Uncovering our Collections: Half a Million Records now Online 26 March 2018 As we reveal half a million collection records for the first time, we look at some of the strangest and most fascinating objects from National Museum Wales Collections Online. This article contains photos of human skeletal fragments. The Biggest We have some real whoppers in our collections - including a full-size Cardiff Tram and a sea rescue helicopter - but the biggest item in our collection is actually Oakdale Workmen's Institute. Built in 1917, the Institute features a billiard room, dance hall and library - and is nowadays found in St Fagans National Museum of History. Horace Watkins testing his monoplane in 1908 Many of the buildings in St Fagans are part of the national collection - meaning they have the same legal status as one of our masterpiece Monets or this coin hoard. The buildings are dismantled, moved, rebuilt - and cared for using traditional techniques, by the museum's legendary Historic Buildings Unit. The Oldest The oldest human remains ever discovered in Wales These teeth belonged to an eight year-old Neanderthal boy - and at 230,000 years old, they are the oldest human remains in Wales. They were discovered in a cave near Cefn Meiriadog in Denbighshire, along with a trove of other prehistoric finds, including stone tools and the remains of a bear, a lion, a leopard and a rhinocerous tooth. These teeth are among some of the incredible objects on display at St Fagans National Museum of History The Shiniest People in Wales have been making, trading and wearing beautiful treasures from gold for thousands of years - like this Bronze Age hair ornament and this extremely blingy Medieval signet. At around 4000 years old, this sun disc is one of the earliest and rarest examples of Welsh bling One of the earliest examples of Welsh bling is this so-called 'sun disc', found near Cwmystwyth in Ceredigion. Current research suggests that these 'sun discs' were part of ancient funeral practice, most likely sewn onto the clothes of the dead before their funerals. Only six have ever been found in the UK. Most Controversial At first glance, an ordinary Chapel tea service - used by congregations as they enjoyed a 'paned o de' after a service. A closer look reveals the words - 'Capel Celyn'. The chapel, its graveyard and surrounding village are now under water. Capel Celyn, in the Tryweryn Valley, is now underwater Flooded in 1965 by the Liverpool Corporation, the Tryweryn valley became a flashpoint for Welsh political activism - creating a new generation of campaigners who pushed for change in how Welsh communities were treated by government and corporations. Curators from St Fagans collected these as an example of life in Capel Celyn - to serve as a poignant reminder of a displaced community, and to commemorate one of the most politically charged moments of the 20th century in Wales. Honourable Mention: an Airplane made from a Dining Room Chair Made from a dining room chair, piano wire and a 40 horsepower engine, the Robin Goch (Red Robin) was built in 1909 - and also features a fuel gauge made from an egg timer. The Robin Goch (Red Robin) on display at the National Waterfront Museum Its builder, Horace Watkins, was the son of a Cardiff printer - here he is pictured with an earlier, even more rickety version of his famous monoplane. Horace Watkins testing his monoplane in 1908 Our collections are full of stories which reflect Wales' unique character and history. The Robin Goch is one of the treasures of the collection, and is an example of Welsh ingenuity at its best. Half a Million Searchable Items The launch of Collections Online uncovers half a million records, which are now searchable online for the first time. “Collections Online represents a huge milestone in our work, to bring more of our collections online and to reach the widest possible audience. It’s also just the beginning. It’s exciting to think how people in Wales and beyond will explore these objects, form connections, build stories around them, and add to our store of knowledge." – Chris Owen, Web Manager Search Collections Online Plans for the future Our next project will be to work through these 500,000 records, adding information and images as we go. We'll be measuring how people use the collections, to see which objects provoke debate or are popular with our visitors. That way, we can work out what items to photograph next, or which items to consider for display in our seven national museums. Preparing and photographing the collections can take time, as some items are very fragile and sensitive to light. If you would like to support us as we bring the nation's collections online, please donate today - every donation counts. Donate Today We are incredibly grateful to the People's Postcode Lottery for their support in making this collection available online.
Wales and the World Wars: Kate Rowlands' Diaries 27 January 2017 The twitter account @DyddiadurKate shares entries from the diaries of Kate Rowlands, Sarnau. Over a century later, her entries from 1915 tell a story about life in Wales during the First World War. The diary was donated to the Museum in 1969, during a period when archive staff travelled to communities across Wales to record people telling their stories, in their own words. Kate Rowlands' 1915 diary is a rich and nuanced account of life in rural Wales during the Great War. It gives us glimpses into everyday tasks, the names of fields and farms, local characters, dialects, as well chapel and farm life. The diary is reproduced in Welsh, exactly as it was written, on twitter. You can read more about the personal stories we've uncovered about the First World War on the museum blog. Tweets by DyddiadurKate More about the Diary The Author Kate Rowlands' diary from 1915 was donated to the Museum in 1969. She also recorded a number of Oral History recordings with curators from the Museum, all of which add to our understanding of her life in rural North Wales, in the early to mid twentieth-century. She was born in Brymbo, near Wrexham, in 1892. Her mother, Alice Jane, was originally from Hendre, Cefnddwysarn, and nine months after Kate was born, both mother and daughter returned to this area, following the sudden death of Kate's father from an illness sustained working in the steel industry. Her mother's family had a great influence on her upbringing - in one oral history interview with the Museum, Kate states that "y nhw oedd y canllawie gathon ni gychwyn arnyn nhw" - "they were the ones who guided us as we got started in life". Homework to farm work Kate's mother remarried with Ellis Roberts Ellis, who is also mentioned in the diary. In 1897, when Kate was five years old, the family moved to a small farm near Llantisilio, Llangollen, and then to Tyhen, Sarnau - the location of the diary. An only child, she left school at fourteen to help her parents with work on the farm. "My parents lost their health to an extent. That really went across my going ahead with my education. I had to be home, you see... A bit of everything, jack of all trade. I had to help a lot with horses and things like that. Heating up the big oven to cook bread, and churning when it was called for, two times a week or so." Oral History Kate Rowlands donated her diary after being interviewed in 1969. Due to the tireless work of St Fagans' early curators, the archive now holds a rich collection of items, documents and recordings relating to women's history, especially women living and working in rural communities. Kate also donated her 1946 diary to the Museum. This volume is also available online on twitter. Read more about Welsh Women's History. Kate Rowlands - Early life (Welsh recording) Kate Rowlands - Week on the Farm (Welsh recording) Kate Rowlands - Playing Steddfod and Leaving School (Welsh recording) You can download an electronic version of the diary here: Dyddiadur Kate E-book (PDF) PLEASE NOTE: The diary is in Welsh
The Letter in the Lamp: The South Wales Coal-Miners’ Hunger March Ceri Thompson, 15 July 2016 During the early part of 2016 Big Pit received the donation of a Cambrian type flame safety lamp and a framed letter. The Letter The letter, was found tucked into the bonnet of the lamp by the donor, dated 10th January 1928, and addressed to Mr J. Hawes – a relative of the donor – and signed by D. Lloyd Davies of Maerdy, Rhondda. In it, Mr Lloyd Davies apologises for the delay in sending a miner’s lamp to Mr Hawes because he was looking for one ‘of equal historical distinction for our friend the coroner’. The letter describes the lamp, which was ready to be sent to Mr Hawes, as ‘one of the few that was recovered from the terrible Cilfynydd Explosion (June 1894)’. The letter goes on to say ‘that things continue very black in this Rhondda area and will confess that the last was the blackest Christmas I’ve ever spent.’ The letter’s recipient, James Hawes, had funeral businesses in at least four locations in London. I knew that a David ‘Dai’ Lloyd Davies was an official of the Maerdy Colliery Lodge of the South Wales Miners’ Federation around this time. Although it isn’t mentioned in the letter, the connection between the two gentlemen appears to be the 1927 Welsh Hunger March, when 270 unemployed south Wales miners marched to London. David ‘Dai’ Lloyd Davies had taken a leading part in that march. The letter dated 10th January 1928, addressed to Mr J. Hawes and signed by D. Lloyd Davies of Maerdy, Rhondda. The 1927 Hunger March Among the aims of the 1927 Hunger March from south Wales was to draw attention to the plight of the unemployed in the coalfield and to the continuous closing of mines which was adding even further unemployment and poverty. Many unemployed miners volunteered to march but the men actually recruited were drawn from those who had been denied Labour Exchange benefit and Poor Law relief. In order to give each man sufficient clothing and stout boots, the collection of money and clothes was organised in the mining villages. Every marcher was to carry a lit miner’s lamp. The march began from Maerdy at the top of Rhondda Fach on 8th March 1927 and reached London less than a fortnight later, on the 20th. They had marched through many towns and villages including Bristol, Bath and Swindon were greeted by crowds of sympathisers along the way. At the end of the march, thousands gathered in pouring rain, as a huge demonstration took place in Trafalgar Square to express solidarity with the unemployed miners. Unfortunately two of the miners died during the march. Mr Arthur Howe of Trealaw died in a traffic accident and Mr John Supple of Tonyrefail died of pneumonia which he contracted during the rain soaked rally in Trafalgar Square. The lamp’s former owner, Mr Hawes was an undertaker, and a coroner is mentioned in the letter: it appears that they must have assisted the marchers during these tragic events. Wal Hannington, a leader in the National Unemployed Workers Movement at the time, described the bodies being sent back to south Wales in his memoirs ‘Unemployed Struggles, 1919-1936’, (EP Publishing, 1973) ‘In the funeral procession which marched through London the coffins were covered with the red flag of the workers and on each stood an unlighted miner’s lamp. The silent march to Paddington Station was most impressive; thousands on that great station stood hushed in silence as the marchers bore the bodies of their dead comrades to the van of the train.’ Mr Hawes did eventually receive his lamp and the donor remembers him treasuring it all his life. The Lamp Cambrian type flame safety lamp. The Albion Colliery, Cilfynydd, explosion occurred on the 23rd June 1894. It was estimated that over 290 men and boys died (no record of who was working underground had been kept), very few escaped and, of those that did, most died of their injuries. A large number of the killed were from North and West Wales and were lodging in the village while working to raise enough money to bring their families to Cilfynydd. Another large section of the workforce had come there from Mountain Ash and had followed the manager of Albion, Mr Philip Jones, who was from that area. Albion was the second biggest mining disaster in Wales after the Universal Colliery, Senghenydd, explosion which killed 439 men and boys. The lamp itself is a Cambrian type flame safety lamp, consistent with the type used in Albion Colliery, Cilfynydd at the time of the disaster. It appears that the Albion miners purchased their own lamps at that time, rather than their being supplied by the company and, in spite of the rule that the men were not to take their lamps home, many seem to have ignored that order. The only markings on the lamp are ‘A 10C3’ stamped at the top of the oil vessel, and the same on an attached plate to the right of the lead plug lock. In spite of this, it seems unlikely that we will ever know who actually owned this lamp. The lamp has damage to the top of the bonnet, which has surface rust, and a large crack down the glass, it cannot be determined whether these were caused during the disaster or later. Apart from this damage, the lamp is complete and in good condition. The mystery here is where Mr Lloyd Davies obtained the lamp. It is probable that the lamps of those killed were salvaged from the workings and brought up to the surface after the disaster. On the other hand, because these lamps were owned by the miners, perhaps the lamp was returned to the family. However, where this particular one was kept between 1894 and 1928, and how Mr Lloyd Davies obtained it, is a mystery.
The Great War: Britain’s Efforts and Ideals 2 August 2014 The most ambitious print project of the First World WarThis exhibition presents the complete print series, The Great War: Britain’s Efforts and Ideals. These sixty-six prints were produced by the British government in 1917 as artistic propaganda with the aim of encouraging a war-weary public and raising support for the war effort.Eighteen artists contributed to the series, including Augustus John, George Clausen and Frank Brangwyn – some of the most celebrated artists of the time.As a government commission, the artists did not have full artistic freedom. They were given their subjects and each image had to pass censorship regulations.The prints are divided into two sets of portfolios, ‘Ideals’ and ‘Efforts’. The ‘Ideals’ address the question of why Britain was at war and what it aimed to achieve. These images are dramatic and symbolic, such as The Freedom of the Seas and The Triumph of Democracy. The ‘Efforts’ illustrate some of the activities of the war effort, the means by which Britain was to achieve the ‘Ideals’. The Efforts are separated into nine subject headings, each depicting a different activity or theme.Producing and ExhibitingThese prints were commissioned by Wellington House, a government department secretly set up to produce propaganda. The project was managed by the artist Thomas Derrick (1885–1954), and the printing carried out under the direction of the artist and contributor F. Ernest Jackson (1872–1945). The printer was Avenue Press, London.The contributing artists were paid well, each receiving £210 (about £10,000 today) with the possibility of further royalties from sales. The prints were a limited edition of two hundred. The ‘Efforts’ were sold for £2 2s 0d (£100) each and the ‘Ideals’ for £10 10s 0d (£500).As a government commission, the artists did not have full artistic freedom. They were given their subjects and each image had to pass censorship regulations.The series was first exhibited at the Fine Art Society, London in July 1917, followed by regional art galleries around Britain. It was also shown in France and in America, where the majority of the portfolios were sent to be exhibited and sold.Contemporary Reaction to Prints“The very soul of the war is to be read in the set of sixty-six brilliant lithographs.” (The Illustrated London News, 1917)These prints were commissioned as propaganda with the specific aim of raising civilian morale and manipulating public opinion towards the First World War in Britain and abroad. In 1917, after three years of hard fighting and unprecedented loss of life, the government needed a new way to maintain public support for the war. These prints were designed to remind people of the aims and objectives, and emphasise the importance of patriotic duty.It is hard to know whether the prints were successful as propaganda. They were widely published when first exhibited in 1917. Some journalists supported the message, “To see these lithographs is a patriotic as well as an artistic duty” (Burton Daily Mail, Feb 15, 1918). Others were not so positive, “their efforts are in almost every instance sincere; yet the result is, on the whole, meagre and unsatisfying.” (The Daily Telegraph, 20 July 1917). In America, the reaction initially seemed positive, ‘they have been a revelation to American Fifth Avenue art patrons, dealer, critics…They put up British prestige’. However, prints sales there did not meet expectations and a loss was made on the project as a whole.Lithography and the Senefelder Club‘The most brilliant of the younger men are all now making remarkable lithographs…there is a genuine renaissance of the art’ (Joseph Pennell, 1914)Lithography is a printing technique based on the principle that oil and water do not mix. An artist draws an image onto a smooth surface, traditionally a limestone, with a greasy material. Ink is then rolled onto the surface, it is attracted to the drawing, but repelled by the dampened un-drawn areas. Paper is laid down on the stone and run through a press. Different effects can be achieved using different greasy materials to draw. These can imitate a chalk or pencil drawing or even watercolour. Many of these prints were produced using a ‘transfer’ method, where a drawing made on special paper is transferred to the stone, rather than working on it directly. For colour lithographs, the artist begins with the design on a key-stone using one colour. Any further colours require a different stone, inked up and printed one on top of another.Many of the contributing artists were members of the Senefelder club, a small club set up in 1908 to encourage and revive artistic lithography. It was named after the 18th century German inventor of the process. This portfolio was produced at a time of a revival of interest in the artistic opportunities of lithography. Ideals The Freedom of the Seas - Frank Brangwyn The Reign of Justice - Edmund J. Sullivan The Rebirth of the Arts - Charles Shannon The Triumph of Democracy - William Rothenstein Italia Redenta - Charles Ricketts The End of War - Sir William Nicholson The Restoration of Serbia - Gerald Moira United Defence Against Aggression (England and France, 1914) - F. Ernest Jackson The Restoration of Alsace-Lorraine to France - Maurice Greiffenhagen Poland a Nation - Edmund Dulac The Reconstruction of Belgium - George Clausen The Dawn - Augustus John “To lose sight of Britain's ultimate ideals of freedom and democratic justice is to reduce the present war to nothing less than a carnival of carnage” (Burton Daily Mail, Feb 15, 1918)Twelve artists each contributed a large colour lithograph to this section. Some of the artists, including Brangwyn and F. Ernest Jackson, were accomplished lithographers, whilst for others, such as Clausen and Grieffenhagen, it was the first time that they had used the technique.The Ideals express the aims and ambitions of the war through use of allegory and symbolism. Allegory is a traditional form of representation in art in which historical or mythological figures are used to communicate broader ideas and concepts. In Ideals, the message and meaning of the composition is referenced by the title of each work. Countries and concepts are represented as figures and forms. Although allegorical representation had been out of artistic fashion for some time when these prints were made, it was used here as a propaganda tool to emphasise the importance of the objectives. Through grandiose associations, the prints aimed to justify the means and realities of the war for ordinary people.Although many people praised the project, The Ideals received some criticism for their idealistic portrayal of war. Making Soldiers Bringing in Prisoners - Eric Kennington Over the Top - Eric Kennington Into the Trenches - Eric Kennington Ready for Service - Eric Kennington The Gas Mask - Eric Kennington Bayonet Practice - Eric Kennington Showing soldiers in training and at the Front, one journalist described these prints as capturing ‘the spirit of our new, young army’. Kennington was probably chosen for this subject as he had himself enlisted with the 13th (Kensington) Battalion London Regiment and fought on the Western Front, France, 1914-1915. He was wounded and discharged as unfit in 1915. These prints do not attempt to depict the horror and tragedy of war; as in most of his war art, Kennington instead champions the common soldier.Kennington was born in Chelsea, London, the son of a well-known portrait artist. He studied at St Paul’s Art School, the Lambeth School of Art and the City and Guilds School. He was appointed an official war artist from 1917-1919 and again in 1940-1943, painting portraits of sailors and airmen. Making Sailors Youthful Ambition - Frank Brangwyn The Gun - Frank Brangwyn The Look-out - Frank Brangwyn Going Abroad - Frank Brangwyn Boat-drill - Frank Brangwyn Duff - Frank Brangwyn Brangwyn’s subject reflects his interest in the sea. In many of his prints he has exploited the particular quality of lithography that enables artists to create prints similar to sketches and drawings. Brangwyn was deeply affected by the destruction and loss of life in the war, particularly in Belgium, where he had been born. He was never appointed an official war artist, but produced many further lithographs to support various charities.Brangwyn was born in Bruges to an Anglo-Welsh father and Welsh mother from Brecon. The family moved back to Britain and by the age of fifteen Brangwyn was studying under designer and socialist William Morris. As he became successful as a painter, etcher and lithographer, Brangwyn began to travel widely across the world. He had an international reputation at the time of undertaking this commission and was a member of the Senefelder Club, which promoted the medium of lithography. Making Guns Lifting an Inner Tube - George Clausen The Radial Crane - George Clausen Turning a Big Gun - George Clausen The Great Hammer - George Clausen The Furnace - George Clausen Where the Guns are made - George Clausen Clausen researched this set of prints at the Royal Gun Factory, Woolwich Arsenal, London, which manufactured armaments, ammunition and explosives for the British Armed Forces. At its peak during the First World War it employed around 80,000 people and extended over 1,30 acres. Clausen was appointed an official war artist in 1917. As an older artist he did not go to the Front line, instead recording activities on the home front.Clausen was born in London to George Clausen Senior, a decorative painter of Danish descent. He attended the Royal College of Art and South Kensington art schools, then the Académie Julian in Paris. He was a founding member of the New English Art Club and was elected Professor of Painting at the Royal Academy in 1904. He was knighted in 1927. Building Ships Ready for Sea - Muirhead Bone A fitting-out basin - Muirhead Bone A workshop - Muirhead Bone A shipyard seen from a big crane - Muirhead Bone On the Stocks - Muirhead Bone A Ship-Yard - Muirhead Bone Muirhead Bone was the first appointed official war artist. As one of Britain’s leading draughtsmen, he was renowned for the almost photographic detail he achieved in his drawings. As well as recording the war on the Front, Bone spent time on the Clyde in Scotland, documenting shipbuilding. He sketched with a notebook strapped to his hand. These prints show different stages in the building, as well as views of the yard, one from the top of crane. One journalist wrote that his series, ‘delights in the intricacies of scaffolding and mechanical contrivances’. These images were also published in a War Office publication, The Western Front, vol II, 1917.Bone was born in Glasgow and studied at Glasgow School of Art. He settled in London in 1901. He was an official war artist in 1916-1918, and the official Admiralty artist in 1939-1946. Bone was knighted in 1937. Building Aircraft Swooping down on a Taube - Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson Banking at 4,000 feet - Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson In the air - Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson Acetylene Welder - Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson Assembling Parts - Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson Making the Engine - Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson Nevinson’s prints were particularly admired when first exhibited. He ‘contrives to make the visitor almost giddy’, one critic wrote, another that he possessed ‘the power of expressing sensations rather than visual facts’.Nevinson studied lithography under Ernest Jackson in 1912. At the outbreak of war he volunteered as an ambulance driver, an experience which deeply affected him. He was appointed an official war artist in 1917. These prints follow the process of building aircraft from making parts to assembly and flight. Acetylene Welder and Assembling parts both show the growing contribution of women workers.Nevinson was born in London to the war correspondent and journalist Henry Nevinson. He studied at the Slade School and in Paris. He is one of the most renowned war artists of the period. His work was influenced by avant-garde European art movements such as Cubism and Futurism, yet slowly moved to a more realist style as he attempted to portray conflict. Work on the Land Threshing - William Rothenstein Timber-hauling - William Rothenstein Potato-planting - William Rothenstein Burning couch-grass - William Rothenstein Drilling - William Rothenstein Ploughing - William Rothenstein On 15th May 1917, Rothenstein wrote to Ernest Jackson, ‘I hope to have the 5th drawing finished early this week and the last next week. I will then come up to town and do what is needful to the stones’. He was not happy with some of his early work, writing, ‘somehow the lines seem poor and thin’. He decided to print some in a red/brown colour rather than black. These works are simple and understated, a contrast to the busyness and modernity of war shown in many of the other prints in the series. They take their cue from images of rural labour that characterised much landscape painting from the mid-nineteenth century onwards. They were probably drawn around Stroud, Gloucestershire, where Rothenstein was living.Rothenstein was born in Bradford of German-Jewish descent. He studied at the Slade School of art, London and the Académie Julian, Paris. As well as being appointed official war artist to the British Army 1917-1918, he was artist to the Canadian army in 1919. Between 1920 and 1935 he served as Principal of the Royal College of Art and in 1931 he was knighted. Tending the Wounded Casualty Clearing Station in France - Claude Shepperson Convalescence in England - Claude Shepperson In Hospital in England - Claude Shepperson Detraining in England - Claude Shepperson On Board a Hospital Transport - Claude Shepperson Advanced Dressing Station in France - Claude Shepperson These prints follow the journey of a wounded soldier from the Front Line, through treatment, to convalescence back at home. The organisers initially asked the artist Henry Tonks (1867-1937), a surgeon before becoming an artist, to respond to the work of the medical services. However, Tonks found the paper supplied ‘entirely unsympathetic’for drawing and declined. Shepperson was later commissioned for the subject and produced a very well received series.Shepperson was born in Beckenham, Kent, and was a successful water-colourist, pen and ink artist, illustrator and lithographer. Having given up law he studied art in Paris and London. He is well-known for his humorous drawings contributed to the Punch magazine between 1905 and 1920. Women's work On Munitions: Skilled Work - A. S. Hartrick On Munitions: Heavy work (Drilling and casting) - A. S. Hartrick On Munitions: Dangerous Work (Packing T.N.T) - A. S. Hartrick On the Railways: Engine and Carriage Cleaners - A. S. Hartrick In the Towns: A bus conductress - A. S. Hartrick On the Land: Ploughing - A. S. Hartrick These prints record the vital contribution made by women as part of the war effort. When more men were required for fighting in 1915, there was a call to women to 'do their bit'. In taking on jobs in areas traditionally reserved for men the female workforce raised levels of production both in factories and fields. Although much of the work was both arduous and dangerous, the war allowed many women an unprecedented degree of freedom, and an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities in previously male-dominated spheres. Hartrick was sent to make studies on the spot, and many of the compositions seem deliberately posed - as propaganda images they give no indication of the hardships and hazards that women faced on a daily basis.The artist and illustrator Hartrick was born in India and brought up in Scotland. He first studied medicine, before attending the Slade School in London, and art schools in Paris, exhibiting in the 1887 Paris Salon. In 1909 he became a founding member of the Senefelder Club. He also turned to teaching the method, writing an instruction book on Lithography As A Fine Art in 1932. Transport by Sea The Place of Safety - Charles Pears Maintaining Forces Overseas - Charles Pears Transporting Troops - Charles Pears Supplying the Navy - Charles Pears Maintaining Export Trade - Charles Pears Maintaining Food Supplies - Charles Pears The merchant navy undertook vital tasks during the war, supporting naval ships, transporting troops and carrying essential supplies. It was dangerous work and the fleet suffered great losses. Pears’ images capture the ships in great detail.Pears was born in Pontefract, Yorkshire and, although he worked as a successful illustrator and lithographer, is best known for his marine paintings. During the First World War Pears was a commissioned officer in the Royal Marines, and worked as an official naval artist from 1914-1918, and again in 1940. Throughout his career he was also a popular poster designer, creating works for organisations including the London Underground.ConservationEach of the works has been treated in the Paper Conservation studio at Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. Since their arrival at the Museum in 1919, the prints had been stored in their original mounts and folders for almost 100 years.Many of the prints were foxed (reddish-brown spots) and dirty. This is a sign that the paper is in poor condition and without treatment, would continue to deteriorate.Funding was sought to appoint a trainee Paper conservator to work on this project for five months. All the works were washed, pressed, repaired and re-mounted. They are now in the best possible condition and the new mounts provide excellent storage conditions. This conservation will ensure that they will be preserved for generations to come.Research has also been carried out on the type of paper used for the prints. From the watermark ‘HOLBEIN’ we have discovered that the paper was made by Spalding and Hodge, a paper merchant and manufacturer whose paper mills were located in Kent.
The 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay Dr Emma Lile, 21 May 2014 The 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Queen’s Relay baton. The Queen’s message, signed ‘Elizabeth R’, dated 14 July 1958, and sent from Buckingham Palace to Cardiff via the baton relay. By Gracious Permission of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The route of the Queen’s message relay in 1958. (© Commonwealth Games Federation) Who would have thought that the exciting, colourful and internationally renowned Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay actually started its life in Wales? Signifying a visual celebration of the unity and diversity of all the Commonwealth nations, and highlighting sport’s ability to join people of all races, this much-anticipated event has now become a familiar and popular prelude to the Games’ grand opening. Having begun as the Empire Games in 1930, the Commonwealth Games has always been proud to follow the Olympic ideal of friendship, solidarity and fair play, and endeavours to promote good relations between the Commonwealth countries. The British Empire and Commonwealth Games, as they were known in 1958 when held in Cardiff between 18 and 26 July, were the first to stage the Queen’s Baton Relay, intended to symbolise peace and harmony through sports participation. In a fitting tribute to the capital city’s success as host, the Cardiff baton will form part of this year’s ceremony when the 2014 Glasgow equivalent arrives in Wales on 24 May to begin its seven-day journey around the country. The baton Although its origins remain unclear, it is believed that the idea for a Commonwealth baton relay was conceived during the late 1950s by the Games Organising Committee. Appointed as the event’s Honorary Organiser was retired Royal Navy officer, Commander Bill Collins, who had previously coordinated the London Olympic Torch Relay in 1948. For the Cardiff relay Collins was ably assisted by a team of local organisers, selected by athletic associations from all counties through which the running route passed. The 1958 silver-gilt and enamel baton was designed by Cardiff jeweller and former soldier, Colonel Roy Crouch, Chairman of the Games’ Medals Committee. Measuring 40cm in length and 4cm in diameter, it was decorated with Welsh national symbols, namely a red dragon, daffodils and leeks, along with crowns representing the royal connection. ‘VI British Empire and Commonwealth Games, Wales 1958’ was inscribed on the hollow tubular baton, which was manufactured by Turner and Simpson, silversmiths, of Birmingham. The 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Queen’s Relay baton. The first baton relay Dr Roger Bannister, then holder of the Empire Games mile record, leaving Buckingham Palace carrying the baton at the start of the relay. He is accompanied by fellow Games champions Chris Chataway (left) and Peter Driver. (© Commonwealth Games Federation) On 14 July 1958, the baton relay set off from the forecourt of London’s Buckingham Palace, the residence of Queen Elizabeth, Head of the Commonwealth, before travelling through several English counties and all thirteen Welsh on its journey to Cardiff. Unfortunately, owing to illness, the Queen was unable to hand her message to the opening runners, namely Dr Roger Bannister, the first sub-four-minute miler, escorted by fellow 1954 Games champions Chris Chataway and Peter Driver. Her place was taken by the relay organiser, Commander Collins, who placed the message inside the baton; a cap on one end being secured by a spring catch, thus avoiding the need for a key. In order to prevent damaging the baton en route, the message was transferred to a metal replica version following the relay’s second stage, which, for security reasons, was fitted with a lock. The ceremonial silver baton then resumed its duties on the final changeover, carried, message safely inside, by the last runner. A total of 664 athletes, including 32 schoolboys, were involved in the relay, which covered more than 600 miles over almost four days. According to The Story of the Sixth British Empire and Commonwealth Games by Clive Williams (2008): One runner from each club, service unit and school in each county was given a stage to run. The seniors ran two-mile legs while the juniors ran a mile. The run continued day and night, seniors being used in dense traffic conditions and, where possible from midnight to 6.00am. In the north the message passed through Llangollen, Wrexham, Flint, Llandudno and Caernarfon before heading south down the west coast through Dolgellau, Aberystwyth, Cardigan and Haverfordwest. To satisfy the needs of the more heavily populated south the relay wound around the coast from Carmarthen, Llanelli, Swansea and Bridgend before it covered the valleys of the south through Aberdare, Brynmawr, Abergavenny, and Newport then on to Cardiff. An official car followed directly behind the runner throughout to protect him from unofficial cycle or motor car escorts, to light the road at night, and to enable the section organisers to keep the time-table correct. Speeds varied as necessary from 6.5 to 7.5 minutes to the mile, thus ensuring that there was no idea of a race and to allow spectators to be shown the baton at take-over points. Ken Jones, former Wales rugby player and Olympic athlete, presenting the baton to the Duke of Edinburgh at the opening ceremony at Cardiff Arms Park. (© Commonwealth Games Federation) The opening ceremony 'A Quick Laugh' by Geoffrey Evans, Western Mail, 18 July 1958. Reproduced by kind permission of the National Library of Wales Following a trumpet fanfare and six-gun salute, on Friday 18 July at 6.33pm, the final leg runner entered the Arms Park stadium to complete the relay. This athlete’s identity was a closely guarded secret and rapturous applause rang out from the 40,000 or so spectators when he was revealed as former Wales rugby player and Olympic silver sprint relay medallist, 36-year-old Ken Jones of Newport. Donning a red vest complete with Welsh badge and white shorts, Jones appeared in the competitors’ entrance before running once around the cinder track, holding the baton aloft. He then stopped in front of the Duke of Edinburgh, the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, and handed him the baton accompanied by the light-hearted remark of ‘Nice pass Ken’ by a member of the crowd, in recognition of Jones’s prestigious rugby career. The Duke proceeded to read the Queen’s message to the excited crowd: To all athletes assembled at Cardiff for the 6th British Empire and Commonwealth Games I send a warm welcome and my very best wishes. I am delighted that so many Commonwealth countries have sent teams to Wales for these Games. The number is larger than ever and more than three times as great as for the first meeting at Hamilton in 1930. This is welcome proof of the increasing value which is being placed today on physical strength and skill as an essential factor in the development of the whole man, healthy in mind and body. It also gives the greatest personal pleasure to know that so many members of the Commonwealth family are meeting in friendly rivalry and competition. I hope that many lasting friendships will grow from this great meeting of athletes and spectators, and that you will all go home with a better understanding of the value of our Commonwealth of nations. I am greatly looking forward to being with you at the end of next week. The much-anticipated Games were then officially opened, as Cardiff welcomed 35 nations and 1,122 athletes to compete in the sports of athletics, boxing, cycling, fencing, bowls, rowing, swimming and diving, weightlifting and wrestling. In addition to the use of Cardiff Arms Park for the opening and closing ceremonies and the athletics events, other venues included Cardiff’s Wales Empire pool, built especially to host the swimming, Sophia Gardens for the boxing bouts, Maindy Stadium the cycling and Llyn Padarn, Llanberis the rowing. Wales’s sole gold medal was won by bantamweight boxer Howard Winstone, although the home nation did also collect three silvers and seven bronze. The closing ceremony and beyond Following a Games widely considered an outstanding success, the closing ceremony on 26 July proved to be an historic occasion. Although continued illness prevented the Queen from attending in person, a recorded message was played to the crowd in which she announced: ‘I intend to create my son Charles, Prince of Wales today. When he is grown up, I will present him to you at Caernarfon.’ Despite being the smallest ever host nation, Wales’s superbly organised sporting spectacle did the country proud and was recognised at the time as a magnificent occasion which celebrated the cream of athletic strength and stamina on a global stage. On the culmination of the 1958 Games the Queen’s relay baton was offered by the Organising Committee to the National Museum of Wales, at the wish of Queen Elizabeth. It has been housed in the Art Department ever since, along with the accompanying royal message, and represents an enduring visual testament to an unforgettable and momentous festival of sport. Thanks to Chris Jenkins, Chief Executive, Commonwealth Games Council for Wales, and Clare Ewing, Events Officer, Sport Wales, for their kind assistance.
