University student wins social history award for project on iconic Kenwood Chef food mixer

Alice Naylor’s project – ‘Putting on a Show with the Kenwood Chef’ – has been rewarded with the Social History Society’s Public History Prize.

The prize is awarded to a postgraduate student or early career researcher who can demonstrate excellence in taking their research beyond the academy.

Alice’s submission was based on two public events, organised following the chance discovery of a script for Kenwood demonstrators in the Havant-based company’s archive.

The script inspired Alice to bring to life the history of domestic technology in post-war Britain. Working with drama students from the University of Portsmouth, she secured funding from the Being Human Festival and the Design History Society – and even enlisted the help of an ex-Kenwood demonstrator manager, Pauline Bateman.

The judges called this ‘a wonderful example of public history led by a chance archival encounter’ and were impressed by the initiative and enthusiasm Alice showed to make the events a success.

They also commended the project for its focus on the social and cultural importance of everyday practices, saying: ‘It has clearly enhanced public understanding of what history can be and encouraged people to reflect on their own consumer lives’.

Alice said: ‘I am thrilled and delighted to receive the Pamela Cox Social History Society Public History Prize.

‘I gained a great deal by creating this public event: it was instructive and engaging and demonstrated the value of science, technology and humanities research and exploring how cross-cultural collaborations can contribute knowledge that engages with the wider community.’

Alice enjoyed ‘fantastic support’ from the Spring Arts & Heritage Centre in Havant, the Science Museum and the University of Portsmouth’s ‘amazing drama students’ and her supervisors.

Alice is an AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership student with the University and the Science Museum Group. She is in the third year of her PhD, ‘Eye Appeal is Buy Appeal: the design, mediation, and consumption of Kenwood kitchen appliances from 1947-1985′.