Miguel Angel Chavez
Historian of Science, Exploration, and Empire
scattered thoughts on my ongoing research trip
20 July 2019[n.b. - this was an unfinished draft for a post for 2019, hence the abrupt ending]
I am three weeks into my research trip to the UK, so thought I’d update this blog with my trip. I don’t have a singular, linear narrative of my trip but rather I will provide an assortment of thoughts, appreciations, and complaints I’ve accrued thus far.
On my accomodations in London…
Before my first trip to London in 2017, my former advisor suggested I book a room at UniversityRooms.com, where I could find accomodations at the many student dorm buildings across London. I ultimately stayed at the Wilson House in Paddington. While the neighboring area was touristy and kitschy, the ability to do laundry and cooking on-site was fantastic. Last year I decided to stay at a weird Turkish/Kazakh hotel in Camberwell whose only redeeming qualities were piping hot showers and working A/C. While I liked getting to know Camberwell and South London, I did miss the ability to cook and save some money.
This year I am staying at the Ifor Evans Hall in Camden. I wouldn’t recommend it. Camden is great, but the facilities at Ifor Evans are a bit run down. The kitchen gets crowded rather quickly, so cooking has been difficult. The windows do not block noise, so every evening people on my side of the dorm are kept awake by a gaggle of
On the various London Archives…
I am highly appreciative of the help and hospitality I’ve received from the Royal Geographical Society. The staff is friendly and very knowledgeable about the RGS’s collection. While I wish the Society would reconsider its stance on photographing archival materia for personal research purposes, I have had a good time taking notes and finding new threads to follow for my research. I’m almost done with my first leg of research at the RGS, but I am currently collating more sources to examine once I return from Durham in mid-August (assuming I don’t do a detour to Oxford).
Much closer to my residence is the Wellcome Library. Even if you may not be doing archival research at the Wellcome Library, the library is probably the best place to do writing and other work. In contrast to the British Library, which every seat outside the manuscripts rooms are taken by hundreds of teenagers doing their homework or the average joe on Twitter, the Wellcome Library’s second floor study spaces are quiet and relatively sparse. The fast wifi is also a plus.
When I came to London this past March, I had my introduction to the National Archives at Kew.
On commuting to (and from) the archives
In my previous trips, I had no issues with the public transportation in London. The buses were
Regarding Groceries
Tesco is love. Tesco is life 😍
Aside from Tesco, Mexican food has been on my mind this trip. You would think that, after spending most of June in Mexico, eating my fill in Michoacan, Puebla, and Mexico City, that I wouldn’t crave Mexican food. But you’d be wrong. While I have not found