Common Printed Things
Lead Research Organisation:
Birmingham City University
Abstract
Questions:
- Can the Coalbrookdale Collection illustrate the link between Midlands printing/making; graphic/material production; art/industry?
- Can the collection be used to illustrate the historical development of Midlands industry and its printing trade?
- Did the Coalbrookdale Company contribute to a wider appreciation of the role of printing in the manufacturing of goods?
Critical approaches: Referring to the project proposal, I support the decision to follow the method of 'the art of reading well' (McKenzie, 1999), taking a comprehensive view of the Collection to develop a wellrounded understanding. Initially, the Coalbrookdale Collection will be considered in its cultural-historical context, placing the trade catalogues within the industrial milieu of the English Midlands between 1850-1930, outlining the technological advancements and burgeoning consumerism as well as mapping trends in trade catalogues during the period.
Viewing the collection through the lens of historical materialism will duly place 'commerce' as a central motivating factor in the production of the trade catalogues. This approach will be applied to the Company's activities themselves, and more broadly to understand the impact of these activities on the local industrial economy. To assess the extent that the Coalbrookdale Company's activities supported the local economy, I will seek archival sources demonstrating the business importance of these commissions to the printers and associated craftspeople (for example letters or advertisements for the printers referencing this area of their work). Other primary resources (such a Shropshire Archives) may also be consulted for contemporaneous evidence.
Considering the commercial motivations for the trade catalogues themselves, a 'rhetorical' framework for reading historical advertising (Mcquarrie and Phillips, 2016) will be used to evaluate them as commercial tools which aimed to generate sales by communicating with (persuading) a target audience by utilising aspects of design. A cultural-historical reading of the extensive primary archival sources will also be used to examine the commercial rationale of trade catalogues and their impact on the Company's business success, if such evidence exists.
To understand the interplay between art and commerce, I will first discuss the view that trade illustrations were not considered 'art' at the time (Lambert, 2020). A visual reading of the woodblocks and illustrations will showcase the craftsmanship techniques and any stylistic choices. Although individual artists were rarely credited (Grant, 2017), where identification is possible a biographical approach will be used to examine training and careers of craftspeople involved. By considering biography alongside primary sources (such as training), the artistic skills of craftspeople may indicate the extent to which artistic 'sensibility' played a role within this context of commercialism.
Impact: The project will contribute to the understanding of the Coalbrookdale Collection as an historically-rich resource representing a significant period in the industrial development of the Midlands and the role of these promotional materials in perpetuating the local iron industry (Grant, 2017). This history will enrich the Ironbridge Gorge Museum staff/volunteers' understanding of the collections which they can then communicate with visitors. These research outcomes will feed into planned exhibitions, events, and visitor engagement opportunities which will 'bring history to life'.
- Can the Coalbrookdale Collection illustrate the link between Midlands printing/making; graphic/material production; art/industry?
- Can the collection be used to illustrate the historical development of Midlands industry and its printing trade?
- Did the Coalbrookdale Company contribute to a wider appreciation of the role of printing in the manufacturing of goods?
Critical approaches: Referring to the project proposal, I support the decision to follow the method of 'the art of reading well' (McKenzie, 1999), taking a comprehensive view of the Collection to develop a wellrounded understanding. Initially, the Coalbrookdale Collection will be considered in its cultural-historical context, placing the trade catalogues within the industrial milieu of the English Midlands between 1850-1930, outlining the technological advancements and burgeoning consumerism as well as mapping trends in trade catalogues during the period.
Viewing the collection through the lens of historical materialism will duly place 'commerce' as a central motivating factor in the production of the trade catalogues. This approach will be applied to the Company's activities themselves, and more broadly to understand the impact of these activities on the local industrial economy. To assess the extent that the Coalbrookdale Company's activities supported the local economy, I will seek archival sources demonstrating the business importance of these commissions to the printers and associated craftspeople (for example letters or advertisements for the printers referencing this area of their work). Other primary resources (such a Shropshire Archives) may also be consulted for contemporaneous evidence.
Considering the commercial motivations for the trade catalogues themselves, a 'rhetorical' framework for reading historical advertising (Mcquarrie and Phillips, 2016) will be used to evaluate them as commercial tools which aimed to generate sales by communicating with (persuading) a target audience by utilising aspects of design. A cultural-historical reading of the extensive primary archival sources will also be used to examine the commercial rationale of trade catalogues and their impact on the Company's business success, if such evidence exists.
To understand the interplay between art and commerce, I will first discuss the view that trade illustrations were not considered 'art' at the time (Lambert, 2020). A visual reading of the woodblocks and illustrations will showcase the craftsmanship techniques and any stylistic choices. Although individual artists were rarely credited (Grant, 2017), where identification is possible a biographical approach will be used to examine training and careers of craftspeople involved. By considering biography alongside primary sources (such as training), the artistic skills of craftspeople may indicate the extent to which artistic 'sensibility' played a role within this context of commercialism.
Impact: The project will contribute to the understanding of the Coalbrookdale Collection as an historically-rich resource representing a significant period in the industrial development of the Midlands and the role of these promotional materials in perpetuating the local iron industry (Grant, 2017). This history will enrich the Ironbridge Gorge Museum staff/volunteers' understanding of the collections which they can then communicate with visitors. These research outcomes will feed into planned exhibitions, events, and visitor engagement opportunities which will 'bring history to life'.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Caroline Archer (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Roseanna Smith (Student) |