Erin Elizabeth Bramwell

My research applies spatial and material methodologies to the study of patent medicines. The usage of these methodologies aims to uncover the multi-faceted nature of patent medicines' popularity in twentieth-century Britain, which cannot be reduced to ignorance and gullibility. Within this, the voice of the consumer is emphasised, offering rich and unique insights into the numerous different contexts in which patent medicines were encountered in everyday life. My research engages with a variety of sources, ranging from oral history interviews and Mass Observation to photographs and advertisements.