Theme: Hidden Histories
From the chequered history of our favourite hot beverages to what Stalin ate for dinner, our experts reveal some of history’s best kept secrets.
What's on
Waterloo: The battle
It’s 200 years since the Battle of Waterloo. This talk will give an overview of the battle and the strategy involved.
'The Woman With No Number'
Auschwitz survivor, Iby Knill, tells the story of her family as the threat from the Nazis closed around them in occupied Europe.
Was Waterloo a German victory?
Brendan Simms describes how the battle of Waterloo was decided by the Second Light Battalion, King’s German Legion, which was given the deceptively simple task of defending the Haye Sainte farmhouse, a crucial crossroads on the way to Brussels. He argues that their actions decided the most influential battle in European history
Vanishing for the Vote - Yorkshire and beyond
The Liberal government, which still denied women the vote, ordered every household to comply with its census requirement on Sunday 2 April 1911. So suffragette organisations urged women to boycott this census. Jill Liddington explores the boycott in York and across the three Ridings.
The Abuse of Hot Liquors
BBC food historian Annie Gray will talk about three influential foodstuffs from 17th century Britain, from their medicinal beginnings, to the myths that surrounded them, to their adoption as core parts of our diet. By the end, you’ll never look at a steaming mug of your chosen pick-me-up in quite the same way again.
What’s New with the Vikings?
Come and find out the most recent research on the Vikings including Viking camps, war cemeteries, commerce, and migration.
Secrets of the Pyramid
Discover the secrets of the pyramid which pierces the Castle Howard landscape, with a rare opportunity to glimpse inside.
Waterloo: Followers of Fashion
Wives used to follow their officer husbands to the battle and at Waterloo, many civilians watched from the sidelines. Find out what an elegant lady of 1815 would be wearing. See real dresses and accessories from the museum’s collection.
Dictators for Dinner
What do dictators eat? Join authors Victoria Clark and Melissa Scott as they discuss their book Dictators’ Dinners: The Bad Taste Guide to Entertaining Tyrants, an investigation into what some of the world’s most notorious 20th-century despots have enjoyed most at their dinner table, and with whom. Here we learn of their foibles, their eccentricities and their frequent terror of being poisoned.
