James Thompson

Professor James Thompson is a faculty member in the Department of History (Historical Studies) at the University of Bristol. His research focuses on modern British political and intellectual history, particularly the period 1850–present, with expertise in political culture, visual communication, and the intersection of technology with historical analysis.

• M.A., Columbia University
• Ph.D., University of Cambridge

Key research areas include:

• Class dynamics and popular political economy
• Victorian scandals and trade union legislation
• Visual culture of British politics (posters, banners, films, photographs) 1860s–1930s
• History of numeracy and technological impact on culture
• Collaborative 'big data' research with AI colleagues

His recent publications examine historical petitions, country house symbolism, and 19th-century media. He supervises students in modern British intellectual history and political culture, teaches courses like Political Culture and Communication in Modern Britain, and contributes to projects such as the British Historical Statistics Project.