Collecting the Nation: Scottish history, patriotism and antiquarianism after Scott, (1832-91)
Dr Julie Holder successfully defended their thesis in May 2021 after 4 years as a PhD student at the University of Glasgow and co-supervised by National Museums Scotland.
Last updated: 8 February 2022
About the research
From 1832 to 1892 interpretations of the Scottish past were contested and debated in both academic and public spaces. In 1832, the father of Scottish antiquarianism Sir Walter Scott died. Like many Scottish antiquaries, he was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, which had established a museum in Edinburgh. The Society’s collections were transferred to the nation in 1851. By 1891, the museum had become the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland and in 1892, had published the entire Scottish collection in a comprehensive, illustrated catalogue.
The project examined the relationships between collecting, representing and writing about the Scottish past during this period in relation to concepts of Scottish nationhood and history. By researching the archives and publications of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Julie assessed how material artefacts were used as evidence to represent and write Scottish history. The project also considered the influence of methods and ideas from Scandinavia, Europe and the rest of Britain on collecting, representing and writing national histories.
Lead image: Joseph Anderson, Keeper of the Museum of Antiquities, with its displays in the Royal Institution, c.1890.
- Project title
Collecting the Nation: Scottish history, patriotism and antiquarianism after Scott, (1832-91)
- Student
- Project active
2017 - 2021
- Funder
AHRC Scottish Cultural Heritage Consortium (SCHC) – Collaborative Doctoral Partnership
- University of Glasgow Supervisors
Dr Catriona Macdonald and Prof. Dauvit Broun - School of Humanities
- National Museums Scotland Supervisors
Dr Stuart Allan and Dr Fraser Hunter - Scottish History & Archaeology
- Research theme
Scotland's Material Heritage
Project contact
Contact list of staff members
Dr Fraser Hunter
Related to this project
- Discover
A treasure in its own right: the Galloway Hoard vessel
The lidded vessel in the Galloway Hoard is like a hoard within a hoard. It was carefully packed to the brim with 27 objects. But the vessel is a treasure in its own right. - Discover
The only known painted portrait of Alexander Dalrymple
This portrait is one of the only known images of Scottish-born Alexander Dalrymple. But who was Dalrymple, and what can this painting tell us about this significant figure in Britain’s maritime history? - Discover
The mysterious Brooch of Lorn
When Sir Walter Scott described the Brooch of Lorn in his 1815 poem The Lord of the Isles, the brooch itself had been missing for over 150 years. Here, we take an in-depth look at this intricate and intriguing object.