History Research

Ludmilla Jordanova
History Research MPhil/PhD, option of joint PhD with HKU/NUS
I've recently joined the History Department at King's and have rapidly become involved with a number of master's programmes. I am a cultural historian working across the early-modern and modern periods, and I use both images and objects in my research and teaching. It's thrilling to be located in a part of London where so many important collections are just a few minutes walk away. For example, I take my students to the National Portrait Gallery, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square and the Royal College of Surgeons, so that we are working with pictures, sculptures, objects and buildings right in front of us.
My special interest is portraiture, and especially the ways in which groups, such as occupationally-based institutions, use images of leading figures to form their identities. I am just as fascinated by individuals and the creation of heroic reputations. King's is a marvellous base for such research and teaching. I also love doing master's level teaching here because we offer stimulating core modules in which we think about historical practice - a vital part of any graduate training. The friendly informal atmosphere makes working with graduates a real joy, and especially through the dissertation we get to know our students well, and probably learn as much from them as they do from us!