Shakespeare and the Stratford-Upon-Avon Antiquarians
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: English Language and Literature
Abstract
The aim of this Studentship is to undertake a systematic investigation of the papers, diaries, and publications of Stratford Antiquarians, in search of new information about Shakespeare's life and the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. These collections are largely held at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and include hundreds of notebooks, letters, transcriptions, maps, sketches, drawings, and other images. There is also a key collection of papers held by UCL of the nineteenth-century Shakespearian and Stratford-upon-Avon antiquarian, James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps. Many of these papers have yet to be systematically researched and cross-referenced therefore they have the potential to provide new insights for the study of Shakespeare and Stratford. The research questions posed by the studentship are as follows:
-Are there any gaps or error in the papers that need to be accounted for?
-What are the cultural legacies of these antiquarian scholars?
-How might their influences on Shakespeare Studies be characterised?
-What are the research opportunities arising from the collections of their papers and books at the SBT?
-How has the work of Shakespearian antiquarians guided the curation of the Shakespeare Story as told by the SBT, and how might fresh consideration of their work impact on current practice?
-Are there any gaps or error in the papers that need to be accounted for?
-What are the cultural legacies of these antiquarian scholars?
-How might their influences on Shakespeare Studies be characterised?
-What are the research opportunities arising from the collections of their papers and books at the SBT?
-How has the work of Shakespearian antiquarians guided the curation of the Shakespeare Story as told by the SBT, and how might fresh consideration of their work impact on current practice?
