Meet Emily

Hi, I’m Emily and welcome to Period Dramas: Site & Screen! A life-time lover of history and film, it is here where this site gets its start.

After graduating from the University of Notre Dame, where I wrote my honors thesis on Medieval and Tudor English Queenship, I began pursuing my MA degree in Public History at Royal Holloway, the University of London. Hailing from the USA but obsessed with British history since childhood, I have been loving every bit of living in London, where I am surrounded by the history I study!

Much of my gateway to British history and culture growing up in America was through period dramas. It was a way I could still engage with the history I loved when I needed a break from the traditional, denser historical texts. Period dramas even became a way to share my passion for history with the people I cared about (while also being ridiculously entertained!).

I quickly learned that period dramas could be powerful tools to create excitement about history, especially among those who did not study it academically. The medium can be viewed as a palatable way to engage with the past and often encourages viewers to read more about the academic history being presented through fictionalized storylines; some of my classmates even decided on their thesis topics based on period dramas they enjoyed! As someone who loves creativity as much as history, period dramas seemed like a unique opportunity to combine creative skills with historical inspiration, and has since become the focus of my career.

Upon moving to the U.K., it became clear that my perception of Britain was shaped heavily by the period dramas filmed there. Many series utilize historic homes onscreen…but not always in the ways they were actually used in history. Imagine my surprise to find Hampton Court Palace, which I had grown up associating with the Tudors, was used to print Lady Whistledown’s pamphlets in Bridgerton!

That phenomenon is what inspired this project: how do period dramas and heritage work together to shape public perceptions of history?

Using my love for travel, history and film, Period Dramas: Site & Screen aims to examine how the histories of U.K. heritage locations can be shaped by the film sets they play host to, and how this popularization can influence visitors’ engagement with history.

Start exploring these connections now with our interactive website!