Karl Ittmann
@kittmann.bsky.social
Historian of Britain and the British Empire.
Author of Fuelling Empire: The British Imperial Oil Complex 1896-1945 published by Oxford University Press June 2025.
Emeritus Professor of History, University of Houston.
Author of Fuelling Empire: The British Imperial Oil Complex 1896-1945 published by Oxford University Press June 2025.
Emeritus Professor of History, University of Houston.
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
Miss Varley kicks off ⚽
In 1913/4 textile workers at Chipping Norton's Bliss Tweed Mill embarked on an 8 month strike over union recognition
Workers' Union organiser Joan Varley was a key figure in the dispute (and had a knack for a photo opportunity)
More images at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...
In 1913/4 textile workers at Chipping Norton's Bliss Tweed Mill embarked on an 8 month strike over union recognition
Workers' Union organiser Joan Varley was a key figure in the dispute (and had a knack for a photo opportunity)
More images at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...
September 18, 2026 at 10:21 AM
Miss Varley kicks off ⚽
In 1913/4 textile workers at Chipping Norton's Bliss Tweed Mill embarked on an 8 month strike over union recognition
Workers' Union organiser Joan Varley was a key figure in the dispute (and had a knack for a photo opportunity)
More images at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...
In 1913/4 textile workers at Chipping Norton's Bliss Tweed Mill embarked on an 8 month strike over union recognition
Workers' Union organiser Joan Varley was a key figure in the dispute (and had a knack for a photo opportunity)
More images at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
Texans are angry at the Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas operations, for shutting them out of public comment and serving the industry instead of the public. This @saulelbein.bsky.social story forcefully shows why it's so important to elect @jon-rosenthaltx.bsky.social to the RRC.
Texas' oil and gas regulator cuts out the public from its meetings
Last month the Railroad Commission of Texas — which oversees oil and gas, not railroads — ended guaranteed public comment at its monthly open meetings.
www.expressnews.com
September 17, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Texans are angry at the Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas operations, for shutting them out of public comment and serving the industry instead of the public. This @saulelbein.bsky.social story forcefully shows why it's so important to elect @jon-rosenthaltx.bsky.social to the RRC.
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
Enjoyed discussing the value of studying energy history as labour history at Bristol University with Mattin Biglari, a historian of Iranian oil workers, and @linda83ross.bsky.social, a nuclear society and culture scholar. Thanks to the Telling (Other) Energy Stories conference for having us!
September 16, 2026 at 1:19 PM
Enjoyed discussing the value of studying energy history as labour history at Bristol University with Mattin Biglari, a historian of Iranian oil workers, and @linda83ross.bsky.social, a nuclear society and culture scholar. Thanks to the Telling (Other) Energy Stories conference for having us!
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
This is a very interesting new resource, The Register of British Slave-Traders.
'The Register focusses on the individuals who sought to profit from the enslavement of over 3 million African men, women, and children, whose identity was – for the most part – erased from the historical record.' 🗃️
'The Register focusses on the individuals who sought to profit from the enslavement of over 3 million African men, women, and children, whose identity was – for the most part – erased from the historical record.' 🗃️
The Register of British Slave-Traders
The Register of British Slave-traders compiles and presents information on all known slave-traders in Britain who invested in the trafficking of captive Africans from 1563 to 1807.
britishslavetraders.org
September 14, 2026 at 8:25 AM
This is a very interesting new resource, The Register of British Slave-Traders.
'The Register focusses on the individuals who sought to profit from the enslavement of over 3 million African men, women, and children, whose identity was – for the most part – erased from the historical record.' 🗃️
'The Register focusses on the individuals who sought to profit from the enslavement of over 3 million African men, women, and children, whose identity was – for the most part – erased from the historical record.' 🗃️
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
Here's my 1-month alert: applications to join us in the Demography Department at UC Berkeley are due in 1 month. This is a great department in a great place with collegial people doing cool things.
aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05488
aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05488
Assistant Professor - Open Field - Demography
University of California, Berkeley is hiring. Apply now!
aprecruit.berkeley.edu
September 15, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Here's my 1-month alert: applications to join us in the Demography Department at UC Berkeley are due in 1 month. This is a great department in a great place with collegial people doing cool things.
aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05488
aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05488
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
"The PFLOAG maintained a highly organised network of offices in places such as Beirut and Cairo, along with delegations that established ties with other revolutionary groups in Palestine, Iraq, Somalia, Vietnam and Cuba"
James_AL_Downs on archives and solidarity.
James_AL_Downs on archives and solidarity.
An Archive of Solidarity
What does the archive of a former activist reveal about solidarity practices in the 1970s? James Downs explores the networks and activities of the Solidarity Committees supporting liberation movements in the Gulf.
www.historyworkshop.org.uk
September 15, 2026 at 3:00 PM
"The PFLOAG maintained a highly organised network of offices in places such as Beirut and Cairo, along with delegations that established ties with other revolutionary groups in Palestine, Iraq, Somalia, Vietnam and Cuba"
James_AL_Downs on archives and solidarity.
James_AL_Downs on archives and solidarity.
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
Houston is a giant multi-ethnic cauldron of insane fun culturally, and turning your back on that is so dumb it's painful. But again, that's what these jerks chose.
September 14, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Houston is a giant multi-ethnic cauldron of insane fun culturally, and turning your back on that is so dumb it's painful. But again, that's what these jerks chose.
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
I'm not sure of the exact details without recourse to family records which I do not have to hand, but a mid-Victorian ancestor of my mother went to Russia to build mill machinery, with his family, had at least 2 children born while he was there.
After all, the 1st and 2nd British industrial revolutions notoriously rested on labour that stayed local, building on a long tradition in which artisans never went on the tramp to hone their skills and Britons wisely not only were never 'slaves' but never migrated beyond British shores.
September 14, 2026 at 9:30 AM
I'm not sure of the exact details without recourse to family records which I do not have to hand, but a mid-Victorian ancestor of my mother went to Russia to build mill machinery, with his family, had at least 2 children born while he was there.
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
“Family planning services played a role in the stabilisation of the vision of the modern reproductive subject, [in which] modernity was based on White middle-class values of responsibility & rationality, in which married women controlled their fertility according to their economic situation”
Race, Population and the Family Planning Association in Britain (1950s–1970s) | Contemporary European History | Cambridge Core
Race, Population and the Family Planning Association in Britain (1950s–1970s) - Volume 35
www.cambridge.org
September 11, 2026 at 8:14 AM
“Family planning services played a role in the stabilisation of the vision of the modern reproductive subject, [in which] modernity was based on White middle-class values of responsibility & rationality, in which married women controlled their fertility according to their economic situation”
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
Happening today! Still time to RSVP below -
📢Upcoming book event!
Join us to hear more about @historytaylor.bsky.social 's Little Wars of Empire: British veterans in a colonial world, c. 1885-1918.
📅Sep 11
⏰12pm noon ET
Free and open to the public
Info and RSVP: www.nacbs.org/event-detail...
Join us to hear more about @historytaylor.bsky.social 's Little Wars of Empire: British veterans in a colonial world, c. 1885-1918.
📅Sep 11
⏰12pm noon ET
Free and open to the public
Info and RSVP: www.nacbs.org/event-detail...
September 11, 2026 at 11:37 AM
Happening today! Still time to RSVP below -
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
Excited that my first monograph, The Politics of Reading at the British Subscription Library, has been published by @degruyterbrill.bsky.social.
The book examines the political, social and intellectual culture of late 18thC Britain through books and reading habits.
brill.com/display/titl...
The book examines the political, social and intellectual culture of late 18thC Britain through books and reading habits.
brill.com/display/titl...
The Politics of Reading at the British Subscription Library, 1789-1832
"The Politics of Reading at the British Subscription Library, 1789-1832" published on 08 Sep 2026 by Brill.
brill.com
September 9, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Excited that my first monograph, The Politics of Reading at the British Subscription Library, has been published by @degruyterbrill.bsky.social.
The book examines the political, social and intellectual culture of late 18thC Britain through books and reading habits.
brill.com/display/titl...
The book examines the political, social and intellectual culture of late 18thC Britain through books and reading habits.
brill.com/display/titl...
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
'History and Archives in Practice' 2027: calls for participation are now invited for our annual meeting of historians and archivists, co-hosted with @ihr.bsky.social and TNA.
HAP27 focuses on connecting past and future with sessions on advocacy, value and applied history bit.ly/3RGHbWy #Skystorians
HAP27 focuses on connecting past and future with sessions on advocacy, value and applied history bit.ly/3RGHbWy #Skystorians
'History and Archives in Practice' (HAP), 2027. Call for participation now open - RHS
History and Archives in Practice (HAP) is an annual partnership event, co-hosted by the Royal Historical Society, The National Archives, and the Institute of Historical Research. Now in its fifth year...
bit.ly
September 10, 2026 at 9:56 AM
'History and Archives in Practice' 2027: calls for participation are now invited for our annual meeting of historians and archivists, co-hosted with @ihr.bsky.social and TNA.
HAP27 focuses on connecting past and future with sessions on advocacy, value and applied history bit.ly/3RGHbWy #Skystorians
HAP27 focuses on connecting past and future with sessions on advocacy, value and applied history bit.ly/3RGHbWy #Skystorians
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
Nice to see a book launch at @bspsuk.bsky.social, especially when that book is open access 😊: Low Fertilities in the Past and Present, part of the Proceedings of the @britishacademy.bsky.social
September 9, 2026 at 12:28 PM
Nice to see a book launch at @bspsuk.bsky.social, especially when that book is open access 😊: Low Fertilities in the Past and Present, part of the Proceedings of the @britishacademy.bsky.social
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
Co-organising (with Wendy Sigle and Sarah Walters) a new strand at the @bspsuk.bsky.social conference this year on the Politics of Demography, to encourage more discussions among demographers about the political implications of their work, and about the politics of producing demographic knowledge
September 9, 2026 at 1:12 PM
Co-organising (with Wendy Sigle and Sarah Walters) a new strand at the @bspsuk.bsky.social conference this year on the Politics of Demography, to encourage more discussions among demographers about the political implications of their work, and about the politics of producing demographic knowledge
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
CFP: Unity, Discord, Dissension: Women’s Global and Local Economies, 1600–1950 (Deadline: 9/15/2026)
navsa.org/News/13685959
navsa.org/News/13685959
September 8, 2026 at 5:26 PM
CFP: Unity, Discord, Dissension: Women’s Global and Local Economies, 1600–1950 (Deadline: 9/15/2026)
navsa.org/News/13685959
navsa.org/News/13685959
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
We will hold the launch of our graphic novel *The Black Schooner: Rebellion on the Amistad, A Graphic Novel* at the New Haven Museum on Wed., Sept. 30 at 6:00 pm. The event is free but registration is required. See the link below. Join us!
zip06.com/news/918822/...
zip06.com/news/918822/...
Graphic Novel Explores the Amistad Rebellion
A reception begins at 5 p.m., followed by the program at 6 p.m. The program is free and is offered as a Connecticut Freedom Trail Month activity. Registration is required.
zip06.com
September 8, 2026 at 12:06 PM
We will hold the launch of our graphic novel *The Black Schooner: Rebellion on the Amistad, A Graphic Novel* at the New Haven Museum on Wed., Sept. 30 at 6:00 pm. The event is free but registration is required. See the link below. Join us!
zip06.com/news/918822/...
zip06.com/news/918822/...
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
Ken Paxton has received campaign funds from CRH Americas.
The company “is active on more than one hundred U.S. data center projects.”
The company “is active on more than one hundred U.S. data center projects.”
September 6, 2026 at 3:02 PM
Ken Paxton has received campaign funds from CRH Americas.
The company “is active on more than one hundred U.S. data center projects.”
The company “is active on more than one hundred U.S. data center projects.”
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
'During the most recent Ice Age, when much of the British Isles were beneath a vast continental glacier, the depleted sea levels opened a "lost land bridge" between modern-day Pembrokeshire and the south-east tip of Ireland, around Rosslare.'
Cave art discovery suggests first humans in Ireland came from Wales
During the most recent Ice Age, researchers believe there was a "lost land bridge" between Wales and Ireland.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 6, 2026 at 7:32 AM
'During the most recent Ice Age, when much of the British Isles were beneath a vast continental glacier, the depleted sea levels opened a "lost land bridge" between modern-day Pembrokeshire and the south-east tip of Ireland, around Rosslare.'
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
I fear this is a lost cause and I am going to have to go to the BL to access the relevant microfilm (the horror).
Does anyone have a subscription/access to ukpressonline and be willing to download for me ONE article? Please? I do not seem to have institutional access and do not wish to take out a whole year's subscription.
Irony alert: the article is from The Daily Worker.
Irony alert: the article is from The Daily Worker.
September 6, 2026 at 12:30 PM
I fear this is a lost cause and I am going to have to go to the BL to access the relevant microfilm (the horror).
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
Twelve years of corrupt deals and failed leadership. From starving the public schools of $1B to letting data centers drain the power grid, Greg Abbott has put billionaires over Texans. He is dumping millions into divisive campaign ads. But he can't cover up his record. Vote Gina Hinojosa.
September 4, 2026 at 6:19 AM
Twelve years of corrupt deals and failed leadership. From starving the public schools of $1B to letting data centers drain the power grid, Greg Abbott has put billionaires over Texans. He is dumping millions into divisive campaign ads. But he can't cover up his record. Vote Gina Hinojosa.
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
A special moment for Joni Mitchell's Blue 🎵
We were delighted to receive this photo of Joni Mitchell with Lloyd Whitesell's recent addition to the Oxford Keynote Series.
The book explores the lasting impact of Blue and how it has inspired listeners, performers, and scholars for over five decades.
We were delighted to receive this photo of Joni Mitchell with Lloyd Whitesell's recent addition to the Oxford Keynote Series.
The book explores the lasting impact of Blue and how it has inspired listeners, performers, and scholars for over five decades.
September 4, 2026 at 2:30 PM
A special moment for Joni Mitchell's Blue 🎵
We were delighted to receive this photo of Joni Mitchell with Lloyd Whitesell's recent addition to the Oxford Keynote Series.
The book explores the lasting impact of Blue and how it has inspired listeners, performers, and scholars for over five decades.
We were delighted to receive this photo of Joni Mitchell with Lloyd Whitesell's recent addition to the Oxford Keynote Series.
The book explores the lasting impact of Blue and how it has inspired listeners, performers, and scholars for over five decades.
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
Last few weeks to visit our exhibition 'The Women's Library at 100: Celebrating a Century of Collections' on the history of The Women’s Library and its rich and diverse collections from the viewpoint of researchers engaging with it.
www.lse.ac.uk/library/what...
www.lse.ac.uk/library/what...
The Women’s Library at 100: celebrating a century of collections
Visit our exhibition and celebrate 100 years since the founding of The Women's Library.
www.lse.ac.uk
September 4, 2026 at 8:33 AM
Last few weeks to visit our exhibition 'The Women's Library at 100: Celebrating a Century of Collections' on the history of The Women’s Library and its rich and diverse collections from the viewpoint of researchers engaging with it.
www.lse.ac.uk/library/what...
www.lse.ac.uk/library/what...
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
The fact the the AAUP excludes contingent/adjunct faculty is a big problem! It is indicative of TT faculty's utter lack of solidarity with and abandonment of their contingent/adjunct colleagues. When a union acts like a gatekeeper like this it serves the interests of owning class against workers.
September 4, 2026 at 12:19 PM
The fact the the AAUP excludes contingent/adjunct faculty is a big problem! It is indicative of TT faculty's utter lack of solidarity with and abandonment of their contingent/adjunct colleagues. When a union acts like a gatekeeper like this it serves the interests of owning class against workers.
Reposted by Karl Ittmann
'Did employing the law allow enslaved people to co-opt the new authority of the state, or were they being co-opted by it?'
Sascha Auerbach explores the relationship between enslaved people, the law, and the state in the early nineteenth century.
Sascha Auerbach explores the relationship between enslaved people, the law, and the state in the early nineteenth century.
Whose House and Whose Tools?
In the early nineteenth century, the British Empire attempted to reform the institution of slavery. Sascha Auerbach explores how enslaved people used this new legal landscape to advocate for their humanity.
www.historyworkshop.org.uk
September 3, 2026 at 12:15 PM
'Did employing the law allow enslaved people to co-opt the new authority of the state, or were they being co-opted by it?'
Sascha Auerbach explores the relationship between enslaved people, the law, and the state in the early nineteenth century.
Sascha Auerbach explores the relationship between enslaved people, the law, and the state in the early nineteenth century.