Jeremy’s Project Review

As part of the Chapbooks crew, Jeremy has decided to focus his attention on Scottish national identity and their relationship with Scotch Whisky between the late 18th cent and early 19th cent. He is looking more at the attitudes, of how prohibition affected Scottish attitudes towards scotch, especially on the ground level. During their presentation, I came to the realization that studying the Chapbooks would give one a good indication of what Scottish society was like during the time such stories were being written. Also, known as toilet reading, they were sold by traders/merchants  and touched upon a lot of genres such as romance, comedy, hymns etc. The Chapbooks during their time of popularity were very accessible and were written by common folk such as peddlers, rather than referring to common history, which tends to omit the voice of the subaltern the Chapbooks brings their voice to light.

As a primary source, one is getting a direct account of how life was like for many. Digitizing such accounts in my opinion would be very beneficial for those who are interested in Scottish history but are unable to access such direct primary sources. History should be accessible, and the internet is allowing for that happen. By using OMECA, Jeremy is planning on creating a cohesive online exhibition distinctly focusing on his personal choice of research. The University of Guelph has a pretty exemplary Chapbooks collection but there is always room for more research, therefore by digitizing such stories those of us who are interested in learning more about the histories of different cultures but may not have the right tools to start our own research can refer to the work being done by our peers and continue from there.