Monthly Archives: July 2026

Death of the Author and his Resurrection in the Archive: Reflections on two-weeks of work in the Special Collections by Suchetana Phani

Article by Suchetana Phani who worked for two weeks in Special Collections as part of the Professional Pathways internship programme run by the University. Suchetana is studying for an MA in Magic and Occult Science at Exeter.

Working on the collections — *Suchetana working on the collections*

As someone who changed her entire career trajectory and crossed two oceans to land in Exeter after documenting a family archive of my grandfather’s love letters and my great grandfather’s refugee certificate post the 1947 Partition, I am no stranger to the power of stories.

Historically, access to archives had often been determined by power, social status, education, ownership and access to travel. While most of these factors continue to persist as barriers to archival access in the contemporary era, we exist at a point in history where these narratives are further endangered by factors ranging from storage concerns, loss of physical objects, different kinds of item damage to funding cuts for the Arts and Heritage Sector, and the ever-looming miasma of generative AI ventriloquizing the human experience.

But that didn’t (and still doesn’t) deter me from my goals of working in the Heritage sector to actively participate in preserving human narratives in order to bridge the visibility gap between people and their collective cultural heritage. So, getting the opportunity to work as a Collections Assistant for the University of Exeter’s Special Collections through a two-week internship through the University’s Pathways to Arts, Culture and Heritage Program felt like another step closer to my dreams.

Me and my fellow Pathways colleague, Sophia were assigned boxes of previously uncatalogued items from the Henry Williamson Archive, with instructions to go through the material and catalogue it as per archival standards. I had been personally unaware of Williamson thus far, but my initial research surrounding his work, which seemed interesting, and his politics, which were less so, had given me mixed feelings about the content with which I was about to engage.

*Henry Williamson’s diaries 1930s, EUL MS 43/add. 3/Boxes 14-15*, *with permission from the Henry Williamson* *Society*

*Henry Williamson’s diaries 1970s, EUL MS* *43/add. 3/Boxes 14-15*, *with permission from the Henry Williamson Society*

As I got to work on cataloguing Williamson’s diaries from 1929 to 1975, my emotions surrounding the author became further complicated. Having Williamson’s deeply personal dialogue as the first point of narrative contact brought me into an intensely colourful life populated by several equally interesting individuals. Beyond what was written, I sought to understand subtext as I carefully read entries and noticed shifts in handwriting that coincided with shifts in mood or attempts to be secretive even in the act of documenting one’s life. Even though I began my journey of making notes about the contents of the items with the occasional furrowed brow, phases of “mild” infuriation and a certainty that I would absolutely not relate to any of the material, somewhere along the way I found my intellectual stand-offishness softened by glimmers of fundamentally human experiences like struggle, heartbreak, grief, and loss. Engaging with these documents made me particularly conscious of my politics as a feminist and a neurodivergent woman of colour, which were consistently challenged by Williamson’s individual documented standpoint. However, rather than being an intellectual barrier, these lived experiences combined with contemporary political and theoretical frameworks allowed me to critically engage with nuanced discourses of power through the act of documentation, gender, bodily autonomy, and mental health in Williamson’s historical and socio-cultural context.

I looked at the diaries as physical objects undergoing changes through the ages. From changes in branding for individual sellers over the decades to the visual progression of the hardcover clothbound diaries of the ’30s into the paperback notebooks with spiral binding in the late ’60s and early ’70s. The diaries acted as records in themselves that could be used to interpret shifts in demand, development of new products for sale, material costs, inflation, branding and marketing changes in the organisations, and the manufacture and sale of the items. Furthermore, engaging with the physical state of the items allowed me to learn a bit more about conservation as my supervisor, Angela, guided me through processes of documenting and quarantining archival material during conservation.

These two weeks have been immensely insightful. Every working day brought something new for me to learn and reinforced how much archival work genuinely called to me as a labour of love. I was able to catalogue 116(!!) items and re-package them for future scholarly use. I also got to witness the intense care and dedication with which the Special Collections team operated, being especially fascinated by the archival storage infrastructure. As an international student with Indian archival and digital humanities training, the opportunity helped me learn more about how to care for heritage items in a UK context. I learnt how to work efficiently under deadlines and gained confidence with regards to working in a professional environment. Overall, I truly enjoyed my time working at the Special Collections. The Team was especially helpful and welcoming, and I got to learn so much about archival work (and Henry Williamson, whom I knew very little about, by extension!)

With special thanks to Angela Mandrioli from the Special Collections team for her constant support and guidance during the project and to the Professional Pathways Team for their dedication to making student employment journeys more accessible.

“It gave me an incredible insight into an area of work that I initially had very little knowledge about”: Reflections on a week of work experience in Special Collections

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Map of Devon from an Atlas of the Counties of England and Wales (Rare Books B 1590/SAX/XX)

We were delighted to be joined last week by Year 10 student Elodie for a week of work experience in Special Collections. Below Elodie shares some of her impressions and reflections on the experience. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Elodie for her excellent work and wish her every success for the future.

This week, I was given the opportunity to do my work experience at Special Collections. Over the five days, I took part in several tasks you would do as an archivist. As well as this, I got a chance to speak to many members of the Special Collections team, along with staff at the wider university who work closely with the archives, such as the University Library, Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, and the Digital Humanities Lab.

On Monday, we received training in handling archives and rare books, which gave me a chance to see some of the favourite items of the collection, such as letters written by Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier, and a beautiful hand-painted atlas of the counties of England Wales from the 16^th century. This was a real highlight, and it was incredible to see and handle something so old.

Repackaged files from the Clive Lee Archive (EUL MS 491).

One of the main things I spent my time doing was repackaging files and photographs from the Clive Lee archive, about the Exeter Hip, a type of hip replacement. While this may sound like an easy task, a surprising amount of thought had to go in to ensuring that everything was packaged correctly so that it can be preserved for centuries to come.

Another activity that we were given was stocktaking the Hypatia Collection, which involved checking that a selection of books and pamphlets from the collection were in the correct place. It took a while to get a hang of the system, but I found it easier and easier as the week progressed, and it was really interesting to see all of the books on the way women lived.

On Wednesday, we received a tour of the Forum Library and the Digital Humanities Lab, and got to see how these other University departments work with Special Collections. I even got the opportunity to use a 3D printer, where I printed a little blue shark, have a go at digitising some archival material using cameras, and use podcast equipment, which were all new and exciting experiences.

The photograph from the University Archive that Elodie chosen for her social media post. It shows students of the University College of the South West with tennis racquets in 1929. (EUL UA/P/3i)

Other activities that we did over the week included a tour of the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, which I found fascinating, particularly seeing the objects relating to early animation and how people were entertained visually before cinema. On Thursday, I posted an Instagram post of a photograph from Special Collections to celebrate Wimbledon for Throwback Thursday. We also set up materials for and sat in on a visit from the Courtauld Summer School, who were looking at medieval manuscripts. It was amazing to see how fascinated these visitors were and listen to all of the questions that they had. Finally, on Friday, we helped to retrieve items for a visit next week, which was a fun bit of detective work. We had to write slips for each book/letter, work out which bay in the strong room they were in, and then retrieve the items and place a slip in their original location so that they can be easily returned.

I really enjoyed speaking to members of the team about their roles, which are really varied. Different people have to do a huge variety of tasks, including receiving new donations, cataloguing, digitising, supervising the Reading Room, retrieving materials, running outreach and events, and even monitoring the temperature and insects in the strong rooms! Everyone was really friendly and welcoming, and as soon as I arrived any initial nervousness about a week of work experience disappeared. Each task was thoroughly explained and Annie, Tash and the rest of the team were happy to answer any questions that we had.

Overall, I had an amazing time at Special Collections, and it gave me an incredible insight into an area of work that I initially had very little knowledge about, which I will definitely be considering when thinking about careers in the future.

Find out more about work experience placements in Special Collections on our Special Collections webpages

“The whole experience was very valuable”: Reflections on a week of work experience in Special Collections

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We were delighted to be joined last week by Year 10 student Alisa for a week of work experience in Special Collections. Below Alisa shares some of her impressions and reflections on the experience. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Alisa for her excellent work and wish her every success for the future.

A stocktake was undertaken by Alisa of the Hypatia Collection of books and journals by and about women (classmark: Hypatia)

Over the past week, I was fortunate enough to do my work experience in Special Collections. I had the chance to handle many rare books and archives which I found very fascinating, as well as the chance to meet the incredibly friendly University staff, as well as the delight of meeting the archivists Annie and Tash, who were very patient and kind towards me.

One of the most memorable tasks, as well as the one that I spent the most time on, was stocktaking. This is where you look for a sample selection of 500 books and pamphlets in a rare book collection by following the provided checklist to see if the item is there, as well as check the condition of the item. I really enjoyed this task as I found all the books covers extremely elegant and well decorated, which differs from modern books that lack any personality. Each cover was extraordinarily well made, especially the occasional illustrated book covers or the patterned leather. Many of the book titles were extremely interesting as well, such books containing letters between famous figures, such as ‘The letters of Queen Victoria : a selection from Her Majesty’s correspondence between the years 1837 and 1861‘ [Hypatia BIO/VIC].

Technical drawing of the LIng-Lee stem and cup for the Exeter Hip, 1976 (EUL MS 491).

Another memorable task was working on the files relating to the Exeter hip stem – a hip implant used worldwide in hip replacement surgery. This involved repackaging papers to prevent them from damage, before labeling them so they could be found. I really enjoyed doing this as it was strangely calming switching off my brain to do the repetitive task of folding folders and tying rope. Many of the files were also really interesting, as you can see the precisely drawn medical images, as well as see each individual’s different handwriting as well as thoughts back then in the day.

I was also given the chance to talk to many of the University staff, allowing me to learn more about what their job entails, as well as hear interesting stories such as how the original manuscript copy of ‘The Lord of the Flies’ was written when the author was supposed to be teaching, and since if works were written in working hours, there might be a chance that copyright would be given to the school instead, therefore the author ripped off the cover of the notebook so there would be no evidence that it was written during school hours. This greatly amused me when I first heard after seeing the fragile state of the original copy which looked like even a blow of wind would cause the notebook to disintegrate.

There was also the opportunity to explore the Digital Humanities Lab, which I found was the highlight of the week. Since there was coincidentally another student from my school that went on the tour with me, as well as another one of my classmates that did her experience in the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, we were all able to get three 3D printed matching sharks which were absolutely adorable, as well as mess around in the sounds lab creating our own podcast which was admittedly so terrible that we deleted it from the faces of earth the moment we finished hearing it.

Collage of 24 images from Special Collections — Collage of images from Special Collections

Overall, I really enjoyed my week in Special Collections doing work experience, as the whole experience was very valuable. I highly recommend this experience for people like me who were too scared to make a phone call, as this is first come first served by email. The work environment is extremely friendly, as well as forgiving about mistakes and patient about any concerns or questions. I found it really enjoyable working with people who obviously enjoyed their job.

Find out more about work experience placements in Special Collections on our Special Collections webpages

John Gerard‘s The Herball: or, Generall historie of plantes (1597)

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Article by Anna Goebel, MA student of Professor Ayesha Mukherjee’s course ‘Global Voices: Shakespeare and the Early Modern World’

Syon Abbey 1597/GER/X, John Gerard, *The Herball: or, Generall historie of plantes*, 1597 edition, title page

The Herball: or, Generall historie of plantes (1597) by John Gerard is a collection of entries about plants which follows the form of a commonplace book, a popular form of writing in the early modern period. Commonplace books collect together short quotations from other texts, combined with personal observations and anecdotes. It also introduces the author, with the work not written but “Gathered by John Gerarde” (Gerard 1), presenting Gerard like a collector, which hints at the beginning of British exploration and expansionism which had just started at the end of the 16th century. The Herball is a large quarto of almost 1500 pages divided into three books. The title page is what immediately catches the eye, which makes sense, as they were often printed in multiples and used by booksellers to advertise the book and give an impression of its contents. It shows an array of people and plants, everything from flowers to reeds, referring to dignitaries at the time: “ancient figures of botanical authority, to New World plants, to plants from the Ottoman Empire, and to England’s own flora” (Rickmann 105) alongside a structured garden with individual beds. Not only is this title page beautiful, but engraved title pages were rare in the late sixteenth century which makes the herbal a luxury good.

Unusually, the chapters are not in alphabetical order, as was customary for herbals at the time, rather, Gerard groups them by physical structure, starting with grasses and ending with corals. Each chapter on the plants is similar to encyclopedic entries we know today, with the English name of the plant; the kinds of plant and its relatives; a description of each kind; the place and conditions in which the plant usually grows; its timing; its classic and vernacular names; and its common uses or “vertues”. I specifically want to focus on the entry about cotton, “Of the Bombaste, or Cotton plant”, on pages 753 to 754, which follows this structure of plant description. There is one woodblock illustration for cotton (every entry has up to four) that shows the whole plant including roots, leaves and flowers, with the names “Goßipium fiue Xylon” and “The Cotton bush” inscribed on top (Gerard 753). For the names of the plants, Gerard includes colloquial names used by occupational groups, national language groups, and women, with special attention to “metaphorical etymologies” (Knight 86). We can see this in the entry about cotton when Gerard comments on the German word “Baumwoll, that is, wooll of a tree: Whereas in truth it is rather a small shrub” (753) as he dissects the truth content of the metaphoric name. The entry about cotton is especially interesting to me because, Gerards exoticizes the cotton plant, focusing on it being especially used for ritual garments in other countries, which gives it a more mystical and exotic air, even though he also says that a detailed description of cotton is “superfluous” because it is a “common experience” and in “daily use” (Gerard 754). With this, I believe, he anticipates the mindset that underlies British exploration. Its common use also becomes clear from the use of the name “Bombast” which is an obsolete word for the fibrous part of the cotton plant, taking on a more general meaning of “padding something out, to adding superfluous material, or to forming a layer of protection or insulation,” (OED) which cotton was commonly used for.

Syon Abbey 1597/GER/X, John Gerard, *The Herball: or, Generall historie of plantes*, 1597 edition, page 753 on cotton

When it comes to his description of the plants, he does not use Latin terms to describe the parts of the plant, but relies on similes like flowers being “the bignesse of a Tenisse ball,” leaves being “not unlike to the leafe of the Vine” and “black seede (…), in shape like the (…) dung of a conie” (Gerard 735). Gerard relies on figurative language to create a sensory understanding of the plants, especially when it comes to exotic plants his readers could never experience for themselves (Knight 88, 89, 92, 94), as is the case with cotton as it was imported from India and the middle east and did not grow in England. These vivid descriptions are also useful to memorize and apply the information. Gerard intended his work as a reference book, asking “courteous and well-willing Readers” for “men of deeper judgement to polish; and to adde to [his] large additions.”

Hughan Collection 1636/GER/X, John Gerard, *The Herball: or, Generall historie of plantes*, 1636 second edition

The Exeter special collections hold another edition of The Herbal from 1636, a second edition “very much enlarged and amended by Thomas Johnson,” while this edition does not have the impressive title page, it does have other treasure. Annotations in this copy show that it was owned by William Okes, who in the very first page of the copy wrote about cross-referencing this herbal with other plant books especially for the plates which he found “useful”. Okes draws on William Hudson’s Flora Anglica (1762) for the Linnean names of plants. Linnean names are a form of biological classification that was established in the 18^th century after the Herbal was written and because of that, in several entrances Okes added these alternate Latin names. An example of this is on “Chap 16 Of Sea Spike-Grasse” where he adds the name “Triglochin marinum. Salt water Marsh near Belton. Suffulk” (20): not only does he add names for the plants, but he has recorded for some of them where he found them. Unlike Gerard, Okes was not interested in the exotic but focused on English plants in his efforts to work with the herbal.

Hughan Collection 1636/GER/X, John Gerard, *The Herball: or, Generall historie of plantes*, 1636 edition, Chapter 16

I even found in the entry about “Aromaticall Reeds” that Okes planted reeds “about Exeter in the River Exe. 1790” (62). For some plants he not only added names and places, but also little illustrations and more precise descriptions like for “Friers Cowle or hooded Cuckowpint” (835) and “Water Crow-foot” (829). Even plant specimens can be found with the places on where he got them like “Rocket” (248-249) and “stinking ground Pine” (622-623) from “Lowestofft Suffolk”, and “English Cudweed” from “Grove, Wheatacre Rest Norfolk 7.Sept. 1837” (639). The herbal’s interactive design was so successful that nearly 250 years after its publication it was still used by Okes bringing together traditional book learning and practical field botany, like Gerard intended.

Hughan Collection 1636/GER/X, John Gerard, *The Herball: or, Generall historie of plantes*, 1636 edition, chapter 45

Sources

John Gerard, The Herball: or, Generall historie of plantes. Hughan Collection 1636/GER/X and Syon Abbey 1597/GER/X

A manuscript copy of Dialogue betweene a Councellor of State and a Justice of the Peace by Sir Walter Raleigh

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Article by Kayleigh Swart, MA student of Professor Ayesha Mukherjee’s course ‘Global Voices: Shakespeare and the Early Modern World’

EUL MS 98 Manuscript copy of Raleigh’s ‘Dialogue between a Councillor of State and a Justice of the Peace, front cover

While locked away in the Tower of London for treason, Sir Walter Raleigh composed a dialogue to discuss the role parliament should play alongside the monarchy. Various copies of this work still exist in the original manuscript form, one of these copies is currently preserved in the University of Exeter’s Special Collections (EUL MS 98).

The copy in question was created in 1615, the same year as the text was written. The document is currently labelled a ‘copy of the manuscript’, so it is not clear if this particular version was written by Raleigh himself or somebody else. Various manuscripts of this text were circulated around shortly after its creation. A few of these other copies are in the British Library as well as other archives.

The exact journey this manuscript took to end up in the collection is not entirely known but we do have some information on it. In 1953, the manuscript was sold by Maggs Bros. of London, bookdealers to Agnes Latham. It was then given to the University’s library in 1991 by Joyce Youings on Latham’s behalf. Latham was an academic and best known for her work on editing Sir Walter Raleigh’s letters, which explains her ownership of this manuscript.

EUL MS 98 Manuscript copy of Raleigh’s *Dialogue between a Councillor of State and a Justice of the Peace*, page 1

The manuscript itself can only be described as delicate. Even in the above photo, it is clear that the book looks fragile and flimsy. The text is bound in soft vellum; which is another name for animal skin or membrane. Additionally, attached to the cover are two strings which would have been used to tie the manuscript. Both the cover and the strings have started to erode away and appear quite stained. However, the condition of the manuscript is expected for its age. The title on the cover has partly faded, especially over Raleigh’s name; however, it reads: A Dialogue Betweene a Councellor of State and a Justice of Peace Written by Sir Walter Raleigh. The text inside is very neatly handwritten; it could be assumed some form of line guide was used in its creation. The neatness and the binding of the text points to the possibility that this particular copy was recreated to be read by someone other than Raleigh himself. The manuscript also includes a copy of a letter addressed to the King, James I, from Raleigh. After Raleigh’s death, the text found its way into print. It was published in 1628 under the new title: The Prerogative of Parliaments in England: Proved in a Dialogue (pro & contra) betweene a Councellour of State and a Justice of Peace. Whilst the text does not significantly change between manuscript and print form, there are a few word changes or reshuffling of sentences, probably for ease of reading.

The text itself follows a conversation between the Justice and Councillor about the current problems facing the court and debates if a parliament would be able to solve them. Whilst the form of dialogue does suggest that the text is structured as a debate, the majority of the conversation is dominated by the Justice and his pro-parliament views. Raleigh structures the work to move in a chronological way: firstly, the text begins with recounting the previous Kings and their position within the structure of power in the country. There is strong emphasis on how the Magna Carta played a role in the history of Kings. The text then moves into the contemporary world and discusses present-day problems. Additionally, the two characters debate if calling for a parliament will help or hinder existing issues. An agreement between the two characters is not reached, the councillor saying: “I conclude where I began, these parliaments are dangerous for a king,” while the Justice continues to argue for a parliament. In the final lines the Justice proclaims: “But I only seek to satisfy his majesty”. This suggests that regardless of the political position the text aligns with, it is still shaped by the idea that the King would read and respond to it. So, while Raleigh wants to make his pro-parliament views clear he also has to balance this by proving his loyalty to the crown.

EUL MS 98 Manuscript copy of Raleigh’s *Dialogue between a Councillor of State and a Justice of the Peace*, dialogue, page 7

Understanding Raleigh’s personal situation also helps unlock the deeper meanings embedded in the text. In 1603, Raleigh was arrested for treason and sentenced, where he was kept imprisoned in the Tower of London for almost fourteen years (Oxford DNB). During his imprisonment he began to write another text: The History of the World. This text was printed and published in 1614, however a few weeks after its publication, the work was supressed by the Archbishop Abbott on royal command (Beer 60). This was likely due to the anti-monarch views allegedly expressed in the book. The Dialogue can therefore be seen as a response to this, having been written only a few months later. In the text, the Justice notes how freedom of speech is necessary to have a successful parliament.

EUL MS 98 Manuscript copy of Raleigh’s *Dialogue between a Councillor of State and a Justice of the Peace*, dialogue, pages 28-29

There is a lot to be learnt from a primary source such as this manuscript that goes beyond simply what it is or what it says. The ability to view and access these pieces of history help progress research in a range of subjects and disciplines. This particular manuscript is a remarkable clue for understanding the political contexts that confronted Raleigh, and the decisions he made in light of them.

Works cited:

Beer, Anna. R, Sir Walter Ralegh and his readers in the Seventeenth Century. Macmillan, 1997;

“James VI and I, King of Scotland, England and Ireland”, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford UP, 2014. Accessed 8 Nov 2025, https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-14592?rskey=PfoJle&result=7#odnb-9780198614128-e-14592-div1-d2270e3993

Raleigh, Sir Walter, Dialogue between a Councillor of State and a Justice of the Peace. 1615, (EUL MS 98);

“Ralegh [Raleigh], Sir Walter”, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford UP, 2022, Accessed 8 Nov 2025, https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-23039?rskey=AhaqFA&result=4