History

Time and Place: 1953: Monarchs and Murders

Module code: V1446
Level 5
15 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Seminar, Lecture
Assessment modes: Coursework

In 1953 the British press and public were fixated on two events unfolding in the nation’s capital.

The first was the coronation of Elizabeth II, the most extensive staging of royal spectacle in Britain during the mid-twentieth century.

The second was the discovery in a decaying Victorian house in North Kensington, of the bodies of the murdered victims of serial killer John Christie.

On this module you will explore what these two parallel events tell us about society and culture in Britain at the dawn of the ‘New Elizabethan Age’.

What does the coronation tell us about the extraordinary resilience of the British monarchy in the modern era?
How far was monarchy understood through new cultural formations, notably the rise of celebrity culture?
How did the fortunes of the monarchy relate to those of the aristocracy?
What does the coronation – the last great imperial display – suggest was the status of empire in Britain at mid-century?
How far did press coverage of the Christie murders reflect contemporary concerns about sexuality, race and immigration?

Primary sources for this module include popular newspapers, Mass-Observation surveys and film.

To understand a historical moment by reference to the particular context in which it occurred.
To communicate the importance of locality in history and the specificity of particular historical events.
To supply evidence for these skills in essays that distil information provided in course lectures and in class discussion.
To understand a sustained argument based on secondary and primary source material.