The Victorian Army and the Cadet Colleges, Woolwich and Sandhurst, c.1840-1902

The British army's officer cadet colleges of the Royal Military Academy (RMA), Woolwich, and the Royal Military College (RMC), Sandhurst, have hitherto been poorly understood and often frequently criticised institutions. This thesis redresses this 'blind spot' in the history of the Victorian army, by - and critically for the first time - using the archives of the institutions themselves. Through a detailed analysis of course textbooks, cadets' work and relevant correspondence, it shows that instead of being moribund and irrelevant, the colleges were in fact giving up to date instruction. It also shows how, in the main, staff were motivated and well qualified, and particularly in the late Victorian era played a significant role in the army's doctrinal development. Similarly, cadets' letters and biographies reveal that rather than a caricatured idleness, a picture emerges of individuals anxious about their studies but often enjoying them. Apart from the regular course of studies, the inculcation of values and behavioural standards as a part of 'officership' are examined, most notably through the influence of military culture, Christianity and sport. In this way a deeper understanding of the army is obtained which departs from the all too typical narrative of a rather unprofessional and amateurish officer corps

Estrellas y amapolas : Las pinturas rurales de Prilidiano Pueyrredón y las sensibilidades en el Buenos Aires de 1860

La dimensión cultural de la mirada como construcción social es el nodo central sobre el cual orbita esta tesis, cuyo objetivo principal es examinar la actividad visual de un grupo social en el pasado y los mecanismos comprometidos en su elaboración. Más precisamente buscamos auscultar las pinturas de temática rural de Prilidiano Pueyrredón en la ciudad de Buenos Aires de la década de 1860. Concebido como un examen histórico que conecta las imágenes con su tiempo, buscamos estudiar tanto la construcción social de lo visual como la configuración visual de lo social. La conclusión de esta tesis revelará un aspecto bifásico de las pinturas, representando un despliegue pictórico que abogó por un refinamiento de las maneras y una depuración de la conducta. Análogamente, estas piezas fueron acciones icónicas que expresaron y estimularon un trastocamiento del régimen sensible, ofreciendo una mirada moderna del entorno y del universo telúrico en particular.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació