Vicky Iglikowski-Broad

Vicky Iglikowski-Broad: Unearthing Hidden Narratives in British History

We’ve followed Vicky Iglikowski-Broad’s work as a pioneering historian and public intellectual who bridges archival scholarship with accessible storytelling. As Principal Diverse Histories Records Specialist at The National Archives, she has redefined how marginalized histories are accessed and understood within institutional collections.

Career Trajectory: From Academic Roots to Public Engagement

Iglikowski-Broad’s career began with an MA in Women and Gender History from Royal Holloway University, where she explored 19th-century feminist dress reform. Since joining The National Archives in 2012, her work has evolved through three distinct phases:

• 2012-2017: Building foundational expertise in suffrage movement records and early LGBTQ+ legal cases
• 2017-2020: Leading centenary projects including the immersive Suffragette City exhibition
• 2020-present: Developing ethical frameworks for documenting sex work history through a Wellcome Collection fellowship

Defining Works: Three Pillars of Historical Recovery

Queer connections: The policing of gay personal adverts in the 1960s

This groundbreaking analysis of Metropolitan Police files reveals how authorities surveilled LGBTQ+ communities through personal ads. Iglikowski-Broad reconstructs the 1963 International Times trial, where prosecutors used poetic language from ads as "evidence" of obscenity. Her close reading of court transcripts demonstrates how queer-coded communication became criminalized, while her inclusion of defendant testimonies preserves marginalized voices often erased from legal records.

The queer Victorian origins of the word 'camp'

Through linguistic analysis of 1868 police reports, this article traces how "camp" evolved from criminal slang to cultural identifier. Iglikowski-Broad cross-references arrest records with theater archives to show how working-class queer communities developed coded language for survival. The piece’s viral success (shared over 15,000 times) demonstrates her ability to make academic research accessible without sacrificing nuance.

Reading against the grain: sex workers lives in a government archive

In this external publication, Iglikowski-Broad models ethical archival practices using 1907 prostitution case files. By analyzing police interrogation transcripts alongside material culture (a recovered "obscene book" from raids), she reconstructs the lived experiences of sex workers while critiquing institutional biases in record-keeping. The article’s methodology has influenced contemporary debates about documenting marginalized communities.

Pitching Insights: Aligning with Historical Priorities

1. Center Underrepresented Voices in Historical Contexts

Iglikowski-Broad prioritizes stories that challenge dominant historical narratives. Successful pitches might explore:

"How working-class LGBTQ+ communities created safe spaces before decriminalization"

Her work on Lady Malcolm’s Servants Balls demonstrates interest in intersectional analyses of class and queerness. Avoid surface-level "firsts" without structural analysis.

2. Leverage Material Culture in Storytelling

She frequently uses archival artifacts as narrative anchors. A pitch might propose:

"Analyzing 1930s drag costumes preserved in police evidence lockers"

This approach mirrors her analysis of 1907 sex workers’ personal belongings in MEPO 3/1791 files.

3. Connect Historical Patterns to Contemporary Policy

While avoiding presentism, Iglikowski-Broad appreciates research illuminating persistent structural issues. For example:

"Comparing 1960s police surveillance tactics to modern facial recognition in LGBTQ+ spaces"

This aligns with her work on historical policing methods and their modern legacies.

Awards and Institutional Recognition

• 2020 Wellcome Collection Fellowship: Awarded for developing ethical frameworks to document sex work history, recognizing her innovative approach to balancing archival integrity with community sensitivity.
• Lead Curator, With Love Exhibition (2020): This critically acclaimed project recontextualized Colonial Office records through LGBTQ+ perspectives, drawing 50,000+ visitors and setting new standards for inclusive curation.
• BBC History Magazine Contributor of the Year (2022): Honored for making archival research accessible through regular columns explaining complex historical methodologies to general audiences.