Royal College of Art

Faculty Member, History of Design

Other Affiliations: University of Warwick, History
Victoria and Albert Museum, Research

Tutor in Postgraduate Studies: 1600 -1800

Research Department, V&A,

About

I am a social and cultural historian of early modern history (more details below) and Tutor in Graduate studies (1600-1800)at the Victoria and Albert Museum [V&A], London, the largest and most outstanding decorative arts museum in the world. I am based in the museum's Research Department, where we offer MA and PhD degrees in History of Design in collaboration with The Royal College of Art, London. We also host and co-supervise doctoral students in History and History of Art in collaboration with numerous other universities via the AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Awards Scheme. I teach on the 2 year RCA/V&A MA course and also supervise MPhil and PhD students who are interested in studying material culture in social and cultural context between c.1600 - 1800. Our students have gone on to successful careers in academic, museum, publishing and a wide range of design related jobs.

Information about the RCA/V&A courses in History of Design can be found on the Royal College of Art's and the V&A's website.

I research the material culture of popular politics and the everyday in early modern England. I have published work on the political broadside ballad; the domestication of politics, and on 'political' drinking in seventeenth century England. My forthcoming publications include a major article on drinking for a special edition of Past and Present; a monograph on political ballads and another on early modern drinking cultures.

I am involved in several collaborative research projects. For the last three years I have  co-convened a major ESRC network: Intoxicants and Intoxication in Historical and Cultural Perspective  with Dr Phil Withington(Christs, Cambridge)[see websites], from which three special publications are forthcoming. I also co-convened a European Science Fund Workshop on The Historical Formation of Drinking Cultures in Europe with Dr Phil Withington and Professor Beat Kumin (Warwick), a project that we hope to develop further. I am also working with Dr Joanne Bailey (Oxford Brookes) and Dr Sasha Handley (Northumbria)on a project related to Beds and the Domestic Landscape of early modern England and also on a major V&A Conference on Women's Writing Materials with Elizabeth Eger (Kings, London), Nancy Casserly (V&A/RCA) and the AHRC Blue Stocking Network.

For the museum, I facilitate new research into the V&A's collections through seminars, mentoring and outreach, and I do research and writing for major exhibitions and publications - such as the recent Quilts exhibition and publication - and new gallery projects - such as the new Europe 1600-1800 Galleries. I am also the editor of the V&A Online Journal.

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