: Collections & Research

In Britain it is estimated that we use 13 billion plastic bottles each year, whilst this has a serious environmental implication, this mass production also has implications for the museums of the future.

Take for example, St Fagans National History Museum, in 100 years’ time what will be on display in the house of 2016?

In our modern society we have come to accept mass produced items as an essential part of our lives. Whilst producing items in this way is cost effective and practical, its introduction has meant that some of these items which historically would have been aesthetically pleasing have lost their aesthetic appeal.

In my room I have chosen to display a collection of bottles manufactured years before I was even born. I am drawn to the beauty and manufacture of these objects, their vibrant colours and slight imperfections. In the past a bottle with a primary function to hold a certain liquid, manufactured of glass could last for years and have a wide array of applications within its lifetime.

Now however, when we buy a bottle of water or fizzy drink, it generally comes in a mass produced bottle made of plastic. Whilst these are very portable they are not generally viewed as being very aesthetically pleasing.

Whilst I may choose to display an old glass bottle, a plastic bottle produced in 2016 would not make it onto my shelf.

Returning to the question of the St Fagans of the future, will they choose to display a plastic water bottle on the kitchen table, the new model of smartphone by the bed or even an E-reader on the bookshelf? Mass production has removed the individuality and beauty from some objects which in the past were manufactured with care.

In the future our culture will be conveyed through the artefacts which we choose to treasure, for some that may be a collection of antiques curated throughout the years but for others it may consist of a collection of modern objects.

The museums of the future will have a very tough time conveying our diverse culture through the use of a select few objects.

The future is uncertain but the choices over what we individually choose to curate will shape the perceptions of our culture in the museum displays of the future.

Gracie Price,

Cardiff Museum Youth Forum

Sources:

Recycle-more. (2016). Top facts on recycling and the environment. Available: http://www.recycle-more.co.uk/pwpcontrol.php?pwpID=12809. Last accessed: 28th Jan 2016

So in my last post I was talking about how we have Nils Norman to design our new play area for St Fagans, I also mentioned that we were going to work with community groups and visitors in order to get their input into the play area. Last night I got my regular email from the amazing Playscapes website which was all about how to engage kids and community in playground design, super timely!

This is something we have been considering quite a lot - we want to engage our visitors and local communities, but how do you get children to talk about what they would like to see in a play area if all they've ever seen is a 'traditional' play area with swings and a slide? the article on Playscapes suggests asking the following questions to children:

What is the most dangerous, scary places you have ever gone?

Where would you like to go alone?

Where would you like to be right now?

What do you do that your parents tell you not to try?

What is the highest you have ever climbed?

Where do you go to be alone? To be with friends?

What is the silliest thing you have ever done?

What games do you invent?

How great is that? they also had a list of questions for adults, one of which was:

What value or sensation do you want your kids to experience: e.g. risk, fear, failure, satisfaction, accomplishment, beauty, tranquillity, action?

We want this playground to be different, we want a space where there can be risky play but there can also be quiet, contemplative play, a play area where children can enjoy creative play and a space that is open to be used in different ways. Of course overall we want it to be fun, a play area for plays sake.

Any thoughts please share - What is the highest you have ever climbed?

If you are a regular visitor to St Fagans you may have noticed:

a. The big red crane

and

b. the play area has gone.

The big red crane is obviously temporary as all the building work goes on for the new and improved St Fagans, and luckily the lack of a play area is also temporary as we are BUILDING A NEW ONE! not only that we are building a new one with Nils Norman - an artist who has been working extensively around play for a number of years.

Although Nils has been on board for a good few months now (with support from Arts Council Wales and the Heritage Lottery Fund), it has taken a while for the project to get going as there is so much organising to do beforehand!

We also needed to appoint two supporting artists to work on the project with Nils which we did at the end of last year. These support artists will be helping with research as well as community engagement. We want the play are to be unique, bespoke to St Fagans, accessible to all ages and abilities, create links with the collections, is fun and is also a work of art. To do this the artists will be undertaking lots of research - looking through our archive and stores, as well as holding workshops for community groups and visitors into what kind of play area they would like to see.

They are currently at the research stage which will take a few months, Nils will then provide some drawings, we will *all* have a look at them and report back and then all going to plan the actual construction will start towards the end of this year, with a finished play area for spring next year! (don't hold me to those dates)

If you have any ideas, or if you have seen some great play areas, please let me know. This is such an exciting project which I will keep you updated on as it progresses. Next post, i'll introduce you to our supporting artists.

For more information about Nils Norman's work, visit his website

Un o’m hoff bleserau fel Archifydd Clyweledol yw cael eistedd mewn heddwch am awr neu ddwy gyda phaned o goffi (ac efallai ddarn neu ddau o siocled) yn gwrando ar ddetholiad o’r 12,000 o recordiadau sain sydd yn ei harchif bellach.  Â drws fy swyddfa ar gau ac â’r clustffonau yn eu lle mae modd dianc i ffermdai a ffatrïoedd, i iard yr ysgol, i sedd y diaconiaid, i waelodion y pwll glo, i uchelderau y fferm fynydd neu i ble bynnag y mynnoch i gael cip ar fywydau Cymru’r gorffennol.

Cefais gyfle i wneud hyn y diwrnod o’r blaen ac mae’n rhyfeddol weithiau fel mae clywed pwt o stori, o ddywediad neu bennill yn dod ag atgofion yn llifo nôl.  Roeddwn i yn gwrando ar ŵr yn sôn am ei blentyndod yn Llanwddyn ac am y rhigymau a glywodd ar aelwyd y cartref.  Roedd yn un o wyth o blant ac mae’n sôn am y rhigwm y byddai ei fam yn ei ddweud wrth geisio tawelu’r plant trwy enwi bysedd eu traed.

Bowden, Gwas y Fowden, Dibyl Dabal, Gwas y Stabal, Bys Bach druan gŵr, dorrodd ei ben wrth gario dŵr. 

Recordiwyd yn Llanwddyn (1971)

Mae creu rhigymau am enwau bysedd y traed neu’r llaw yn arferiad byd-eang.   Mewn rhai gwledydd, arferir dechrau gyda’r bys bach a gorffen gyda’r bys bawd, ond ymddengys mai’r traddodiad yng Nghymru yw dechrau gyda’r bawd (bawd y droed fel arfer) a gweithio eich ffordd i lawr y bysedd gan roi siglad bach i bob un nes cyrraedd y bys bach.

Pan oeddwn i yn ifanc rwy’n cofio mam (sy’n dod o Trap, ger Llandeilo) yn tynnu fy hosan ac yn enwi bysedd fy nhraed un wrth un.  Dyma’r enwau oedd ganddi hi ar y bysedd:

Bys Bowtyn, Twm Sgotyn, Lloyd Harris, Charles Dafis a Stiwart Bach y cwmni.

Mae dwsinau o fersiynau o’r rhigwm hwn i’r bysedd yn Archif Sain Amgueddfa Werin Cymru yn amrywio o ardal i ardal ac weithiau o deulu i deulu.  Mae rhai enwau fel “Modryb Bawd” yn ymddangos mewn llawer i ardal a rhai enwau yn unigryw i bentref neu i gymdeithas arbennig.  Weithiau ceir ail ddarn i’r rhigwm fel y gwelir isod.

Dyma rai o’m ffefrynnau i o gasgliad yr archif:

Bys Bwstyn, Twm Swglyn, Long Harris, Jac Dafis a Bili Bach.

Hwn yn mynd i’r farchnad; Hwn yn aros gartre; Hwn yn neud cawl; Hwn yn bwyta’r cwbwl a Bili Bach yn starfo.

Recordiwyd yn Nhal-sarn (1969)

Modryb Bawd, Bys yr Uwd, Hirfys, Pwtfys, Dingw.

Recordiwyd yn Llangoed (1967)

Hen Fawd Fawr yn mynd i’r mynydd.

“I be?” medda Bys yr Uwd

“I ladd defaid”, medda’r Hirfys

“Mi gawn ni ddrwg”, medda’r Cwtfys

“Llechwn, llechwn o dan y llechi”, medda’r peth bach.

Recordiwyd yn Nyffryn Ardudwy (1972)

Fenni Fenni, Cefnder Fenni Fenni, Fenni Dapwr, Dic y Crogwr, Bys Bach druan gŵr, dynnodd y drain trwy’r dŵr.

Recordiwyd yn Llantrisant (1976)

Modryb Bawd, Bys yr Uwd, Pen y Gogor, Bys y Pibar, Robin Gewin Bach.

Recordiwyd yn Nefyn (1968)

Roedd hi hefyd yn arfer ymysg merched i adrodd y rhigymau hyn wrth dynnu bysedd eu dwylo neu fysedd dwylo eu ffrindiau.  Byddai nifer y bysedd a fyddai’n clicio wrth eu tynnu yn darogan y nifer o blant y byddai perchennog y bysedd yn eu cael yn y dyfodol. 

Felly’r tro nesaf mae’r plant yn rhedeg fel corwynt trwy’r tŷ, yn rhoi darnau o fanana yn y peiriant DVD neu’n tynnu llun ar wal y gegin, anghofiwch am y teledu, am gemau’r tabled neu gil-dwrn o losin.  I dawelu'r cariadon bach ac i adfer heddwch, eisteddwch nhw i lawr, tynnwch eu hosannau a chyfrwch fysedd eu traed.

Included in this month's Blog post are a selection of objects added to the Industry and Transport collections in January.

This commemorative medal was issued to Bevin Boys for service underground during 1942-1948. Bevin Boys played a vital role during the Second World War working in the coal mines, and you can read more about their role in this article. The medal was produced by Bigbury Mint in 2015 in hallmarked silver, and is on a striped blue, green and black ribbon. It was purchased by the Museum this month, and has been added to a small but varied collection relating to the work on the Bevin Boys in the Second World War.

The two bricks illustrated were donated this month. The first brick is inscribed T. Williams & Co. on the front, and the second inscribed J. Williams & Co., both have the inscription Llanelly on the reverse.

T. Williams refers to Capt. Thomas Williams, grocer and ships chandler of New Dock Road, Llanelli. He owned Bigyn Brickworks from about 1871 to 1888. He also owned the adjoining Tregob Colliery from 1881 to c.1887, and owned Bryngwyn Brickworks from 1890 to at least 1897. He was born in Llanelli c.1840, and died at Barry in 1899 or 1900.

The other brick is inscribed J. Williams. John Williams was the brother of Capt. Thomas Williams. He was born in Llanelli c.1843. In 1891 he is listed on the Census as foreman of a brickworks, residing with his brother who was listed as a brick manufacturer. This suggests that he took over Bryngwyn Brickworks either when Capt. Thomas Williams moved to Barry sometime in the period 1897 to 1899, or after his brother’s death in 1899/1900. He briefly worked it until closure in 1899.

The two bricks are made from the same coarse red body, and have been pressed from dies that are identical save for the change of initial from ‘T’ to ‘J’. They were probably then, manufactured in the same brickworks and span a change of ownership from Capt. Thomas Williams to his younger brother John Williams.

These three hand coloured prints form part of a collection donated this month. The prints are by the artist David Hughes and were produced in 1989/1990. The first is a reconstruction showing how Aberystwyth might have looked in about 1835. The second shows how Haverfordwest might have looked in about 1845. Finally the third shows how Swansea might have looked in about 1852.

You can find further examples of David Hughes work on our Images of Industry online catalogue. This includes black and white versions of these three works, plus views of Butetown (Cardiff) in about 1850, Carmarthen in about 1842, and Newport in about 1840. The prints can be viewed here.

Mark Etheridge
Curator: Industry & Transport
Follow us on Twitter - @IndustryACNMW