Draconian Times - Political Art & Liverpool, 1848-1996

5 weekly sessions on campus, on Thursdays at 11am-1pm, starting from Thursday 30 April

Overview

Spanning the tumultuous and uncertain years between 1848-1996 this course examines the rich visual history of Parliamentary political backbiting and popular agitation in Liverpool from about the time of the end of the European potato failure and the start of the Irish War of Independence. Through the media of political cartoons, paintings, engravings and drawings as well as the caricature of magazines such as 'Punch'; the difficulties of leading Liverpudlian figures of the day such as PMs Edward Smith Stanley and William Ewart Gladstone as well as MPs such as T. P. O'Connor and artists such as Walter Crane are adumbrated, in a bid to explain how and why Liverpool became such a hotbed of left wing dissent. Designed to appeal to anybody with an interest in Liverpool history, art, culture, social history and of course politics.

Syllabus

• Intro - The Irish Question(s)
• Trades Unions for Life
• War, War and More War
• Strike!
• Conservatism Isn't Working – Conclusion

Course lecturer

Dr. Lee R. Kendall was born in Liverpool in 1974 and earned his BA (Hons) in History of Art at University of Leicester in 1997 before going on to complete a PhD in the same subject at Liverpool John Moores University in 2006. An independent art historian with a particular interest in all things Liverpool related, his publications include “Being for the Benefit of… Beatles Art in Liverpool” (2012). He has been part of the front of house team at Tate Gallery, Liverpool since 2009 and has lectured for the University of Liverpool's CE Department since 2019.

Course fee

• Standard fee: £80
• Concession fee: £40