Mrs Rachel Cross

Overview

I am a postgraduate research student working in the exciting field of Illustration Studies within English Literature.

For my PhD thesis, I am researching depictions of race and gender in Victorian illustrated songs. During Victoria's reign, the rise of the piano and an increased interest in singing led to the widescale publication of popular songs for performance at home. To improve marketability, many songs were sold with an illustrated front cover. The illustrated Victorian song was therefore a uniquely integrated art form, with illustration, music and lyrics packaged together. Presenting themes in such a way allows for a fascinating insight into Victorian cultural feeling. My analyses of these three media introduce tripartite inter- and intra-art comparisons and analogies between image, music and text in an investigation about how this art form contributed to the construction of meanings and the development of racial and sexual stereotypes.