Robert P. Emlen
Senior Lecturer, American Civilization:
American Civilization
Phone: 401.863.3656
Robert_Emlen@brown.edu
Robert P. Emlen studies issues of historical representations of place. He is the author of Shaker Village Views: Illustrated Maps and Landscape Drawings by Shaker Artists of the Nineteenth Century (University Press of New England, 1987), and has published his research on the material life of 18th- and 19th-century America in the leading journals of American material culture. He is presently working on a companion book to his Shaker Village Views. His book project, Picturing the Shakers, explores how Shaker life was depicted in the popular illustrated press of 19th-century America.
Biography
Robert P. Emlen is Senior Lecturer in the Department of American Civilization. He teaches "Topics in Material Culture Studies," a series of courses in which different aspects of material culture are examined as primary documents for the study of American cultural history. Recent topics include "Houses and their Furnishings in Early America," "Gravestones and Burying Grounds," "American Folk Art," and "The Neoclassical Ideal in America, 1775-1840." In addition, he teaches courses each year in the cultural history of the decorative arts in the Department of Art & Architectural History at the Rhode Island School of Design.
His research has been published widely in leading journals of American material culture and art such as American Furniture, The American Art Journal, Connaissance des Arts, Folk Art, Imprint: Journal of the American Historical Print Collectors Society, Old-Time New England, Rhode Island History, and Winterthur Portfolio.
Mr. Emlen also holds an appointment as University Curator, in which capacity he has curatorial responsibility for the art collections and historic properties furnishing the Brown campus.
Interests
Robert P. Emlen's research interests are issues of historical representations of place. His current study, Picturing the Shakers, a companion book to his Shaker Village Views, explores how Shaker life was depicted in the popular illustrated press of 19th-century America.
His recently-completed research projects include "The Earliest Pictures of Brown," an essay currently at press with the Brown University Digital Initiatives, and another essay, "Colonial Relics, Nativism, and the DAR Loan Exhibition of 1982," at press with the Dublin Seminar For New England Folklife.
Awards
N/A
Affiliations
Robert P. Emlen's professional and community activities include:
2003 to present: Board of Directors, Enfield Shaker Museum
2003 to present: Advisory Committee, The Dublin Seminar for New England Folk Life
2003 to present: Board of Directors, Seekonk, Ma., Land Trust
1996 to present: SPNEA Council, Society for Preservation of New England Antiquities
2000 to 2003: Historical Commission, Town of Seekonk, Massachusetts
2000 to 2002: Board of Directors, Friends of the North Burial Ground
1998 to 2001: Overseer, Strawbery Banke Museum
1998 to 2001: Newman Award Committee, American Historical Print Collectors Society
1995 to 2004: Reviewer and panelist, National Endowment for the Humanities
1997: Reviewer, National Humanities Center
1996: Evaluator, The Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities
1993 -1997: President, The Shakespeare's Head Association
1991-1993: President, The Providence Art Club
1989-1995: Board of Directors, The Providence Preservation Society
1989-1997: Member and chair, Planning & Archt. Review, Providence Preservation Society
1988: Reviewer, The Getty Grant Program
1988: Charles F. Montgomery Award/Prize Committee, The Decorative Arts Society
1988-1991: Board of Managers, The Providence Art Club
1986-1988: Merit Aid panelist, Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities
1982-2001: Museum Assessment Program evaluator, American Association of Museums
1981-1983: Executive Committee, New England Museum Association
Teaching
Robert P. Emlen has taught courses in material culture studies for the Department of American Civilization to graduate students and undergraduate students at Brown since 1985. He teaches "Topics in Material Culture Studies" (AC 125), a series of courses in which different aspects of material culture are examined as primary documents for the study of American cultural history. Recent course titles include "Houses and their Furnishings in Early America," "Gravestones and Burying Grounds," "American Folk Art," and "The Neoclassical Ideal, 1775-1840". Detailed info and syllabi for each of these courses can be accessed online at:
http://www.brown.edu/Courses/AC0125/2005/Pages/AC0125_index.html
http://www.brown.edu/Courses/AC0125-02/2001/index.html
http://www.brown.edu/Courses/AC0125-02/index.html
http://www.brown.edu/Courses/AC0125d/index.htm
http://www.brown.edu/Courses/AC0125/
Professor Emlen also holds an appointment in the Department of the History of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he has taught "Topics in American Decorative Arts" since 1984.
Funded Research
N/A
Web Links
- Office of the University Curator
- Course web site, "Houses and Their Furnishings in Early America"
- Course web site, "The Neoclassical Ideal in America, 1775-1840"
- Course web site, "Gravestones and Burying Grounds"
