All posts by jwbaker

James Baker is Director of Digital Humanities at the University of Southampton. James is a Software Sustainability Institute Fellow, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and holds degrees from the University of Southampton and latterly the University of Kent, where in 2010 he completed his doctoral research on the late-Georgian artist-engraver Isaac Cruikshank. James works at the intersection of history, cultural heritage, and digital technologies. He is currently working on a history of knowledge organisation in twentieth century Britain. In 2021, I begin a major new Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project 'Beyond Notability: Re-evaluating Women’s Work in Archaeology, History and Heritage, 1870 – 1950'. Previous externally funded research projects have focused on legacy descriptions of art objects ('Legacies of Catalogue Descriptions and Curatorial Voice: Opportunities for Digital Scholarship', Arts and Humanities Research Council), the preservation of intangible cultural heritage ('Coptic Culture Conservation Collective', British Council, and 'Heritage Repertoires for inclusive and sustainable development', British Academy), the born digital archival record ('Digital Forensics in the Historical Humanities', European Commission), and decolonial futures for museum collections ('Making African Connections: Decolonial Futures for Colonial Collections', Arts and Humanities Research Council). Prior to joining Southampton, James held positions of Senior Lecturer in Digital History and Archives at the University of Sussex and Director of the Sussex Humanities Lab, Digital Curator at the British Library, and Postdoctoral Fellow with the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art. He is a member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council Peer Review College, a convenor of the Institute of Historical Research Digital History seminar, a member of The Programming Historian Editorial Board and a Director of ProgHist Ltd (Company Number 12192946), and an International Advisory Board Member of British Art Studies.
Caricature, Galleries, Public talk

Week 10: A tour in search of Dr Syntax

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My final act of #AcWriMo will be to mark the opening of an exhibition at the British Cartoon Archive curated by Nick Hiley (Head of the BCA) and I with a talk entitled ‘A tour in search of Dr Syntax’.

I’ve written about Syntax and the Rowlandson Collection at the BCA before, but this exhibition and talk will cast its net a little wider to discuss the trade which sold Syntax, the relationships which brought this character to market, and his afterlife in the English imagination. One curious example of this afterlife is Edwyn Collins’ 2002 album Doctor Syntax (if anyone can explain why Collins chose to combine Syntax with a cover image of Mikhail Lermontov I would be most grateful). Another is the appearance of ‘Dr Syntax’ in Edward Blanchard’s Mother Goose and the Enchanted Beauty. Played at Drury Lane Theatre as their 1880-1 Christmas Annual, the pantomime features Dr Syntax as master to Prince Florizel in the final scenes. Though a minor character, Blanchard’s Syntax displays all the characteristics of the early nineteenth century original – he is nervous, confused, and a figure of fun.

In the final scene of the farce, Syntax and company stumble across an enchanted wood. It is here that Syntax shines:

YOKEL. There!
TUTOR (terrified) Where?
YOKEL. There lies our path.
TUTOR. Lies! Well it shouldn’t!
YOKEL. Right through the wood.
TUTOR. I truly wish it wouldn’t.
WHIMWAY [Prince Florizel’s servant]. But where’s the Prince?
TUTOR. Oh, dear! With all our slyness
We’ve been, and gone, and lost his Royal Highness
Our Prince. The head of all we hold most dear.
YOKEL. The head! Its prints of footsteps we want here.
TUTOR. Ah! All this comes of having too much learning,
When I said “Right,” he thought I mean’t the turning [obsequious Syntax]
YOKEL. Eh, lad, I’m glad I never knew too much.

‘A tour in search of Dr Syntax’ opens at the British Cartoon Archive  (Templeman Library, University of Kent, Canterbury), on 30 November and will run into the new year.