Finding Women in the Sloane Lab Knowledge Base

By Lucy Stagg, on 7 November 2024

A Guide to Finding Women in the Sloane Lab Knowledge Base, available to download here

The Sloane Lab is pleased to announce the release of three new resources — an online exhibition, dataset, and research guide — developed by Dr Rosalind White, Sloane Lab Community Research Fellow at University College London, as part of her project In the Margins of Early Modern Science: Pioneering Women in Sloane’s ‘Paper Museum’.

These resources leverage the rich repository of data provided by the Sloane Lab Knowledge Base to explore the contributions of women within Sloane’s “Paper Museum” — a vast compendium comprising over 1,000 illustrated books, 100 picture albums, an estimated 60,000 drawings, prints, and paintings, as well as manuscript catalogues spanning thousands of handwritten pages.

Together, they showcase how the SLKB can serve as a dynamic resource for critical inquiry.

The dataset establishes a foundation for enhancing the representation of women within Hans Sloane’s collections through the Sloane Lab Knowledge Base. It offers a snapshot of the various ways women are documented and represented in the collections detailing their roles (e.g., artist, author), the type of entries associated with them (e.g., Pictures Catalogue Entry, Printed Books Catalogue Entry), as well as additional information about their work or the context of their contributions. Where possible, a link has been provided to each entry in the SLKB, allowing for deeper exploration. The dataset can be downloaded as Excel file (.xlsx) or in CSV format.

A Guide to Finding Women in the Sloane Lab Knowledge Base offers a practical starting point for researchers seeking to uncover the hidden narratives of women in Sloane’s collections. It outlines the methodological approach used to identify women’s contributions, highlighting how often these roles are obscured by gaps in the original cataloguing efforts, where names and direct references to women’s involvement are frequently absent. The guide is part of a broader effort to enhance how narratives of marginalised individuals are accessed, understood, and valued within the SLKB. The guide can be downloaded as a PDF file in both double-page and single-page view.

The online exhibition, In the Margins of Early Modern Science: Pioneering Women in Sloane’s ‘Paper Museum’, invites users to explore the untold stories of the women who shaped Sir Hans Sloane’s vast collections. Research cases studies are brought to life through a variety of interactive exhibits.

The exhibition spotlights the work of Elizabeth Blackwell, author and artist of A Curious Herbal; horticultural virtuoso Mary Somerset, the Duchess of Beaufort; and illustrators Anna and Susannah Lister, daughters of conchologist Martin Lister. It also highlights contributions from lesser-known women, such as botanical artists Ellen and Margery Power, and the mysterious ‘Mrs. London,’ whose watercolour illustrations appear in her personal copy of Maria Sibylla Merian’s Insects of Surinam.

Collectively, these resources empower users to explore the Sloane Lab Knowledge Base in innovative ways, demonstrating the impact that digital tools and critical methodologies can have in uncovering the contributions of individuals relegated to the margins of early modern science.

If you would like to follow along with Rosalind’s future research projects, you can find her on X (formerly Twitter) @DrRosalindWhite.

Sloane Lab and HDSM Darmstadt Seminar Series 2024: Critical and creative engagement with historical data

By Lucy Stagg, on 26 March 2024

We are delighted to announce the second edition of the Sloane Lab symposium series commencing on the 16th of April 2024, facilitated in collaboration with the Humanities Data Science & Methodology (HDSM) Oberseminar of TU Darmstadt, the UCL Centre for Digital Humanities (UCLDH) and the UCL Institute for Advanced Studies (UCL IAS). This seminar invites international speakers whose work is situated at the intersections of collections as data, cataloguing histories and critical archival studies, heritage infrastructures, critical digital heritage, and information science.

The seminar papers explore and foreground:

• Computational approaches as means for historical inquiry, critique and creative takes on data driven research paradigms.
• The potential of digital tools and data aggregations to shed light on the geographic spread, collectors, and knowledge in historical cultural heritage collections.
• Reflections on the contested nature of museum and archival collections and the role of collections as data research in foregrounding overlooked or ignored and marginalised issues like imperialism, colonialism, slavery, loss, and destruction, that have shaped collections.
• The role of digital archives in addressing historical and present-day injustices.
• Creative approaches for virtual exhibition and collection data platforms design.

Paper presentations take place online between the 16th of April and the 16th of July, on Tuesdays at 15:30 BST/16:30 CET.

Register for the event and view the programme: https://critical-creative.eventbrite.co.uk

The Sloane Lab Seminar Series is convened by Marco Humbel (Sloane Lab & UCLDH), Nadezhda Povroznik (TU Darmstadt), Julianne Nyhan (TU Darmstadt & UCL) and Andrew Flinn (UCL). Administrative support is provided by Lucy Stagg (UCLDH & UCL IAS).

This joint virtual seminar is co-hosted by University College London, TU Darmstadt, the British Museum and the Natural History Museum.

The symposium is funded by the Towards a National Collection programme (Arts and Humanities Research Council) as an activity of the Sloane Lab Discovery Project.

The Sloane Lab Community Fellowship Round Three (2 positions)

By Lucy Stagg, on 24 January 2024

We are seeking to appoint Community Fellows (2 positions available) to contribute to “The Sloane Lab: Looking back to build future shared collections”, led by University College London (UCL) in partnership with the Technische Universität Darmstadt, British Museum (BM) and Natural History Museum (NHM). The fellow will undertake creative, critical, practice and/or research-led projects with the Sloane Lab’s Knowledge Base and data, demonstrating the new forms of analysis and interpretation the project will unlock.

The fellowship comes with an award of £7,500. We welcome applications from outside as well as inside the United Kingdom. The tenure of the fellowship does not require residency in the UK. All fellowships will be hosted remotely online. Applications to the fellowship are particularly welcomed from Global Majority Individuals.

This advertised role offers an exciting opportunity for individuals with an interest in contributing to the Sloane Lab, including but not limited to, digital humanists, artists, computer and data scientists and heritage practitioners (community or institution based).

For this fellowship opportunity we are looking for individuals who will help us to understand the creative and research potential of the Sloane Lab digital platform and data (see Knowledge Base and Sloane collections and external resources) in the following areas:

• Examples of how the Sloane Lab can help to shed light on the geographic spread, collectors and knowledge about objects in the Sloane collections (for instance objects originating from South Asia, East Asia, America, Africa, and Europe. Due to the expertise in the team supporting this round we welcome in particular proposals relating to South Asia).
• The contested nature of museum collections, the role of digital tools in foregrounding overlooked or ignored and marginalised issues like imperialism, colonialism, slavery, loss, and destruction, that have shaped the UK’s national collections.
• The potential of Sloane Lab digital tools for transferability to and enhancement of other collections

Start Date: 29^th April 2024 or based upon negotiation

End Date: The post is funded for 3 months

Application deadline: 9^th February 2024

Application details and the application form

Job Alert – Lecturer in Archives and Records Management

By Lucy Stagg, on 12 October 2023

UCL’s Department of Information Studies is seeking a Lecturer in Archives and Records Management for a full time academic post. Deadline for applications is 12 November 2023.

“We are seeking an innovative researcher and educator to appoint to a full-time post beginning in April 2024 with a teaching focus in archives, records management and information governance. We are interested in applicants with expertise in any aspect of the discipline, but particularly those who could contribute to ongoing or new teaching and research in one or more of the following areas: access and use of records and archives; digital curation of records and archives; computational and technological advances and recordkeeping; archives and creative practice; anti-oppressive approaches to recordkeeping.”

Full Details available on jobs.ac.uk: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DDD820/lecturer-in-archives-and-records-management

Job Reference: B03-01794

Voluntary job role (Internal only): UCLDH Associate Director (ECR)

By Lucy Stagg, on 5 September 2023

Role Description

Salary: voluntary
Term: 2-year term once renewable

The UCL Centre for Digital Humanities (UCLDH) was founded in 2010 as a cross-faculty research centre that brings together a vibrant network of people who teach and research digital humanities in a wide range of disciplines, in the heart of London. UCLDH is led by a management group: Steven Gray (CASA – Director), Adam Crymble (Information Studies – Deputy Director), and Ulrich Tiedau (Dutch – Associate Director), and coordinated by Lucy Stagg (Institute of Advanced Studies).

We are seeking a new Early Career (ECR) Associate Director of UCLDH to help shape the strategy and direction of UCLDH in its second decade. You will be an early career scholar interested in digital humanities, and based within the UCL community. We define ‘Early Career’ broadly, and include those currently registered on a PhD programme. We particularly welcome expressions of interest from candidates with the following interests or expertise:

• Early career researcher support
• Remote community building
• DH skills and training
• Accessibility in DH
• Multilingual DH

As an active member of the UCLDH Management Group, you will participate in meetings and decisions, and setting the agenda for future activity. Meetings usually take place remotely, approximately six times per year. You are welcome to participate fully or co-lead in the range of activities UCLDH offers, as well as to help establish new ones. As an unpaid leadership role, you will not be expected to contribute to day-to-day tasks that would better be classed as employment, unless you deem them of interest to you and your own career development. The successful candidate will receive mentorship from one of the fellow directors.

UCLDH is committed to a harassment-free space for all members, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, or technical experience. The candidate will be expected to champion these values.

This post is linked to the UCL community and candidates should be a student or member of staff at UCL at the time of application, with at least 12 months remaining on their contract or period of study. If appointed, a candidate can remain in post while at UCL or while on the job search, but will be asked to stand down if they are no longer based at UCL and obtain a substantial post at another university or organisation.

How to Apply

Please send a 1-page cover letter and 1-page CV to lucy.stagg@ucl.ac.uk  by 25 September 2023.

Candidates are encouraged to seek the support of their supervisors if relevant, but UCLDH does not need evidence of that support.

Informal Queries

Informal queries can be made to Dr Adam Crymble, Deputy Director UCLDH at a.crymble@ucl.ac.uk

The Sloane Lab Community Fellowship Round Two (extended)

By Lucy Stagg, on 19 July 2023

We are seeking to appoint Community Fellows (ten in total until summer 2024) to contribute to “The Sloane Lab: Looking back to build future shared collections”, led by University College London (UCL) in partnership with the Technische Universität Darmstadt, British Museum (BM) and Natural History Museum (NHM). The fellow will undertake creative, critical, practice and/or research-led projects with the Sloane Lab’s Knowledge Base and data, demonstrating the new forms of analysis and interpretation the project will unlock.

The fellowship comes with an award of £7,500. We welcome applications from outside as well as inside the United Kingdom. The tenure of the fellowship does not require residency in the UK. All fellowships will be hosted remotely online. Applications to the fellowship are particularly welcomed from Global Majority Individuals.

This advertised role offers an exciting opportunity for individuals with an interest in contributing to the Sloane Lab, including but not limited to, digital humanists, artists, computer and data scientists and heritage practitioners (community or institution based). The Fellows will exemplify the research capacity unlocked by the Sloane Lab, engage with its Knowledge Base and data directly by undertaking creative, critical and/or research-led projects with collections as data. Research areas may include but are not limited to local and family history, object biography, critical heritage, Indigenous and devalued knowledge, or the transferability of the technology developed by the Sloane Lab.

Start Date (extended round two): 15th January 2024 or based upon negotiation

End Date: The post is funded for 3 months

Application deadline: 11th September 2023

Application details and the application form

For questions and queries please contact: sloanelab@ucl.ac.uk

The Sloane Lab Community Fellowship Round Two

By Lucy Stagg, on 4 April 2023

We are seeking to appoint Community Fellows (ten in total until summer 2024) to contribute to “The Sloane Lab: Looking back to build future shared collections”, led by University College London (UCL) in partnership with the Technische Universität Darmstadt, British Museum (BM) and Natural History Museum (NHM). The fellow will undertake creative, critical, practice and/or research-led projects with the Sloane Lab’s Knowledge Base and data, demonstrating the new forms of analysis and interpretation the project will unlock.

The fellowship comes with an award of £7,500. We welcome applications from outside as well as inside the United Kingdom. The tenure of the fellowship does not require residency in the UK. All fellowships will be hosted remotely online. Applications to the fellowship are particularly welcomed from Global Majority individuals.

This advertised role offers an exciting opportunity for individuals with an interest in contributing to the Sloane Lab, including but not limited to, digital humanists, artists, computer and data scientists and heritage practitioners (community or institution based). The Fellows will exemplify the research capacity unlocked by the Sloane Lab, engage with its Knowledge Base and data directly by undertaking creative, critical and/or research-led projects with collections as data. Research areas may include but are not limited to local and family history, object biography, critical heritage, Indigenous and devalued knowledge, or the transferability of the technology developed by the Sloane Lab.

Start Date (round two): 11^th September or based upon negotiation

End Date: The post is funded for 3 months

Application deadline: 15^th May 2023

Application details and the application form

For questions and queries please contact: sloanelab@ucl.ac.uk

Job Alert – Lecturer in Data Science for Society

By Adam Crymble, on 25 January 2023

UCL’s Department of Information Studies is seeking a Lecturer in Data Science for Society for a full time academic post. Deadline for applications is 26 February 2023.

“We are seeking an innovative researcher to appoint to a full-time lectureship beginning in August 2023 who can teach and research in the broad field of data science and its role in a well-functioning society. We are particularly interested in applicants who could contribute to ongoing or new research in one or more of the following areas: data-driven research in the humanities, addressing social issues arising from the use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence or machine learning, data-driven decision making and social justice, or emerging related interdisciplinary areas. The purpose of the research should be to contribute new interdisciplinary data-driven knowledge of relevance to a humanities or social science discipline.”

Full Details available on the UCL Jobs portal: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/search-ucl-jobs/details?jobId=5061&jobTitle=Lecturer%20in%20Data%20Science%20for%20Society

Job Reference: B03-01494

Dickens Letters Hackathon

By Lucy Stagg, on 13 January 2023

6pm on Friday 3 February to 5pm on Sunday 5 February
Birkbeck (University of London)

Interested in digging into datasets? Looking to meet like-minded hackers and software enthusiasts? Have ideas for digital approaches to literary and historical data you’d like to try out? Join us for a two-day event where, working in small teams, you can develop exciting ideas using the letters of Charles Dickens.

Expressions of Interest are invited for IT professionals, programmers, hackers and digital humanists. No significant prior knowledge of Dickens is required: an introduction to the context of the letters will be provided. You will work in teams of fellow hackers with a TEI-encoded dataset of Dickens’s letters over a weekend, with the aim of producing an idea for an innovative piece of software, an app or a game based on the letters of one of the most famous writers in English.

The event will include a free tour of the Charles Dickens Museum, and a chance to work intensively with other like-minded hackers over the course of a weekend. The event is free of charge, and refreshments will be provided. Prizes will be awarded for the best app or game, together with an opportunity to take your idea forward. The Charles Dickens Museum will be open to participants to visit at their leisure on the afternoon of Friday 3 February, before the start of the hackathon. If you have any questions, please contact editor@dickensletters.com.

You can register your interest here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSI7EiyMLbybpYcSbn-682dNgbI-HQ32lJLea_2yE3zHMGFQ/viewform

Leon Litvack & Emily Bell
Editors, the Charles Dickens Letters Project
https://dickensletters.com/

The Sloane Lab Community Fellowships Round One

By Lucy Stagg, on 5 December 2022

The Sloane Lab are seeking to appoint Community Fellows (ten in total until summer 2024) to contribute to “The Sloane Lab: Looking back to build future shared collections”, led by University College London (UCL) in partnership with the Technische Universität Darmstadt, British Museum (BM) and Natural History Museum (NHM). The fellow will undertake creative, critical, practice and/or research-led projects with the Sloane Lab, demonstrating the new forms of analysis and interpretation the project will unlock.

The fellowship comes with an award of £7,500. We welcome applications from outside as well as inside the United Kingdom. The tenure of the fellowship does not require residency in the UK. All fellowships will be hosted remotely online.

This advertised role offers an exciting opportunity for individuals with an interest in contributing to the Sloane Lab (https://sloanelab.org/), including but not limited to, digital humanists, artists, computer and data scientists and heritage practitioners (community or institution based). The Fellows will exemplify the research capacity unlocked by the Sloane Lab by undertaking creative, critical and/or research-led projects. Research areas may include but are not limited to local and family history, object biography, critical heritage, indigenous and devalued knowledge, or the transferability of the technology developed by the Sloane Lab.

Start Date (round one): 27^th March 2023 or based upon negotiation

End Date: The post is funded for 3 months

Application deadline: 9^th January 2023

Application details and the application form: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/search-ucl-jobs/details?jobId=3089&jobTitle=Community%20Fellow%20

For questions and queries please contact: sloanelab@ucl.ac.uk

The Sloane Lab is aligned with UCL’s commitment to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong (for more information see: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/equalityucl). We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce, including people of the Global Majority, disabled people, LGBTQI+ people, and women.