Early Modern Trans Archives 2.0

What does it look like to do trans studies in premodern archives? How might early modern trans studies be more archival? What tools would we need or might we make to help scholars locate archival sources that inform our thinking on premodern gender? While Early Modern Trans Studies has officially passed the point of “emergent,” the relationship between trans studies methods and the archive has not always felt intuitive. At our “Trans Archives” workshop at the Newberry in 2025, we opened a wide-ranging conversation about what early modern trans studies archives might look like and how to overcome real and perceived barriers to this kind of work. At Early Modern Trans Archives 2.0, speakers will offer examples of trans archival methods, suggest new ways for trans studies to infiltrate archives like the Newberry, and model strategies for archival scholars to work with trans studies perspectives and research questions. A hands-on component will encourage participants to engage with the Newberry’s collection as well as nontraditional archives of trans studies that exist alongside and within it. We will close with a mentorship session where attendees can consult with Newberry librarians, scholars with archival experience, and scholars working in trans studies.