Image of Dr David Clampin

Dr David Clampin

Humanities and Social Science

Faculty of Arts Professional and Social Studies

See My Tutor

ORCID

David Clampin is Subject Leader for History and associated Programmes, as well as a historian of the British home front during the Second World War with a particular interest in the nature of everyday life between 1939 and 1945. As such, the focus of his research to date has been concerned with morale and the nature of propaganda in attempting to affect that. He holds an MA in Propaganda, Persuasion and History from the University of Kent and a PhD from Aberystwyth University which examined the role of British press advertising during the Second World War, reading this as a window onto the everyday practices, ambitions and desires of the British people at this time. One of the key themes of his research relates to the durability of routine and the importance of ‘normalcy’ in coping with the extraordinary nature of wartime life. This is particularly pronounced where the British people experienced direct contact with the war during the heavy bombing raids of the Blitz. Drawing on a variety of primary resources, most notably the Mass-Observation Archive, an impression is conveyed of a more inward looking society, concerned with local pride and a determination to protect one’s own livelihood, rather than any more outward looking or vainglorious motivation. These themes were further explored and developed in his monograph of 2014 'Advertising and Propaganda in World War II: Cultural Identity and the Blitz-spirit' (I.B.Tauris).

Whilst his first love is the British home front of the Second World War, he has also undertaken research examining Tate & Lyle’s cartoon character, Mr Cube, and a major project in association with Merseyside Maritime Museum examining the marketing of British shipping between c.1840 to c.1970 one output of which has been a major exhibition 2014/15, 'Sail Away. Liverpool Shipping Posters at the Maritime Museum'.

Aspects of his research are informed by a previous career in advertising and marketing, notably working for Campaign magazine, Capital Radio Group, and BBC Worldwide.

Supervision areas
I am particularly keen to hear from research students with interests in British popular culture through the twentieth century and particularly in relation to life on the British home front during the Second World War. I also have an interest in prospective students working on propaganda, the history of the British popular press from c.1855, the British merchant marine, and consumer culture, alongside the history of marketing and advertising.

Top