag of Tricks’ at the bottom. There are sever items in the mat including an artist’s mode, a pencil and a mini blackbird on to which someone has chalked a smiley face.
May 8, 2025 at 9:12 AM
re-histories.bsky.social
This week’s theme at LD club was crime and punishment (not Dr Who!). A great session with Laura leading on and helping with the building process.
Nine pale blue boxes are clustered together on a table. They represent police boxes, but are designed in different ways using felt tip pens and other items that have been glued on. A police box is often referred to as a Tardis in the UK because of the Tv programme, Dr Who.
April 2, 2025 at 8:27 AM
re-histories.bsky.social
Fantastic venue for the #lcc60 conference and great line up too!
What looks like a three storey building. There is a green door with arched windows to either side. On the second storey there are three windows and on the pitched roof there is one. Now home to the London School of architecture the building is a former church. To the front of the building on the right there are large bins - one black, one green and to the left is the back of a parked car.
March 27, 2025 at 10:28 AM
re-histories.bsky.social
Another pic from our LD group, hosted by Pennine Heritage. At the end of last year, Trustee Judith helped us plant some bulbs. Nice to see them starting to flower in the spring sunshine.
A patch of grass dotted with spring flowers including miniature yellow daffodils and white and purple crocuses.
March 11, 2025 at 2:24 PM
re-histories.bsky.social
An undated but early 20th century view of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, before it was quite the seaside destination it is today. Oysters, fresh from the beds anyone!? Image from the South Pennine Archives, hosted by Pennine Heritage.
This pic shows a busy beach with holidaymakers, horses be carriages and people selling food. The beach road is lined with buildings and there is a large hotel on the cliff above. The text reads - This is a very good photograph of Scarborough beach early this century, since it shows so many details of working life at the seaside, when holidays were becoming commonplace among richer families. One or two women are selling fish, and dressed in hats and shawls, despite the sunshine. A woman can be seen carry the trestle across for her table ready to start work and advertiser are ‘Oysters fresh from the Beds’.
March 4, 2025 at 5:08 PM
re-histories.bsky.social
It’s pancake day at LD club. We didn’t have the right equipment or even the right ingredients but we muddled through and ended up with an approximation of Yorkshire puddings. Might not look like it but they were very tasty.
12 Yorkshire puddings in a Yorkshire pudding tray.
March 4, 2025 at 12:48 PM
re-histories.bsky.social
A long but productive day at the Mental Health Museum and a chance to revisit the labyrinth too!
A labyrinth path on shades of green grass edged by bricks. In the centre is a youngish tree. In the background are green bushes, with taker trees behind.
February 26, 2025 at 5:14 PM
re-histories.bsky.social
A view of Manchester from the moors of the West Riding of Yorkshire.
In the foreground, are the browns of moorland with low hills behind. A long way in the distance can be seen Manchester’s high rise buildings. The sky is cloudy but beams of sunlight break through.
February 23, 2025 at 12:23 PM
re-histories.bsky.social
Lots of great panels at #WhoCares2025. This one included Hilary Marland, Len Smith, Han Dee and two of the organisers! Thanks to Cécile Birks @clairedeligny.bsky.social @laurencedubois.bsky.social @embfauquert.bsky.social and Laetitia Sansonetti for a great couple of days.
A large lecture hall screen dominates the photo. In front of it sit a seven people, five of who are part of a panel. The backs of the heads of several members of the audience can be seen. They are sat in tiered rows.
February 10, 2025 at 10:18 AM
re-histories.bsky.social
Final day at #WhoCares2025 and an opportunity to think about old and new paradigms of ‘care’.
A view of the old Salpêtrière hospital. A domed roof is in the middle with low rise wings to the left and right. In the foreground is a lawned area and a few trees. The ‘new’ Salpêtrière hospital. A modernish high rise block dominates the picture. The low rise entrance has a sign which reads Hospital Universitaire La Pitie Salpêtrière. A modern map of the Salpêtrière hospital site for current patients and service users. Block and departments are coloured in blue, green and orange. A one story Terrance type building used for psychiatric patients at the Salpêtrière hospital. Each room or cell consists of one window and one door with a small stool to the front. The front of the building is covered by a verandah supported by columns with a lawned area.
February 8, 2025 at 1:58 PM
re-histories.bsky.social
Great panel on art and creativity at #WhoCares2025. Papers by Rachel Wilson and Fabienne Moine. This slide from the latter maybe of interest @valbold.bsky.social
In a lecture theatre the speaker sits in front of a large screen which includes the text of a poem called ‘Crichton’. It reads inspiration, a scene of great beauty, to paint to write to learn to play, to comprehend those labelled lunatic, ease minds in trouble and confusion, a model example, of how to heal, Crichton.
February 7, 2025 at 10:16 AM
re-histories.bsky.social
Great to be at the #WhoCares2025 conference at Paris Nantererre. An interesting programme kicks off with a key note by an old friend, Rory Du Plessis. Thanks to @clairedeligny.bsky.social, @laurencedubois.bsky.social and the organising committee. @sshmedicine.bsky.social
Dr Rory Du Plessis stands to the left of this photo as he delivers his keynote lecture. To his right a large screen shows a ppt slide of case book text. The chair of the session (seated) and the backs of the heads of some of the delegates can be seen, On the left of this photos is ‘I See You’ a collection of poems by Rory Du Plessis. To the right is the cover of the Who Cares conference programme. It includes a colour image of Bethlem Hospital taken from Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress.
February 6, 2025 at 10:33 AM
re-histories.bsky.social
Some history inspired building work with our learning disability group this week. A team effort to recreate some of the scenes that can be found in Hebden Bridge.
There are several models of buildings in Hebden Bridge made from old boxes, card, and tissue paper.
February 5, 2025 at 8:06 AM
re-histories.bsky.social
A vision of London. The old, including the Bishopsgate Institute, and the new, including 30 St Mary Axe (the Gherkin) between Liverpool Street and Spitalfields.
A London street scape. Older buildings are dwarfed by newer glass and metal structures. There is a bus lane visible on one side of the road and a red London bus heading towards the camera on the other.
January 27, 2025 at 11:58 AM
re-histories.bsky.social
Nutclough Wood at Hebden Bridge
A wooded area with youngish trees and steep banks to either side of a small stream. The safe several small waterfalls.
January 21, 2025 at 3:53 PM
re-histories.bsky.social
Fantastic Asylum: Refugees and Mental Health project team visit to Ally Pally yesterday. Great to see behind the scenes at such an interesting venue.
A radio and Tv transmitter tower sits atop a five? storey building at Alexandra Palace. A blue plaque at Ally Pally describing the history of BBC transmissions at the the site dating back to 1936. A view of the theatre at Ally Pally from its stage. Seats have been removed from the stalls and are places in racks so the space can be used in multiple ways.
January 17, 2025 at 9:02 AM
re-histories.bsky.social
Sorting through some papers and found a copy of the Japanese version of a Bag of Tricks, a mental health resource kit I co-produced with the wonderful New Vic Borderlines team.
This is an artwork showing three naive heads and faces. On each is written one of the the following: new ways of seeing; new ways of thinking; new ways of feeling. The text above and below the artwork is in Japanese and represents the guidelines for The Bag Of Tricks mental health resource kit.
January 13, 2025 at 11:34 AM
re-histories.bsky.social
Frozen Rob, frozen canal at Hebden Bridge. Clear and bright, unlike the photo!
Looking down the canal from a bridge at Hebden bridge. Much of the water is frozen. To the right, there are canal barges, some with snow on them. To the left by the tow path there are one or two buildings. The sun is low but the sky is blue.
January 9, 2025 at 3:16 PM
re-histories.bsky.social
Funny and thought provoking. Recommended anyway but definitely for those interested in the histories of mental ill health and the limits of support in the c21st.
An advertisement on BBC iPlayer for the comedy series ‘Alma’s Not Normal’. The writer and start Sophie Willian (Alma) is pictured sitting on a pink moped. She is wearing colourful, red and white jacket.
January 9, 2025 at 11:30 AM
re-histories.bsky.social
Festive advertising for those last minute gifts. The box does look colourful. Merry Christmas!
A black and white drawing advertising cigarettes. A toy soldier stands next to a doll and holds a cigarette. The heading reads this Christmas give du Maurier. Behind is a box of cigarettes decorated with Christmas figures including Father Christmas
December 24, 2024 at 10:41 AM
re-histories.bsky.social
Feeling fagged? Have a banana (from 1936).
A black and white advert for Fyffes bananas. It asks ‘On your feet all day?’ And explains that it’s no wonder ‘you feel fagged’. It includes a photograph of a smiling postman and an instruction to ‘have a banana’.
December 16, 2024 at 12:12 PM