Established in 2012, the National Museum of Roller Derby (NMRD) is the UK’s first permanent collection of ephemera and memorabilia relating to the sport of Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby. Our ‘Object of the Month’ celebrates objects from our ever expanding collections.
We want your old team shirts, flyers, zines and other paraphernalia to illustrate the remarkable development of the sport in the UK. Keep an eye on the Facebook page for future announcements on how to donate items to the Museum.
Photos taken by Rebel Rebel #15 (aka Catherine Hemelryk) with thanks to Joe Brown & Luke Harby.
March 2020
In celebration of International Women’s Day on the 8th March 2020, this book details the history of the sport of Roller Derby and helps to illustrate the inclusion of women in this fierce contact sport since the 1930s. Initially, this sport was co-ed and female roles within the teams while on tour was still evident (inside there is a photo of a woman ironing the team uniforms). However, on the track, everyone was equal. Since the 1930s, roller derby has seen its ups and downs in popularity, and its resurgence in the 2000s brought with it a new concept. Female-led, the sport gained traction in the UK for its punk-rock aesthetic, pop-culture references, inclusivity, and fierce bouts.
