Skip to content

A la Ronde Symposium - '“Call us not weeds!”: Examining the Aesthetics of Upcycling and Anonymity in Victorian Depictions of Seaweed'

Beth Howell presenting a paper at the A la Ronde Symposium
Beth Howell, A la Ronde Symposium | © National Trust / Richard Gregory

On 11th July 2024 we held our Symposium, entitled ‘Female Craft and Design in the Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries’. Held at Reed Hall, University of Exeter, we invited a wide range of people to share stories about A la Ronde and how it connects to the wider world. This paper '“Call us not weeds!”: Examining the Aesthetics of Upcycling and Anonymity in Victorian Depictions of Seaweed' was presented by Dr Beth Howell, as part of the panel 'Georgian period embellished decorative interiors using natural materials'.

Allow video to play? This page contains content that is published to YouTube.

We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as this content may introduce additional cookies. You may want to read the Google YouTube terms of service  and privacy policy  before accepting.

Video
Video

“Call us not weeds!”: Examining the Aesthetics of Upcycling and Anonymity in Victorian Depictions of Seaweed

Dr Beth Howell presented her paper '“Call us not weeds!”: Examining the Aesthetics of Upcycling and Anonymity in Victorian Depictions of Seaweed' at the A la Ronde symposium 2024.

Biography: Beth Howell

Beth Howell recently completed her PhD thesis, “Lyonesse’s Literary Tourists: The Isles of Scilly in Writing 1847-1967,” at the University of Exeter. She maintains a wider interest in the presentation of heritage, history and identity, and currently works in Business Services at the National Trust.

She completed her BA in Art History & English, and her MA in English Literary Studies: Victorian Studies, also at Exeter, and has a background in arts and museums work.

The interior of the cabinet of curiosities in the Library at A la Ronde, Devon.
Exhibition
Exhibition

The Compendium 

The Compendium is a collection of stories to delight and surprise. You can explore all things A la Ronde here in one central place for the first time. We will be adding new stories for years to come.

A crowd during one of the presentations at the Symposium. A la Ronde, Devon.
Article
Article

The Symposium 

On 11th July 2024, A la Ronde hosted its first academic conference, ‘The Symposium: Female Craft and Design in the Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries’. Learn more about the day here.

Kyriaki Hadjiafxendi presenting a paper at the A la Ronde Symposium
Article
Article

A la Ronde Symposium - 'The Eventfulness of Nature: women and the seashore in the long nineteenth century' 

On 11th July 2024 we held A la Ronde's Symposium, entitled ‘Female Craft and Design in the Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries’. This paper 'The Eventfulness of Nature: women and the seashore in the long nineteenth century' was presented by Dr Kyriaki Hadjiafxendi. Learn more about the paper here.

Laura Keim and Team presenting a paper at the A la Ronde Symposium
Article
Article

A la Ronde Symposium - '“A Place to cultivate her Mind in by Musing:” Anne Reckless Emlen’s 1757 Shellwork Grotto' 

On 11th July 2024 we held A la Ronde's Symposium, entitled ‘Female Craft and Design in the Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries’. This paper '“A Place to cultivate her Mind in by Musing:” Anne Reckless Emlen’s 1757 Shellwork Grotto' was presented by Laura Keim, Kalia Temple and Lara Kaplan. Learn more about the paper here.