The BBC and British Museum are running a series on A History of the World in 100 Objects. But the public can upload their own objects, too, and the British Humanist Association has uploaded a bust of Harold Blackham, the first Executive Director of the BHA.

This bust celebrates the achievements of Harold Blackham (1903-2009). He has been called the “architect of the international humanist movement”.

Blackham studied literature and worked in farming and teaching before turning to philosophy and adult education. Though never a professional philosopher, he tutored adult education courses on philosophy and the history of ideas, and made substantial contributions to 20th century humanist thinking in his many articles and books.

In the early 30s, Blackham became prominent in the British Ethical Union, and with leaders of the main churches set up a moral education programme in Great Britain. Later he played an important part in the development of the Ethical Union into the British Humanist Association, becoming the BHA’s first Executive Director in 1963. He was a founder of the Journal of Moral Education and in the 1970s he was chair of the Social Morality Council of Great Britain.

See the image at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/ZgBY1MVTT2mwIbUCtoClqQ