Annebella Pollen, Professor of Visual and Material Culture at University of Brighton, is giving a pair of fascinating talks over the next few weeks on intriguing aspects of visual pop culture.

At 6pm, on Thursday 20th Feb, Prof. Pollen will be talking about the phenomonen of ‘Vinegar Valentines’ in late 19th Century Britain, when people would not only send declarations of love to each other on Valentine’s Day, but also more poison alternatives to express their dislike of other people!

This is taking place at:

Brighton West Pier Centre, Kings Road Arches, Brighton BN1 2FL

Tickets cost £9 and can be booked here

Then, on Wednesday 5th March, Bella will be exploring her research into ‘Images, Objects and their Afterlives‘ as an inaugural lecture at the University of Brighton, to try and answer such questions as:

What stories can historic images and objects tell about the past? When preserved in personal collections or institutional archives, what futures are they meant to serve? And what happens when those narratives fade or are forgotten?

This is taking place at the Sallis Benney Theatre, University of Brighton City Campus, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton BN2 0JY

Tickets are free, but must be booked in advance, here

You can find examples of Prof. Pollen’s unearthed Vinegar Valentines in Brighton and Hove Museum’s collection on the BBC’s website

And more info about her inugural lecture on Visual Culture, on the Selvedge Magazine website