Nasty, Brutish and Short: Cheap Print and the Scholar

NASTY, BRUTISH AND SHORT: CHEAP PRINT AND THE SCHOLAR

UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK

19TH JUNE 2004

Organisers: Angela McShane-Jones (Dept. of History) Dr. Lynn Robson (Dept. of English)

Funding bodies: Humanities Research Centre, University of Warwick Centre for the Study of the Renaissance, University of Warwick Department of English, University of Warwick Department of History, University of Warwick Royal Historical Society

Number of delegates: 43 (registered)

Funded postgraduate places: 13 (50% funded); 4 (fully funded)

Speakers: Professor Bernard Capp, University of Warwick Dr. Adam Fox, University of Edinburgh Professor Michael Mendle, University of Alabama Dr. Cathy Shrank, University of Aberdeen Dr Sue Wiseman, Birkbeck College

Discussants: Dr. Elizabeth Clarke, University of Warwick Professor Steve Hindle, University of Warwick

Chairs: Prof. Bernard Capp Angela McShane- Jones Dr. Lynn Robson

The symposium succeeded in its aim of bringing together speakers and delegates from the disciplines of historical and literary studies in order to provide a forum for the discussion of the implications of using early modern cheap printed material as a source for academic study. Delegates represented institutions in the United States, England, Scotland and Eire including the universities of Alabama, Birmingham, East Anglia, Exeter, Hertfordshire, Keele, London, Oxford, Sheffield, Southampton, Edinburgh and Dublin. Representatives from the Wellcome Institute and the Shakespeare Institute also attended. Apart from the speakers and discussants, distinguished scholars who attended included: Maureen Bell, Mike Braddick, Anne Hughes, Mark Knights, Peter Marshall and R.N. Swanson. The disciplines represented by the speakers, discussants and delegates included: history, English, the history of the book and the history of medicine. The historical periods covered by the delegates ranged from the late medieval and Renaissance through the early modern period to the 18th and 19th centuries. The topics and themes covered by the speakers included a consideration of the intersection between oral, manuscript and print culture in the dissemination of the events surrounding the regicide; the relationship between representations of gender and perceptions of truth-telling; the foundations and subsequent bibliographic history of George Thomason’s collection of cheap print; the reception of cheap print and the formation of Luttrell’s collection in the later 17th century, and the use and interpretation of dialogues in the formation of a political nation in the mid-16th century. The final plenary discussion ranged over considerations of the readers of cheap print; the role of memory in reading and of reading in constructing memory; when a market for cheap print could first be identified, and the relationship between commercial considerations and political events. It was clear by the end of the day that cheap print not only (in George Thomason’s words) ‘merits careful preservation’ but also rewards careful, scholarly attention.

Several important themes emerged from the symposium. These included the importance of early modern collections and catalogues in the formation of a narrative of a particular period in history. Such collections allow scholars access to a variety of voices as they attempt to reconstruct the experiences, events and people of the past via a study of cheap print. The variety of voices cheap print gives access to also promotes an awareness of the possibility of multiple interpretations. In the papers and the discussions it was evident that the writers, sellers and collectors of cheap print were themselves aware of this possibility. It was clear that early modern writers, booksellers and collectors were sophisticated in their use and marketing of cheap printed material, exploiting social, generic and economic crossovers. Consequently, much of the discussion centred round the possibility of identifying early modern readers. Perhaps one of the most important indicators of the success of the symposium and the quality of scholarship and discussion it stimulated was the admission by an archival historian that cheap print could be valuable as a source for scholars.

We received a lot of very positive feedback from the delegates, in particular praise for the quality of the speakers and the papers they gave. The organisation of the day was also praised with a lot of appreciation for the time built into the programme for discussion so that many people found that they had plenty of space to listen and think. As a result the discussions were lively and useful. The speakers were all keen to be involved in the publication of a collection of essays based on the aims and themes of the symposium.

The organisers would like to thank all the funding bodies for their generous support for this symposium.

Angela McShane-Jones Dr. Lynn Robson Dept.of History Dept.of English University of Warwick University of Warwick

29/06/04