Historiological Notes

Turner

I have just finished Peter Ackroyd's Turner in the Brief Lives series. I know that he has written many biographies, but this is my first. I have ambiguous feelings towards this book. On the one hand it feels like an encyclopedia article; being full of information written quite compact. On the other hand, the author have take an erudite approach and try to beautify the language. These two approaches seems to be contradictions and thus I am not quite sure how to make an opinion on the contents. The book seems to lack an aim, but I suppose that is due to its short length. Over all it was a just a quick read and I know a bit more aboutJoseph Mallord William Turner.

Job and identity

I have got a job.

Yes, really.

A proper one. Working with historical archives.

I started today and it is wonderful. I was quite tired of temp working, although it was interesting getting to know different places and people.

Being new, I got a tour of the place and was introduced to so many that I only remember half of the names. However, what has stuck to me for the whole day, was a comment I received early in the day. I had to have my picture taken for an ID-card and the man asked if I thought the picture was alright. It could have been worse, so I smiled and said it was fine, but my hair looks a bit messy. And without any irony he just says: "Well, you look just like an archivist, don't you?"

So finally I am no longer a student, no longer unemployed, no longer a temp worker, but have been identified as an archivist...