Research Fellow - Unlocking the Fagel Collection Project

Post Summary

The purpose of this role is to conduct scholarly research into the Fagel collection at the Library of Trinity College Dublin. In alignment with the principles of the Trinity Colonial Legacies Research Project and the wider Trinity Legacies Review, the aim of this position is to examine the Fagel collection, its constitution and use by the Fagel family and associates, in the context of contemporary governance and foreign affairs, and the relationships central to its acquisition for Trinity.

The Library of Trinity College Dublin has been home to the Fagel collection for 220 years, the most important eighteenth-century Dutch book and map collection outside of the Netherlands. The collection was acquired with the support of the Erasmus Smith Trust. Since 2019, the Library has been undertaking a project to “Unlock” the collection through a programme of comprehensive cataloguing, conservation, and facilitated scholarly research. Commencing in 2023, the project has entered a new phase, and a growing network of affiliated institutions are supporting or developing their own research on the collection and family.

The Research Fellow will focus on examining the collection’s maps and atlases, and other volumes recorded as relating to “Geography and Travel” in the original catalogue. This material was assembled over the course of the 17th and 18th centuries by successive members of the Fagel family – who served as Greffiers to the States-General. The material offers a global view from the period through the cultures of mapping and representations of non-European contexts, and includes a unique record of geographic regions such as Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America where Dutch colonies existed. In examining these items alongside other original source material, such as the family papers in the Nationaal Archief and the papers of the States-General, the research will facilitate the development of a fuller picture of the Greffier Fagels’ administrative role within the Dutch Republic during this period.  In addition, examination of archival records and secondary source material will offer the opportunity to understand the collection’s acquisition in the historical geopolitical position of Trinity College Dublin.

Standard Duties and Responsibilities of the Post

Research:

• Conduct individual research on the maps, atlases, and related works within the Fagel collection at TCD.  Other associated primary source material, such as the Fagel family archive at the Nationaal Archief will also be consulted.
• Examine the historical record of the Fagel collection’s acquisition and transfer to Trinity College Dublin, using College archival records.
• Contribute to future funding proposals through the Virtual Trinity Library programme, relating to the Fagel collection, including research grant funding applications.
• Engage in the dissemination of output for the Unlocking the Fagel Collection project, specifically through social media posts and blogs, research engagement events, and other opportunities.
• Liaise with academic and cultural heritage partners (both in Ireland and the Netherlands) and peer researchers (including the Trinity Colonial Legacies research group, the Centre for Early Modern History, and the Trinity Centre for the Book).

Contribution to Department and University:

• Engage in the wider research and scholarly activities of the Library, and specifically the Research Collections Division, and contribute to its profile by participating in promotional and outreach activity.
• Participate in internal networks for the exchange of information and to form relationships for future research collaboration, for example by presenting in forums hosted by the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute and by contributing to research seminars, etc.

Teaching, Learning and Mentoring:

• Liaise with graduate students, as needs arise, and other researchers interested in the content of the Fagel collection – as directed by your line manager.

Application Procedure

Applicants should submit a Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae to include the names and contact details of two referees (including email addresses), to: Ms. Laura Shanahan, Head of Research Collections, E: