Rosie Simon

About

Rosie is a historian of art and design who specialises in the ways in which the mediums have been used to imply or grant power, and to take power away from disenfranchised communities in late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Europe. Her MA dissertation examined the use of the pastoral in the advertising for various mental health treatment options at the turn of the century in England and America, and how it worked to control and erase the lived experiences of those who suffered from mental health issues. Her broader interests include ideas of personal and collective ritual, storytelling, and folklore. She has explored these topics through both design and art history, as well as through group creative work. Her undergraduate dissertation, written at the University of St Andrews, discussed women’s reception to, and possible reclamation of the femme fatale trope in art and she is currently furthering this research through work for an upcoming exhibition entitled Dora Hitz – Aus Franken nach Rumänien in die Welt at Peleș Castle, in Romania. She is passionate about the use of art and design history as a tool for furthering the accessibility and applicability of history and museums for wide audiences and seeks to uphold these values in both her academic and professional work.