Impact case study database

The British Library (BL) benefited from the cultural and financial impact of the largest and most comprehensive Gothic exhibition, ‘Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination’, to take place in a public institution worldwide. This impact on visitor experience at the BL was based on University of Stirling research that was funded by two AHRC grants that ran during two periods (2008-09 and 2014-15).

The link between the research and the BL had two aims: to apply cultural research to inform an exciting new interpretation of Gothic history through a major exhibit at the BL, and to strengthen the connections and consensus between public understanding of the history of Gothic aesthetics and the academic community. In achieving these aims, the collaboration offered a pioneering model for the application of humanities research – literary, historical and cultural – to an exhibit that improved the BL’s financial position and its engagement with the public. ‘Terror and Wonder’ included visual and textual media, displayed many rare manuscripts and editions, presented unique film and video footage, exhibited original visual art, photographs and clothing, so that visitors engaged with and understood the many aspects of the history of Gothic aesthetics from the 18^th century to the present (see BL description and promotional video: https://www.bl.uk/events/terror-and-wonder--the-gothic-imagination).

Figure 1. 'Terror and Wonder' BL Exhibit Promotional Image

This new visitor experience immersed members of the public in the many facets of Gothic aesthetics (literary, cinematic, artistic, photographic, architectural) drawn directly from the models explored in Byron’s work and furthered by Townshend’s and Edwards’s research.

In the course of this project, Edwards contributed as a consultant, while Townshend wrote text for various media, advised on the design and layout of the exhibition, selected works for inclusion, and briefed staff on research findings. Townshend conducted original cultural research to inform the new aesthetic history of Gothic, and also translated his research into text for exhibition placards, the exhibit’s website and promotional material, as well as editing the exhibition catalogue Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination ( R4). His findings about the history of Gothic aesthetics enabled the first large-scale presentation of Gothic production across a range of media and periods that immersed visitors in various forms of representation and key debates. He also delivered historical briefings for exhibition guides and promoted the exhibit through the opening reception and radio appearances ( S1).

The launch of the ‘Terror and Wonder’ exhibit in October 2014 and the accompanying media and promotional activities helped the BL to achieve its goal of stabilising income streams for its exhibition space through increased visitors. The BL exceeded target ticket sales by 18.3% and decided to add 24 extra slots in the final two weeks of the exhibition to satisfy visitor demand. During the period of the exhibition (3 Oct 2014 to 20 Jan 2015), the target number of visitors and tickets sales was 50,036; the actual number of visitors and tickets taken was 59,198 ( S2).

In addition to attracting new audiences, the unique exhibit enhanced public awareness of the history of Gothic and informed public opinion about the meanings of Gothic aesthetics. Time Out named ‘Terror and Wonder’ as one of its top 10 things to do for Halloween 2014 and, according to The Guardian, it ‘teems with arresting exhibits’, offering an original perspective that conveys an ‘epic journey through a literary genre and its endless cultural transformations’ ( **S3(a) & (b)**). A visitor commented that it ‘transformed my understanding of gothic’, while another said ‘I saw stuff I didn’t know existed in the history of gothic’ ( S4). The level of awareness in approaching Gothic from this new perspective was increased by the daily Learning Workshops for pre-HE students. Over 8,000 post-secondary students participated in workshops led by exhibition staff who were informed and advised by the research underpinning the exhibit ( S2). The high number of visitors translated into other new public exhibitions and public lectures involving researchers at Stirling on Gothic, specifically at Strawberry Hill House and The Old Operating Theatre (see below). This public response indicates the importance of quality, research-based interpretation for increasing visitor numbers in public exhibition spaces, and it is evidence that academic research into Gothic can enhance and transform public understanding of the history of Gothic cultural production.

The second aim of the collaboration with the BL was achieved by ensuring provision was made so that groups of museum and exhibition curators could attend the exhibition in special groups and learn about how academic research can inform a large-scale public exhibit. Over 200 curators participated in these small-group sessions, which was part of implementing a strategy to build links between academic research and public exhibitions. This has engendered a cultural change wherein Stirling researchers have advised other Gothic exhibits and integrated public lectures into the exhibitions ( S2).

Among the events that have taken place as a result of this new positioning of Gothic research and public exhibitions are the highly successful ‘Medical Horrors’ exhibit at The Old Operating Theatre, London (Oct-Nov 2015; coordinated and delivered by Edwards) and ‘Writing Britain’s Ruins, 1700-1850’ at Strawberry Hill House (May-June 2016; a public lecture series coordinated and partly delivered by Townshend and Lindfield). In the former, Edwards advised The Old Operating Theatre curators on the history of dissections and terrifying medical procedures in Gothic literary and cultural history. He also presented a public lecture, ‘Gothic Dissections: Medical Dissections in Literature and Popular Culture’, to launch the exhibit on Halloween 2015 (attended by 65). In the latter, Townshend and Linfield advised Strawberry Hill House curators on the history of Gothic design for exhibitions on Gothic furniture and architecture. They also coordinated and participated in a series of six public lectures by leading scholars in the field about, among other things, Horace Walpole’s Gothic architecture, the ruins of Tintern Abbey and Gothic-inspired interiors (attended by 35 per lecture) ( S5).

In a retrospective looking at the success of ‘Terror and Wonder’ exhibition, Greg Buzwell, Curator of Contemporary Literary and Creative Archives at BL, highlighted its strong legacy in inspiring interest in the Gothic, including a range of books, learning courses, and the depositing of further Gothic material in the BL itself. ‘Terror and Wonder’ also firmly placed Gothic on the agenda of the BL, as it has ‘become something of a tradition to hold a Gothic-themed event around the time of Halloween’ ( S6).