Welcome to the second Fitzjames newsletter, in which we examine the reception of the news of the identification of Fitzjames' remains by the media & fandom. Plus a detailed update on my research!
Just dropping by to say that I appreciate that you are one of the few who continue to draw a solid line between fact and fiction, and aren't afraid give the Terror fandom some constructive criticism when they need it. Although I have watched the show, I am far more interested in the real story of the Franklin Expedition and therefore exist only on the very edges of the Terror fandom. I don't understand about 3/4 of what they get excited over (in particular their reactions to survival cannibalism and the discovery of Fitzjames' remains), and find some of it quite disrespectful to the memory of Franklin and Company. As one historian to another, thank you for always seeking the truth first.
I am looking forward to reading your Fitzjames biography!
It is always refreshing to read someone's opinion that exactly corresponds with one's own. A very thoughtful and measured post. Battersby was an (email) friend of mine, and I enjoyed his book, but will look forward to your own thoughts on Fitzjames in due course. In the meantime, congrats on your degree, and do take some time for yourself. Regards.
I entered the Franklin Expedition history world via the news of fitzjames's id'ing, and this was honestly really validating to read because I wasn't sure how much of the off I felt to a lot of stuff was just that I was new to everything. I found out about it on tumblr, then went to google, and the merging from the terror fandom of tv!fitzjames and irl fitzjames confused the hell out of me. It took me a while to figure out what he actually looked like, I guess I never thought someone would draw someone's actual bones inside someone else's face (would you draw anexander hamilton's bones inside of lin manuel miranda? NO. THAT WOULD BE REALLY WIERD OF YOU), and what I tried to sus out via news articles was VERY hit or miss. I grew up in California not far from where some folks got stuck in the mountains (also in 1846! that winter was really nasty) and also did survival cannibalism so I've heard people be wierd about the topic my whole life, and thankfully recognised a lot of the articles were very wierdly sensationalist about it, but it did start making me mad and upset (which felt wierd since I had barely 'met' them, but I was lol I ranted to friends and to you briefly on the last letter, thank you for being so kind ❤️)
It'd been wierd and messed up and thank u for doing what you do. I finally wound up on your website, found the sketches he had done of the harbor, and nearly just started crying because it was so calm and human and real. I have only been able to read a tiny bit of your blog content (I have a sensory condition that currently makes it painful to read black on white, which is basically all photographed text, but what I have seen has only made me more curious and fond of him. your mention in the above about writing more about john barrow jr in the searches has me on the edge of my seat lol, I am so interested by their friendship from a few of the letters I had managed to see and know little of what he did then, and I've been reading about some of the searches lately.
that's so many pages aaaaaa (excitement!)
that whole paragraph about nuance is *chefs kiss* and I agree tremendously. Flattening them in any direction, into saints or all bad, is unfair I feel.
Jealous of those that live close enough to join the birthday walk! (i am on the other side of the world in California, sadly) it's a very sweet way of remembering history! hope y'all have fun!
Just dropping by to say that I appreciate that you are one of the few who continue to draw a solid line between fact and fiction, and aren't afraid give the Terror fandom some constructive criticism when they need it. Although I have watched the show, I am far more interested in the real story of the Franklin Expedition and therefore exist only on the very edges of the Terror fandom. I don't understand about 3/4 of what they get excited over (in particular their reactions to survival cannibalism and the discovery of Fitzjames' remains), and find some of it quite disrespectful to the memory of Franklin and Company. As one historian to another, thank you for always seeking the truth first.
I am looking forward to reading your Fitzjames biography!
It is always refreshing to read someone's opinion that exactly corresponds with one's own. A very thoughtful and measured post. Battersby was an (email) friend of mine, and I enjoyed his book, but will look forward to your own thoughts on Fitzjames in due course. In the meantime, congrats on your degree, and do take some time for yourself. Regards.
I entered the Franklin Expedition history world via the news of fitzjames's id'ing, and this was honestly really validating to read because I wasn't sure how much of the off I felt to a lot of stuff was just that I was new to everything. I found out about it on tumblr, then went to google, and the merging from the terror fandom of tv!fitzjames and irl fitzjames confused the hell out of me. It took me a while to figure out what he actually looked like, I guess I never thought someone would draw someone's actual bones inside someone else's face (would you draw anexander hamilton's bones inside of lin manuel miranda? NO. THAT WOULD BE REALLY WIERD OF YOU), and what I tried to sus out via news articles was VERY hit or miss. I grew up in California not far from where some folks got stuck in the mountains (also in 1846! that winter was really nasty) and also did survival cannibalism so I've heard people be wierd about the topic my whole life, and thankfully recognised a lot of the articles were very wierdly sensationalist about it, but it did start making me mad and upset (which felt wierd since I had barely 'met' them, but I was lol I ranted to friends and to you briefly on the last letter, thank you for being so kind ❤️)
It'd been wierd and messed up and thank u for doing what you do. I finally wound up on your website, found the sketches he had done of the harbor, and nearly just started crying because it was so calm and human and real. I have only been able to read a tiny bit of your blog content (I have a sensory condition that currently makes it painful to read black on white, which is basically all photographed text, but what I have seen has only made me more curious and fond of him. your mention in the above about writing more about john barrow jr in the searches has me on the edge of my seat lol, I am so interested by their friendship from a few of the letters I had managed to see and know little of what he did then, and I've been reading about some of the searches lately.
that's so many pages aaaaaa (excitement!)
that whole paragraph about nuance is *chefs kiss* and I agree tremendously. Flattening them in any direction, into saints or all bad, is unfair I feel.
Jealous of those that live close enough to join the birthday walk! (i am on the other side of the world in California, sadly) it's a very sweet way of remembering history! hope y'all have fun!