MS ALISON CLARK

Biography

I joined the University of Aberdeen in January 2025 to undertake an interdisciplinary PhD across the schools of Art History and Geology. I am supervised by Dr Isabelle Gapp and Prof John Underhill. My project considers the field notebooks and specimen collections of Sir Charles Lyell (1797-1875), the author of the Principles of Geology (1830-33), held at the University of Edinburgh’s Special Collections and Cockburn Geological Museum. My project will combine multiple research techniques such as fieldwork, digital technology and visual analysis, archival research methods and on-location research with an understating of geological processes through field work, digital technological skills and techniques. I am currently in my first year of this four-year project and immensely enjoying shaping my project and research interests.

My previous research has focused on historic environmental perceptions in the early medieval period. I look forward to continuing this line of enquiry within the 19th century and to have the opportunity to add historic depth to current climatic data.

I have previously worked in the museums and archives sector, holding positions at Historic Environment Scotland, East Lothian Council Museums service and have been a long-time board member of Glencoe Folk Museum. My current interests are historic environmental perceptions and communicating the environmental humanities within the heritage sector.