Mr Lewis Ryder

Biography

I'm Lewis, a current PhD candidate in the History Department at the University of Manchester. Broadly speaking, my thesis looks at the relationship between the democratization and professionalization of culture in early twentieth-century Britain. In doing so, I explore the performances of professional identity, question the growing distinction between high and low culture, and assess the role of experts in implementing this change. I do all of this through the case study of John Hilditch (1872-1930), a controversial collector of Chinese art who engaged in a series of disputes with art 'experts'.

I'm also a keen supporter of Manchester City Football Club. 

I tweet at @lewryder