Research, Historian & Public Talks

I love historical research. It provides the foundation to all my exhibitions and to much of my work in general.  Since 2003, I have focused on London’s West End and the 18th, 19th and 20th century histories of St. Giles and Covent Garden.
If you have a project and would like to commission my research skills, please send me a message via my Contact Me page or email me at jane@janepalmgold.com

 

Regeneration City Blues, Leeds College of Art and Neal Street, Covent Garden, London, 2015Research SOTT Leeds copy

‘Regeneration City Blues is a wonderful mix of history, nostalgia and great art. Focussing mainly on art and music, it features the leading characters who created the ideas and impulses that drove British popular culture from the mid 1960s to the early 1980s… I loved this absorbing exhibition’.
Mike Paterson.
Director, London Historians

 

London’s Underworld Unearthed: The Secret Life of the Rookery, Coningsby Gallery, London, 2011Fuddling & Kitchen Church Lane copyLUU poster copy

‘A rather special exhibition… a splendid, rounded exhibition of 18th and 19th century slum life. One not to be missed by anyone interested in London’s social history.’
Matt Brown
The Londonist

‘Fascinating! A revelatory and creative look at one of London’s most intriguing areas….’
Sumit Paul-Choudhury
Editor, New Scientist

 

 

Public History talks

‘This Poison Called Gin: Illustrated Tales of the Gin Epidemic’ – Norman’s Coach & Horses, Soho. 

Featuring the poetry and a performance by Stephen Micalef as the infamous St. Giles 18th century beggar, Old Simon Eedy.

 

 

‘Fear & Loathing at the ROXY: An illustrated historical talk exploring the first Punk club in London’ – Camden Archives

‘If one could pin a Blue Plaque to Jane Palm-Gold, without causing offence and getting a clip around the ear, then one should be attached post-haste. Jane is one of our most eloquent chroniclers of those parts of London that are usually treated with suspicion by the mainstream, thankfully, and generally estranged from sunlight.’ – Edwin Munt

 

‘The Purity of Punk: Fear & Loathing at the ROXY’ – PSN17, University of Bolton

Keynote speaker at ‘Punk Scholars Network 2017’ conference. I presented an illustrated talk about my recent research findings upon the ROXY and my approach as curator of the Fear & Loathing at the ROXY exhibition, Neal Street, Covent Garden, April-May 2017.

‘Amazing and informative photographic historiography of the early days of the London Punk scene from Jane Palm-Gold. Highlight of the Punk Scholars Conference so far…’  Matt Grimes, Birmingham City University

 

‘Revealing the Rookery, St. Giles: Art, Artefacts and Anecdotes’ – Jane Palm-Gold & Sian Anthony, Museum of London Archaeology

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Lecture at Sir John Soane Museum, Patron’s Evening event –

‘A lively, engaging and well delivered talk to an engaged audience and a lot of questions asked afterwards’.
Sue Palmer FSA
Archivist and Head of Library Services
Sir John Soane Museum

 

 

My specialism is the notorious 18th and 19th century history of St. Giles in the West End of London.

I researched this area for 6 years in preparation for my joint exhibition with Museum of London Archaeology and have a deep knowledge of historical information upon the area. In recent years my research has been upon Tin Pan Alley in Denmark Street and I am currently investigating the Covent Garden community gardens and open spaces of the 1970s and 80s.

My presentations are engaging, informative and well illustrated.Jane London Talk copy 2

If you would like me to deliver a 45 minute public talk or lecture, please get in touch. I have a sliding scale of rates to suit your organisation – from a local group or archive, up to a museum, college or large company.

 

 

‘Revealing the Rookery, St. Giles: Art, Artefacts and Anecdotes’                  

Camden Archives –
‘Great talk. A wonderful combination of art, history and archaeology.’
Tudor Allen
Senior Officer, Camden Archives

‘The presentation gave a fascinating new perspective on an area long known to have been characterised by poverty and dissolution, and it was well illustrated from contemporary prints and maps, photographs from the excavation, and the dark, sinuous paintings of the artist, documenting criminal activity and drug taking which she had observed. Parallels between the social deprivation and poverty of the past and current social problems gave a contemporary edge to the evening which was educational, provocative and disturbing.’
Paul Shaw – Audience member, Camden Archives talk

 

Museum of London, Victoria & Albert Museum, British Library Collection, Westminster Archive, Bishopsgate Institute.

Dickens Museum, Sir John Soanes Museum, Camden Local Studies & Archives, Camden History Society, British History Online