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Saturday, May 06, 2006
Shipwreck in the Long 18th Century
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National Maritime Museum
May 2006
The Wreck of the East Indiaman 'Dutton'
at Plymouth Sound, 26 January 1796
Repro ID BHC3298© NMM London
In the long 18th century, and especially in the Romantic period, shipwrecks were all too frequent events that simultaneously fascinated, excited and appalled the British population, at all levels of society. With some 5000 Britons a year dying at sea, according to one estimate in 1812, they were tragedies that touched a great many families, and that also impinged significantly on economic and strategic well-being of the nation, and of the emergent empire.
This in turn gave shipwrecks, and representations of shipwreck, considerable ideological significance. If Britannia ruled the waves, as James Thomson proclaimed in 1740, and if British maritime prowess was a mark of Providential favour, what did the shipwreck signify? And how were such traumatic events to be negotiated culturally and ideologically?
This one-day, interdisciplinary conference will address the social and personal impact of shipwreck paying particular attention to the many cultural representations that such maritime disasters gave rise to – the various written accounts of wrecks, both literary and non-literary; the visual images, in paintings, engravings and the like; the dramas and theatrical spectacles.
This one-day conference is jointly organized by the National Maritime Museum and Nottingham Trent University.
Programme details
National Maritime Museum
May 2006
The Wreck of the East Indiaman 'Dutton'
at Plymouth Sound, 26 January 1796
Repro ID BHC3298© NMM London
In the long 18th century, and especially in the Romantic period, shipwrecks were all too frequent events that simultaneously fascinated, excited and appalled the British population, at all levels of society. With some 5000 Britons a year dying at sea, according to one estimate in 1812, they were tragedies that touched a great many families, and that also impinged significantly on economic and strategic well-being of the nation, and of the emergent empire.
This in turn gave shipwrecks, and representations of shipwreck, considerable ideological significance. If Britannia ruled the waves, as James Thomson proclaimed in 1740, and if British maritime prowess was a mark of Providential favour, what did the shipwreck signify? And how were such traumatic events to be negotiated culturally and ideologically?
This one-day, interdisciplinary conference will address the social and personal impact of shipwreck paying particular attention to the many cultural representations that such maritime disasters gave rise to – the various written accounts of wrecks, both literary and non-literary; the visual images, in paintings, engravings and the like; the dramas and theatrical spectacles.
This one-day conference is jointly organized by the National Maritime Museum and Nottingham Trent University.
Programme details
09.00 Registration and coffee
Session 1 - Shipwrecks in high and low literary culture
09.30 'Savages, fishermen, wreckers, countrymen, show folks, mob, & c & c': shipwrecks in Georgian drama
Professor David Worrall, Nottingham Trent University
10.00 William Falconer and the literary shipwreck
Professor Bill Jones, National Institute of Continuing Education
10.30 Labouring-class poets and shipwreck
Dr Bridget Keegan, Creighton University, USA
Discussion
11.00 Coffee
Session 2 - Shipwrecks in visual art
11.30 'The beautiful is horrible, the horrible is beautiful': shipwreck and romantic art
Christine Riding, Tate Britain
12.00 Shipwreck and the Black Atlantic
Dr Geoff Quilley, National Maritime Museum
Discussion
12.30 Lunch in West Street, National Maritime Museum
Session 3 - Shipwreck, domesticity, gender
14.00 The female Crusoe phenomenon: women and shipwreck
Dr Carl Thompson, Nottingham Trent University
14.30 Shipwreck and naval wives, 1745–1815
Dr Margarette Lincoln, National Maritime Museum
Discussion
15.00 Tea
Session 4 - Shipwreck: historical perspectives
15.30 '…the grim hell-hounds prowling round the shore…': Cornwall and the communal practice of wrecking in the long 18th century
Cathryn Pearce, University of Alaska Anchorage and Greenwich Maritime Institute
16.00 James Rennell and the cartography of shipwreck
Dr Michael Bravo, Scott Polar Institute, Cambridge University
16.30 Discussion
17.00 Reception in West Street, National Maritime Museum
19.00 Close
Booking details
To book your place on the conference, download the registration form (PDF, 18KB) Complete and return it to the address on the top of the form.
Session 1 - Shipwrecks in high and low literary culture
09.30 'Savages, fishermen, wreckers, countrymen, show folks, mob, & c & c': shipwrecks in Georgian drama
Professor David Worrall, Nottingham Trent University
10.00 William Falconer and the literary shipwreck
Professor Bill Jones, National Institute of Continuing Education
10.30 Labouring-class poets and shipwreck
Dr Bridget Keegan, Creighton University, USA
Discussion
11.00 Coffee
Session 2 - Shipwrecks in visual art
11.30 'The beautiful is horrible, the horrible is beautiful': shipwreck and romantic art
Christine Riding, Tate Britain
12.00 Shipwreck and the Black Atlantic
Dr Geoff Quilley, National Maritime Museum
Discussion
12.30 Lunch in West Street, National Maritime Museum
Session 3 - Shipwreck, domesticity, gender
14.00 The female Crusoe phenomenon: women and shipwreck
Dr Carl Thompson, Nottingham Trent University
14.30 Shipwreck and naval wives, 1745–1815
Dr Margarette Lincoln, National Maritime Museum
Discussion
15.00 Tea
Session 4 - Shipwreck: historical perspectives
15.30 '…the grim hell-hounds prowling round the shore…': Cornwall and the communal practice of wrecking in the long 18th century
Cathryn Pearce, University of Alaska Anchorage and Greenwich Maritime Institute
16.00 James Rennell and the cartography of shipwreck
Dr Michael Bravo, Scott Polar Institute, Cambridge University
16.30 Discussion
17.00 Reception in West Street, National Maritime Museum
19.00 Close
Booking details
To book your place on the conference, download the registration form (PDF, 18KB) Complete and return it to the address on the top of the form.
Conference dates and location
Saturday 20 May, 09.00–19.00
Saturday 20 May, 09.00–19.00
The conference is being held in the The Leopold Muller Lecture Theatre at the National Maritime Museum,Greenwich, London SE10 9NF.
Useful links
How to get to the Museum
How to get to the Museum
Fees, payment and cancellation
Early registration is advised. The conference fee covers registration, refreshments, an evening wine reception, lunch and conference materials. VAT at 17.5% is included in the fee.
Early registration is advised. The conference fee covers registration, refreshments, an evening wine reception, lunch and conference materials. VAT at 17.5% is included in the fee.
- Full fee: £35.00
Payment must be received in pounds sterling. Cheques should be made payable to National Maritime Museum/CONF. Payment may be made by Mastercard or Visa.
A refund of fees (less 20% administration charge) will be given, provided that notice of cancellation is received in writing on or before Monday 8 May 2006. After this date no refunds will be given. Substitutions may be made at any time, but please advise conference staff as soon as possible.
Accommodation
Find out more information about where details of where you can stay in Greenwich.
The University of London website has information about accommodation in central London.
Enquiries
For more information about the conference, please contact the Research Administrator:
Tel: 020 8312 6716
Fax: 020 8312 6592
E-mail: research@nmm.ac.uk
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