From planning events and workshops to creating rosettes and banners, there hasn’t been a dull moment whilst being on placement at the Glasgow Women’s Library, and there certainly hasn’t been a shortage in the supply of tea and cake. My placement has taken me across Scotland from the age-old industrial heartlands of the river Clyde and the Granite City in the North to the rural settings of East Dunbartonshire. Travelling around Scotland and working with different women has reminded me of the diversity of talent and the wealth of knowledge women have to offer.
Working with the West Dunbartonshire Women’s History Group consisted of lively discussions, emotional and humorous stories, and yes, tea and cake. The group, who are in the middle of creating a 1950s and 60s women’s history memory box, highlight the importance of grassroots historical research. A quick google image search for women in the 1950s and 60s pulls up stereotypical images of housewives looking beautiful and glamorous. If this doesn’t seem accurate to you, not to worry, the women in West Dunbartonshire will soon set the record straight. “This is just propaganda. It wasn’t like that at all”, one woman said as she looked at the image of a blushing bride being carried through the threshold of a new home.
In a country where senior posts in university history departments are dominated by men, recording women’s history and challenging these stereotypes has never been so important. I’m thankful to have played a small role in this project.
Rachel has been on placement with the library from February to May 2015.
