Research Opportunity: An Apocrypha of Drowning: Six Medals on the History of Drowning
This research opportunity is part of the Urban Studies Research Program. Students who participate will work with their faculty mentor, and will also share their findings at a research symposium with students and faculty working on other projects. To learn more about the Urban Studies Research Program, see our website.
Project Title: An Apocrypha of Drowning: Six Medals on the History of Drowning
Faculty Member: Lochlann Jain
Abstract: In Europe, drowning emerged as a notable form of accidental death in the mid-18th century. Humane Societies sprung up across the continent to advocate for reform including lighting, guard-railing, systems of rewards and penalties, and watchmen along waterways. “Apparently drowned” bodies, teetering between life and death, presented objects of fear, revulsion, and fascination and the advocates faced intense religious and scientific resistance in addition to their own organizational, educational, medical, and financial challenges. In the complex project of making drowning into a public health issue that could be solved, the minting, awarding, and presenting of lifesaving medals took center stage: saving someone from drowning would become a heroic act. One of the most energetic societies was the Royal Humane Society (RHS) of London (originally the Society for the Resuscitation of the Apparently Drowned, est.1774). The RHS medal features – to this day -- a child, naked but for the hint of a toga, blowing an extinguished torch. The inscription reads: Lateat Scintillula Forsan, which translates as Lest Some Spark Remain. Like others of this genre, the medal was specifically designed to appeal to a well-educated audience and to bring prestige to the notion of drowning resuscitation. "An Apocrypha of Drowning" integrates elements of lifesaving medals minted across Europe, such as mottos, wreaths, scenes, portraits, and insignias to unpack the paradoxes of sovereignty and value as they relate to the history of drowning. The project involves the design, casting, and display of six medals, each of which offers an artistic rendition of these medals
- The RA will assist in designing and realizing display boxes for the medals (up to a total of 12).
- The RA will have skills in printing, laser cutting, and 3D printing, and an interest in scene design.
- The RA will develop skills in using questions and methods of art practice to better understand and engage questions traditionally attended to in the social sciences.
Qualifications:
Experience in the Product Realization Lab, particularly in wood working, 3D printing, and laser cutting.
Enrollment & Academic Standing
-
Students must be current undergraduates in good standing at Stanford.
-
Students must be enrolled in units while using VPUE grant funding, except during the Summer.
-
Students may not receive both academic units and a stipend for any single project activity.
-
Co-terms who have not conferred their undergraduate degree and who are still paying undergraduate (not graduate) tuition are eligible for VPUE funding.
- Coterm students should read this Registrar webpage for details on when you are switched to graduate tuition.
-
Students may not be serving a suspension.
-
Students may not be on a Leave of Absence (LOA) while using grant funding.
-
VPUE does not use a GPA requirement for student eligibility, nor does VPUE encourage the use of GPA as a criterion for inclusion in a research opportunity.
Quarters Available:
- Winter, part-time
- Spring, part-time
Stipend:
Part-time projects: $1500 per quarter; 10 hours / week. Read more about stipends.
