AOUG Chancellor Lord Asa Briggs Award for Arts

Awarded to Revd. Amanda Stevens.

Home on the Rails: The design, fitting and decoration of trains interiors in Britain, c.1920 c- 1955.

Having completed the part time Masters degree in Art History with The Open University in 2016, I have been excited to continue to study with the University through a full time AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Studentship. The thesis is entitled, ‘Home on the Rails: the design, fitting and decoration of train interiors in Britain between 1920 and 1955’. The project is in partnership with the National Railway Museum in York, which is part of the Science Museum Group, and the research has taken me all over the country to explore the interiors of a range of railway carriages at heritage railways, and at the museum itself. As I am also a minister in the Methodist Church, like all students I have had to manage my time, but the investigative work on design in the context of twentieth century society has proved stimulating, and receiving this Award has been a huge encouragement as I complete the work.