The Cost of Culture
The Cost of Culture explores the hidden histories behind the Golden Age of book collecting (c. 1890-1930). It‘s a podcast for anyone who wants to know more about the Middle Ages, the book trade, or the bibliophilic exploits of some of the twentieth century‘s richest men and women. Created by the CULTIVATE MSS project at the Institute of English Studies, University of London, each episode focuses on a different aspect of the lives and legacies of the major collectors and dealers in this period and their impact on the way we see some of the world’s most treasured medieval manuscripts today. For the full show notes, please visit https://ies.sas.ac.uk/research-projects/cultivate-mss-project/podcast. The CULTIVATE MSS Project: Cultural Values and the International Trade in Medieval European Manuscripts, c. 1900-1945 is funded by the European Research Council, H2020, grant agreement ID: 817988. © The CULTIVATE MSS project.
Listen on:
Episodes
Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
Elizabeth Dearnley interviews Natalia Fantetti, a PhD student on the CULTIVATE MSS project, whose thesis explores the history of women in the manuscript trade. Natalia uncovers the roles and influence and of three key figures: Belle da Costa Greene, the personal librarian of J. P. Morgan and first director of the Morgan Library; Isabella Stewart Gardner, the collector; and Anne Nill, who worked for and with the dealer Wilfred Voynich.
Tuesday Apr 05, 2022
Tuesday Apr 05, 2022
In this episode, Elizabeth Dearnley speaks to Laura Cleaver and Danielle Magnusson about their research on the history of the manuscript trade in Britain and America. From the dealers missing from previous accounts to the ways mega-rich American collectors justified acquiring Europe’s medieval books, learn more about why this history needs re-writing.
Monday Nov 15, 2021
Monday Nov 15, 2021
In this introductory episode, Elizabeth Dearnley interviews Laura Cleaver, Senior Lecturer in Manuscript Studies (Institute of English Studies, University of London), to discover what brought her to the study of medieval manuscripts and the rationale behind the CULTIVATE MSS Project.