Loyal Exchange: the material and visual culture of Jacobite exile 1716-60

I'm working with the University of Edinburgh and the National Museum of Scotland to research the material and visual culture of Jacobite loyalty, c.1719 - 1760. This research will focus on the various types of material culture created and used by the Stuart court in exile, as well as their followers across Europe and Britain, found in the NMS archives and further afield. It is hoped that this research will shed new light onto the nature of the Stuart court in exile, and their sense of identity as players on a European stage. By looking not only at the items the exiled monarchs produced as explicit propaganda, but also at the clothing worn at court, portraits commissioned for both private and public use, and objects that were commissioned for consumption at court as well as gifts, we gain an insight into who the Stuarts themselves thought they were, or at least aimed to be. Hopefully, this will contribute to a new look at "the Jacobites" as a serious political movement, with horizons beyond the Highlands of Scotland.
Furthermore, the relationships and networks of communication between the court and supporters across Europe will be better understood through this research. An attempt to understand the practical workings of such networks will be made. Moreover, examining what sorts of objects were created, their designs, and reasons for gifting, requesting, or buying such objects will shed more light on the relationships between supporters and court. Looking at hidden symbolism in designs, as well as common themes, this research will improve our understanding of the audience the Stuart court were aiming for in the objects they produced, and the shared culture that could be found amongst supporters. By looking at the material culture in the context of the personal collections to which items belonged, we will gain a more individualistic sense of Jacobite supporters, reasons behind their loyalty, and their hopes and aspirations for the Stuarts. The research will also acknowledge the various contexts in which Jacobite items were acquired. Peaks in production and acquisition of objects, changing themes, and crucially, changing ways in which material culture was used and displayed, especially post-1745, could tell us a lot about the nature of support for the Stuarts at different points in their campaign.
While the Stuarts themselves arguably catered for an elite audience, there was also a network of popular Jacobite material culture. This research will look at the ways in which it was influenced by court produced culture. However, moving away from the idea that this was purely done in the form of making crude copies, we should question what the material culture says about the popular support for the Stuarts: how did these supporters see the exiled monarchs, what demands did they make of them, and for what reasons did they support the Stuart cause?
Finally, the Jacobite cause is one which has long been considered a romanticised one. This perception has shaped both Scottish identity and the way in which others have seen Scotland, and Highland society in particular, since the late eighteenth century. Looking at newly produced objects, as well as the way in which existing Jacobite material culture was used post Culloden, may shed light on the ways in which supporters themselves contributed to the romantic idea of the Stuarts and Jacobites that became so popular. Furthermore, we will look at how Charles Stuart, "Bonnie Prince Charlie", contributed to and drew on a romanticised image of the Jacobites through material culture, and why he chose to fashion his own image as the "Highland Laddie".
Overall, this research aims to broaden our perception of the Stuarts and their supporters, what they thought of themselves and the cause they fought for, and look at not only how the material culture played a role in these networks of support but what it can tell us about the foundations of loyalty to the Jacobite cause.