Retrospect
Journal.

EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY'S HISTORY, CLASSICS AND ARCHAEOLOGY MAGAZINE

Blog: https://retrospectjournal.com/
Profile: https://retrospectjournal.com/author/retrospectsubmissions/

Robespierre’s Religion? The Cult and the Festival of the Supreme Being in Revolutionary France

Hector Le Luel discusses how Robespierre’s political legacy has clouded perceptions of festivity in Revolutionary France.
Axis Sally and Tokyo Rose: Genuine Threat or Overemphasised Fiction?

Collaboration and dissent took many different forms during the Second World War. Annika Rasmussen explores the complex legacies of Axis Sally and Tokyo Rose.
Hot to Go: The Historical Trend of Lesbianism in Pop Culture

The summer of 2024 celebrates queer women in media, but historical trends suggest future acceptance may be uncertain and fleeting. Daisy Carter takes us back to twentieth-century Paris, exploring how women began to create a same-sex haven for themselves – and how this was met with resistance in the interwar period.
A Colonial Reading of Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Bram Stoker’s novel is widely known as one of the most seminal pieces of vampire literature. Kate Phillips draws our attention to the colonial undertones of the story and how this is configured through the shadowy figure of Dracula himself.
Shattering Idols: The Timeless Nature of Iconoclasm

Iconoclasm, historically linked to religious and political changes, shapes cultural identities and evokes societal tensions today. Ami John explores how this practice has destroyed – and shaped- history.
Statues of Soviets: The case of Grutas Park, Lithuania

Darcy Gresham examines Grutas Park in Lithuania, a unique site for preserving Soviet-era statues.
“Friends Don’t Let Friends Write Boring History”: Drafting the Past, with Kate Carpenter

Ailsa Fraser’s review of “Drafting the Past”, a podcast hosted by Kate Carpenter, highlights the often-overlooked craft of historical writing.
Women and fertility in Early Cycladic Sculpture – Goddess or not?

Ancient Greek religion emphasised fertility and motherhood, with goddesses such as Artemis and Demeter playing pivotal roles. As Anna Smellie investigates, related cycladic statues and their exact function remain debated.