Maritime History and Culture Seminars, 2016–17

This series, convened by the National Maritime Museum and held at the Institute of Historical Research, explores humankind’s relationship with the sea through museum and archive collections. At its heart is the idea that our history is entwined with the maritime world and that people’s lives have always been shaped by the sea. Bringing together established names and new researchers, the series draws upon a range of different approaches to encourage debate and discussion.

Autumn Term 2016

11 October
What is maritime history and culture?
Professor Alison Bashford, University of Cambridge
Professor Huw Bowen, Swansea University
Professor Stephen Conway, University College London

25 October
Commonwealth and migration to Virginia in the early 17th century
Misha Ewen, University College London

8 November
Exhibiting the Antarctic: photography and colour in visual narratives of early 1900s expeditions
Dr Elizabeth I. Watkins, University of Leeds

6 December
The National Maritime Museum’s collaborative doctoral students will give five-minute presentations of their PhD projects:

Chronometry and chronometers on British voyages of exploration, c. 1815–72
Emily Akkermans, University of Edinburgh

Patronage and the Navy: Admiral John Markham’s papers at the National Maritime Museum
Catherine Beck, University College London

In the service of the needle: the assembly of the Compass Observatory
Jenny Bulstrode, University of Cambridge

P&O: serving the Empire
Daniel Davies, University of Middlesex

The 1797 naval mutinies at Spithead and the Nore
Callum Easton, University of Cambridge

Portraiture and the British naval officer, 1739–1805
Katherine Gazzard, National Portrait Gallery and University of East Anglia

Making the oceans visible: science and technology on the Challenger expedition, 1872–76
Erika Jones, University College London

Schools of vice: British prison hulks, 1776–1864
Anna McKay, University of Leicester

Imperial Thames: London, River, Empire, 1660–1830
Hannah Stockton, Queen Mary, University
of London

Spring Term 2017

17 January
Black Tudor and Stuart seafarers
Dr Miranda Kaufmann, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London

31 January
Talking about climate change at the Science Museum
Alexandra Rose, Science Museum

28 February
Ten things I hate about Edward Barlow: the life and journal of a 17th-century sailor
Dr Richard Blakemore, University of Reading

14 March
‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galleries’: challenges in curating permanent exhibitions
Dr Laura Humphreys and Dr Aaron Jaffer, National Maritime Museum

Summer Term 2017

25 April
‘From the Sailor to the Landsman’: nautical influences on tattooing and fashion
Amber Butchart, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London and
Dr Matt Lodder, University of Essex

9 May
Australia’s prison islands: the impact of the sea on convict life and labour
Katy Roscoe, University of Leicester

23 May
A joint seminar with the London Group of Historical Geographers. Panel discussion of Professor Lauren Benton’s A Search for Sovereignty: law and geography in European Empires, 1400–1900.
Please note that this seminar will take place in the Court Room, followed by a drinks reception.

6 June
Cook’s new clothes: redressing the legacy of Captain Cook’s first voyage in the Pacific
Dr Simon Layton, Queen Mary, University of London and Professor Khadija von Zinnenburg Carroll, University of Birmingham

Full abstracts available at rmg.co.uk/researchers/conferences-and-seminars

Convenors:
Laura Humphreys, Aaron Jaffer, Lizelle de Jager, James Davey, Katy Barrett and Louise Devoy.

Location
The Institute of Historical Research
University of London, Senate House, London WC1E 7HU

All seminars begin at 17.15 in Wolfson Room I at the Institute, except the following:
8 November – Wolfson Room II
25 April – Wolfson Room II
23 May – Court Room

Papers last approximately 45 minutes, followed by 15–30 minutes of questions. The seminar is usually followed by more informal discussion in a nearby pub.

There is no charge for these seminars and no need to book.

Travel
Nearest Tube stations include Tottenham Court Road, Russell Square and Goodge Street

Further information
Research Department Executive,
National Maritime Museum,
Royal Museums Greenwich, London SE10 9NF
Tel 020 8312 6716
E-mail researchrmg.co.uk