MERL Annual Review 2011-12

Author
Alison Hilton
Published Date
January 4, 2013

< MERL Annual Review front cover[/caption]

The Annual Review for 2011-12 is now available to download from our website. The review covers the Museum and Special Collections’ highlights and achievements over the last academic year (to September ’12)  To download the Review, visit http://www.reading.ac.uk/merl/about/merl-annualreport.aspx

Richard Watts film archive
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
May 12, 2026

Watts in the Country: Inclusive Approaches to Rural Film

We’re collaborating with film NGO Real Time, volunteers, and focus groups to bring the Richard Watts archival film collection to rural communities across Britain.

Author
Maddie
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Published Date
March 6, 2026

International Women’s Day 2026: Hidden histories

Discover the stories of three women curators, collectors, and designers in the 20th century.

Handwriting in a farm letter
Author
Joe
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Published Date
February 25, 2026

Queer histories in the farm records

What can farm records teach us about same-sex relationships? Researcher Tim Jerrome shares his work exploring queer rural experiences.

Exterior of E.M. Barraud's cottage in Cambridgeshire
Author
Lottie
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Published Date
February 19, 2026

“I am the farm worker going home at evening”: gender fluidity, rural landscapes, and the Women’s Land Army

Library trainee Lottie Wood reflects on gender fluidity in the work of E. M. Barraud, and Barraud’s reflections on her time in the Women’s Land Army

"Cluttered Countryside." A pastiche of different technologies and activities that disrupt the English countryside - from cars, to petrol stations, to tourism.
Author
Joe
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Published Date
February 13, 2026

Voices of the Countryside

Explore our new exhibition celebrating 100 years of CPRE, whose vital work protects and maintains rural English spaces.

The MERL building, as viewed from the garden.
Author
Ollie Douglas
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Published Date
January 5, 2026

What’s coming up in 2026

This year we’re celebrating the organisations, artists and activists who defend the voices and soul of rural England.

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