Experiencing Epidemics: Sharing Historical Research on Past Epidemics

The public history platform Experiencing Epidemics will rely on outward-facing podcasts and blog posts by established historians and emerging researchers to explore memories of past traumatic encounters with epidemics. Our goal is to create a space for short yet nuanced studies focusing on a single archival, literary or material source dealing with epidemics before the rise of germ theory (pre-1900). With this collection, we aim to provide a diverse and thought-provoking depiction of individual and collective encounters with epidemics past to elucidate the fundamental question of what it means to experience a deadly epidemic. The personal narratives brought together in Experiencing Epidemics will grant insights into the emotive, intellectual and cultural challenges faced by individuals past and present that, we hope, will be of value during and after the current COVID-19 emergency.