Domesticating ‘Invalid Furniture’, c. 1850-1914

AHRC/CHASE Collaborative Doctoral Award PhD studentship in collaboration with the University of Kent and the National Trust – Domesticating ‘Invalid Furniture’, c. 1850-1914

Qualification type: PhD

Location: University of Kent/National Trust properties around the UK

Funding for: UK Students / International Students

Funding amount: fees and stipend at AHRC rates (for the current academic year 2024-25, the stipend rate is £19,837, plus additional travel costs relating to the project). Please note: this funding amount typically increases with inflation each academic year.

Closes: Monday 17 February 2025, 12 noon 


Tuesday 12 November, 15:30-17:00

Join us for this webinar to find out about this CHASE Collaborative Doctoral Award and how to apply. 

The following projects will be featured in the webinar:

  • Domesticating ‘Invalid Furniture,’ c. 1850-1914

  • Re-storying the Sussex Weald Garden: Exotics, Empire and Ecobiography

  • Coastal Heritage and Socio-Economic Decline on the Isle of Sheppey: Learning from the lost village of Elmley

Register for the online briefing session here


Domesticating ‘Invalid Furniture’, c. 1850-1914

We are inviting applications for a CHASE collaborative doctoral award, to be jointly supervised by Dr Claire L. Jones, School of Classics, English and History at the University of Kent, and Dr Megan Wheeler, Assistant National Curator (Furniture) at the National Trust, for 3 years starting on 1 October 2025.

The PhD will explore the Trust’s collections of what might be termed ‘invalid furniture’ c. 1850 to 1914, including carrying chairs, reclinable bedsteads and adjustable reading stands, as well as consulting materials from other relevant repositories.

Drawing on themes of concealment and conspicuous consumption, it will uncover the popularity of ‘invalid furniture’ among disabled consumers and those without disabilities, and highlight how such consumers used these items.

Beyond contributing to historical knowledge, the PhD will support the Trust’s commitment to expanding access and diversifying its collections.


 The studentship

Between 1850 and 1914, ‘invalid furniture’ became an integral part of many British upper- and middle-class homes. Consisting of technologies ranging from carrying chairs to reclinable bedsteads, ‘invalid furniture’ became both a new category of fashionable furniture purchased by discerning upper- and middle-class consumers and essential tools enabling individuals with physical impairments to more easily navigate their domestic and external environments. Approximately twenty companies began to design, patent, produce, promote and sell over fifty different designs of this furniture during this period of increased disability medicalization and commercialization before World War One; yet despite its ubiquity, we know very little about the significance of this new hybrid category of furniture/disability-aid or its impact on users. By drawing on the extant examples of ‘invalid furniture’ located within the properties of the National Trust, this project will examine the emergence and overlooked significance of this object category and explore how, why and when it came to form a key part of the British upper- and middle-class home. By demonstrating the furniture’s widespread desirability among individuals both with and without physical impairments, the project will challenge existing assumptions that assistive devices were only used by those with physical impairments, and thus provides important new perspectives on fashionable consumption, interior design and everyday health experiences within modern Britain.

The project will be guided by the following research questions:

  1. How popular was ‘invalid furniture’ among different upper- and middle-class users in this period?

  2. How did producers shape the market for ‘invalid furniture’?

  3. To what extent did types of ‘invalid furniture’ represent a fashionable object category and/or seek to conceal disability?

  4. How did users with and without physical impairments experience ‘invalid furniture’ both within domestic and public spaces? And to what extent did it shape disabled/non-disabled identities?

The holder will be supervised by Dr Claire L. Jones, a specialist in nineteenth- and twentieth century British medicine and material culture, and Dr Megan Wheeler, Assistant National Curator at the National Trust and furniture specialist. They will be expected to draw on the collections of ‘invalid furniture’ held in National Trust properties across England (at least sixteen properties), alongside inventories, promotional literature, company records, patents, diaries, newspapers and letters held at the National Trust and other repositories.

In addition to the written thesis, the holder will undertake a comprehensive review of the National Trust’s collection of ‘invalid furniture’, their provenance and users (approximately fifty pieces), which will feed into the Trust’s online and freely accessible object catalogues and its growing research agenda into disability history. There will also be the opportunity to develop and deliver further public engagement activities, including public talks and co-curated displays.

The holder will also receive relevant training through the University of Kent’s Researcher Development Programme, focused on building skills in research, engagement and personal effectiveness, and other courses offered by the University’s Graduate and Researcher College. Research visits to National Trust properties will be guided by Wheeler and supported by the Trust’s team of co-supervisors and researchers; such visits will not only allow the student to undertake the necessary research but will also embed the student in the curatorial and collections management culture of the Trust, allowing them to gain valuable career experience within the heritage sector.

The holder will form an active part of the PhD and wider research community at both institutions, including Kent’s School of Classics, English and History and its Centre for Health and Medical Humanities. They will be invited to contribute to each institutions’ research seminars and online content, including, for example, public blog posts.


The candidate:

Essential skills/attributes:

You will normally have, or be studying for, a Master’s degree or similar postgraduate qualification in relevant subject (e.g. history, disability studies, curatorship). If you are studying for a Master’s degree or similar postgraduate qualification, you should have met all the course requirements prior to the start date of the studentship.

You should also have an interest in design history, disability history, historic furniture and/or country houses.

Travel to different National Trust properties located across England is essential for this role, so the role holder should be willing and able to travel.

Desirable skills/attributes:

Demonstrable expertise in design history, disability history, historic furniture and/or country houses, and experience in the heritage sector are desirable.


How to apply

Applications for this collaborative studentship must be made via the University of Kent. Please follow each step carefully when applying:

Step 1:  Download and complete the Kent Collaborative Doctoral Award Application form.

Step 2:   Apply for a PhD at Kent – PhD History

  • Research Proposal – in this section of the online application, indicate the project title and details of the CHASE Collaborative Doctoral Award.

  • Reasons for Study – in this section please copy and paste your statement from the Collaborative Doctoral Award application (see Step 1).   

  • Supervisor – please indicate Claire Jones as your primary supervisor.

Step 3:  Submit your Kent Collaborative Doctoral Award Application Form to the Graduate and Researcher College by emailing kentgrc@kent.ac.uk by the deadline. You MUST complete this step to be considered for a CHASE Collaborative studentship at Kent. Please enclose the following information in your email submission: 

  • Kent Collaborative Doctoral Award Application

  • Full Name

  • KentVision applicant/student ID number 

  • Preferred email address


Terms and conditions

The studentship is subject to UKRI eligibility criteria, and will cover home or EU fees and stipend at UKRI rates for a maximum of four years full-time, or eight years part-time study, subject to institutional regulations.

Informal Enquiries

Informal enquiries about this collaborative project can be sent to Dr Claire L. Jones (c.l.jones-26@kent.ac.uk)

 

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