TESTIMONIALS
Tom Pye
Award-Winning Costume Designer
“I have worked with Eleanor on several projects since 2016 and have always found her to be very knowledgeable about the costume and social history of the nineteenth century. She is hard-working, reliable, flexible, friendly, and sensitive to the particular demands of large scale TV projects.”
Ann Dinsdale
Principal Curator, Brontë Parsonage Museum
“Eleanor Houghton has worked extensively with the costume collection at the Brontë Parsonage Museum and her meticulous research has provided important new insights into the Brontës' lives, connecting them to the world in which they lived. The Museum's staff have been more than impressed by Eleanor's professionalism and scholarship, and by the fact that she is such a delightful person to work with. Eleanor's advice is frequently sought by the curatorial team at the Parsonage, and she is in great demand as a speaker at events organised by the Museum. We look forward to developing our relationship and working with Eleanor on ambitious projects in the future.”
“I had the great privilege of working with Eleanor on a lengthy period costume project and was astounded not only by her grasp of historical fashion but also by her instinct for it. She is meticulous, wonderfully intelligent and so incisive in her choices.
I could not recommend her with more enthusiasm - she is a jewel.”
Antonella Gambotto-Burke
Writer
Prof. Maria Hayward
Professor of Early Modern History; Deputy Head of Department; Ancient History Coordinator, University of Southampton
“I have had the pleasure of supervising Eleanor throughout both her M.A and PhD and she has been an exceptional candidate and I look forward to working with her in the future. Her knowledge of the intricacies of eighteenth and nineteenth century European clothing is extensive; her research methodology very thorough and meticulous. She is highly organised, personable and dependable. She is very self-motivated while also adept at team-work. I can wholeheartedly recommend her as a historian and a historical consultant.”
Sharon Wright
Author and Journalist
“I first met Eleanor Houghton in the library of the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth when I was researching my latest book. She was conducting a groundbreaking study of key clothing in the Brontë collection and I was fascinated by her project. Indeed, everyone was impressed by her work and she was spoken of with great respect by the Parsonage team. When I was writing my biography of Maria Brontë I commissioned Eleanor to imagine the wedding outfits worn by Maria Branwell and the Reverend Patrick Brontë on their wedding day in December 1812. She produced a wonderful, detailed drawing that became a key plate in my book. She also provided me with an explanation of their likely attire, based on her intimate knowledge of early nineteenth century fashion, for the chapter ‘Becoming Mrs Brontë.’ Eleanor, I believe, is the pre-eminent Brontë dress historian and added great value to my own work in exploring the life of such a neglected figure in women’s history. Aside from her professional talents, Eleanor is a delightful person to work with. She is a true scholar, while also generous and friendly to fellow researchers and writers. I cannot recommend her highly enough.”
Prof. Mary Hammond
Professor of English Literature, Head of Department and Chair of English and Book History, University of Southampton
“It was my absolute pleasure to co-supervise Eleanor’s PhD at Southampton University. She was a delightful student and colleague: highly organised, intellectually curious, and professionally extraordinarily rigorous. It is very rare to come across a student so motivated, or with such creative talent. From an early stage her consultancy experiences proved her value as a researcher and historian way beyond the confines of the PhD. I cannot recommend her highly enough as a professional historical consultant.”