Robert Bickers

New platform, so here's an introduction. I’m a historian of modern China and of British colonialism working at @uobrishistory.bsky.social . I’ve written six books, edited eight more, and run various projects, on the Chinese Maritime Customs, on Tianjin, on creative & heritage work closer to home.

Come join us at the @hongkonghistory.bsky.social A 4 year fully-funded PhD scholarship starting from Sept 2027. Project can cover any aspect of the History of Hong Kong, broadly conceived, in the period pre-dating 1950 www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DTG674/p...

This 'Shanghai Muscle Man' picture from May 1950 in the Alamy collection raises a lot of questions! www.alamy.com/shanghai-mus...

Wanted to find out more about your family’s past in Hong Kong? We have produced the very first free-of-charge open-access beginners’ guide to support those with roots in HK to research and document their HK family history. Episode 1 will be launched next week. Stay tuned!

Eighth post from our students: Sara Giraldo’s account of the central role of female actors in shaping - and funding - the early years of what became @bristoluni.bsky.social historiansatbristol.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/archives/984 @uobartsmatter.bsky.social

Seventh post from our students: Sam Green explores @bristoluni.bsky.social connections with China, including the career of our first Chinese science graduate, chemist Wang Jize historiansatbristol.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/archives/992 @uobartsmatter.bsky.social

How did imperial networks shape work, family and belonging in China? Andrew Hillier's latest guest blog for Visualising China explores the lives of William and Nancy Stark Toller and offers a fascinating glimpse into the everyday realities of empire. Read more: visualisingchina.net/blog/2026/09...

Latest arrival in manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/series/studi...

Fifth post from our students: Nancy Mitchell traces the careers of two high profile 1950s @bristoluni.bsky.social Malaysian law grads: Lal Chand Vohrah and Raja Aziz historiansatbristol.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/archives/994 @uobartsmatter.bsky.social

Come join us (or please spread the word) -- we have a great team and with our colleagues in the wider Dept of History we can offer supervision across a great range of subjects. Full bursary will cover both UK and international students. www.hkhistory.net/2026/09/24/h...

It is a magical moment to see my very first peer-reviewed article, ‘Chinese Villagers at the Colonial Urban Periphery: Improvement Schemes, Landed Property and Indigeneity in Hong Kong, c. 1890s–1930s’ published on @urbanhistory.bsky.social!

Fourth post from our students: Clara Tyrpak's wonderful account of wartime language learning, and romance at @bristoluni.bsky.social historiansatbristol.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/archives/996 @uobartsmatter.bsky.social @frenchatbristol.bsky.social

A new article, and his first, out today from @klalexcheung.bsky.social who @viviankonghk.bsky.social and I co-supervise here in the @hongkonghistory.bsky.social www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

It was a great honour to have had Prof. Elizabeth Sinn visit us yesterday. She shared with us her decade-long research on the colorful life of Ho Amei (何崑山), a cousin of Ho Kai and an enterprising figure who climbed the social hierarchy in colonial Hong Kong in the late 19th century.

John M MacKenzie, the founding editor of the Manchester University Press Studies in Inperialism series that i have the honour of co-editing, has sadly passed away. Our tributes here: manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/blog/2026/09...

Third post from our students: Charleigh Hebbard on the students of CAYDA, the Caribbean & Young Dominions Association incl Nigerian Supreme Court judge Anthony Aniagolu historiansatbristol.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/archives/982 @uobartsmatter.bsky.social @bristoluni.bsky.social @bristolunilaw.bsky.social

HPHK blogpost from Dr Catherine S. Chan. //In colonial Asia, the interweaving of native dogs with ‘white’ societal constructions of ‘race’ and ‘class’ was inseparable from two developments: rabies and the introduction of Victorian dog fancy.// hphk.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2026/09/15/g...

Next in our series of posts from student researchers: Cerys Davies on Prof George Hare Leonard and his life-long commitment to adult education and civic engagement @uobartsmatter.bsky.social @engagebristol.bsky.social @bristoluni.bsky.social historiansatbristol.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/archives/988

Ahead of our 10/10 birthday event, our blog will host posts authored by our undergrads, who have been researching @bristoluni.bsky.social history. 1st up, Archie McKinlay on James Rowley, first History chair historiansatbristol.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/archives/986 @uobartsmatter.bsky.social

Super late in posting this but so glad to see the Stanton album on HPC website! Fascinating photos - do check them out.

The first of 8 posts from our student researchers, who have been teaching me a great deal about the history of @bristoluni.bsky.social @uobartsmatter.bsky.social

Why is History studied, and why should it be part of a liberal education? Speaker: Dr Vivian Kong Date: 10 Oct 2026 Time: 11am – 12:15pm (UKT) Venue: Room B.H05, Arts Complex, University of Bristol Language: English Please register on eventbrite. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exploring-...

New HPHK blogpost from Vivian Kong. //Have you ever wondered how your grandparents met? What your parents were like as kids? ... Here are some ideas I have on how you might use our platform to pursue your family history.// blog.hphkbristol.net/2026/09/10/h...

Andrew's new book, Living in the shadow of empire: women and the China Consular World, 1843-1900, will be published by Manchester University Press on 22 September 2026 manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526194589/

A new post on the blog from Andrew Hillier on a consular couple in China hpchina.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2026/09/12/g...

Come join us as we mark 150 years of the teaching and study of History at @bristoluni.bsky.social @uobartsmatter.bsky.social

We're grateful to colleagues in Bristol University's Research IT team, who developed the platform including the ever super @mikej1971.bsky.social The number of images accessible online is currently modest, but will grow and grow and grow

For more on the what, why, and how, here's an introductory post on our new Historical Photographs of Hong Kong blog blog.hphkbristol.net This striking image from 1984 is from the large Nigel Spry collection hphkbristol.net/collection/n... That's Spry's shadow 2/3

We've just launched our new online platform, showcasing the photographs donated amongst other materials to the Hong Kong Collections in the University of Bristol Library's Special Collections

Historical Photographs of Hong Kong hphkbristol.net was launched today. A digital resource I was lucky enough to work on for @hongkonghistory.bsky.social

"The Story of Hong Kong Resettlement Programme" Initially an emergency response to build basic resettlement accommodation following the disastrous fire at Shek Kip Mei in 1953. Illustrated with historical photos, Tim will trace this journey. Ticket: t.co/mcoEclDGgN

"Hong Kong and American Business: From 19th century to Post-War years" This talk contrasts various generations of enterprising Americans initial presence in the 19th century with the rise of US dominance in Hong Kong after World War II. Ticket: tinyurl.com/hkhchistday2...

"Manager America: Li Choh Ming, CUHK and MBA education" Peter will revisit the American influence on the CUHK's development and discuss how it prepared local talent for engaging with corporate America. Ticket: t.co/mcoEclDGgN

"Hong Kong Toy Story: Hong Kong’s Roles and Impacts in the Circulation of Ideas" This talk examines the circulation of creative ideas at the regional and global levels, exploring how an interesting concept can trigger a wave of change. Ticket: tinyurl.com/hkhchistday2...

"Managing Youth in Post-war Hong Kong" This talk explores how the colonial govt' sought to manage youth leisure through voluntary youth organisations, examining those initiatives addressed what it and wider society perceived as ‘youth problems.’ Ticket: tinyurl.com/hkhchistday2...

"A Reluctant Intervention: Public Housing and Colonial Rule in Postwar Hong Kong" This talk revisits what one might call a reluctant intervention. It explains why the intervention failed to resolve a housing problem that continues to affect HK today. Ticket: tinyurl.com/hkhchistday2...

We would like to say a huge thank you to Lily Bickers for their contributions as the IGRCT intern for the past year and a half! We wish you all the best with the rest of your PhD and hope to see your face at this year’s upcoming events 💫

Curious about food and history at Cardiff? In this post for our History blog, @historyeats.bsky.social, Helena Lopes, and I write about food "as a way of accessing cross-cultural encounters and cross-cultural identities." blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/history-at-c... #clearing

PB edition of the critically acclaimed ‘The Truth About Empire’ edited by @alanlester.bsky.social w/foreword by @sathnam.bsky.social out now! ‘Book of the Year’ @historyextra.bsky.social Extracted in @theguardian.com Sample 👉 tinyurl.com/38u2ndw3 & use code TRUTH20 for a 20% off in buy link.

Professor Whittle is one of four colleagues in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Faculty at the University of Exeter elected to Fellowship of the British Academy this year. 🗃️ ALL FOUR of these outstanding scholars were placed at risk of redundancy last month. Here's their statement:

"Travel with Hong Kong Characteristics: Tourism and Hong Kong History" Tourism reflects and influences culture, identity, and politics. What’s so “Hong Kong” about the history of Hong Kong tourism? Hong Kong History Day 2026 Secure your spot: tinyurl.com/hkhchistday2...

What a ride! Big congrats to everyone who graduated from the inaugural Hong Kong History Summer School. Those three weeks flew by—so many awesome lectures, visits, and workshops. Loved the discussions and the energy in the room. Great fun!

New content: burying Sun Yat-sen, returning Weihaiwei, Yangzi Gorges and portraits of rural fold: China 1928-31 caught in an album of photographs compiled by British naval officer Leslie Ayre: hpcbristol.net/collections/... Here's one of them, a man in Changsha with a big smile and a big hat

Content update! We have added 247 photographs of Hong Kong from the National Archives, 1869-1900 by Lai Fong, John Thomson & William Pryor. Nice to have 65 by von Stillfried commissioned by governor Hennessy in 1881-82 including this waterfront view. All in www.hpcbristol.net search NA14 NA17 NA25

Last week I posted Song Qingling on a fun dove-shaped jet, so today I thought I’d stay on the theme of rocket-power in Mao-era Chinese propaganda. The most famous example of which is ‘rocket Mao’ from this Great Leap Forward poster from 1958. (1/7) #China #Skystorians #propaganda #Communism

I happened across this cover for the January 1957 edition of China Reconstructs, an ‘external propaganda’ publication for overseas readers. Featuring a flyover from Song Qingling (宋庆龄) in a dove-shaped jet(!), it captures many of the key features of 'external propaganda' (1/8) 🧵 #skystorians #china

Here are some more photos taken by the Jesuits in Taiwan, ca. 1960s. #photography #Taiwan

Writer's block? Always remember Virginia Woolf to Vita Sackville-West, 29 December 1931: ‘Not a word have I written, and I’ve 4 books surging in my head, and shall be 50 next month, and how am I ever to write them? And does it matter if I don’t? Why not give up writing & lavish my days in joy?’

Thrilled to see this fine article on the Girl Guide movement in late colonial HK by Tracy Leung, @hongkonghistory.bsky.social PhD researcher, published by the Journal of Imperial & Commonwealth History! www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....