Researcher Spotlight #8: Elizabeth March
We hope you are all enjoying getting to know the CEMVC research team this summer. Guess what? We have another member to introduce this week! Here’s your chance to meet Elizabeth March, an undergraduate researcher at the CEMVC.
Elizabeth has been a valued member of the CEMVC team since Fall 2019. During her time with the Centre, she has played a key role in researching illustrated editions of multiple collections. Following her research interest in the social history of Early Modern England, Elizabeth has worked on collections including Gulliver’s Travels, the works of the Brontë sisters, and Jane Austen novels. At the moment, you can find many of the illustrations catalogued by Elizabeth in the Gulliver’s Travels collection in CAIRN.
In May 2021, Elizabeth graduated from Mount Allison University with an Honours in History and a Minor in Classical Studies. Her Honours thesis focused on how Francesco Petrarca combined classical and Christian influences when writing about his muse, Laura. Although she graduated from Mount A, Elizabeth’s educational journey is far from over. In September 2021 she will begin an M.A. in History at Carleton University and in September 2022, she is set to begin an M.A. in Decorative Arts and Historic Interiors at the University of Buckingham. What an exciting next few years!
Finally, to round out this spotlight, everyone’s favourite part: the Q&A section!
Q: Any tips for future researchers in the field of visual culture?
A: Don’t be afraid to think outside the box while researching! There are so many small details that you can pick up on and research further that can provide incredible insight into an image. For example, in the case of an illustrated novel, what someone is wearing in an image can give you so many context clues about the character if you dig a little deeper, and offer you insight into the social, political, and economic background of both the character, as well as the broader society where the novel was written.
Q: What will you miss most about Mount Allison University?
A: I will definitely miss the close knit community at Mount A! It is so nice to walk around a small campus and pass by your friends and classmates and be able to stop and chat with them. I will also miss all the amazing cafes in Sackville!
Q: What was your favourite collection to work on at the CEMVC?
A: I’ve really enjoyed all the collections I’ve worked on! I think if I had to choose a favourite, I would say the Jane Austen series as part of the Novels of Manners and Conduct collection. The novels offer a fascinating insight into upper-class life in Regency England, and the images I found were very detailed – some even richly coloured! Those images in particular offered insight into the lives and homes of the characters through the depictions of their clothes and their homes, in detail not written in Austen’s texts. I also really enjoyed Gulliver’s Travels because there are so many small satirical details hidden throughout the text and images, and it was exciting to piece them all together to see Jonathan Swift’s understanding of eighteenth-century England. Both of these collections tie into my own interest in trying to better understand the social atmosphere of Early Modern England.
Bonus Q: Fave animal and why?
A: Penguins, because they’re very cute and very funny!