Footnotes Of History

After much anticipation we release today our latest Footnotes main series episode: Number 35, on the Bryant and May matchgirls strike of 1888. As always - if you want the backdrop as well as knowing exactly when an episode is coming out and the ability to ask us email questions, join the subscriber list on the homepage: footnotesofhistory.com As you would expect from this kind of episode, we entangle ourselves in centuries of highly politicised labour history, slightly questionable economics and – surprisingly – a number of insights which we really think ought to be better known, one of which includes the historian’s number one mistake: grafting modern views onto the past. So what does a matchgirl want? Well they’re striking for a reason and you’ve got to listen in to find out. The episode will include: · A profile of the idealistic Fabian-socialist writer who exposed conditions at the factory and why she – counterintuitively - didn’t want industrial action! · The White Terror: the deadly chemical in matches