Introduction
In this course, we have spent an abundance of time considering the various methods and mediums that can be used when doing historical research. From an old brush, to the modern magazine, the number of items that can be used in study and reflection are plentiful – if you know what to look for.
In the case of this project, our starting point is deceivingly simple: the obituaries and memorials found in the Judith Robinson fond at McMaster University’s archives. Upon further study of these memorial pieces, our group was puzzled by the lack of personal information or narrative present among them. Though much has been left a mystery, historical information alongside other items in the fond paint a picture of a sharp, talented, and politically-sound writer and woman. Why is this not discernible from her obituaries? The purpose of this writing genre is to give readers a reflection of its subject. They often include notes about family, education or occupation, and hobbies. In the cases of celebrities, politicians, and other well-known figures, they will also note important achievements and accolades. The job of an obituary is, quite literally, to tell the story of the deceased, and exist as something to remember them by.
At this point, our attention began to shift from Judith Robinson as our specific focus, and onto the purpose and legitimacy of obituaries as a genre, and more importantly, as a tool for historical research. We started to question the various differences and similarities among the archival sources, the things that they standardly did or did not say, and in what ways they may be useful to people – beyond the obvious.
After a trip to the archives and the beginnings of some tertiary research, these ideas began to combine into the skeleton of our final research project. Our hope is to use the items in the Judith Robinson fond alongside our tertiary sources, as a makeshift “case study” to better explore the intricacies of obituaries in both their writing, and their application in historic studies.