Mary Allgood

About

I am a design historian whose research focuses primarily on design and material culture in late seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Britain. I am fascinated by how objects define and reflect the lives of those who use them and have especially enjoyed honing my skills in archival research.

My dissertation research explored the material culture of English funerals from 1680-1760, focusing especially on how undertaking became a trade, how undertakers were viewed in society, and what material goods were present in funerals across classes. I was particularly interested in the role of coffins as a material object and a symbol of death. 

My first-term essay investigated a forgotten women’s craft called knotting: a practice where wealthy women would use ornate shuttles to tie knots on silk thread, creating a decorative addition to home embroidery products. This craft was about more than producing a decoration, however. It was simple and easy to learn, making it accessible to anyone who had the available time. It also allowed women to show off graceful hands, an attribute that was considered attractive for an eighteenth-century woman, while keeping the same hands busy, a response to a greater cultural fear of idleness. For a craft that was so extraordinarily popular at its peak, featured in contemporary literature and portraits of women like Queen Charlotte and Marie Antoinette, it has mostly been forgotten today.

The History of Design Programme has also enabled me to deepen my knowledge and experience of curatorial work and public history projects. I have undertaken two placements in the V&A’s Furniture and Woodwork Department where I have organised and digitised departmental research materials and helped to plan for a future exhibition. I have also secured funding to collaborate with other History of Design students on the podcast Designs Lost to History, where we explore overlooked histories in an engaging and accessible format.