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Romantic Circles — Newly Reviewed

June 19, 2016

Katharine Van Arsdale’s recent “Internet review” in the June 2016 issue of College & research library news  of the web-based project “Romantic Circles” (itself celebrating its 20th anniversary this year) reminded us of contributions to the Romantic Circles gallery from Special Collections. These contributions derived from work in 2009 by students of Prof. Theresa Kelley and Prof. Jill Casid of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Romantic Circles is “a peer-reviewed scholarly website dedicated to the study of Romantic-period literature and culture.” It includes, among other sections, a gallery that offers “as a prototype, several thematically defined portraits of Romantic visual culture” (this from the “Rationale” by Theresa Kelley and Richard Sha). Browsing the gallery by collection brings up images and related metadata for works in the Department of Special Collections, among other repositories. Students enrolled in Prof. Kelley’s and Prof. Casid’s seminars in 2009 and Prof. Kelley selected these images and compiled the extensive metadata describing them.

The images range widely – from Doctor Syntax sketching the lake

From William Combe, The tour of Doctor Syntax (London, 1812). Call number: Thordarson T 574.
From William Combe, The tour of Doctor Syntax (London, 1812). Call number: Thordarson T 574.

to a spider’s nest,

From John and Andrew van Rymsdyk, Museum Britannicum, 2nd ed. (London, 1791). Call number: Thordarson T 4136 flat.
From John and Andrew van Rymsdyk, Museum Britannicum, 2nd ed. (London, 1791). Call number: Thordarson T 4136 flat.

from an “iceberg adhering to icy reef”

From John Franklin, Narrative of a second expedition to the shores of the Polar Sea, in the years 1825, 1826, and 1827 (London, 1828). Call number: Thordarson T 1872.
From John Franklin, Narrative of a second expedition to the shores of the Polar Sea, in the years 1825, 1826, and 1827 (London, 1828). Call number: Thordarson T 1872.

to an interior view of the Old Ashmolean museum,

From A catalogue of the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford, 1836). Call number: special collections reference AM101 O82.
From A catalogue of the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford, 1836). Call number: special collections reference AM101 O82.

from Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow

From William Henry Ireland, The life of Napoleon Bonaparte, illustrated by George Cruikshank (London, 1828). Call number: CA 8939 v. 3 of 4.
From William Henry Ireland, The life of Napoleon Bonaparte, illustrated by George Cruikshank (London, 1828). Call number: CA 8939 v. 3 of 4.

to an automaton swan –

From Andrew Ure, A dictionary of arts, manufactures, and mines, from the 11th London ed. of 1839 (New York, 1847). Call number: Cole Coll C 997.
From Andrew Ure, A dictionary of arts, manufactures, and mines, from the 11th London ed. of 1839 (New York, 1847). Call number: Cole Coll C 997.

and suggest the breadth of iconographic resources in Special Collections illuminating the Romantic period.