School Workshops at the MML

School workshops at the Marx Memorial Library and Workers School

‘Our A-Level History and Politics students were delighted to see the fascinating documents kept

by MML on the Russian Revolution and the Spanish Civil War and to see Lenin’s office.

The students loved the visit and we have returned many times since to the ideas we learnt at MML.’ Tom Sawbridge, Ark Academy, Wembley

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Our Workshops The Marx Memorial Library offers school groups specially tailored tours of our historic building and workshops featuring our unique archive collections, ideal for GCSE and A -Level.

Our workshops cover topics including Photography and Art, the Russian Revolution and Soviet Union and the Spanish Civil War. ‘It was genuinely fascinating to see where Lenin worked when he was in London. I can imagine him there, planning the Russian Revolution.’

‘I didn’t know much about the Spanish Civil War before our visit. It was so interesting to find out more about it.’ students

‘Visiting the MML provided my students with an excellent introduction to viewing and using archival resources. There were some really interesting teaching and learning points which helped the students gain a broader understanding of the topics they were studying.’

Alan Kunna, History teacher, Newham Sixth Form College

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Our resources are particularly helpful for History and Politics students wanting to carry out research for their extended project (EPQ). Experience examining our archival materials would be of particular help to students writing their university personal statements.

Not only is a visit to the library a chance to view our archives, but also an opportunity to tour the historic building built in 1737 where Lenin worked in exile from 1902 - 1903. This makes the Marx Memorial Library in 2017 - on the centenary of the revolution itself - one of the most authentic and inspiring places to learn about Russias history.

Spanish Civil War The Library is home to the most significant archives on the Spanish Civil War in the country. From leaflets promoting aid for Spain campaigns and letters from International Brigaders to vivid posters and banners and original photographs taken at the front line, this collection truly brings history to life. Our workshops can be tailored to your needs, and will particularly appeal to History, Politics, Art, Spanish and Citizenship students.

They can help students: l Gain experience analysing original sources including photographs, pamphlets, posters and newspapers. l Gaining a better understanding of historical themes which feature on the A-Level syllabus including the rise of fascism in Europe and appeasement. l Practically applying language skills, reading anything from the poetry of Marcos Ana, to pamphlets produced by both sides during the civil war. l Engaging with the visual imagery of this rich collection and the art it inspired. l The Aid Spain Movement involved the mass mobilisation of people across the country in support of the Spanish Republic; funds were raised for medical aid and refugees taken in. What can we learn from this today?

Top: Hammersmith Ambulance for Spain (c.1937).

Middle and bottom: two banners produced by the Hammersmith Communist Party during the Spanish Civil War (c.1937).

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Russian Revolution

The Marx Memorial Library is home to a phenomenal collection of resources on the Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union. These include posters depicting contemporary propaganda wars; pamphlets documenting accounts of visitors to Russia during the civil war; photographs of the Red Army and leaflets from the Hands Off Russia campaign in Britain. We also hold pamphlets and periodicals documenting collectivisation, the space race, and soviet culture and art.

Our workshops can be tailored to your needs, and will particularly appeal to GCSE and A-Level History, Politics and Art students. They can focus on: l Examining and analysing original source material, comparing and contrasting their uses and messages.

This makes our workshops ideally suited to students considering studying history at university. l Gaining an understanding of themes and subjects central to many history syllabuses, particularly at A-Level, relating to the Russian Revolution, the Tsarist regime, the Cold War and developments in the Soviet Union itself. l Studying the visual elements in the collection – most notably the posters – some of which feature in the Royal Academy catalogue for their centenary exhibition this year. This gives a unique insight into the influences and functions of these striking artworks.

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Posters from MML’s Soviet Poster collection.

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Photography and art The Marx Memorial Library is home to an extensive collection of visual material including photographs, posters and banners on subjects such as the peace movement, anti-cuts demonstrations, campaigns for suffrage and revolutionary figures throughout history.

These workshops give students the opportunity to view these materials first hand, encouraging debate on form, content, media and context.

Our workshops can be tailored to your needs, and will particularly appeal to GCSE and A-Level Art, Art History, Photography and Media students. They can focus on: l Exploring the work itself, in particular the techniques and methodology; why were these chosen and what were the results? l Understanding the artist's intention and how a message is conveyed. l Researching and discussing the political, cultural and social context of the work, using other resources at the MML. l Understanding the influence of resources such as photographs on perceptions of historical events both at the time and in years to come. What can we learn from the visual?

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Resources

We are unusual in giving students hands-on access to our vast range of pamphlets, posters, newspapers, photographs and banners, many of which are unavailable online or in other archives. This is a unique and exciting way of learning about subjects including the Spanish Civil War, the Russian Revolution and photography and art.

Top: Ambulance for Spain (c.1937), Spanish Collection at MML. Left: ‘Forward Revolution’ Poster.

Above right, middle right: images from Morning Star photograph library at MML showing anti-apartheid and anti-cuts demonstrations.

Right: The Daily Worker reports the 1936 defeat of Mosley’s fascists.

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Above: The Worker of the Future Clearing Away the Chaos of Capitalism’ by Jack Hastings (1934).

Right: Spanish Republican army medal (c.1938).

The Marx Memorial Library and Workers’ School was founded in 1933, on the 50th anniversary of the death of Karl Marx and in deliberate opposition to the Nazis in Germany burning books with which they disagreed. It houses a unique collection of books, periodicals and manuscripts on Marxism, the history of socialism, trade unionism and many other subjects.

Today the Library serves as a local resource for Islington, its schools and community, as well as an international resource for researchers and activists across the globe.

Membership is open to individuals and organisations.

www.marx-memorial-library.org.uk

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Contact

Are you a teacher? Do you know teachers who might be interested in helping us to develop this programme and related study packs? Get in touch!

37a Clerkenwell Green London EC1R 0DU Telephone: +44 (0) 2072 531485 Email: archives@mml.xyz