The Groundnut Scheme: A colonial failure

The ill-fated Tanganyika Groundnut Scheme was planned and put into practice in the mid-twentieth century, coming to an abrupt end in 1951. The story of its collapse is a powerful example of why top-down, colonial approaches to agricultural development often struggled to produce the desired results. It raises important questions about why the voices of […]

It is often assumed that protest is an action of those who reside in towns and cities, as civil unrest circulates more freely where populations are denser. But those who live in the countryside are no less desiring of social and economic justice than city-dwellers. Join us as we explore several rural protests in England across […]

Throughout the course of the British Empire’s existence, India quickly became one of the United Kingdom’s key sources of trade and production, with colonial rule lasting from 1858 until 1947, when the country officially declared independence from Britain. This exhibition has been produced as part of a student placement project. Through extensive access to The […]

Inspired by the art collections held by the University of Reading, the MERL’s Learning and Engagement manager and Arts Collection curator recently completed a project with Alana House, a community organisation supporting women here in Reading. Together, we explored the importance of local landscapes and spaces for wellbeing, which took on a completely unexpected poignancy […]

It is difficult to create a good definition for craft. Andrew Jewell, curator at The MERL in the 1960s, said of his exhibition Countryside Crafts that ‘all the objects on display were made to be used’. Historian and author Glenn Adamson said that ‘craft is making something skilfully; it’s just that simple. But from that […]

The farm wagon has become synonymous with the traditional English countryside.   With its graceful curves and fine local craftsmanship, it was a powerful symbol of the inherent pride and character in rural life in the era before the internal combustion engine. In fact, four-wheeled farm wagons were on the scene for a comparatively short period […]

The Women’s Land Army (WLA) was founded in 1917 to help farmers cope with the shortage of male labour that resulted from the First World War, by recruiting women to work the land. Its members were affectionately known as the Land Girls. Sceptics did not believe that women would be suited to the hard labour […]

As Britain’s oldest national conservation body, the Open Spaces Society has defended open spaces in England and Wales since 1865. The organisation campaigns for public paths, open spaces, town and village greens, commons, and the rights of the public to enjoy them. Featuring objects from our collections and oral histories, this exhibition explores the history […]

As The Greatest Online Agricultural Show launches, this is the perfect time to revisit the extraordinary work of photographer Arnhel de Serra. His amazing exposé of The Country Show was shot between 2004 and 2014 and captures the quirky, strange, and invitingly surreal world of rural shows. Country shows are meeting points between urban and rural, between spectator […]

In response to our challenge, you designed and crafted amazing smocks in Animal Crossings. So we’ve gathered them together here. Let’s use your creations as a way to explore the history of the items that inspired them. We’ll look at how and why smocks end up in museums. What do they tell us about people’s lives now […]