Department of History

"My dissertation examines how, from the mid-sixteenth to mid-eighteenth century, the genre of vernacular herbal manuscripts thrived despite the growing dominance of printed herbals. Herbal manuscripts allow us to analyze different aspects of early modern scientific knowledge construction—materiality, illustrations, organization, content, and annotations—in a single source base. Looking at these different components together helps illuminate the interconnectedness of the different strands of production. This project will tease apart the structures of scientific knowledge in early modern Europe and place manuscript herbals into conversation with printed herbals and other contemporary botanical literature helping to highlight the role of early modern information systems."