Leonie Hannan is a cultural and social historian at Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, working on themes of gender, material culture and intellectual life. With a professional background in museums and collections, she also researches and teaches in the field of public history.

Olwen Purdue is Professor of Social History at Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, where she works on histories of urban poverty, class and power and on public history. She directs the Centre for Public History at Queen's University Belfast, sits on the Board of Directors of the Irish Museums Association and collaborates closely with cultural partners.