Each year we ask our interns to write a post reflecting on their time working in the DH Lab. Here is the first of this year’s from Holly:
When I first applied to this internship, I was drawn in by the opportunity to work with archival materials, especially when photographing historical collections, but I quickly became involved in so many areas of the lab. I’ve been able to work across a huge range of projects and learnt technical skills that I’ve used throughout my internship and as part of my studies.
One of the first projects I worked on involved digitising some playbills from the Exeter Theatre Royal. As someone who loves theatre, this was incredibly exciting. I loved handling these pieces of theatrical history and seeing the illustrations and typography up close. It was a brilliant introduction to the practical side of digitisation and to the care and attention involved in preserving archival materials.
Over the course of the year, I’ve had the chance to work on projects that were completely different from one another, which is one of the things I’ve enjoyed most about working at the DH Lab. Before Christmas, I was part of a project that used GIS to match historical aerial images to the modern landscape of the Atacama Desert in Chile. This allowed us to create a map where old photographs overlaid Google Earth imagery, allowing us to identify changes to archaeological sites over time.
Another area I’ve enjoyed exploring is 3D modelling and printing. I’ve been able to apply the skills I’ve learnt during my time at the lab directly to my coursework, submitting a video I created using equipment in the lab as part of an assessment. I spoke about how 3D printing can be used to make tactile images, and how this could be used to make traditionally visual materials more accessible for disabled audiences. Before this internship, I never would have imagined myself voluntarily submitting a video essay, let alone enjoying recording it, but working in the labs gave me the skills and practice I needed to feel confident doing so.
Out of everything I’ve been involved in this year, my favourite project to work on was a reconstruction of what the Whitefriars Theatre may have looked like. Throughout this project, I collaborated with one of my lecturers, Pascale Aebischer, who created an initial diagram of the measurements of the theatre based on existing scholarship. I then turned this into a digital and 3D printed model that can now be used for teaching. The model helps to demonstrate how the theatre’s layout affects sightlines and, ultimately, the audience’s experience of a play. I’ve really appreciated how much flexibility we’ve had to pursue projects connected to our own interests.
Over the year I’ve gained practical experience in digitisation, GIS, and 3D modelling, but I’ve also gained confidence in trying different methods (and troubleshooting!). It’s strange to think how much has happened in such a short space of time. The variety of experiences has been incredible, and I’m very grateful to the DH team and my fellow interns for making it such an enjoyable year.