Doctoral Placement

The V&A has recently acquired 700 design drawings by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-1852), the leading figure in the nineteenth-century Gothic Revival, for furniture, metalwork and stained glass manufactured by John Hardman & Co. of Birmingham. They span private, public, ecclesiastical and secular projects from the early 1830s to 1851. As well as providing the opportunity to establish new factual details about Pugin’s work, they present research potential about themes such as design process, collaboration, and drawing as communication.

This is an exceptional opportunity to conduct primary and secondary research on Pugin and be involved in related curatorial activities. The placement will focus on researching and cataloguing the drawings for Explore the Collections, including their place in Pugin’s oeuvre and their connections with other drawings and archival material by Pugin held at the museum and elsewhere. The student will also be part of the curatorial team preparing a display of the drawings (to be held at the museum in 2024/2025; date tbc). The display will showcase Pugin’s draughtsmanship and design process, highlight the role of drawing in his working relationship with Hardman & Co., and bring together specific designs with corresponding furniture and metalwork from the V&A collection.
- Object-focused research and cataloguing skills
- Object-handling skills
- Curatorial skills for devising an informative and engaging display
- Knowledge of Pugin’s design practice

**PLEASE MAKE SURE TO CAREFULLY READ THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ATTACHMENTS FOR HOW TO APPLY