Julia Carr-Thornton, DPhil, Oxon
Artist & Historian
ORCID iD: 0009-0009-3451-3326
Julia
Carr-Thornton
Hi! Welcome to my website, where I talk about just about everything that comes up in the process of my research, from historical subjects to geology and to my personal artwork.
I am a historian and an artist with interests in:
• History of World Ceramics and Ceramic Science
• History of Geology, Mineralogy, & Stratigraphy
• Study of the Earth's History
• History of Deep Time
• Natural History
• History of Science, Medicine, and Technology
• Global Art History
• 15th to 20th C Painting, Architecture, and Sculpture
• Decorative Arts and Design
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!
In Summer 2026, I changed my name from my former married name, Carr-Trebelhorn, to a family name, Carr-Thornton. Both names will appear in these pages and on my articles.
I have written extensively about the life, personal and scientific networks, and scientific and cultural contributions of Alexandre Brongniart. Brongniart was a key Parisian savant in the early ninetenth century, working in the fields of geology, mineralogy, natural history, and ceramics. His writings on ceramics helped to define a modern science for ceramic practice and ceramic historical discussions.
Other Projects:
I studied maiolica decoration in Deruta, and I talk about the experience here
My upcoming research is on the lives of the members of Brongniart's early 19th C networks, as seen through their portraits. My work will focus on the painters and artisans themselves as well as their subjects. You can see some of this imagery here.
"Burning Diamonds: Lavoisier, Guettard, and the 1771 Development of Reduction Firing and Hard-Paste Porcelain in Paris"
10 April 2026
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SHAC Spring meeting - Remembering Bill Brock: Chemistry and Culture
Maison Française, Oxford
"Brongniart, Cuvier, and Geoffroy: Rivalry, Friendship, and Debate in Early-Nineteenth-Century Natural History"
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HSS/ESHS Joint Conference
July 2026
Edinburgh
