Moving forward with Elizabeth Montagu Catalogue Online

Thursday Feb 8^th 13.00-14.00 Joanna Barker, ‘Moving forward with Elizabeth Montagu Catalogue Online (EMCO)’ (IMEMS) (About the Project - at Elizabeth Montagu Correspondence Online (EMCO) (swansea.ac.uk))

Delve into the rich literary and intellectual tapestry of the Elizabeth Montagu Correspondence Online (EMCO), a charitable incorporated organization established in 2017. Led by dedicated trustees Joanna Barker, Elizabeth Eger, Caroline Franklin, Michael Franklin, and Nicole Pohl, EMCO aims to create a fully annotated electronic edition of Elizabeth Robinson Montagu’s correspondence. As an influential woman of letters and artistic patron (1718-1800), Montagu engaged in extensive correspondence with leading figures of the British Enlightenment, including Edmund Burke, Gilbert West, David Garrick, and Horace Walpole.

The project, holding approximately 8,000 extant letters, stands as one of the most significant surviving collections from the eighteenth century. These letters, stored in prestigious archives such as the British Library, the Bodleian, Aberdeen, Manchester, and the Huntington Library, California, house a treasure trove of historical insights. Despite their importance, less than a quarter of these documents have been previously published, and those in partial, archaic print selections.

EMCO's noble endeavor aims to provide a comprehensive electronic edition, shedding light on the intellectual exchanges and cultural milieu of Montagu's era. Join us in uncovering this invaluable literary legacy.