Dr Elena Cooper
@drelenacooper.bsky.social
Arts Editor, Law & Humanities (UK academic journal published by Taylor & Francis). Senior Lecturer, CREATe, University of Glasgow, UK. Author of 'Art and Modern Copyright: The Contested Image' (CUP, 2018).
Out now in The Burlington: my review of Martinez & Roman Female Printmakers, Printsellers & Print Publishers: The Imprint of Women 1700-1830'. "pushes
back against the archival gender bias
that has informed
record creation & preservation"; important focus on prints, understudied cf to painting.
back against the archival gender bias
that has informed
record creation & preservation"; important focus on prints, understudied cf to painting.
October 1, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Out now in The Burlington: my review of Martinez & Roman Female Printmakers, Printsellers & Print Publishers: The Imprint of Women 1700-1830'. "pushes
back against the archival gender bias
that has informed
record creation & preservation"; important focus on prints, understudied cf to painting.
back against the archival gender bias
that has informed
record creation & preservation"; important focus on prints, understudied cf to painting.
Exhibition Launch: "Painting and Copyright in the Nineteenth Century"
Thurs 20 Nov, 6–8pm
Picture Gallery, Royal Holloway, Egham.
Time travel with me back to the late 19th cent, the time of the emergence of modern copyright, in the presence of one of the best collections of Victorian modern art.
Thurs 20 Nov, 6–8pm
Picture Gallery, Royal Holloway, Egham.
Time travel with me back to the late 19th cent, the time of the emergence of modern copyright, in the presence of one of the best collections of Victorian modern art.
September 29, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Exhibition Launch: "Painting and Copyright in the Nineteenth Century"
Thurs 20 Nov, 6–8pm
Picture Gallery, Royal Holloway, Egham.
Time travel with me back to the late 19th cent, the time of the emergence of modern copyright, in the presence of one of the best collections of Victorian modern art.
Thurs 20 Nov, 6–8pm
Picture Gallery, Royal Holloway, Egham.
Time travel with me back to the late 19th cent, the time of the emergence of modern copyright, in the presence of one of the best collections of Victorian modern art.
Have you ever wondered: what’s in the numerous domes of the Royal Pavilion Brighton? One houses the archive & did some digging there today also re 19th century painter Rosa Bonheur, one of the few women to infiltrate a male dominated arts elite, whose work is discussed in Gambart v Ball (1863).
September 16, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Have you ever wondered: what’s in the numerous domes of the Royal Pavilion Brighton? One houses the archive & did some digging there today also re 19th century painter Rosa Bonheur, one of the few women to infiltrate a male dominated arts elite, whose work is discussed in Gambart v Ball (1863).
Just arriving at Royal Pavilion Brighton, which houses part of the Royal Collection, to talk to their Collections team: how can scholars help galleries navigate historic donor restrictions? I’ll be drawing on my research with Steph Scholten @hunterianglasgow.bsky.social & funded by ESRC impact grant
September 16, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Just arriving at Royal Pavilion Brighton, which houses part of the Royal Collection, to talk to their Collections team: how can scholars help galleries navigate historic donor restrictions? I’ll be drawing on my research with Steph Scholten @hunterianglasgow.bsky.social & funded by ESRC impact grant
Why was bigamy a crime of mobility in 18th cent? How was 19th cent public nuisance impacted by tech change/railways? What can 19th cent depositions tells us re marginalised communities? How did Stoker protect Dracula against ‘dramatic pirates’? All answered @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy today
September 8, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Why was bigamy a crime of mobility in 18th cent? How was 19th cent public nuisance impacted by tech change/railways? What can 19th cent depositions tells us re marginalised communities? How did Stoker protect Dracula against ‘dramatic pirates’? All answered @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy today
“Deafness passes through us like a police-whistle”.👇In time of tyranny, what if regime is fighting to be heard & people can’t hear them & declare a ‘Deaf Republic’. What depths of human understanding do we discover in a Republic formed by a basic form of human resistance. At @royalcourt.bsky.social
September 6, 2025 at 8:03 PM
“Deafness passes through us like a police-whistle”.👇In time of tyranny, what if regime is fighting to be heard & people can’t hear them & declare a ‘Deaf Republic’. What depths of human understanding do we discover in a Republic formed by a basic form of human resistance. At @royalcourt.bsky.social
A very good reason to do a couple of monograph peer reviews for @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social : you could get a free copy of the Cultural History of Law series (gen ed Gary Watt) which usually costs over £400. Great to have a copy on my bookshelf 🌟
September 2, 2025 at 11:06 AM
A very good reason to do a couple of monograph peer reviews for @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social : you could get a free copy of the Cultural History of Law series (gen ed Gary Watt) which usually costs over £400. Great to have a copy on my bookshelf 🌟
Champagne before it was called ‘Champagne’ 👇mid 19th cent bottles of what we today call champagne were marked with name of business/producer (here J Perrier brothers) & the name of the village where produced (here Chalons /Ay). Thanks to all at Joseph Perrier champagne house 🇫🇷 for great tour (& 🥂)
August 17, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Champagne before it was called ‘Champagne’ 👇mid 19th cent bottles of what we today call champagne were marked with name of business/producer (here J Perrier brothers) & the name of the village where produced (here Chalons /Ay). Thanks to all at Joseph Perrier champagne house 🇫🇷 for great tour (& 🥂)
I’ve heard that some historians do ‘optical research’ visiting physical sites of key events to reflect on the past. If lawyers were to do that too, this is a beautiful place to start, in contemplating how to keep geographical names free for use: Chiemsee, Bavaria discussed by ECJ: shorturl.at/F0apM
August 7, 2025 at 7:03 PM
I’ve heard that some historians do ‘optical research’ visiting physical sites of key events to reflect on the past. If lawyers were to do that too, this is a beautiful place to start, in contemplating how to keep geographical names free for use: Chiemsee, Bavaria discussed by ECJ: shorturl.at/F0apM
Standing at Turner’s view, a painting spot of the great JMW Turner, but what was he thinking when he painted The Slave Ship now in collection of @mfaboston.bsky.social What view of law does this embody? Reflections on this & more coming up in editorial of next @law-and-humanities.bsky.social Issue
July 21, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Standing at Turner’s view, a painting spot of the great JMW Turner, but what was he thinking when he painted The Slave Ship now in collection of @mfaboston.bsky.social What view of law does this embody? Reflections on this & more coming up in editorial of next @law-and-humanities.bsky.social Issue
1 of the wonderful things about working for @create-glasgow.bsky.social is its genuinely collaborative team. I have been so lucky to work closely with Bart Meletti for the last few days, finalising a visual art exhibition for RHUL about copyright history; couldn’t do it without Bart’s creative eye 🌟
July 16, 2025 at 12:59 PM
1 of the wonderful things about working for @create-glasgow.bsky.social is its genuinely collaborative team. I have been so lucky to work closely with Bart Meletti for the last few days, finalising a visual art exhibition for RHUL about copyright history; couldn’t do it without Bart’s creative eye 🌟
Thanks to all for 🌟 @law-and-humanities.bsky.social event last week: Austen’s Legal World expertly led by @profprobert.bsky.social at @uniexeterlawschool.bsky.social . So many fab papers, but I am still thinking about Dr Nichola McNulty’s thoughts on Austen’s literature as proto-feminist activism… 🤔
July 14, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Thanks to all for 🌟 @law-and-humanities.bsky.social event last week: Austen’s Legal World expertly led by @profprobert.bsky.social at @uniexeterlawschool.bsky.social . So many fab papers, but I am still thinking about Dr Nichola McNulty’s thoughts on Austen’s literature as proto-feminist activism… 🤔
One of the great perks of being a legal historian: knowing what lies behind these heavy doors - not just the magnificent interior but also the dusty docs in the vaults. This is the Goldsmith Co, City of London, 1st recognised in hallmarking statutes by Edward I, 1300s. Thank you fab archivists 👍
June 26, 2025 at 10:53 AM
One of the great perks of being a legal historian: knowing what lies behind these heavy doors - not just the magnificent interior but also the dusty docs in the vaults. This is the Goldsmith Co, City of London, 1st recognised in hallmarking statutes by Edward I, 1300s. Thank you fab archivists 👍
'The 4 women stare out at the audience. This becomes an accusing glare. Such horrors occur when society sits in silent toleration of systemic degradation.' Powerful review coming soon for @law-and-humanities.bsky.social by @adiver.bsky.social re play The Marian Hotel on forced infant relinquishments
June 23, 2025 at 5:49 PM
'The 4 women stare out at the audience. This becomes an accusing glare. Such horrors occur when society sits in silent toleration of systemic degradation.' Powerful review coming soon for @law-and-humanities.bsky.social by @adiver.bsky.social re play The Marian Hotel on forced infant relinquishments
‘They think this is just history, but it isn’t’ Rockets & Blue Lights play by W Pinnock; just read the script👇 Past & present powerfully converge: linchpin is scene depicting slavery’s persistence despite its illegality; for @law-and-humanities.bsky.social shows problem of divorcing law from context
June 18, 2025 at 1:37 PM
‘They think this is just history, but it isn’t’ Rockets & Blue Lights play by W Pinnock; just read the script👇 Past & present powerfully converge: linchpin is scene depicting slavery’s persistence despite its illegality; for @law-and-humanities.bsky.social shows problem of divorcing law from context
Looking forward to being at @lselaw.bsky.social on Fri to comment on some excellent work in progress. I'll be talking about copyright & collaboration in theatre & art in the 19th century, as well as looking at legal debates through lens of 'Sarah Siddons as the Tragic Muse' by Sir Joshua Reynolds 👇
June 9, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Looking forward to being at @lselaw.bsky.social on Fri to comment on some excellent work in progress. I'll be talking about copyright & collaboration in theatre & art in the 19th century, as well as looking at legal debates through lens of 'Sarah Siddons as the Tragic Muse' by Sir Joshua Reynolds 👇
On my desk 👇 My current reading challenge… will I make my way through this for 11 July? ‘Jane Austen’s Legal World’ @law-and-humanities.bsky.social annual event led by @profprobert.bsky.social held at @uniexeterlawschool.bsky.social Full programme & how to attend: tinyurl.com/3fhfb6du
June 6, 2025 at 7:44 AM
On my desk 👇 My current reading challenge… will I make my way through this for 11 July? ‘Jane Austen’s Legal World’ @law-and-humanities.bsky.social annual event led by @profprobert.bsky.social held at @uniexeterlawschool.bsky.social Full programme & how to attend: tinyurl.com/3fhfb6du
Looking forward to speaking to UK Registrars on 1 May in Kelvin Hall re power of interdisciplinary scholarship, when tied to close archival work, in art gallery context. Scholars can help galleries like @hunterianglasgow.bsky.social re-think donor restrictions e.g. no-lending of Whistler's work...
April 29, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Looking forward to speaking to UK Registrars on 1 May in Kelvin Hall re power of interdisciplinary scholarship, when tied to close archival work, in art gallery context. Scholars can help galleries like @hunterianglasgow.bsky.social re-think donor restrictions e.g. no-lending of Whistler's work...
Just leaving Royal Court preview for the brand new play Scenes from a Repatriation by Joel Tan. 👏 and how nice to meet Joel in the audience! Review coming up in @law-and-humanities.bsky.social by repatriation expert Dr Kristin Hausler, BIICL
April 26, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Just leaving Royal Court preview for the brand new play Scenes from a Repatriation by Joel Tan. 👏 and how nice to meet Joel in the audience! Review coming up in @law-and-humanities.bsky.social by repatriation expert Dr Kristin Hausler, BIICL
THEATRE NEWS: Olivier Awards 2025: Best Actor nominees inc Adrien Brody, 'Fear of 13', Donmar London: 'how a routine traffic stop turned into a conviction for murder' & '22 yrs on Death Row.' We've got this covered @law-and-humanities.bsky.social: review coming soon by @agatafijalkow.bsky.social
April 9, 2025 at 3:46 PM
THEATRE NEWS: Olivier Awards 2025: Best Actor nominees inc Adrien Brody, 'Fear of 13', Donmar London: 'how a routine traffic stop turned into a conviction for murder' & '22 yrs on Death Row.' We've got this covered @law-and-humanities.bsky.social: review coming soon by @agatafijalkow.bsky.social
Just arrived at the Imperial War Museum to talk to the collections team about my ESRC-funded project ‘Rethinking Donor Restrictions’ drawing on my research collaboration with Steph Scholten (The Hunterian) & art historians Alicia Hughes & G Petri, published by Institute of Art & Law
March 24, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Just arrived at the Imperial War Museum to talk to the collections team about my ESRC-funded project ‘Rethinking Donor Restrictions’ drawing on my research collaboration with Steph Scholten (The Hunterian) & art historians Alicia Hughes & G Petri, published by Institute of Art & Law
True story: I just got stopped at Glasgow Airport for having this in my hand luggage 👇apologies to fellow passengers for the wait while it was tested; according to security, it’s ‘just too big’! Blaming this on the oversize-brain power of Lionel Bently & co-authors… @oxfordunipress.bsky.social
February 28, 2025 at 12:00 PM
True story: I just got stopped at Glasgow Airport for having this in my hand luggage 👇apologies to fellow passengers for the wait while it was tested; according to security, it’s ‘just too big’! Blaming this on the oversize-brain power of Lionel Bently & co-authors… @oxfordunipress.bsky.social