‘Historical reputation’ is something of an amalgam of my preoccupations with history—how stereotypes and misinformation are perpetuated through popular history, and why we believe the things we believe about history, regardless of accuracy or rationale.
A historical reputation study:
- Is an area of historical inquiry that examines cultural influences on the reputation of the historical dead.
- Is grounded in historiography. Rather than focusing solely on ‘what happened’, it asks how a story has been told, by whom, and with what impact.
- Involves identifying stereotypes and misinformation.
- Recognises that a historical reputation isn’t just an imprint of the past—it can shape how we understand history in the present.
- Is public-facing. A historical reputation study should demystify how historical reputations are constructed so readers are better equipped to recognise and reject toxic or harmful historical representations.
These may take the form of a broad temporal framework, as in my doctoral research on Richard III and my ongoing work on Jane Boleyn, or of more narrowly focused studies that examine specific representations. For example, in one such study I trace an information cascade surrounding King Richard III of England, generated through a chain of communicative events in popular media.
Read Un-disabling the King: Richard III and the ‘New Evidence’ here.