Online exhibitions

Throughout the So that they may have life project our volunteers and work placement students have been creating online exhibitions telling stories from our University Archives.

Completed remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, each online exhibition represents a virtual gallery space within a digital museum of the history of the University of Leicester. So that they may have life: Stories from the University Archives showcases research telling stories of our founding and early history. Every Picture Tells a Story showcases the work of our team of archive volunteers, describing how they have improved our catalogue records and made new discoveries along the way. 

During the Summer, the team were joined by a group of students from the School of Museum Studies. Their first exhibit tells our founding story through an iconic object in our archives, The Golden Book, and the gifts of money and objects that it records. Mary Attenborough: The Hidden History takes the story into the 1930s with a focus on an important and often overlooked figure in our early history. Our final two exhibits celebrate the contribution of the thousands of students who have been part of the University’s story since our foundation. A Bridge from Then to Now: Heritage and the Sylvia Dowling Letters places centre stage an extraordinary series of correspondence from one of our 1950s alumni. Bringing the story to the present day, 100 Years of Student Life is a web and app based walking tour of the campus which shares stories of students past and present and their connection with our campus. 

Supporting the exhibitions and walking tour are a series of learning resources aimed at Key Stage 2 students.

100 years of student life

A walking tour give you a true insight into the University: its history, facilities and the student experience. The tour can also be accessed via The Clio mobile app.