The Institute of English Studies (School of Advanced Study, University of London) and the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, are pleased to announce the availability of a fully funded doctoral grant from October 2020.

Research will examine the origins and curatorial history of engraved and etched copper plates within the Bodleian’s collections, addressing historical and contemporary questions raised by the preservation of these three-dimensional printing matrices within a special collections library.

The focus will be on 750 engraved and etched copper plates from the 17th and 18th centuries, part of the major collection of medieval manuscripts, books, and other antiquarian material bequeathed by Richard Rawlinson (1690-1755). The Rawlinson copper plates are part of a larger group of over 2000 intaglio printing plates preserved in the Bodleian Libraries.

This project will be jointly supervised by Dr Elizabeth Savage (SAS) and Dr Alexandra Franklin (Bodleian). The student will be expected to spend time at both University of London and the Bodleian, as well as becoming part of the wider cohort of CDP funded students across the UK. The award holder will be appropriately embedded for a period within the Department of Special Collections at the Bodleian Libraries.

This studentship is funded for 3 years and 9 months (45 months) full time or part-time equivalent (with the possibility of extension for training for professional development opportunities).

Applicants may come from a variety of disciplinary perspectives (e.g. archive and information studies, art history, book history, conservation or conservation science, heritage studies, history of collections, intellectual history, librarianship, literary or cultural studies, museum studies, or print history).

Please visit the 'External Link' below for more information.