In Which I Fail To Answer A Question, And I Stumble Across Another

            After exploring the Map of Early Modern London and hearing Janelle Jenstad speak twice, I have been fascinated by the notion that like-minded people naturally tend to congregate in the same area and work together.  Stow’s Survey, tended to characterize each ward by the neighborhood’s dominant profession, evidenced by its portrayal of Eastcheap as the meat district.  Knowing that there was some precedent for artistic collaboration, I went to MoEML with this question:  What was the nature of artistic community and collaboration in London around this time?  In other words, did artists of all disciplines prefer to work independently, coming together only to vie for patronage (as in the first scene of Timon), or was there an active exchange of ideas (similar to that of the American authors living in Paris in the 1920s)?  I expected, and somewhat hoped, to find confirmation of the latter, given Shakespeare’s well-known collaborations.

            Starting in the site’s personography, I opened the pages for all artists, poets, writers, playwrights, and patrons from the mid-sixteenth to the late seventeenth centuries.  I hoped that I would find similar locations reappearing in each of their biographies, as MoEML linked homes and restaurants to famous occupants; alas, there was almost no commonality, giving me no easy answer to my question.  The only reference I could find to artistic community was that of Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift, who, though active nearly a century after Shakespeare’s heyday, frequented one particular French restaurant on Abchurch Lane (not far from Eastcheap).  I found this amusing, since it resonated with Timon’s artists sharing a meal, and it brought to mind Lewis and Tolkien centuries later, sitting in the Eagle and Child Pub in Oxford, reading each other drafts of their novels.

            Despite the small satisfaction I drew from this discovery, I was generally disappointed with the results of my research.  I would not disregard it as a valid research topic, since it does have the potential to yield wonderfully surprising results; however, I would hesitate to pursue it for this particular assignment, since its scope seems much too large for a mere five pages.  If I were to continue this train of research, I would adjust it to specifically look at the restaurants of London and what social interactions and exchanges among artists, writers, and “commoners” took place there.  I would search EEBO for mentions of specific restaurants and their reputations in historical accounts of the city, and if possible, I would love to read transcriptions of artists’ and writers’ personal papers to see if they frequented particular establishments.  Further examining this act of breaking bread could not only illuminate texts like Timon and King Henry with a fresh light, but it could also enhance my understanding of artistic collaboration and the writing process within a bustling community like Early Modern London.