1784 Westminster Election

I have been invited to give a paper  'Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and the 1784 Westminster Election: The Caricaturist's Response' at the University of Roehampton on Wednesday 21 November.

Gender and Visual Representation Conference

On Wednesday 12 September 2012 I attended a one day conference on Gender and Visual Representation at the University of Winchester. The day produced an interesting range of papers dealing with a range of topics from a number of accademic disciplines. I delivered a paper 'Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and the 1784 Westminster Election: The Caricaturist's Response' in which I sought to re-consider the ways in which Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire was portrayed by the caricaturists in connection with the 1784 Westminster Election, through looking beyond the narrow corpus of "Butcher Kissing Prints" and considering her representation more widely.

'Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, 4th Baronet: An Unconventional Politician?'

My article on the political activities of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, fourth Baronet has just been published in Parliamentary History (Vol. 31: Part 2, 2012). The essay is based on research conducted for my 2008 University of Wales, Aberystwyth MA. Dissertation 'The Seventeen Year Duck - or - The Political Life of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, Fourth Baronet'.

Gender and Visual Representation Conference

I have just had my paper ‘Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and the 1784 Westminster Election: The Caricaturist’s Response’ accepted for the Gender and Visual Representation Conference which will be taking place at the University of Winchester on 12 September 2012. The conference is organised by the Centre for Gender Studies.

For further information visit the conference website:

http://www.winchester.ac.uk/research/attheuniversity/FacultiesofHumanitiesandSocialSciences/CentreforGenderStudies/Pages/GenderandtheVisualImageConference.aspx

Associate of the Higher Education Academy

I learned today that my application to become an Associate of the Higher Education Accademy has been successfull!

Hogarth's House

29 April - I visited Hogarth's House a small museum based in William Hogarth’s house in Hogarth Lane, Chiswick. They have got a number of Hogarth’s plates hung on the Walls including A Rake’s Progress, Marriage a la Mode, Gin Lane and Beer Street, Four Stages of Cruelty and Calais Gate. They all nicely hung and are accompanied by a description of the plate and where applicable series. There are also reproductions of some items of furniture which would have been in the house and some interesting displays of artefacts including his palate, etching tools and a copper plate for one of his Hudibris prints.

If you are interested in caricature of eighteenth century history it is well worth a visit, if only to see where the “Father of English Caricature” once lived.

Kensington Palace

28 April - Visited Kensington Palace - I was very pleased to see the displays in the Queen's state Rooms and King's State Rooms linking together so well and providing an informative insight into the Palace’s role in the early eighteenth-century, telling the story of the Act of Settlement and the first two Georges. A family tree would have been helpful to the interpretation but the displays were both informative and interesting combining artefacts and portraits well with mocked up newspapers moving the story on in each room, along with room attendants in the role of courtiers. The lack of clear labelling of items was a little disappointing, with educated guess work required at times to match up the objects to their discription on the information sheets in the room, which were not always obvious for what they were.

The Victoria Revealed exhibition was also interesting, but the placing of text around the room, on the walls, mirrors and furniture seemed a little odd at times and was not always easy to read owing to the lighting.

Definitely worth a visit.

'Cradled in Caricature'

Friday 27 April 2012: Attended 'Cradled in Caricature', a one day conference held at the University of Kent, Canterbury - http://cradledincaricature.wordpress.com/cic-event-27-april-2012/
Chaired Panel 2: 'Cradled in Contrast: The application of national stereotypes in eighteenth century caricature' and heard a number of excellent papers on aspects of the history of caricature.