4 November 2022
Investigating Recipes
Please join the Early Modern Recipe Online Collective (EMROC), Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and the Wellcome Collection for a one-day manuscript adventure on November 4, from 2-7 PM GMT/ 10-3 AM EDT / 7AM -12 PM PDT . Click here for the full schedule of events. This worldwide event offers a chance to help make two medical recipe books searchable for users around the globe. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!
Click Here to Start Transcribing
We’ll be transcribing two fabulous 17th century medical recipe books: Mary Hawker’s from Wellcome Collection (left), and MS 502, a collection of medical receipts and prescriptions from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in London (right). Drop in, or stay all day!
You’ll have the chance to:
- Discover more about the history of the books direct from experts at the RCP and Wellcome Collection.
- Learn about early modern recipes and domestic healthcare.
- Take part in conversations with experts on Twitter, and more.
And all from the comfort of your own home!
Before November 4, you can watch these short presentations about early modern recipe books: Rachel Rich on George III’s menus, Edith Snook on anti-colonial thinking about turkeys, and Tim Underhill on Mary Hawker’s shorthand. If you want to join in a Q&A with these scholars about their talks via Zoom (at 11 AM EDT / 8 AM PDT / 3 PM GMT on Nov. 4), sign up at the Wellcome Eventbrite page (it’s free!).
To learn about Mary Hawker’s manuscript from the Wellcome, check out this links:
- A video tour of the Hawker manuscript, including glimpses of foreign recipes, medicinal recipes, and edits to recipes.
To learn about the Royal College of Physicians MS 502, check out the RCP Transcribathon Page, where you can tour the manuscript and read up on snails in medical recipes. And while you’re at it, check out these blog posts from the Pamela Forde of the RCP:
- Investigating recipes: What makes a good recipe?
- Investigating recipes: Can I find this in ingredient in my local supermarket?
- Investigating recipes: How to boil an egg
Transcribers will be working around the globe. Participants will virtually meet scholars from around the world and emerge from the day with a line for their CV—all from their own home, classroom, or office! NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY – we’ll walk you through the coding and offer pointers on the handwriting.
Keep up with the day’s events here on the EMROC webpage, and on Twitter and Zoom.
We are grateful to the Folger Shakespeare Library for providing a customised transcription platform on FromthePage for this event. We’ll be posting more on accessing and using the platform soon.
Interested in joining our Transcribathon virtually? Jump in on the day, or contact us ahead of time at emroc@gmail.com.
On this page, please find a series of resources to orient, help, and inform.
Key links
Transcription FAQ and information about Getting Started with Transcription.
EMROC blog (for quick and dirty blog posts as things happen, as well as more thoughtful posts later)
Twitter (for those of us live-tweeting the event, at #EMROCtranscribes and #EMROCis10)
Investigating Recipes Workshop, with live mini-lectures from scholars and librarians.
Royal College of Physicians event page.
EMROCK 2022 Spotify Playlist
Pre-transcribathon survey so we can learn more about our participants. (Thank you!!!)