Cultural History
Everyday Life & Luxury
Why bling booms when austerity rises
Seán Williams, a leading cultural historian examines why luxury has fascinated and enraged from the 18th century to today
German Thought
Proms Plus: Beethoven's 9th Symphony
Presenter Seán Williams discusses Beethoven the man and his time. Through a series of readings we learn what inspired the composer’s great work, and we encounter cultural life around 1800.
History of the Hairdresser
The Rise and Fall of the Hairdresser
New Generation Thinker Seán Williams considers the depiction
of hairdressers in prints and prose and the role they have played
in society, from ETA Hoffman to Balzac and beyond.
E.T.A. Hoffmann and the Hairdresser around 1800
Seán Williams examines the hairdresser as a character of society and literature around 1800, in an open-access academic article.