Dr Katherine D. Watson (Oxford Brookes University)
Loss of Face: Vitriol Throwing in Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Britain
Wednesday 2 May, 6pm
This paper surveys the nature and extent of vitriol (strong sulphuric
acid) throwing in Britain during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
It will first seek to establish the incidence of this relatively rare form
of assault, to identify the contexts in which it occurred (typically but
not always a scenario revolving around bitter disagreement provoked either
during an industrial dispute or as a result of sexual jealousy), the forms
that it took, the individuals who resorted to it and the legal responses
to them. This will indicate to what extent vitriol throwing was a gendered
or class-related crime, give some indication of how it was perceived by
the public of the day and how they judged the perpetrators in the light of
claims of provocation (including those phrased in terms of temporary
insanity brought on by ill usage), and show how and why these factors
changed over time. The remainder of the paper considers the crime from the
victim’s point of view. Although this is a more difficult perspective to
gain access to, medical reports show how devastating the effects of an
acid attack could be. In a culture that values physical regularity, the
potential for isolation and ostracism is clear and the paper argues that
victims faced physical, social, psychological and economic consequences
that could last a lifetime and that far outweighed the penalties imposed
on the perpetrators.
All seminars will take place in the Wellcome Library, 2nd floor, 183
Euston Road, NW1 2BE. Please deposit bags and coats in the ground floor
cloakroom and meet in the 2nd floor foyer. Doors at 6pm prompt, seminars
will start by 6.15. There will be an opportunity for discussion over wine
following the seminar.
The next event will be a panel discussion at St Bartholomew's Hospital
Pathology Museum & Gallery on Monday 21 May, 6.30pm:
Foreign Bodies? - Self-Injury, Surgery and Performance
Visit http://damagingthebody.org
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Sarah Chaney
PhD Candidate
Centre for the History of Psychological Disciplines
University College London
Gower Street
London
WC1E 6BT
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