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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 10h

The STEMMA team is growing: @normaowens.bsky.social has joined us as a Research Assistant. Norma is interested in using computational and quantitative methods to recover under-represented groups and exploring patterns of connectivity and knowledge transmission in historical networks. Welcome, Norma!

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

A little bouquet of surprise flowers in the endleaves of British Library Additional MS 15227, Fol.101v to Fol.102r 🌼🌸🌷🪻🌻

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Plaintive but hopeful elephant 🐘♥️ Please be nice to him British Library Sloane MS 3794: Fol.5r

Drawing of an elephant with it's back to the viewer raising it's trunk to the sun

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

And just in case you can't bear to travel without vinegar, p.122

Close up of Arts Treasury
A way always to be provided with Vinegar for Sauce wherever you travel

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Variations on a theme of tea-staining your homework? Arts Treasury, 1688, p.119

Detail from Arts Treasury
TEXT
To make new writing look old, and of long standing
Take a dram of Saffron and infused it into half a pint of Ink, and suffer it to warm over a gentle fire, and it will cause whatever is written with it to turn yellowish and appear as if of many years standing

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Today's rabbit hole (or tree labyrinth). Love the little gardener 🥹❤️🪏👒 Ralph Austen, A Treatise of Fruit Trees or Spiritual Use of an orchard, 1653

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Poetry and maths side by side - just how we like it here at STEMMA Bodleian MS Rawl. Poet. 142, Fols 11v - 12r

Photo of an open manuscript: one page covered in calculations (and spilling over onto the next page) and poetry on the other

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

A verse letter about a dog-seal! 🐕❤️💌 Bodleian MS Add. A. 267: Fol.28r

Close up of a manuscript
TEXT: the subscription, the letter being sealed with a sealed whereon portrayed a dog

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Getting ready for the new academic year: 17th century undergraduate Simon Sloper writes his term dates into his commonplace book in 1619 Bodleian MS Eng. poet. f. 10: Fol.52r

Manuscript page from Bodleian MS Eng.poet.f. 10

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Naomi Baker @drnaomibaker.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

An English woman insisting on inclusive language in 1684! The main text refers to “man” and Ann Bathurst corrects this in the margin - “that is … men & women” #earlymodern

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Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC) @csmc-hamburg.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

What happens to written artefacts after their initial production? Steffen Döll, head of our new ‘Phased Transmission’ unit, on material and invisible transformations, provenance, archives, and the challenge of developing concepts that work across cultural contexts: uhh.de/csmc-cmu-3

uhh.de

Moving Through the Life Phases of Written Artefacts

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Erika Gaffney @erikagaffney.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Call for papers - Women’s Professional Networks in the Early Modern Book Trade University of Edinburgh 6-7 May 2027 Deadline: 20 December This conference also launches a new collaborative database sourcing biographical information about women in the early modern book trade. #earlymodern

Front page of a call for papers, with a b&w engraving of women sitting at a table, and a man apparently just walking into the room. In the bottom half of the page is the title of the conference with the dates.

A full page of text about the conference - description, possible topics to explore, etc. At the bottom the text reads "Proposals for papers of maximum 20 minutes, including title, an abstract of up to 300 words, and a biography of up to 150 words should be sent to Dr Elise Watson, elise.watson@ed.ac.uk, by 20 December 2026. While all papers will be delivered in person, the conference will be available to attend online."

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

An extra John Heywood poem- or a misattributed nineteenth-century forgery? @caitlinburge.bsky.social looks at a mysterious supposed variant of 'Give Place You Ladies' and John Payne Collier's forgeries in Folger Va339 and the imitation of Henrician poets stemma.universityofgalway.ie/give-place-y...

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Artjoms Šeļa @artjomshl.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

It’s the first paper in a themed issue on computational poetics we’re co-editing with @nmhouston.bsky.social for CHR journal! Lucky to have this contribution from Erin

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

This all could have been avoided if the Exchequer had switched to paper sooner, May argues 😔

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

We are just starting a big event today, but we’ll try to have a look soon!

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Erin A. McCarthy @erinannmcc.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Just about ready to go! Shoutout to the amazing @stemma.bsky.social team for finding the perfect setup for today’s variety show without me asking (or even knowing). ⭐️

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

This was not even the most exciting seagull behaviour @erinannmcc.bsky.social and @meghankern.bsky.social witnessed while buying last-minute ink-making supplies today

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Meghan Kern @meghankern.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Come figure it out with us. @stemma.bsky.social is hosting an open (to everyone) Early Modern palaeography training session on the afternoon of 23rd July, at @universityofgalway.bsky.social in the Arts Millenium Building, Room AMB-G012

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

We are aware that these dates are approaching rapidly, so we encourage you to reach out with questions and EOIs as soon as possible but no later than midnight on 8 July. We aim to respond to selected participants by 10 July. /end

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

We have a snazzy Microsoft Form in which you can register express interest in presenting and/or travel funding, and log any dietary requirements. We are worried about putting the link on Bluesky, but feel free to email one of us and we'll send it along! 4/

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Friday, 24 July will include a mini-symposium featuring 20-min papers on any topic related to early modern ms culture. This will be followed by an international transcribathon led by Prof Joshua Eckhardt, in which palaeographers in Galway will be joined by others around the world via Zoom. 3/

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Thursday, 23 July will begin with a training day aimed at an ECR audience (but open to all), featuring a hands-on workshop about making quills and ink and an early modern palaeography training session. The day will conclude with a public lecture by Prof Steven May at 5 pm. 2/

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

As promised! The @uniofgalwaycasscs.bsky.social has generously provided support for two days of public-facing ms activities this July. The events will be free of charge, and there is funding for ECR travel (defined as ≤7 years post-PhD, with preference for those not yet in permanent employment). 1/

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Erin A. McCarthy @erinannmcc.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Not to brag or anything, but three of these projects are from my department. (cc: @stemma.bsky.social)

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

STEMMA will be hosting its inaugural Manuscripts Week this year starting 20 July. Watch our socials for details, including opportunities to get involved.

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Dr Leah Veronese @leahveronese.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

'Scattergood' feels like an excellent name for a commonplacer @stemma.bsky.social

Screenshot from STEMMA database
TEXT
Add. MS. 44963
Commonplace book of Anthony Scattergood

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

'I have followed all saving that which is should' also feels painfully relatable 😂🙈

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

What's your reading style? Over stimulated spaniel. 🐕 Robert Burton Anatomy of Melancholy

Photo of text
TEXT
This rouing humour... I haue euer had, and like a ranging Spaniel that barked at euery bird he sees, leauing his game, I haue followed all sauing that which I should, and iustly complaine, and truly... that I haue read many books but to little purpose, for want of good method, I haue confusedly tumbled outer many Authors in our Libraries, with small profit, for want of art, order, memory, iudgement

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Does MS actually stand for Mouse Snack? 🤔🐭 Summary Catalogue, Vol.III, p.321

Photo of an excerpt from the summary catalogue
TEXT
Many of the poems are mutilated by mice having gnawed the outer lower margin

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STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse @stemma.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

They just don't write love poetry like they used to 🪰❤️ (Thomas Carew, 'When this flie lived', in Rosenbach MS 239/27)

'Of a fly flying into his mistress's eye'

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Dr Leah Veronese @leahveronese.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Love some poetic waste paper ☕ Marginal note recorded in Summary Catalogue description of Rawl. poet. 25 @stemma.bsky.social @bodleian.ox.ac.uk 'The Originall Copy is by mee. Given me by my Brother Mr John Woodford who bought it among other broken books to putt up Coffee pouder, as I remember.'

Photo from the Summary Catalogue

'The following notes by Woodford are on foll. ii, 131v: 'The Originall Copy
is by mee. Given me by my Brother Mr John Woodford who bought
it among other broken books to putt up Coffee pouder, as 1 remember.'

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