Gunjan Sondhi

The Migrant Businesswomen in the 1911 Census project was funded by AHRC in 2021/2022. The project examined the colonial connections and legacies of migration into the UK and unsettles the idea of a homogeneous English society during the early 20th Century.

Several public engagement outputs were generated from the project. Four of these outputs are showcased below: film, walking map, teaching resource and data blogs.

PI: Carry van Lieshout, Open University

Co-I: Gunjan Sondhi, Open University

FILM

This film has been created as part of the Migrant Businesswomen in the 1911 Census project, funded by the AHRC to promote public engagement with the 2021 Census. Told by a team of Black storytellers, the film explores the contribution of migrant businesswomen to London’s creative economy and society by diving into the 1911 Census records of a group of women who lived in Bloomsbury at the time.

Credits:

Director: ‘H’ Patten
Narrated: Gabriella Beckles-Raymond and ‘H’ Patten
OU project leads: Carry van Lieshout & Gunjan Sondhi
Filmed and edited by: Jordan Alexander/Jay Master Productions
Music: Alexander D Great
Funded by: AHRC

MAPS

Discover the herstories of migrant businesswomen in 1911 London.

This walk traces the presence of migrant women who ran their own business in 1911. They represent only a small number of the many women born abroad who came to London and contributed to the capital’s economy. The women featured on this walk came from diverse backgrounds and engaged in various businesses of different sizes. We know their presence at these locations, where they were born, and what they did through their records in the 1911 census. This walk tells some of their stories.

The walk is about 5.5 km/1.5 hr

TEACHING RESOURCE

Who tells stories? This StoryMap, available on the ARCGIS website, is designed as a teaching resource for educators who teach students aged 16-18 studying Geography and History subjects.

DATA BLOG

A series of blogs was produced during the project that analysed the census data to build a picture of the feminised skills and invisibility of businesswomen.