The material culture of disability in Scotland encompasses a broad range of objects connected to D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people in the past and present. These objects, or ‘disability things’ to use Katherine Ott’s well-known term, are diverse and often require us as researchers to delve deeper into object biographies to reveal the stories of the people who used them.

This talk asks the question what are Scotland’s disability ‘things’? How do we identify them in our museum collections? How do we display and interpret them? How should we collect them in the future?

Dr Julie Holder FSAScot will explore these questions through an exploration of some key people with impairments connected to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland during the nineteenth century, followed by a case study of the collection of Rear Admiral John McKerlie.

About the Speaker
This talk will be presented by Dr Julie Holder BA(Hons) MLitt FSAScot.

Julie Holder is an Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Scottish history at National Museums Scotland. She completed her doctorate at the University of Glasgow in 2021, which was a collaborative doctoral partnership with National Museums Scotland exploring the history of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and its museum. Julie’s research interests include Scottish disability histories, the material culture of welfare, histories of collecting and museums, histories of antiquarianism, and Scottish material culture historiography in the nineteenth century.

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Throughout the year, Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland are invited to exclusive online and in-person events. They are one of the benefits of Fellowship and provide opportunities to network, meet other Fellows, and learn and discuss areas of shared interests related to Scotland’s past.

If you are not a Fellow and would like to support our work as a charity while enjoying the many benefits of Fellowship, find out how to join or subscribe to our public e-newsletter.

When: Thursday 2 July, 5pm BST

Where: Online via Zoom