Susan Bennett

Intellectual, professional and cultural networks represented within the membership of the Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, 1754-1854.

Election to the Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce required a proposer with personal knowledge of their candidates. Membership was open to individuals from trade and manufacturing industries, as well as gentry and clergy, suggesting that an analysis of the membership will provide an insight into the nature of networks within the intellectual and professional landscape of 18th and 19th century England. To enable this analysis a database will be constructed based on archival records to enable a comprehensive profile of the membership of the Society. It is proposed that this process will provide a case study on how computational analysis of networks aids historical research, and how using humanities computing identifies the flow of ideas and values within a network.

Susan worked as Archivist/Curator for the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce for nearly twenty-five years. In 2004 Birkbeck awarded her an MA History of Art by Research for ‘A thankless child’?. The artistic life of Georgiana Jane Henderson (nee Keate). She is also a founder member and Honorary Secretary of the William Shipley Group for RSA History.
 

Professor Ludmilla Jordanova
Professor Willard McCarty