Next month, we're celebrating Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month (#GRTHM).
We will be exploring the contribution of travelling people to rural society, their community, and their heritage. Romany Gypsies, for instance, have been in Britain since at least 1515.
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We will be exploring the contribution of travelling people to rural society, their community, and their heritage. Romany Gypsies, for instance, have been in Britain since at least 1515.
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This photo of a Gypsy family was taken by John Tarlton in Essex, likely in the 1950s.
We don’t know who the family were, and whether they lived in the wagon ('vardo' in the Romani language) or used it occasionally.
We would love to know more about the stories within this image.
We don’t know who the family were, and whether they lived in the wagon ('vardo' in the Romani language) or used it occasionally.
We would love to know more about the stories within this image.
As an organisation, we are just at the start of our work with Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) communities. And it is long overdue.
We would particularly like to thank the Romany and Traveller Family History Society for helping us to keep this on our agenda.
We would particularly like to thank the Romany and Traveller Family History Society for helping us to keep this on our agenda.
Across rural England, the relationship between settled and travelling people has been a long and often troubled tale.
Settled people have romanticised the travelling life, whereas the reality was often of hardship and persecution. There is much to learn from our shared past.
Settled people have romanticised the travelling life, whereas the reality was often of hardship and persecution. There is much to learn from our shared past.
Throughout #GRTHM, we will delve into the stories behind related objects, artworks and archives within The MERL collection. And we will work with people from the GRT community, ensuring their voices are amplified and heard.
The theme of this year’s #GRTHM is ‘making space'. Throughout the month, we hope to make space for authentic portrayals of the lives and lived experience of GRT people.
Today, there are thought to be well over 100,000 people in the GRT community across Britain: some moving regularly around the country, and many in more settled accommodation.
This photo, taken by Eric Guy near Hungerford around 1937, shows two different styles of horse-drawn wagon.
As beautiful as these are, they represent only a part of GRT heritage. And over the years, other communities have also travelled rural England, often seeking work.
As beautiful as these are, they represent only a part of GRT heritage. And over the years, other communities have also travelled rural England, often seeking work.
We are also going to be working with local schools on a project related to GRT heritage. We look forward to sharing more about this towards the end of the month, including a selection of students’ responses!
In the month ahead, we hope you will join us in making space to learn about the lives, histories and communities of GRT people, past and present.
For more information about #GRTHM, please check out:
@GypsyTravellers
@GypsyTravellerM
@TravellersTimes
@ACERT_UK
and the hashtag!
For more information about #GRTHM, please check out:
@GypsyTravellers
@GypsyTravellerM
@TravellersTimes
@ACERT_UK
and the hashtag!
Image reference numbers:
MERL P TAR PH3/2/8/7/85
MERL P DX289 PH1/503
MERL P TAR PH3/2/8/7/85
MERL P DX289 PH1/503
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