<feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
  <title>Fitzwilliam Museum Research Projects</title>
  <link href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/feeds/research" rel="self"/>
  <logo>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/images/logos/FitzLogo.svg</logo>
  <updated>2026-01-06T12:33:00+00:00</updated>
  <author>
    <name>The Fitzwilliam Museum</name>
    <email>press@fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk</email>
  </author>
  <rights>Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the University of Cambridge: CC-BY</rights>
  <generator>Fitzwilliam Museum Digital Magic by DEJP3</generator>
  <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/feeds/research</id>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Photographic culture and community in 20th century Sudanese Nubia]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/photographic-culture-and-community-in-20th-century-sudanese-nubia" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/photographic-culture-and-community-in-20th-century-sudanese-nubia</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[This project seeks to create momentum and inclusive research practice around the study of photographic culture in Sudan in the 20th century as Sudanese photography is largely absent from the flourishing field of research into colonial and postcolonial photography across Africa. This project focuses on the area around Abri/Amara West in northern Sudan.]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[This project seeks to create momentum and inclusive research practice around the study of photographic culture in Sudan in the 20th century. Sudanese photography is largely absent from the flourishing field of research into colonial and postcolonial photography across Africa. This project seeks to explore, through a focus on the area around Abri/Amara West in northern Sudan:

&nbsp;How were locally rooted modernities fashioned, projected and circulated through photography in Sudanese Nubia across the 20th century?
Can Sudanese Nubian agency and creativity be integrated into our narratives of image production, both as photographers, enablers and consumers?
How might Sudanese diaspora communities activate an expanded archive &ndash; combining those held in institutions and the micro-archives curated by families &ndash; in their futures?&nbsp;

A Cambridge Humanities Research Grant (2026) will enable:

Documentation of oral histories of family photography practice in the Abri area, led by Shadia Abdo Rabo (Sudan National Museum) and Sanaa El-Batal (University of Khartoum).
&ldquo;Community Studios&rdquo; with Sudanese and Nubian diaspora communities in London and Cambridge, bringing family photographs into dialogue with the collections of the Museum of Archaeology &amp; Anthropology, and the Royal Commonwealth Society collections at the University Library, in Cambridge.
A September 2026 workshop in Cambridge on the theme of visual culture in 20th century Nubia.

A wider research project also considers photography by Sudan Political Service officials during the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium (1899-1955 held in the Sudan Archive, Durham University) and archaeological photography from Amara West now in the Egypt Exploration Society (1938-1950).
The research will underpin the first academic book on photography in Sudan, yet also test modes of community participation around an expanded notion of the Nubian photographic archive. This work is critical and urgent as both film photography and the living memories of its use disappear from Sudan through the arrival of mobile phones, further exacerbated by conflict and extremely limited archival infrastructure.
The project is part of the Collections-Connections-Communities Strategic Research Initiative, and its broader programme of work around African collections in Cambridge.
Image: photograph mounted in a family photograph album, showing a brother and sister from Ernetta Island (Northern Sudan), taken at Carneval Camera, Khartoum, 1983. Used with permission of the owner.]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2026-01-06T12:33:00+00:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Stories of Care]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/stories-of-care" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/stories-of-care</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[Stories of Care: Conservation; Authenticity; Resiliance; Empathy is a collaborative pilot project exploring care in the Museum. Working with local adults, Stories of Care brings together conservation, curatorial and research team members to uncover how we care for the collection, ourselves and each other.

Through a relaxed conversation series and using small works on paper, ceramic objects and their stories as inspiration, the project considers the conditions in which we all need to thrive and how we can support one another to feel comfortable and cared for.]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[Stories of Care: Conservation; Authenticity; Resiliance; Empathy is a collaborative pilot project exploring care in the Museum. Working with local adults, Stories of Care brings together conservation, curatorial and research team members to uncover how we care for the collection, ourselves and each other.
Through a relaxed intergenerational conversation series and using small works on paper, ceramic objects and their stories as inspiration, the project considers the conditions in which we all need to thrive and how we can support one another to feel comfortable and cared for.
Initial Research Questions

What is the nature of care (our collections, our audiences and each other) within the museum setting? What conditions do we need to thrive?&nbsp;


How can we ensure that our audiences feel comfortable and cared for? &nbsp;


How can engagement with museum objects and stories build a stronger sense of belonging?&nbsp;
]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2025-07-30T17:48:51+01:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Botticelli in Cambridge Creative Producers]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/botticelli-in-cambridge-creative-producers" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/botticelli-in-cambridge-creative-producers</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[The Creative Producers is a participatory research project that brings together local young adults, researchers, artists, and staff at The Fitzwilliam Museum. Taking the display National Treasures: Botticelli in Cambridge as its impetus, the project uses arts, creativity, and dialogue to explore how young adults experience fine art and the Museum in their daily lives, and find ways for the Museum to serve them better.]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[The Creative Producers is a participatory research project that brings together local young adults, researchers, artists, and staff at The Fitzwilliam Museum. Taking the display National Treasures: Botticelli in Cambridge as its impetus, the project uses arts, creativity, and dialogue to explore how young adults experience fine art and the Museum in their daily lives, and find ways for the Museum to serve them better.
The Creative Producers went behind the scenes of the Botticelli display and took part in a series of creative and discussion workshops. Through the workshops, they put together Get the Gossip, an interactive trail of creative activities for visitors to explore in the display. They then hosted a launch event for the trail at The Fitzwilliam, during which they invited other young adults to connect with the art on their own terms in fun, creative ways.
The Creative Producers was convened as part of Molly Stock-Duerdoth&rsquo;s practice-based PhD study, supervised by Dr Kate Noble at The Fitzwilliam Museum and Professor Sandra Dudley and Dr Nuala Morse at The University of Leicester. 
Research Questions:

How do young adults make meaning through participating in and engaging with a university museum over time? What qualities does the meaning they make have?
What does understanding the museum as an affective assemblage illuminate about how young adults make meaning in this context?
How can an understanding of how young adults make meaning, and the form of meaning they make, in the assembled museum inform participatory practice and research going forward?
]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2025-02-27T09:31:55+00:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Reimagining]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/reimagining" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/reimagining</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[This evaluative project explored how creative programmes can help to create a healthier, more inclusive museum environment. The programme was developed in collaboration with Filipa Pereira-Stubbs, a local dance artist who previously worked with the Fitzwilliam Museum on Look, Imagine, Move, a social prescribing initiative supporting older adults affected by chronic pain, musculoskeletal conditions, and post-stroke. ]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[Reimagining explored how creative programmes can help to create a healthier, more inclusive museum environment. The programme was developed in collaboration with Filipa Pereira-Stubbs, a local dance artist who previously worked with the Fitzwilliam Museum on Look, Imagine, Move, a social prescribing initiative supporting older adults affected by chronic pain, musculoskeletal conditions, and post-stroke.&nbsp;
Reimagining was delivered in the Museum (April-May 2024). Two series were offered, providing alternative times for engagement, with a total of 12 older adults participating. Each session included both creativity and evaluation, with a dance-based activity in a closed gallery, and reflective evaluation sessions taking place in the Studio. The gallery-based element of each session involved sharing practices of close looking and movement, which participants were encouraged to use in everyday life. The evaluative element was structured using the Creative Health Quality Framework (Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance, 2023) and Evaluation Principles (Centre for Cultural Value, 2021).&nbsp;
The project explored questions like:&nbsp;&nbsp;

how does it feel to be in the museum?&nbsp;
how is it different being in the museum space?&nbsp;
what does bringing a sensory attention to artwork bring to the museum experience?&nbsp;

This project was funded by the Marlay Group&nbsp;]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2025-02-13T12:32:38+00:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Happy Place]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/happy-place" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/happy-place</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[Happy Place explores how young adults wellbeing can be improved by their engagement with museums, their stories and spaces. Working with diverse 16 – 25 year olds on their own terms, this collaborative project will capture their experiences, to better understand what they most want and need and co-design pilot interventions to improve wellbeing. ]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[Happy Place explores how young adults wellbeing can be improved by their engagement with museums, their stories and spaces. Working with diverse 16 &ndash; 25 year olds on their own terms, this collaborative project will capture their experiences, to better understand what they most want and need and co-design pilot interventions to improve wellbeing.
&nbsp;
Why Young Adults and Wellbeing?
One in three people aged 18 &ndash; 24 report symptoms of anxiety and depression. Museums strive to create safe, inclusive spaces for everyone, but we know that they are not always seen as accessible or relevant by many young adults.&nbsp; Happy Place will deepen understanding around the requirements and preferences of young adults and provide practical insight on how to improve the museum experience to help support their wellbeing.
Through the collaborative development, delivery and evaluation of the project, we hope to consider questions such as:

How can young adults wellbeing be improved by their engagement with museums, their stories &amp;&nbsp;spaces?
Which improvements to the pre-museum visit would help make&nbsp;young adults feel most welcome and inspired?
How do young adults respond to the current museum offer including the entrance, digital and outdoor spaces, galleries, caf&eacute; &amp; shop?
How do young adults define &lsquo;wellbeing&rsquo; and what might an excellent wellbeing experience at the museum look like to them?
Which of the Museum&rsquo;s themes and stories most resonate with young adults? Which might best support wellbeing programmes and experiences?
What can we learn from local, national and international case studies of wellbeing initiatives for young adults?
]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2025-01-30T14:22:41+00:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Health and Wellbeing Research]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/health-and-wellbeing-research" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/health-and-wellbeing-research</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[We work with local young and older adults to explore how people experience the Museum and how we can work together create a more inclusive and accessible space for everyone.  ]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[
We work with local young and older adults to explore how people experience the Museum and how together we can create a more inclusive and accessible space for everyone.&nbsp;&nbsp;


We involve local communities in research which promotes positive health &amp; wellbeing, enables inclusive practice and creates a welcoming environment where adults feel connected and cared for.&nbsp;
Our research supports the Museum&rsquo;s Research and Impact Strategic themes around health &amp; wellbeing; and participation &amp; collaboration. It is focused on challenging, changing and improving Museum practice.&nbsp;


Supported through the Museum's&nbsp;Knowledge Exchange and University Collections Project (2023-5).&nbsp;


&nbsp;

Projects&nbsp;
Stories of Care: Conservation; Authenticity; Resilience; Empathy
An inter-departmental collaborative project exploring care. Working with local adults, Stories of Care brings together conservation, curatorial and research team members to uncover how we care for some of the Museum collection.
Through a relaxed conversation series and using small works on paper, ceramic objects and their stories as inspiration, the project considers the conditions in which we all need to thrive and how we can support one another to feel comfortable and cared for.
&nbsp;
Happy Place (2025)&nbsp;
A participatory research project exploring how young adults' wellbeing can be improved by their engagement with museums, their stories and spaces.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Community partners: Cambridge Youth Forum, NCS (National Citizen Service), Romsey Mill and other local organisations and networks working with and supporting young adults.
Working with 16 &ndash; 25 year olds on their own terms, examining what an excellent wellbeing museum experience at the museum might look like and co-designing pilot interventions to improve wellbeing.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Creative Lunches: Sharing Art &amp; Food (2025)&nbsp;
An intergenerational community engagement project with young children, families &amp; older adults, inspired by the&nbsp;Picturing Excess: Jan Davidz de Heem&nbsp;display.&nbsp;
Community partners: Cambridgeshire County Council Sensory Support team, Cambridge city organisations and networks working with families &amp; with older adults&nbsp;
Exploring how creative activities in the community can build connections with people and across generations.&nbsp;
Enabled thanks to the philanthropic support of an anonymous donor.
&nbsp;
Museums for Life (2025)&nbsp;
An evidence-based, creative programme supporting the positive health and wellbeing of older adults. This project has developed from&nbsp;Reimagining.&nbsp;
Community partners: Cambridge Older People&rsquo;s Enterprise and other local charities and networks working with and supporting older adults&nbsp;
Developing a set of principles for inclusive practice in the Museum and using the principles to inform the development, delivery and evaluation of creative programmes for older adults.&nbsp;
Funded by the Marlay Group.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The People&rsquo;s Museum (2025)&nbsp;
A participatory action research project with adults affected by non-visible disabilities &ndash; phase two of&nbsp;Take a Walk in My Shoes.&nbsp;
Exploring what an accessible and inclusive museum might look like, through a variety of smaller research projects.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Take a Walk in My Shoes (2024)&nbsp;
A participatory research project exploring multisensory experiences of how it feels to &lsquo;be&rsquo; in the Museum and how the experiences of people affected by non-visible disabilities can be used to inform and / or support health and wellbeing in the Museum.&nbsp;
Funded by the Fitzwilliam Museum&rsquo;s Marlay Research and Impact Fund.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Reimagining (2024)&nbsp;
An evaluative project which explored older adults&rsquo; experiences of health and wellbeing initiatives in the Museum.&nbsp;
Funded by the Fitzwilliam Museum Marlay Group Fund.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2025-01-22T17:33:51+00:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Museums for Life]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/museums-for-life" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/museums-for-life</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[Museums for Life is an evidence-based, collaborative approach which embeds inclusive practice and creative health principles into the development, delivery and evaluation of health and wellbeing research and practice in the Museum. ]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[Museums for Life is an evidence-based, collaborative approach which embeds inclusive practice and creative health principles into the development, delivery and evaluation of health and wellbeing research and practice in the Museum. The programme ran from October 2024- March 2026.&nbsp;
The approach has been informed by an evaluative project Reimagining, which explored how creative programmes can help to create a healthier, more inclusive museum environment in collaboration with a creative practitioner and older adults affected by chronic / progressive conditions; and Take a Walk in My Shoes, a research project which considered experiences of being in the Museum and how these could inform and / or support health and wellbeing in the Museum, with (older) adults affected by non-visible disabilities. Reimagining evolved from Look, Imagine, Move, a social prescribing initiative which ran at the Fitzwilliam Museum (2021-2023) and sat within the University of Cambridge Museum&rsquo;s Age Well framework.&nbsp;
Museums for Life aims to foster inclusive wellbeing practices, explore the role of museum-based creative initiatives in improving health and wellbeing outcomes, and to establish sustainable practice that integrate creative health principles into museum programmes, ensuring equitable access and long-term benefits. The approach is underpinned and informed by:&nbsp;

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System&rsquo;s priority to &ldquo;create an environment to give people the opportunity to be as health as they can be&rdquo;&nbsp;


Cambridge Public Health&rsquo;s research priority of &lsquo;life-course and ageing&rsquo;&nbsp;


Creative Health Quality Principles which support creative health programmes to be person-centred, equitable, safe, creative, collaborative, realistic, reflective, and sustainable&nbsp;

Two 8-week Museums for Life creative programmes for older adults were delivered March &ndash; April 2025 and May &ndash; July 2025 with 15 adults aged 60-91. A third and final programme ran between February- March 2026 with a full cohort of 8 adults.&nbsp;
The programmes draw inspiration from the Museum&rsquo;s collection and empower participants to creatively connect with the artefacts in ways which resonate with and enrich their lives, supporting positive health and wellbeing. &nbsp;
Through the collaborative development, delivery and evaluation of these programmes, we hope to consider questions such as:&nbsp;

How can museums create environments that actively support health and wellbeing for diverse communities, including ageing populations?&nbsp;


What changes or benefits do creative health programmes have on physical, emotional, and social wellbeing within museum spaces?&nbsp;


In what ways can the Museum collaborate with local organisations to maximise the effectiveness of Museums for Life programmes?&nbsp;

&nbsp;
This project was funded by The Marlay Group&nbsp;]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2025-01-22T14:31:20+00:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Knowledge Exchange and University Collections]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/knowledge-exchange-and-university-collections" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/knowledge-exchange-and-university-collections</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[Knowledge Exchange and University Collections (KEUC) aims to unlock the potential of the University’s collections to create social and cultural impact. We work with a range of university and community partners to develop a scalable approach to participatory research and practice, asking questions together in order to bring about change. 
]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[Knowledge Exchange and University Collections (KEUC) aims to unlock the potential of the University&rsquo;s collections to create social and cultural impact. We work with a range of university and community partners to develop a scalable approach to participatory research and practice, asking questions together in order to bring about change.&nbsp;
Our team of four Practitioner Researchers draw on established practice and initiatives focused on wellbeing, community participation and early childhood to create sustainable partnerships with communities and organisations across the region and beyond.&nbsp;
Projects are co-developed with our partners to ensure they respond to the issues and questions which are most relevant to their lives. Our findings help us to evaluate and reflect on our practice and to better understand and evidence the impact of museums, art and culture.
Funded through Research England's Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) 2023-5.
&nbsp;
Current projects&nbsp;
Our Early Childhood Research programme focuses on how young children &amp; those who care for them experience the Museum. We work with families and educators to create meaningful connections between young children and artworks. Together we explore innovative pedagogies and resources to understand how best to support learning, participation and engagement.
Connections Through Collections is co-led by ten collaborators drawn from across the Cambridge community and investigates how the Museum collections, displays and programmes could be made more accessible and relevant to a wider range of people.
Our Health and Wellbeing Research involves local communities in research which promotes positive health &amp; wellbeing, enables inclusive practice and creates a welcoming environment where people feel connected and cared for.&nbsp;Take A Walk in My Shoes explores how it feels to be 'in' and move around the Museum. By working with people affected by non-visible disabilities we consider how each individual's experience is unique, and address potential challenges and opportunities. Happy Place explores how young adults' wellbeing can be improved by their engagement with museums, their stories and spaces.&nbsp;]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2025-01-16T09:04:44+00:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Creative Lunches: Sharing Art and Food]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/creative-lunches-sharing-art-and-food" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/creative-lunches-sharing-art-and-food</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[A community engagement project exploring intergenerational connections through creative activities inspired by artworks from the Picturing Excess: Jan Davidz de Heem display at the Museum in 2025.]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[Creative Lunches is a community engagement project exploring intergenerational connections through creative activities inspired by artworks by Jan Davidz de Heem. The project responds to the following questions:&nbsp;

How can creative community workshops foster connections between people, across generations, and with artworks?&nbsp;


How does multi-sensory engagement through art support and encourage connection and sharing?&nbsp;


What is the impact of these connections on participants of different ages?&nbsp;

Drawing on the Picturing Excess: Jan Davidz de Heem temporary display at the Museum, we will organise creative workshops and shared lunches in community settings. These consist of age-specific workshops for young children (including those with sensory impairments) and their families and for older adults, followed by an intergenerational session bringing the two groups together.&nbsp;
Following an action research model, we will run two iterations of the workshops in the Romsey and Arbury areas of Cambridge City. We are seeking to develop an evidence base around the potential of creative community engagement work to build connections between generations.&nbsp;
This project has been enabled thanks to the philanthropic support of an anonymous donor.&nbsp;]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2025-01-06T12:51:55+00:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[The Colourman Archives of Roberson &amp; Co and Winsor &amp; Newton: A History of Colour]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/the-colourman-archives-of-roberson-co-and-winsor-newton-a-history-of-colour" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/the-colourman-archives-of-roberson-co-and-winsor-newton-a-history-of-colour</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[Imagine holding a letter from William Holman Hunt about the quality of a new organic, synthetic red, accompanied by his own experimental swatches on canvas—or immersing yourself in reading the letters artists sent on quality and supply, or going through the accounts listing the materials they bought. The Fitzwilliam Museum holds exactly these kinds of treasures—two extraordinary archives documenting Charles Roberson & Co (founded 1820) and Winsor & Newton (founded 1832), two of the largest artists’ materials suppliers in 19th and early 20th century London. These are not just dusty archive documents, but they provide a backstage pass to the Victorian art scene.



]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[Imagine holding a letter from William Holman Hunt about the quality of a new organic, synthetic red, accompanied by his own experimental swatches on canvas&mdash;or immersing yourself in reading the letters artists sent on quality and supply, or going through the accounts listing the materials they bought. The Fitzwilliam Museum holds exactly these kinds of treasures&mdash;two extraordinary archives documenting Charles Roberson &amp; Co (founded 1820) and Winsor &amp; Newton (founded 1832), two of the largest artists&rsquo; materials suppliers in 19th and early 20th century London. These are not just dusty archive documents, but they provide a backstage pass to the Victorian art scene.
From Raw Earth to Masterpiece
Thanks to generous support from the Tavolozza Foundation, these previously inaccessible collections are now being digitised for the first time. We digitised approximately 17K pages, generating 1,7 TB of data, and covering 35 account books, several letter books and studio books. And this is only a part of the very rich Roberson Archive.
What is emerging is nothing short of remarkable: the complete journey of how paint was made, from pigments shipped from across the world to the finished oil, watercolour and gouache paints. The archives contain account books tracking every purchase, correspondence revealing the personal relationships between artists and their suppliers, and recipe books showing how manufacturers experimented with new formulas. There are many paint tubes, watercolour cakes, pigment samples, experiments with new colours, and paints from the competition, and even the wooden lay figures artists used as models. Export records trace how these British paints conquered international markets, while colour charts show us exactly what hues were available in 1850 to the 1970s, and which new types of paints were developed.
Solving Artistic Mysteries
These documents offer tantalizing possibilities for research. Who were London's working artists&mdash;not just the famous names, but the obscure painters, amateurs, designers, and craftspeople? By analysing purchasing patterns, researchers can map artistic communities, discover trends, track individual artists' technical evolution, and understand how their material choices might have shaped their style and vice versa.
Science
The scientific story is equally compelling. The 19th century was a revolutionary period for paint chemistry, with the Industrial Revolution enabling entirely new pigments to replace some difficult to produce, costly, and instable traditional ones. But not all innovations aged well. The vibrant pink Geranium lakes&mdash;produced by both companies&mdash;often faded to nothing. As some of these fragile early synthetic pigments continue to deteriorate, new pigments were constantly developed. Understanding exactly what manufacturers created has become urgent work for conservators and heritage scientists.
A Social History in Colour
Beyond the technical details lies a rich social history. These archives capture the day-to-day reality of running a business in Victorian London&mdash;negotiations with raw material suppliers, competition between rival firms like Newman and Reeves, the challenges of maintaining quality while scaling up production, and the delicate balance of keeping temperamental artist-clients satisfied. Equally, the account books represent a diverse group of users, from amateurs to professionals, art teachers to prestigious art academies.
Opening the Archives
This pilot digitisation project already transforms the archives from a specialist resource into something accessible to anyone curious about how paints and paintings were made. Researchers can now explore connections between these business records and the Museum's wider collections, telling stories that bridge commercial trade history, scientific innovation, and artistic achievement. The material invites not just academic study but public engagement, and educational programs where students recreate historical paint formulas. We are now planning conservation treatment of the most vulnerable volumes in the archives which so far could not be digitised. We thank the Tavolozza Foundation and the Leche Trust for their support with this.
The Colourman Archives go beyond the past. They help us understand how materials, manufacturing, experimentation, makers and users connected&mdash; the ordinary transactions and material circumstances that supported the creation of masterpieces.
Generously supported by:

&nbsp;]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2024-08-12T15:09:07+01:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Take a Walk in My Shoes]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/take-a-walk-in-my-shoes" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/take-a-walk-in-my-shoes</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[Take a Walk in My Shoes explores multisensory experiences of how it feels to ‘be’ in the Museum and how the experiences of people living with non-visible disabilities can be used to inform and / or support health and wellbeing in the Museum. ]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[
Phase One of the Project involved the following elements:&nbsp;
Sensory ethnography &ndash; the researcher explored how it feels to be in five different places in the Museum, observing the space through the senses and capturing the observations through drawings, photos, videos and notes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Walking interviews &ndash; 11 staff members and community participants living with non-visible disabilities joined the researcher in a walk together around the Museum, talking about their own personal experiences of navigating museum spaces. Due to a high level of interest from community participants, a Focus Group was added to the project.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Focus Group &ndash; 7 community participants shared their experiences and explored initial reflections and participant experiences, which were used to co-produce a questionnaire, to enable people to provide a written response.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Questionnaire &ndash; co-produced by the focus group participants, the questionnaire provided the opportunity for people who were unable to join a walking interview to share their experiences of being &lsquo;in&rsquo; the Museum, responding to a series of prompt questions.&nbsp;
Discussion Group &ndash; the focus group were invited back to co-analyse questionnaire responses and explore opportunities for phase two of the project.&nbsp;
Phase One took place March &ndash; October 2024 and was funded by the Fitzwilliam Museum Marlay Research and Impact Fund and Higher Education Innovation Funding.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Phase Two of the Project was called The People&rsquo;s Museum, as chosen by the participants, who said - &ldquo;it&rsquo;s not really about disability, this is all about people and creating a great museum for everyone&rdquo;!&nbsp;
In the second phase, participants were invited to join a conversation in January 2025 to discuss what they would like to focus on. The following participant-led projects were developed between January and July 2025:&nbsp;
Blog Series &ndash; to raise awareness of non-visible disabilities and share participant experiences. The blog series was published through the University&rsquo;s Connections Collections Communities blog site.&nbsp;
Accessibility Webpage &ndash; participants reviewed and updated the Museum&rsquo;s accessibility webpage content.&nbsp;
Who are We Excluding? - in collaboration with colleagues from the Department of Engineering, this element of the project involved conducting a mini-exclusion audit of the Museum and two training workshops for colleagues.&nbsp;
Phase Two also included knowledge exchange sessions with colleagues from Audiences and Brand and Visitor Experience Teams.&nbsp;
Phase Two was funded by Higher Education Innovation Funding.&nbsp;

Phase Three of the Project took place October 2025 &ndash; February 2026.&nbsp;


Participants met five times to work on a &ldquo;Collection of Our Experiences&rdquo;, which invites the reader to explore our lived experiences of being in the Museum with non-visible disabilities, and encourages you to re-think how you navigate your next visit.
&nbsp;


Phase Three was funded by Higher Education Innovation Funding and the Fitzwilliam Museum Marlay Research and Impact Fund (for printing A Collection of Our Experiences).&nbsp;
]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2024-05-15T08:25:13+01:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Early Childhood Research ]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/early-childhood-research" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/early-childhood-research</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[We are interested in how young children & those who care for them experience the Museum.

We work with families and educators to create meaningful connections between young children and artworks. Together we explore innovative pedagogies and resources to understand how best to support learning, participation and engagement.

We want to figure out how the Museum can play a role in supporting families and realising the cultural rights of our youngest citizens.
]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[We are interested in how young children &amp; those who care for them experience the Museum.
We work with families and educators to create meaningful connections between young children and artworks. Together we explore innovative pedagogies and resources to understand how best to support learning, participation and engagement.
We want to figure out how the Museum can play a role in supporting families and realising the cultural rights of our youngest citizens.
Between September 2023- August 2025, this work is supported by HEIF investment in a new Practitioner Research Associate Collections and Early Childhood. Their research builds on the findings of previous participatory research projects with young children and families to develop and test innovative, scaleable and targeted approaches to knowledge creation through museum research, programming and displays.
&nbsp;
Projects&nbsp;
Creative Lunches: Sharing Art &amp; Food (2025)
An intergenerational community engagement project with young children, families &amp; older adults, inspired by the Picturing Excess: Jan Davidz de Heem display.
Community partners: Cambridgeshire County Council Sensory Support team, Cambridge city organisations and networks working with families &amp; with older adults
Exploring how creative activities in the community can build connections with people and across generations.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Family Welcome Project (2023-4)
An action research project with families as co-researchers.
Community partners: North Cambridge Child &amp; Family Centre
Building a deeper understanding of what it means for families to feel welcome in the Museum, using co-research methodologies appropriate for very young children.
&nbsp;
The Museum and Me (2023)
A pilot participatory action research project with families.
Community partners: North Cambridge Child &amp; Family Centre
Design partner: Adira Andlay&nbsp;
Exploring how museums can support playful and creative interactions between parents and children, focusing on the potential for scaling high quality early years museum practice with a view to tackling inequalities.
Developed and funded with ArtFund and Nesta support
&nbsp;
Readers in Residence (2022)&nbsp;
A families-in-residence project.
Community partners: North Cambridge &amp; Chesterton Child &amp; Family Centres
Working with a group of families with young children, we used favourite picture books as ways into the collection, thinking about how the Museum can create a supportive environment for nurturing language and communication.
Funded by Marlay Research and Impact Fund
&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s Our Museum Too (2019-20)&nbsp;
A playgroup-in-residence project.
Community partners: Playlanders Playgroup
We explored storytelling, creative ways of finding things out, following children&rsquo;s interests, and how to create a sense of belonging at the Museum.&nbsp;
Funded by Cambridge Humanities Research Grant Scheme
&nbsp;
Lines of Enquiry (2018-19)
A practice-sharing seminar series focusing on practitioner research with young children &amp; families. Sessions were attended by 35 delegates from 6 different universities, 8 museums and galleries, 4 sector leadership organisations as well as independent academics, educators and consultants.
Funded by University of Cambridge ESRC Impact Acceleration Account
&nbsp;
My Nursery is at the Museum and Garden (2017)
A nursery-in-residence project with Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Community partners: Ace Nursery
We were able to take time to observe and reflect on the encounters between children, spaces and objects in the two collections, and to develop a better understanding of what the museum and garden offer to young learners.
Funded by University of Cambridge Museums]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2023-11-13T16:42:29+00:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Hindustani Airs: Music, Pleasure, and Artistic Exchange in the Court of Lucknow]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/hindustani-airs-music-pleasure-and-artistic-exchange-in-the-court-of-lucknow" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/hindustani-airs-music-pleasure-and-artistic-exchange-in-the-court-of-lucknow</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[
]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[Research Questions:
To what extent did colonial residents contribute to art and culture in Mughal Hindustan during the late eighteenth century?
How can we recover cultures of sociability and exchange in eighteenth-century Lucknow through Sophia Plowden&rsquo;s album and Cambridge&rsquo;s collections more broadly?
What do Cambridge&rsquo;s archives tell us about various cultures of collecting as they developed and transformed in South Asia?
Project Overview:
The focus of Hindustani Airs: Music, Pleasure, and Artistic Exchange in the Court of Lucknow is the Fitzwilliam Museum&rsquo;s album of Indian musical lyrics made in Lucknow in 1787-88 for an Englishwoman, Sophia Elizabeth Plowden. While living in Lucknow with her husband&ndash;an East India Company officer&ndash;she collected songs that she heard in courtly gatherings. 67 of them survive in her illustrated book (MS 380).&nbsp;
The album is a witness to the extent of colonial participation in Hindustani culture, and a unique survival within the arts of the book. Each of the 39 loose folios includes illustrations of performers, dancers, singers, courtesans, and other entertainers. The lyrics are inscribed in Persian nasta&lsquo;liq calligraphy, but include Persian, Urdu, Classical Hindi, and Panjabi languages.&nbsp;
Music historians have made enormous progress in recovering the soundscapes of this book, but we still lack full knowledge of the structure, layout, texts, calligraphy and paintings of the Plowden album. Our research will create a full account of the manuscript in all these aspects, identifying texts and illustrations, and establishing a full context for the album. We hope to make it the centrepiece of an exhibition at the Fitzwilliam in 2025, with an accompanying public programme focussed on sound and performance.
Funders:
Marlay Group Funding
Project Partners:&nbsp;
Centre of Islamic Studies, University of Cambridge]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2023-10-31T11:11:16+00:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[The Alhambra in Britain]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/the-alhambra-in-britain" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/the-alhambra-in-britain</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[.]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[Summary:
Through a critical re-assessment of the history of the Alhambra Palace in Granada and its reception, this project asks how Islamic artistic traditions were codified, interpreted and presented to Western audiences in the 19th century, setting the foundations for dominant frameworks in the history of the relationship between &lsquo;Islamic&rsquo; and &lsquo;Western&rsquo; art.
Project Overview:
This project brings together a group of experts for a collaborative reappraisal of early nineteenth-century plaster casts from the Alhambra Palace in Granada, the city-fortress of the last Muslim kingdom in Europe. Currently in poor condition, these objects are uniquely important in documenting the decorative programme of the Alhambra as it appeared in the 1830s, before creative restoration works by a Spanish architectural team radically altered the site. The project seeks to conserve a selection of the casts and broaden the debate to wider scholarly circles through the establishment of new, collaborative research networks.
Funders: Cambridge Humanities Research Grants
Marlay Group funding
Barakat Trust]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2023-10-10T16:25:07+01:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Participation and Collaboration: Our Values and Approaches]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/participation-and-collaboration-our-values-and-approaches" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/participation-and-collaboration-our-values-and-approaches</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[Between September 2022 and August 2024 we carried out a series of workshops, meetings, one-to-one conversations and gathered written feedback from our community co- researchers, Museum staff and university and local partners to develop a set of guidelines to capture our approach to participatory projects at The Fitzwilliam Museum. ]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum is committed to ensuring that a wider range of people can shape and take part in our research, asking: "What can we do together?' &nbsp;
These guiding values have been created collaboratively with community co- researchers, Museum staff and a range of university and local partners. &nbsp;
&nbsp;
How can we work together?&nbsp;&nbsp;
We are committed to working inclusively, caringly and respectfully.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We build strong connections with those who work with us, giving everyone opportunity to participate.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We create connections that are of benefit to all involved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
We are proactive and responsive in our communication.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We recognise our diversity but agree to work together based on the same values.&nbsp;
What can we expect from each other?&nbsp;&nbsp;
We provide access to shared work through our physical and digital spaces.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We bring openness, honesty and respect to our conversations. We agree shared expectations and adjust our plans as needed.&nbsp;
We create space for critical feedback from those we work with, enabling us to build strong partnerships over time.&nbsp;
How can we celebrate our range of expertise? &nbsp;
Through carefully listening to each other, we create spaces that allow diverse experiences and voices to be heard.&nbsp;
We understand that people are free to contribute as much or as little as they wish in whatever way is appropriate for them.&nbsp;
How will we see the lasting impact of our work?&nbsp;&nbsp;
We are committed to making our work visible.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We will talk with each other about the impacts of our work together.&nbsp;
We support each other when a project comes to an end.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We acknowledge that people may want to leave a project and make this process easy and accessible.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We are all responsible for keeping in touch with each other.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Get Involved&nbsp;
Find out more about current projects on our Participation, Practive and Co-creation Research Community page. If you would like to discuss a new project, please email getinvolved@fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk&nbsp;&nbsp;
These values and approaches were created as part of an action research project which took between September 2022 and August 2024 and will be regularly reviewed and updated. The next review is planned for September 2026.]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2023-09-08T13:46:53+01:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[The Museum and Me]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/the-museum-and-me" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/the-museum-and-me</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[This collaborative action research project with young children and families explores how museums can support playful and creative interactions between parents and children. We were one of three UK museums invited to take part in this pilot project, focusing on the potential for scaling high quality early years museum practice with a view to tackling inequalities. 

The project was developed and funded with Art Fund and nesta support ]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[This collaborative action research project with young children and families explores&nbsp;how museums can support playful and creative interactions between parents and children. We were one of three UK museums invited to take part in this pilot project, focusing on the potential for scaling high quality early years museum practice with a view to tackling inequalities.&nbsp;
Building on established partnerships with Cambridge City Child &amp; Family Centres, our project involved families with children aged 0-4. Together we explored the Museum through stories, photography, creative play, movement, art making, and careful looking. We built on our experiences to co-design a resource for other families to use to support parents and children to enjoy the Museum together.&nbsp;
The work builds on methodologies developed through previous early years residencies and the Museum&rsquo;s participatory research activity. In addition, we explored the potential of design thinking as a mechanism for understanding the needs of young visitors and their families. The participatory design process enabled us to highlight the capacity of young children and those who care for them to engage actively with the Museum as cultural citizens.&nbsp;
Developed and funded with Art Fund and Nesta support&nbsp;]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2023-09-08T13:25:37+01:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Books and People Through Time: Exploring Viscount Fitzwilliam’s Library]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/books-and-people-through-time-exploring-viscount-fitzwilliams-library" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/books-and-people-through-time-exploring-viscount-fitzwilliams-library</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[This project is a pilot for a comprehensive investigation of Viscount Fitzwilliam’s (1745-1816) library, studying together the important collections of printed books, illuminated manuscripts, printed and manuscript music, and the albums of prints he personally assembled for the first time. It will bring together categories of material which have been examined and curated as isolated groups, rather than as a coherent, multifaceted collection that reflects the social world in which it was created. The research will enable us to develop a material and intellectual history of a great eighteenth-century library, bringing out its under-researched material culture – the physical books and their bindings – to complement existing knowledge concerning the textual and art-historical aspects of the collection. ]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[This project is a pilot for a comprehensive investigation of Viscount Fitzwilliam&rsquo;s (1745-1816) library, studying together the important collections of printed books, illuminated manuscripts, printed and manuscript music, and the albums of prints he personally assembled for the first time. It will bring together categories of material which have been examined and curated as isolated groups, rather than as a coherent, multifaceted collection that reflects the social world in which it was created. The research will enable us to develop a material and intellectual history of a great eighteenth-century library, bringing out its under-researched material culture &ndash; the physical books and their bindings &ndash; to complement existing knowledge concerning the textual and art-historical aspects of the collection.&nbsp; 
Research questions

How did interpersonal relationships and the cultural, economic and intellectual context shape the formation of Viscount Fitzwilliam&rsquo;s library?
How can close study of the physical books in, and analysis of the concept of, Fitzwilliam&rsquo;s library enhance more traditional intellectual and art historical understanding of the development of the collector, booktrade networks, and the library collection as a whole?

This project will analyse the material culture of the library collection in the context of mid-eighteenth-century collecting and the networks the books represent. We will develop enhanced catalogue descriptions and attributions of bindings from the workshop of Edwin Moore, making the corpus at the Fitzwilliam Museum publicly visible and searchable for the first time through the Museum's Collections Explorer.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We will publish a co-authored, peer-reviewed article on our findings, through the Cambridge Bibliographical Society, and host a workshop for fellow professionals to create a scholarly network, to discuss conclusions and establish the next steps. This network will include:

leading book conservators from Oxford and Durham;
binding and printing historians working on Cambridge workshops; 
college librarians with expertise in the provenance and development of historic collections; 
participatory practice specialists, including a leading expert from Latvia.&nbsp;&nbsp;

An important element of the discussion will be around exploring good practice in developing participatory work in interpreting the library for new audiences.
The pilot will provide a methodology for integrating conservation investigation techniques with historical inquiry and develop an interdisciplinary approach to the study of library collections, informing the larger project going forward.&nbsp; We will develop a model for understanding book and library cultures and networks which will feed directly into a larger interpretative strategy designed to make the Founder&rsquo;s Library accessible to Fitzwilliam Museum visitors as a unique museum library space in the UK.
The pilot project is funded by the Cambridge Humanities Research Grants scheme.&nbsp;]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2023-09-06T14:54:22+01:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Growing Networks]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/growing-networks" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/growing-networks</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[Growing Networks is a series of international, travelling workshops, led by the Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, that brings together early to mid-career curators of works of art on paper from museums, herbaria, natural history libraries and botanic gardens. It is creating an exciting interdisciplinary forum linking botanists and plant scientists with art curators, paper conservators and heritage scientists who have expertise in art history, botanical illustration, history and philosophy of science, technical analysis and collections care. ]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[Growing Networks is a series of international, travelling workshops, led by the Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, that brings together early to mid-career curators of works of art on paper from museums, herbaria, natural history libraries and botanic gardens. It is creating an exciting interdisciplinary forum linking botanists and plant scientists with art curators, paper conservators and heritage scientists who have expertise in art history, botanical illustration, history and philosophy of science, technical analysis and collections care. &nbsp;
Participating institutions include: Biblioth&egrave;que de l'Institut de France, Paris; Biblioth&egrave;que nationale de France, Paris; Cambridge University Herbarium; Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, DC; Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; Hunterian, University of Glasgow; Linnean Society, London; Mus&eacute;um national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; National Museum Cardiff; National Museums Liverpool; Natural History Museum, London; Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden; Northumbria University, Newcastle; Oxford University Herbaria; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter; Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh; Royal Botanic Garden Kew, London; Royal Holloway, University of London; Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Library, London; Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels; Teylers Museum, Haarlem; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Whipple Museum of the History of Science, Cambridge.
During 2023, Network members are convening for workshops and collection visits in Cambridge and London, Edinburgh, and Paris. In addition to supporting the professional development of early to mid-career curators of botanical works of art on paper and exploring opportunities for research collaborations, the aim is to create a sustainable knowledge community that catalyses transdisciplinary approaches to plant humanities research.&nbsp;
Growing Networks is made possible with support from the Getty Foundation through its Paper Project initiative.]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2023-09-06T06:13:51+01:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[The life and afterlife of the Adès collection of medieval Persian ceramics]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/the-life-and-afterlife-of-the-ades-collection-of-medieval-persian-ceramics" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/the-life-and-afterlife-of-the-ades-collection-of-medieval-persian-ceramics</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[
]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[Summary
This project seeks to bridge the gap in narratives and approaches between art history, archaeology and museological practice in the study of museum objects using the Ad&egrave;s collection of medieval Persian ceramics as case study. We aim to develop a non-invasive analytical protocol, and use it to identify the signatures of the workshops that made the Ad&egrave;s collection pieces. More broadly, this will allow us to characterise the organisation of stonepaste production in Seljuq Iran, and ultimately reconstruct the life and afterlife of the Ad&egrave;s pieces, highlighting the people and agency involved in their journey.
Overview
By looking at the objects&rsquo; production and exchange during and after their use-life, we are exploring how meaning was accumulated throughout their journey. Our findings will guide us in developing a new interpretation for Persian mediaeval ceramics, highlighting the people involved in their story. Our rich programme of dissemination activities, aimed at scholars and the general public, will help cement the project&rsquo;s contribution to decolonising non-Western art.
&nbsp;
Principal Investigator: Carmen Ting, Senior Teaching Associate, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge.
Co-Investigator: Flavia Ravaioli , Research Associate and Objects Conservator, Fitzwilliam Museum.
&nbsp;
Funders: Marlay Group funding.
British Academy/Leverhulme Small Grants]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2023-09-05T19:12:55+01:00</updated>
    </entry>
      <entry>
      <title><![CDATA[Agnes Block’s flower drawings: a technical study]]></title>
      <link rel="alternate" href="https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/agnes-blocks-flower-drawings-a-technical-study" />
      <id>https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/agnes-blocks-flower-drawings-a-technical-study</id>
      <author>
        <name><![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum]]></name>
      </author>
      <summary type="html">
        <![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum has one of the finest collections of flower paintings and botanical drawings in the world. Nestled within it is a group of around fifteen flower drawings by Willem de Heer (1638–1681), Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717) and Alida Withoos (c.1661/2–1730) that were commissioned by the notable botanist and art collector, Agnes Block (1629–1704). She commissioned many artists to paint the plants in her garden at her country estate, Vijverhof, on the River Vecht near Utrecht. ]]>
      </summary>
      <content type="html">
        <![CDATA[The Fitzwilliam Museum has one of the finest collections of flower paintings and botanical drawings in the world. Nestled within it is a group of around fifteen flower drawings by Willem de Heer (1638&ndash;1681), Maria Sibylla Merian (1647&ndash;1717) and Alida Withoos (c.1661/2&ndash;1730) that were commissioned by the notable botanist and art collector, Agnes Block (1629&ndash;1704). She commissioned many artists to paint the plants in her garden at her country estate, Vijverhof, on the River Vecht near Utrecht.&nbsp;
Hettie Ward and Nathan Daly are undertaking a technical study of the drawings to relook at attribution: while the attribution of the drawings to Merian are certain, others are less so as they vary in quality and style and in some instances, two artists may have worked on one drawing. To get a more accurate picture of Block&rsquo;s collection, we are using non-destructive analytical methods (including fibre optic reflectance spectroscopy [FORS], X-ray fluorescence [XRF] spectroscopy, optical microscopy and infrared imaging) to discover more about the way in which the drawings were made and help us and other scholars to identify different artists&rsquo; styles as well as determine the drawings&rsquo; potential collaborative nature. This in turn may give us a more accurate picture of Block&rsquo;s patronage and help us to understand her relationships with the artists, and whether patterns or favouritisms emerge.
This project is led by the following research questions:

How were the individual drawings executed, in terms of techniques and use of materials?&nbsp;
Can this help us identify different artists, and improve attributions?
Is there any evidence to suggest that more than one artist worked on one drawing?&nbsp;
Can watermarks help identify works commissioned by Block?
]]>
      </content>
              
      <updated>2023-08-22T09:38:27+01:00</updated>
    </entry>
  </feed>
