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Is it possible to control what other people think? In this abridged extract from his book ‘Brainwashed’, psychoanalyst and historian Daniel Pick offers us a new history of thought control.

The sanatorium treatment for tuberculosis was a curious combination of sunshine, fresh air, exercise and constant surveillance.

Many common remedies were taken throughout the 19th century, with more people than ever using them. What was the social and cultural context of this development?

Penis badges, the mysterious Office of the Night, and sneezing as a form of contraception – enter the surprising world of medieval sex. It wasn’t cold baths and self-denial for everyone, as Katherine Harvey explains.

With its combination of rich, portable data and high-end style, this folding almanac could have been the medieval equivalent of the latest iPhone.

A 17th-century physician’s controversial theory about the link between the emotions and the stomach reminds us that we shouldn’t ignore our ‘gut feelings’.

Add some flavour to your love life with this spice. It will warm up more than just your buns.

The history of nymphomania is closely bound with society's views on women and their sexuality.

Hysteria has long been associated with fanciful myths, but its history reveals how it has been used to control women’s behaviour and bodies

We offer a range of activities aimed at researchers who are interested in using our collections.

‘The Healing Pavilion’ is a new art commission by British-Kenyan visual artist Grace Ndiritu, which radically reimagines what textiles and architecture can do in a museum burdened by colonial history.

Join us for a panel discussion about how milk transformed tea, coffee and chocolate into three of the most widely consumed products in the world.

Introduce your students to building a career in the arts in this interactive workshop for school groups aged 14-19 years.

While lockdown has presented autistic people with greater challenges than life pre-COVID, many have found strength and comfort in the situation. Autistic writer and performer Kate Fox explains how.

Stuart Evers thought he’d shaken off his family’s rigid definition of masculinity. But when he became a dad, those buried patriarchal ideas made an unexpected return.

Follow tips from a professional forager to recreate delicious 18th-century recipes from plants growing wild in parks and on urban wasteland.

You’ll never understand the impact of a cancer diagnosis. Until you get one.

Mental health struggles can make you refuse help, even from yourself.

In this extract from ‘How to be a Renaissance Woman’, Jill Burke delves into a complex world of beauty products, poison and patriarchy – and reveals the impossible contradictions of femininity faced by 16th-century women.

Darling of 19th-century American freak shows, Evatima Tardo remained serene as she withstood crucifixion and the bites of poisonous snakes. But she took the secret behind her abilities to her grave.