Professor Graeme Gooday and Dr Michael Kay will discuss how their ‘Electrifying the Country House’ project engaged diverse audiences with the fascinating yet hazardous arrival of electricity into the Victorian country house - and will demonstrate some of the new resources produced as part of the project.

The project team, which also included co-investigator Professor Abigail Harrison-Moore, have worked with three country houses – Cragside, Standen and Lotherton Hall – to produce online resources for Key Stage 2 children, family trails, and animations for use by volunteer explainers with a wide range of audiences.

Funded by the AHRC between May 2015 and July 2016, the project was based on research by Professors Gooday and Harrison-Moore, such as Professor Gooday’s 2008 book Domesticating Electricity.

This talk will explore how the cultural, social, aesthetic and political histories of electricity can engage visitors of all ages not just in country houses, but in other heritage sites too.

Professor Gooday is Head of School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science, and Professor of History of Science and Technology at the University of Leeds. Broadly interested in the history of technology post-1870, his current research focuses on the cultural history of electrical technology.

Professor Abigail Harrison-Moore is Head of School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, Professor of Art History and Museum Studies at the University of Leeds. She teaches on all aspects of museum, gallery and heritage studies and her research explores the significance of the Arts and Crafts Movement, furniture history and the art market.

Dr Kay is a postdoctoral researcher in the history of science at the University of Leeds, working on the history of telecommunications and domestic electrical technologies such as lighting.

This event is part of the Cultural Institute's autumn public lectures series, which showcases new research with partners at the University of Leeds.