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
Dept.of History
University of Warwick
Dr. Lynn Robson
Dept.of English
University of Warwick
29/06/04