Author Archives

Award-winning journalist and digital history specialist - creating historical content for the web.

• The Hebrides and Goebbels

  By chris holme on May 9, 2012 • ( 8 )

  This film from the new British Council archive is fascinating in many ways. It’s visually sumptuous – the first time I think the Hebrides, previously captured by sharp-eyed photographers like Werner Kissling in monochrome, was portrayed in glorious Technicolor. It weaves a simple dramatic… Read More ›

• A treasure chest of oral histories

  By chris holme on March 13, 2012 • ( 1 )

  

  A key feature of digital history is its capacity to surprise. My good pal and cycling buddy, Iain Monk, who’s from Benbecula in the Western Isles, never knew his paternal grandfather, who died before Iain was born. But looking on… Read More ›

• The Headline that Never Was

  By chris holme on January 25, 2012 • ( 1 )

  More myths surfaced with the sinking of the Titanic than were poor souls lost with the ill-fated liner. Digital history has fuelled an explosion of interest – with a lot more source material available to examine online.Titanic is the focus… Read More ›

• Red Sails in the Solent

  By chris holme on December 15, 2011 • ( 0 )

  An anniversary can be a prompt for a total revamp of a company’s website. This has some merit both in saving costs and integrating historical content into the main corporate story. And it is what Red Funnel, the original ferry operators… Read More ›

• The Women of Royaumont – a unique film

  By chris holme on November 29, 2011 • ( 19 )

  

  This gem from the Scottish Screen Archive shows the work of some extraordinarily brave women – click on the picture to view. It is intriguing in many ways –  as one of the earliest documentaries, perhaps the only moving image… Read More ›

• More Bosch – and no tosh

  By chris holme on November 10, 2011 • ( 1 )

  

  An update from my earlier Bosch post ….there is also some fascinating written material produced for its 125th anniversary. It isn’t that easy to find on Bosch websites but if  you have an interest in the development of the automotive… Read More ›

• Bish Bash Bosch – the first vital spark

  By chris holme on October 25, 2011 • ( 4 )

  

  Ignorance about the history of Germany abounds in the UK, although at least Misha Glenny’s series on Radio 4 is now redressing the balance. School history largely focuses on Hitler and the Nazis and far fewer children are choosing to… Read More ›

• Just another football post

  By chris holme on October 11, 2011 • ( 1 )

  

  Manchester United in 1905/06 Image via Wikipedia Football has always been about finding the net. And there is no doubt that it has found it over the last five years with an explosion in newly-digitised historical material. Digital history is… Read More ›

• Who was the real RS McColl?

  By chris holme on October 4, 2011 • ( 4 )

  

  Another gem from British Pathe – featuring Robert Smyth McColl, co-founder of the sweetie shop and newsagent chain which bears his name to this day. Click on the image to view. He was one of Scotland’s greatest players, scoring a… Read More ›

• USA takes on the Irish Free State

  By chris holme on September 21, 2011 • ( 4 )

  

  This is the second British Pathe  film of the Irish Free State team – this time playing the USA at Dalymount Park, Dublin. Click on the image to view. Similar to the Celtic match on February 23 but this time… Read More ›