Book or Monograph

The Caseroom: 60 Years of Letterpress etc.

Pickstone, Edwin, Robertson, Frances, Finnie, Ross, Kirkby, Ruth and Walkerdine, Matthew (2025) The Caseroom: 60 Years of Letterpress etc. The Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow. ISBN 9780956764676

Print Culture

Robertson, Frances (2013) Print Culture. New directions in cultural history . Routledge, New York and London. ISBN 978-0-415-57417-4

Edited Book

Authenticity in Transition: Changing Practices in Contemporary Art Making and Conservation

Hermens, Erma and Robertson, Frances, eds. (2016) Authenticity in Transition: Changing Practices in Contemporary Art Making and Conservation. Archetype Publications, London. ISBN 9781909492363

Special Issue: Multisensory materialities in the art school

Robertson, Frances and Roy, Elodie, eds. (2017) Special Issue: Multisensory materialities in the art school. Studies in Material Thinking, 17 . School of Art and Design, Faculty of Design & Creative Technologies, AUT University.

Book Section

James Watt’s 1779 Instruction Book: a manual for enterprise

Robertson, Frances (2025) James Watt’s 1779 Instruction Book: a manual for enterprise. In: Around the Text. Peter Lang, Oxford.

Life class: from academic drawing to ergonomic body. Influences and empathy from the life room

Robertson, Frances (2019) Life class: from academic drawing to ergonomic body. Influences and empathy from the life room. In: Ultrasonic Glasgow: a celebration of The Glasgow School of Art’s contribution to the history and development of medical obstetrics ultrasound. Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, pp. 21-27. ISBN 978-1-9999073-1-0

‘Mere adventurers in drawing’: engineers and draughtsmen as visual technicians in nineteenth-century Britain

Robertson, Frances (2016) ‘Mere adventurers in drawing’: engineers and draughtsmen as visual technicians in nineteenth-century Britain. In: Art Versus Industry? New Perspectives on Visual and Industrial Cultures in Nineteenth-Century Britain. Manchester University Press, Manchester, pp. 120-139. ISBN 9780719096464

Photography and Illustration

Robertson, Frances (2020) Photography and Illustration. In: The Edinburgh History of the British and Irish Press, Volume 3 Competition and Disruption, 1900-2017. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh. ISBN 9781474424929

Post print culture?

Robertson, Frances (2018) Post print culture? In: Perspectives on Contemporary Printmaking: Critical Writing Since 1986. Manchester University Press, Manchester. ISBN 978-1526125750

Power in the landscape: Regenerating the Scottish Highlands after the Second World War

Robertson, Frances (2019) Power in the landscape: Regenerating the Scottish Highlands after the Second World War. In: The Culture of Nature in the History of Design. Routledge, London, pp. 147-160. ISBN 9781138601918

Sketchbooks

Robertson, Frances (2018) Sketchbooks. In: Looking for signs: ideas and imagined circumstances. Graphical House, Glasgow, pp. 97-101. ISBN 9781999712624

Thomas Telford’s tour in the Highlands: shaping the wild landscape through word and image

Robertson, Frances (2019) Thomas Telford’s tour in the Highlands: shaping the wild landscape through word and image. In: Art and Science in Word and Image: Exploration and Discovery. Word and Image Interactions, 9 . Brill, pp. 159-173. ISBN 978-90-04-36110-2

Article

Monotype MIDI

Pickstone, Edwin, Maguire, Paul and Robertson, Frances (2024) Monotype MIDI. Book 2.0, 14 (1 & 2). pp. 169-185. ISSN 2042-8022

Blueprints as master plans: Photo-mechanical reproduction, industrial duplication and the machine aesthetic

Robertson, Frances (2013) Blueprints as master plans: Photo-mechanical reproduction, industrial duplication and the machine aesthetic. Studies in Photography.

David Kirkaldy (1820-1897) and his museum of destruction: the visual dilemmas of an engineer as man of science

Robertson, Frances (2013) David Kirkaldy (1820-1897) and his museum of destruction: the visual dilemmas of an engineer as man of science. Endeavour, 37 (3). pp. 125-132. ISSN ISSN: 0160-9327, ESSN: 1873-1929

‘David Kirkaldy (1820-1897) and his museum of destruction: the visual dilemmas of an engineer as man of science’

Robertson, Frances (2012) ‘David Kirkaldy (1820-1897) and his museum of destruction: the visual dilemmas of an engineer as man of science’. Endeavour.

Dazzle Painting: The Art of Deceit in War

Robertson, Frances (2002) Dazzle Painting: The Art of Deceit in War. Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History, 7. pp. 7-12. ISSN 1362-248X

Delineating a rational profession: the machine drawings of engineers in early nineteenth century Britain

Robertson, Frances (2015) Delineating a rational profession: the machine drawings of engineers in early nineteenth century Britain. Text Image, 7.

‘Electric pastorale’

Robertson, Frances (2014) ‘Electric pastorale’. The Drouth, 47.

Involuntary presence: copying, printing, and multiplying line

Robertson, Frances (2016) Involuntary presence: copying, printing, and multiplying line. Tracey: Online Journal of Contemporary Drawing Research. ISSN 1742-3570

‘ Private spaces : collective pages’

Robertson, Frances (2009) ‘ Private spaces : collective pages’. TRACEY. ISSN 1742-3570

Publication: ‘The Aesthetics of Authenticity: Banknotes as Industrial Currency’ Technology and Culture Vol. 46, No.1 January 2005: pp. 31-50 John Hopkins University Press ISSN 0040-165X

Robertson, Frances (2005) Publication: ‘The Aesthetics of Authenticity: Banknotes as Industrial Currency’ Technology and Culture Vol. 46, No.1 January 2005: pp. 31-50 John Hopkins University Press ISSN 0040-165X. Vol.46 No. 1. pp. 31-50.

Publication: ‘Vision and Illusion: Photography, the moon landscape and SFX model-making’ Visual Knowledges Conference Proceedings Online University of Edinburgh 17-20 Sept. 2003 ISBN 0 9532713 31

Robertson, Frances (2003) Publication: ‘Vision and Illusion: Photography, the moon landscape and SFX model-making’ Visual Knowledges Conference Proceedings Online University of Edinburgh 17-20 Sept. 2003 ISBN 0 9532713 31. Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History, ume. ISSN 1362-248X

Science and Fiction: James Nasmyth's Photographic Images of the Moon

Robertson, Frances (2006) Science and Fiction: James Nasmyth's Photographic Images of the Moon. Victorian Studies, 48 (4). pp. 595-623. ISSN 1527-2052

Water treatment: diving into the Firth of Clyde

Robertson, Frances (2015) Water treatment: diving into the Firth of Clyde. The Drouth, 52. p. 30. ISSN 1474 6190

‘The geometric poetry of graphic art’

Robertson, Frances (2012) ‘The geometric poetry of graphic art’. The Drouth, 41. pp. 33-39. ISSN 1474 6190

Introduction: Multisensory materialities in the art school

Robertson, Frances and Roy, Elodie (2017) Introduction: Multisensory materialities in the art school. Studies in Material Thinking, 17. pp. 2-11. ISSN 1177-6234

Conference or Workshop Item

Through a Northern Lens: Place Image, Archaeology and Heritage

Bird, Nicky, Brownrigg, Jenny and Robertson, Frances (2017) Through a Northern Lens: Place Image, Archaeology and Heritage. In: Through a Northern Lens: Place Image, Archaeology and Heritage, 23 October 2017, GSA Principal Seminar Room 1, Glasgow School of Art.

Through a Northern Lens: An Auto-ethnographic Turn

Bird, Nicky, Robertson, Frances and Brownrigg, Jenny (2018) Through a Northern Lens: An Auto-ethnographic Turn. In: Through a Northern Lens: An Auto-ethnographic Turn, 26 October 2018, Glasgow, UK.

The Caseroom at 60: Sustaining Print Heritage at The Glasgow School of Art

Pickstone, Edwin and Robertson, Frances (2025) The Caseroom at 60: Sustaining Print Heritage at The Glasgow School of Art. In: Annual Conference of The Association of European Printing Museums, 3-5 September 2025, Winterbourne House, University of Birmingham, UK.

Alien introductions: trees, memory and landscape history

Robertson, Frances (2020) Alien introductions: trees, memory and landscape history. In: Practicing Landscape Symposium, 19-20 March 2020 (postponed), The Lighthouse, Glasgow.

Assembler / défaire / recréer

Robertson, Frances (2016) Assembler / défaire / recréer. In: Du rétro au néo, entre nostalgie et réinvention. Objets en mouvement !, 8-9 Dec 2016, GIRCAM Research Centre, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium.

‘British Technical Draughtsmen in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century’

Robertson, Frances (2010) ‘British Technical Draughtsmen in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century’. In: 2010 American History of Science Society (HSS) Conference, Montreal, November 4-7 2010 http://www.hssonline.org/, 4-7 November 2010, Montreal.

‘Crank-pin tracks and Corinthian columns: engineers and draughtsmen as visual technicians’

Robertson, Frances (2012) ‘Crank-pin tracks and Corinthian columns: engineers and draughtsmen as visual technicians’. In: Art versus industry? Leeds City Museum 23-24 March 2012, 23-4 March 2012, Leeds City Museum.

Delineating a rational profession: engineers and draughtsmen as ‘visual technicians'

Robertson, Frances (2013) Delineating a rational profession: engineers and draughtsmen as ‘visual technicians'. In: Centre de Recherches Texte/Image/Langage, University of Burgundy (Language and Communication)Seminar paper, March 2013 http://scientificillustrationdijon.blogspot.fr/, 22 March 2013, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France.

Delineating a rational profession: engineers and draughtsmen as ‘visual technicians’ in early nineteenth century Britain

Robertson, Frances (2012) Delineating a rational profession: engineers and draughtsmen as ‘visual technicians’ in early nineteenth century Britain. In: Three Societies Meeting, 11-14 July 2012, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US.

‘Drawing distinctions: engineers, draughtsmen and artisans in nineteenth century Britain’

Robertson, Frances (2010) ‘Drawing distinctions: engineers, draughtsmen and artisans in nineteenth century Britain’. In: British Society for the History of Science Postgraduate Conference, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Cambridge, 5-7 January 2010, 5-7 January 2010, University of Cambridge.

Drawing for design: ergonomic thinking, body visualisation, and the legacies of the life room

Robertson, Frances (2019) Drawing for design: ergonomic thinking, body visualisation, and the legacies of the life room. In: Society for the History of Technology, Annual Meeting, 24-27 October 2019, Milan, Italy.

Engineering drawings

Robertson, Frances (2018) Engineering drawings. In: ReEngineer Workshop, 20 September 2018, Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

Engineering drawings: engineers as visual technicians

Robertson, Frances (2018) Engineering drawings: engineers as visual technicians. In: Understanding Technology Series of Public Lectures, National Museums of Scotland↲ and Institute for the Study of Science Technology and Inn↲ ovation (ISSTI), 2 October 2018, Seminar Room, Learning Centre, National Museums Scotland.

‘Flower power: designers, printers and home dressmakers draw up 1960s fashion’

Robertson, Frances (2015) ‘Flower power: designers, printers and home dressmakers draw up 1960s fashion’. In: Fashion, the 84th Anglo-American Conference of Historians, Senate House, University of London 2-3 July 2015, 2-3 July 2015, Senate House, University of London.

Frequent, drizzling, genial showers: imperial forest science, clean water and industrial Glasgow

Robertson, Frances (2014) Frequent, drizzling, genial showers: imperial forest science, clean water and industrial Glasgow. In: British Association for Victorian Studies Annual Conference, 4-6 September 2014, University of Kent.

In the Mind’s Eye: Technical Drawing in France and England, 1800-1850

Robertson, Frances (2010) In the Mind’s Eye: Technical Drawing in France and England, 1800-1850. In: American History of Science Society (HSS) Conference, 4-7 November 2010, Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Industrial design, body imaging, and the ultrasonic life room

Robertson, Frances (2018) Industrial design, body imaging, and the ultrasonic life room. In: Art, materiality and representation RAI 2018, 1-3 June 2018, SOAS and the British Museum, London.

James Nasmyth's images of the moon landscape

Robertson, Frances (2004) James Nasmyth's images of the moon landscape. In: 3rd European conference: Society of literature and science.

James Watt’s 1778 Instruction Book: Around the Text

Robertson, Frances (2021) James Watt’s 1778 Instruction Book: Around the Text. In: CPHC (The Centre for Printing History and Culture) conference April 2022, 26-27 April 2022, Appleby-in-Westmoreland.

Malleable objects: iron, empire and narratives of culture

Robertson, Frances (2013) Malleable objects: iron, empire and narratives of culture. In: ISCH 2013 annual conference: 'Artefacts, Culture, and Identity',, 11-14 September, Istanbul.

Manufacturing the visual economy in nineteenth century Britain

Robertson, Frances (2012) Manufacturing the visual economy in nineteenth century Britain. In: International Society for Cultural History, Luneville 2012, 2-5 July, 2-5 July, Chateau Luneville,.

Power in the landscape: Regenerating the Scottish Highlands after WWII

Robertson, Frances (2014) Power in the landscape: Regenerating the Scottish Highlands after WWII. In: Reconstructing minds conference, Conference at the University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland, 25–27 August 2014, 25-27 August 2014, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland, 25–27 August 2014.

Power in the landscape: Regenerating the Scottish Highlands after WWII

Robertson, Frances (2017) Power in the landscape: Regenerating the Scottish Highlands after WWII. In: Design History Society Conference, DHS 2017: Making and Unmaking the Environment, 7 Sep 2017, University of Oslo, Norway.

Power in the landscape: Regenerating the Scottish Highlands after WWII

Robertson, Frances (2017) Power in the landscape: Regenerating the Scottish Highlands after WWII. In: Through a Northern Lens: Place image, archaeology and heritage, 23 October 2017, GSA Principle Seminar Room 1.

Re-Drafting Patterns of Femininity: Alternative Print Cultures, Domestic Sewing, and Women Textile Designers

Robertson, Frances (2016) Re-Drafting Patterns of Femininity: Alternative Print Cultures, Domestic Sewing, and Women Textile Designers. In: International Society for Cultural History Conference: Genders and Generations, 18-22 Jul 2016, Trieste, Italy.

‘Thomas Telford’s tour in the Highlands: shaping the wild landscape through word and image’

Robertson, Frances (2014) ‘Thomas Telford’s tour in the Highlands: shaping the wild landscape through word and image’. In: Tenth IAWIS Triennial Conference: Riddles of Form: Exploration and Discovery in Word and Image, at University of Dundee Monday 11 - Friday 15 August 2014, 11-15 August 2014, University of Dundee Monday 11 - Friday 15 August 2014.

Vision and Illusion: Photography, the moon landscape and SFX model-making

Robertson, Frances (2003) Vision and Illusion: Photography, the moon landscape and SFX model-making. In: Visual Knowledges.

‘William Johnson (1823-1864) and the ‘world of industrial readers’

Robertson, Frances (2010) ‘William Johnson (1823-1864) and the ‘world of industrial readers’. In: Literary engineers: Cultures of reading and writing in the engineering profession, 1800-1950 Invited participant to this workshop/conference at the University of Aberdeen, sponsored by the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine, Aberd, March 17 2010, University of Aberdeen.

Through a Northern Lens: Women, Picture, Place

Robertson, Frances, Bird, Nicky and Brownrigg, Jenny (2016) Through a Northern Lens: Women, Picture, Place. In: Through a Northern Lens: Women, Picture, Place, 28 October 2016, GSA Principle Seminar Room 1, Glasgow School of Art.

Common Craft: Translations Text/ Image/ Drawing/ Print: a collaboration between KHIO, Oslo and GSA, Glasgow

Robertson, Frances and Pickstone, Edwin (2019) Common Craft: Translations Text/ Image/ Drawing/ Print: a collaboration between KHIO, Oslo and GSA, Glasgow. In: Research Week, National Academy of Arts, Oslo, Norway, 21–25 January 2019, KHiO, Norway.

Common Craft: Translations Text/ Image/ Drawing/ Print

Robertson, Frances and Pickstone, Edwin (2019) Common Craft: Translations Text/ Image/ Drawing/ Print. In: Annual Postgraduate Research Week, KHiO Oslo, 21-25 January 2019, Academy of Fine Art (KHiO), Oslo, Norway.

Mac Research Symposium : How To Publish an Academic Book

Rodger, Johnny, McCormack, Helen, Robertson, Frances and Urban, Florian (2018) Mac Research Symposium : How To Publish an Academic Book. In: Mac Research symposium, 24 January 2018, Bourdon building, Main Lecture theatre, Glasgow School of Art.

Artefact

Imposter (charcoal on paper) 2020

Robertson, Frances (2020) Imposter (charcoal on paper) 2020. [Artefact]

Show/Exhibition

Ultrasonic Glasgow: a celebration of The Glasgow School of Art's contribution to the history and development of medical obstetrics ultrasound

Macdonald, Alastair, Roan, Susan, Keogh, Emma, Robertson, Frances, Whittet, Craig, Biagi, Aileen and Cameron, Dugald (2019) Ultrasonic Glasgow: a celebration of The Glasgow School of Art's contribution to the history and development of medical obstetrics ultrasound. The Glasgow School of Art, Reid Corridor Gallery, 5 - 31 October 2019 [Show/Exhibition]

Visible Language: GSA Caseroom Research Cluster Work in Progress

Rigley, Steve, Pickstone, Edwin, Robertson, Frances, Bremner, Elaine, Lamb, Andrew and Maguire, Paul (2022) Visible Language: GSA Caseroom Research Cluster Work in Progress. Reid Building, Glasgow School of Art, 27th October - 18th November 2022 [Show/Exhibition]

Thesis

Ruling the line: learning to draw in the first age of mechanical reproduction

Robertson, Frances (2011) Ruling the line: learning to draw in the first age of mechanical reproduction. PhD thesis, Glasgow School of Art.

Other

3rd European Society for Literature and Science Conference, Paris

Robertson, Frances (2004) 3rd European Society for Literature and Science Conference, Paris. UNSPECIFIED.

Conference paper

Robertson, Frances (2006) Conference paper. UNSPECIFIED.

Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History

Robertson, Frances (2001) Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History. UNSPECIFIED.

North East Victorian Studies conference, MIT, Cambridge Mass.

Robertson, Frances (2007) North East Victorian Studies conference, MIT, Cambridge Mass. UNSPECIFIED.

Technology and Culture

Robertson, Frances (2005) Technology and Culture. UNSPECIFIED.

Visual Knowledges

Robertson, Frances (2007) Visual Knowledges. UNSPECIFIED.

Visual Knowledges online conference proceedings

Robertson, Frances (2003) Visual Knowledges online conference proceedings. UNSPECIFIED.