V&A PhD Placement - Henry Cole’s Travel Diaries: knowledge, acquisitions and networks

About the V&A PhD Placement Scheme The V&A has created a range of PhD placements based in collections departments, archives, the National Art Library, research, and collections care and access to support the professional development of PhD researchers across the UK and internationally. In addition to on-the-job experience and mentoring from supervisors, PhD placement students will have access to the Museum’s wider range of workshops, talks and postgraduate training opportunities, alongside a training package designed for the PhD placement cohort. Depending on the project, placements may combine onsite and remote work, with the exact working pattern agreed between the student and placement supervisors. Eligibility: V&A doctoral placements are unpaid and only open to students currently studying on a funded PhD programme. International applicants welcome. All successful applicants will be required to attend an induction day on 30 September 2026. Purpose of the Placement The V&A holds several handwritten travel journals and associated materials compiled by Henry Cole (1808–1882), ranging from tours of Britain in the 1830s to purchasing trips to France, Italy, Germany and Spain for the South Kensington Museum in the 1860s and 1870s. This placement forms part of an ongoing effort to transcribe, research, and contextualise these journals, increasing the visibility and accessibility of important resources for the study of the museum’s institutional and collection history. Previous placement holders have worked on Cole’s travel diaries to Palermo, Vienna, Spain, Belgium, and Germany. This placement will focus on the transcription of Cole’s early diaries of his travels through the UK, as well as contributing to the transcription of travel diaries to Switzerland and Italy held at the RCA. Building on previous research, the placement researcher will also contribute to a broader investigation of recurring themes across the diaries, including objects acquired during Cole’s travels and reproductions commissioned through photography, casting, and electrotyping. The placement may also include opportunities to contribute to a planned workshop in 2027 and share research through seminars, blog posts, or Collection Management System (CMS) provenance updates.