Collections & Research

I was appointed an Honorary Research Fellow at Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales earlier this year and I've finally made it down to see the collection I'll be working with!

 

I'm doing work on Jessie Knight, considered one of the UK's first female tattoo artists, and it was amazing seeing her machines, flash, art and photos. There are about 1000 items in the archive and I only looked at two boxes so I'm really excited to get stuck in and see what I can find. I'll be working with the collection for two years and am planning some community events as well as participatory research.

 

I got my first tattoo aged 19. A piece of flash chosen from the walls of a studio in Bath, inked on by a tattooist who I can’t remember anything about except he wore black gloves. Over twenty years later and I’ve got many more, mostly custom designs inked over multiple sessions, the latest by a woman whose mother I used to work with. Tattoos have, even since I got my first one, become more mainstream, more acceptable. And female tattoo artists are becoming more common - a far cry from the early 20^th century when Jessie Knight began work.

 

Jessie, born in Croydon in 1904, is widely considered to be the UK’s first female tattoo artist. She began working at her father’s studio in Barry when she was 18, and after moving around the UK returned to Barry in the 1960s. After her death in 1992 her collection of photographs, artwork, tattoo machines and designs passed to her great nephew Neil Hopkin-Thomas and was acquired by Amgueddfa Cymru, with the help of art historian and tattoo academic Dr Matt Lodder, in 2023. 

 

But why on earth should a tattooist’s archive be acquired by a museum, or put on display? As someone who has, and researches, tattoos the collection is a fascinating piece of subcultural history. And subcultures – like punk and hip-hop – have increasingly become the subject of exhibitions at museums and galleries. Tattoos reflect the hopes, loves and identities of the people who have them – as the tattoo of the highland fling that won Jessie second place in the 1955 Champion Tattoo Artist of All England competition attests – and give us an insight into the lives of people through the ages. 

 

But the Knight collection also tells us about the cultural and societal norms of the time. It’s estimated that there were only five other female tattoos in the US and Europe working at the same time as Jessie. This was an incredibly tough industry for a woman and we can see some of the behaviour Jessie would have had to put up with in the signs she displayed – preserved within the collection. Her great-nephew has told stories about how Jessie’s shop was broken into and her designs taken, and how she would sit on a big trunk that held her designs while she was tattooing so no one could get to them.

 

The designs in the collection also tell us about the trends of the day, and while some of these are intensely problematic and need to be addressed sensitively, we can also see how Jessie moved away from the more stereotypical representation of women as sex objects to create a more realistic depiction of women. This was unusual at the time, but then Jessie herself was also unusual – and blazed a trail for female tattoo artists working today. 

If you can believe it, we keep a copy of every museum publication we produce. Yes, every flyer and brochure and after a while it starts to pile up! While in the process of ordering and categorising this mountain of coffee table litter and ephemera into a cohesive collection, it’s been fascinating to see the way that Amgueddfa Cymru’s branding has changed and evolved over the years. The logos and designs tell us not just about how the museum represents itself but also they tell us something about the time they were written in. So, let’s take a look at the museums branding and design over the decades.
In a museum brochure from 1968, the simplicity of the design is striking with its bold text and the solid red graphic of columns and pediment, which is the globally used symbol for museums (but more on that later). Yet for a modern eye it still looks old fashioned; there are no photos or even a colour gradient and it is printed onto plain white paper. The inside contains only small black text of museum department events, in a list, with little formatting. for example:
Zoology: In the Gallery near the Restaurant: Demonstration of Taxidermy of birds and mammals. 10am -12 noon

In 1969 we get a new look for monthly Programmes. This style sticks for the next decade. A bright solid colour fills the background, and the words “Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru National Museum of Wales” are in a large clear bold text. The front of each issue has a large single black and white image that takes up the centre of the cover. This is however the only image the programmes contain, but maybe as a result the images picked usually look dramatic and intriguing. There is something reminiscent of album cover art about them. In the December 1969 issue the cover features a picture of a lunar landing module and the moon from space. Inside are details of a 3-day exhibition where the museum had genuine moon rock on display.

In the 1980’s we get a new look again, which we can see in the museum’s monthly programmes. But if it wasn’t for the date, you might assume it to be older than it is. The writing is in a traditional serif font and each issue has the same image a marble fresco of a woman holding a picture of the Welsh dragon with Ionic columns in the background. It is the Seal of the National Museum of Wales. It is an architectural feature of the Cardiff site that you can see today above the entrance of gallery 1. 

It is an image that is meant to invoke a certain ideal of “The Museum” that it is grand, historic, noble, and “cultured”. The monthly programmes certainly work hard to solidify this visual brand, having the large logo/seal prominent on every issue that leans into the imagery we already associate with museums. As with the earlier 1968 programme both are invoking the image of the Museum as a grand marble Greco-Romanesque styled structure. This seal is then used in slightly different forms on all publications for the next decade and a half.

The icon for museums as a row of pillars with a triangle pediment on top is widely used. It is the image you will see on brown road signs or tourist maps to mark the location of a museum and certainly the National Museum Cardiff and the Roman Legion Museum do have that classic museum look complete with towering columns. It is an image that may well reflect what museums used to be like, opulent buildings that looked at foreign artefacts like Greek statues. But it is an image that now many museums are working hard to move away from.  Ultimately as an icon it doesn’t really capture or express the totality of what Amgueddfa Cymru is all about, a diverse and varied family of museums that celebrate Welsh life.

Then in 1995 there is a major rebrand. We have moved away from the traditional imagery of museums and galleries and instead have a range of icons that highlight the different parts of the museum’s collections including a spinning wheel, anchor, and steam powered machinery to name a few. It excellently highlights the diversity of what we have to offer. The graphics almost look like a website banner with clickable icons displaying the range of choices. The publications go through various changes over the following years with a greater focus on full colour photos, and a variety of graphics and fonts. The publications are exciting and colourful, but is there a downside? Some might see this iteration of publications as overly crowded and busy. Furthermore, there is no signal unifying image for Amgueddfa Cymru as an integrated organisation.

Then in the 2000’s a new rebrand ditched the icons and opted for words. The words “National Museum Wales” and “Amugueddfa Cymu” were placed at an angle to each other in a modern sans serif font for all publications. This echoes the priorities and vision of the museum in this era. Balancing the English and Welsh language at angles so that neither takes priority over the other. It is effective straightforward and unambiguous. However the thirty three characters at 45 degree angles do not work well on a small scale and can become cluttered and difficult to read. As more and more we switched to phones as our primary reading devices there was a greater need to have a clean simple design.

Since last year we have had a brand-new redesign. The Amgueddfa Cymru logo is written in a bold capitalized font, created for the Museum it emulates the look of an industrial brand like that which you would find on metal or bricks to show the maker; it reflects the industrial past of some of our national museums.  For social media, where space is limited, we have a simple “AC” icon on a red background. Clean and simple bold texts work well for online platforms and this process of simplifying graphics has happened across many brands over the past decade as reading from phone screens has become the norm. Amgueddfa Cymru’s new design uses only the Welsh language title, further simplifying the design and highlighting the museum’s commitment to telling the story of Wales, from its earliest times, through its industrial transformation to the modern day. The font highlights the special characters that don’t exist in English, such as the “DD” which is has been linked together in “Amgueddfa” further showing our pride in the Welsh language.

Ultimately there will be pros and cons to any logo or icon. Often it is about what is right for the time, and what is best for the medium the icons will be on. Do you have a favourite?

As the COVID-19 pandemic worsened over the winter of 2020, and the pressure on NHS staff increased, Amgueddfa Cymru wanted to use the national art collection in hospitals and care settings to provide solace for staff and patients.

Like many others, we watched in awe – and horror - as NHS staff made personal sacrifices day after day under unthinkable circumstances. We realise that we have seen only a fraction of what goes on behind-the-scenes, and asked ourselves what can we, as a museum, do to help?

As part of Celf ar y Cyd - a suite of projects launched in 2020  designed to find new ways for people to experience the art collection during the pandemic - we set out to work with health boards across Wales.

We wanted to give NHS and care staff the chance to make art part of their working day, and to decide for themselves how art can be incorporated into their work environment.

Since 2020, we’ve worked closely with health boards to continue this work that began from the pressures caused by the pandemic. We are delighted to launch the Palliative Care Packs, developed closely with Powys Teaching Health Board.

 

How are we working with Powys Teaching Health Board?

Powys Palliative Care packs are being developed to offer additional support to Powys Teaching Health Board’s palliative care teams.  These packs have been designed in partnership with staff at Powys Teaching Health Board and feature images of artworks from our collection, as well as digital resources, from audio descriptions to soundscapes. We hope that they will provide a compassionate, creative experience for patients, while also presenting opportunities for emotional support through conversation and sharing with friends, family members and carers.

We at Amgueddfa Cymru want to share the national art collection with as many people as possible, offering the opportunity to use our collections in ways that feel appropriate for all. Using Amgueddfa Cymru’s art collections to console and inspire has been our focus in working with Powys Teaching Health Board.

 

Funding and support

Amgueddfa Cymru support was made possible through Celf ar y Cyd. This started as a series of visual arts projects in collaboration with Arts Council Wales with the support of the Welsh Government, which challenged us to share the national art collection in new and innovative ways during the pandemic. The other strands include our digital visual arts magazine, Cynfas, and the 100 Celf – Art 100 exhibition. The Celf ar y Cyd website launched in June 2023, and offers the opportunity to browse, learn and be inspired by the contemporary art collection from the comfort of your own phone. Follow us on Instagram @celfarycyd for more.

‘Unknown Wales’ is an exciting day of free public natural history talks held each autumn at National Museum Cardiff. It features top speakers from all over Wales, talking about their newest nature discoveries and projects. The talks are short and accessible, and often great fun!

First held in 2011, the bilingual event is a collaboration between Amgueddfa Cymru and the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales. The conference is a popular highlight in our calendar, regularly attracting over 200 visitors in person and online. The Reardon Smith Lecture Theatre provides a impressive atmosphere in which to hear from people who work on the front line of natural history and nature conservation.

The event was initially created to meet two needs. The first was for a free public conference dedicated to the whole natural history of Wales. From the outset the intention was to cover Zoology, Botany, and Geology – three fundamental aspects of nature that aren’t always dealt with together. It aims to offer an event (and a platform) for everyone with an interest in natural history. The questions from the audience at the end of each talk give a flavour of the enthusiasm that’s out there, as well as the depth of each speakers’ knowledge! Held on a Saturday, the day is unusual in our events calendar in being aimed largely at adults (though anyone aged 12 and over can attend).

The second need was to emphasise that new discoveries are always being made, hence the name “Unknown Wales”. While the event always features famous Welsh nature reserves, familiar species, and well-worn conservation practices, we’ve always encouraged interest in frontiers. Many talks feature recent scientific discoveries (including those made at the Museum itself), or new approaches that are changing how people look at and live with Welsh nature. On occasion there has been controversy, as speakers grapple with the environmental issues and policies of the day. The variety of organisations and projects covered provide inspiration for those looking for career, study or volunteering opportunities in biodiversity.

In total over 80 speakers have helped build Unknown Wales into what it is, and to all of them we are most grateful. Particularly memorable talks include Tim Birkhead on birdsong evolution, Lynne Boddy on the diversity of fungi, Anne Bunker on Welsh seaweeds, and Derek Gow on beaver reintroduction (a situation that has changed drastically since 2011). TV celebrities Rhys Jones, Miranda Krestovnikoff, and Iolo Williams (twice!) have all taken part to lend their support to the initiative.

Subjects covered range from river pollution to heritage trees, caves, coal tips, dolphins, dinosaurs, and eDNA surveys. We have featured the latest updates on iconic species like Red Squirrels, Marsh Fritillaries, Natterjack Toads, and Manx Shearwaters. Plus, of course, the Glutinous Snail…an icon-in-waiting? Another good thing about covering the whole of Wales, including its more remote and quieter places, is that nearly everyone’s milltir sgwâr (square mile) has had a mention!

Several talks have come about through audience suggestions, helping the event evolve. We have sometimes toyed with the format, exhibiting specimens from the Museum collections, supplying goodie-bags, or holding a poster competition, book sale or quiz during the interval. The event moved online in the 2020 pandemic, before adopting the present hybrid event, which allows more people to take part.

Will there be more Unknown Wales to come? You bet! Welsh nature is always full of frontiers and mysteries, which move as times and techniques change. We look forward to the next event, and to many other opportunities to share these with other wildlife lovers.

Details for Unknown Wales 2023 are here.

Portable Antiquities Scheme Cymru – Engaging Audiences 

In late 2022, the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales (PAS Cymru) established a pioneering engagement role, designed to raise the profile of the scheme and enhance relationships with finders across the country. While PAS has consistently focused on community engagement, the scope of this new role was without precedent and has presented the scheme in Wales with significant opportunities.

Currently Wales has four part-time Finds Liaison Officers (FLOs). FLOs can be reached in Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham, with important recording support provided by Dyfed and Gwynedd Archaeological Trusts in the southwest and northwest of the country. This network gives us a good, but imperfect, reach across Wales; the creation of the PAS Engagement role has allowed for targeted efforts in parts of Wales where access to PAS staff is more challenging. 

Starting in November of 2022, PAS Cymru began contributing to and hosting a series of public-facing engagement activities, focused on strengthening connections with members of the wider community invested in archaeology and heritage. Where possible, these engagements were developed in association with key partners, namely finder communities and local museums. 

As PAS remains a voluntary scheme, we are dependent on the goodwill of our partners, but that goodwill can only begin with an awareness of our existence. PAS Cymru pop-up events have allowed us to significantly enhance visibility, promoting the work it generates, within geographies which have historically been difficult to access. Thanks to Bangor, Carmarthen and Narberth museums, over the last year PAS Cymru has been seen and accessed by finders who would otherwise have to travel significant distances to be able to have face-to-face interactions with FLOs. 

A strong working relationship with museums throughout Wales is critical for the successful recording of archaeological material found outside of a research context. Where cultural heritage institutions have confidence about who to direct finders towards, pathways can be established ensuring everyone invested in their local heritage, knows how and where finds can be reported. During early autumn 2023 and winter 2024, museums in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire will host exhibitions exploring the work of PAS Cymru, creating additional opportunities to embed an awareness of the scheme within local museums and their audiences. 

In additional to the established practice of FLOs attending detecting club meetings, PAS Cymru is also working closely with metal detecting clubs and individuals, inviting finders to attend pop-up events in local museums, and also to contribute towards them. As a consequence, PAS Cymru and detectorists have shown a unified front to wider audiences, strengthening a shared message of best practice in relation to detecting. In the Spring of 2023, PAS Cymru was invited by members of the detecting community to participate in one of their public-facing events in mid-Wales. This was a significant moment for us to share in their collective enthusiasm for the historic environment, while offering reflections on best practice and recording, with an audience who might otherwise never have known about the scheme. 

The engagement role has proven to be very rewarding and has been received with high levels of positivity. Local museums have been enthused by the potential of widening audiences through the presence of PAS Cymru in their own events calendars, while detectorists have been proactive in supporting the engagement scheme in Wales, attending and promoting events, and pushing the narrative of responsible detecting. The potential of these partnerships has only been scratched, and we are looking forward to seeing how these dynamics can grow, to the benefit of our shared archaeological assets, as we move further through the year.