Reader in Digital Humanities, Bob Nicholson is fascinated by the Victorian period. In the season of love, Bob shares with us some of his favourite entries from Lonely Hearts adverts in newspapers of the 1800s.

Bob’s fascination of this period is reflected in his research and teaching.

I love exploring the history of the nineteenth century because it contains the roots of so many things that are now central to modern life. The Victorians experienced their own information revolution, every bit as dramatic and exciting as the arrival of the internet, and they pioneered practices that are now a big part of our online culture. Fake news, influencers, viral memes, spam, and dating profiles can all be found in the 1800s!”

History at Edge Hill offers students the opportunity to explore similar themes for themselves.

Archival research is a big part of studying history at Edge Hill. We train students how to use cutting-edge digital archives and give them the freedom to design original research projects. In my history modules, I encourage students to develop their own projects and I train them to conduct original research using our library’s digital archives. Just like me, many of them have uncovered sources that reveal surprising new insights about the past. But there are still so many things that we don’t know, and so much new history left to be written — I can’t wait to see what my students discover next.”

Ready to gain real-world experience and skills to inspire people with History? At Edge Hill, our unique work-placement module is the centre piece of a degree that provides you with carefully structured training in historical knowledge and skills, from the Crusades to digital media history, opening up a world of future careers.

April 26, 2022