Llys Llywelyn - brace yourself! Dafydd Wiliam, 21 August 2017 In a matter of days the Carpenters' Fellowship will be at St Fagans ready to erect the timber frame that will sit within the great hall of Llys Llywelyn - our latest development. During the 12th and 13th centuries a small number of these high status aisled-halls were built, and by now an even smaller number survive. The best example is the Bishop's Palace in Hereford where a number of substantial oak posts survive, as well as an impressive semi-circular arch, or brace. For more information, visit:https://museum.wales/stfagans/buildings/llys-llywellyn/https://museum.wales/blog/2015-11-09/The-Bishops-Palace-Hereford/The oak posts for our hall are 300mm (12") thick at their base, and taper towards their tops - as trees naturally do. However, they are easily dwarfed by the posts of another surviving aisled hall, that of Leicester Castle. These were 700mm (28") thick when it was built in 1151. Timbers of this magnitude, and especially those that formed the semi-circular arches have always been hard to come by. The use of such scarce building materials strongly suggests the high status of the owners. Stone arcading (the term for a series of posts linked by arches) are still a common sight within churches and cathedrals, but wooden ones - like the ones soon to be seen at Llys Llywelyn, may have predated these, and could have been the originators of this style.From Saturday 26th August The Carpenters' Fellowship will be at St Fagans demonstrating their craft, before begining to erect the timber frame. Why not come and see? For more information, visit:https://museum.wales/stfagans/whatson/9511/Frame---Carpenters-Fellowship/
Shells, Prosthetics and 3D Printing: A Visit to the Mollusca collection at National Museum Cardiff Guest blog by Matthew Day, 15 August 2017 I am an artist, studying for an MA degree in contemporary design craft, specifically the sculptural potential of prosthetic limbs. My visit to the Mollusca collection occurred after I came across a blog about the interior structure of shells on the museum website, and I made the connection between the interior structure of shells and how 3-D printers work and correct form. On the blog there was a contact number for the Curator of Mollusca, so I contacted Harriet Wood, not knowing what to expect in response. Internal structure of 3D printed object © Matthew Day 2017 Looking inside shells - shell sections When I explained my work on prosthetics to Harriet, and the connections with the interior structure of shells and 3-D printing she seemed very excited and invited me to come down, and also offered to introduce me to the person who runs a photography lab who uses 3-D printing and scanning for the museum.Going Behind the ScenesI could not have imagined it could have gone as well as it did. I met Harriet at the information desk of the museum and we then headed behind-the-scenes, where the collection is kept. Walking around the museum to get out back was really nice and modern. It reminded me of an academic journal I read not long before my visit, from the International Journal of the Inclusive Museum: ‘How Digital Artist Engagement Can Function as an Open Innovation Model to Facilitate Audience Encounters with Museum Collections’ in the by Sarah Younan and Haitham Eid. 3D printed, fabric dyed prosthetic sculptural socket, inspired by the Mollusca collections at National Museum Cardiff © Matthew Day 2017 Behind the scenes at the museum was quite a special environment - generally the general public are not allowed access unless arranged. It was a great privilege to be walking through rooms and rooms full of shells that people over the years have discovered and appreciated for their beauty. What was really fascinating was how the shells had been cut so perfectly. The cut shells looked almost as if this was their natural state – the way they were cut blended in so well with the form of the shell. This is what I wanted to see. Shell sections at National Museum Cardiff © Matthew Day 2017 I was speechless when I saw these collections of shells – especially seeing that part we’re not supposed to see. It was really exciting to see interior structure revealed by the cut, as it added a whole new value to the shells. They really reminded me of work by the the sculptor Barbara Hepworth, whose work I really admire. © Matthew Day 2017 We see shells all the time on beaches and they just fascinate me, especially the broken ones which reveal part of the interior. It’s a very imperfect break, very different to the quality of the shell which has been sliced purposely to reveal what is inside. A natural object sculpted by man: I feel that this is what I am drawn to.3D Scanning: Art and ScienceBefore examining the shells myself, Harriet offered to take me down to see Jim Turner, where we ended up spending most of my visit because what he did was just very interesting. Jim works in a lab which uses a photography process called “z-Stacking” (or extended depth of field – EDF) which is used extensively in macro photography and photo microscopy.Jim is also creating an archive of 3D scanned objects for the museum website, where people can interact with scanned objects using VR headsets - bringing a whole new experience to the museum.I understood what he was doing immediately from my own work. He explained the process and I understood the technicalities. It was a real pleasure to speak to someone who is using 3-D scanning in a different way to me. Jim is using 3D scanning in a way that was described within academic texts I had read - and even though he wasn’t doing anything creative with shells, he was still putting the objects into a context where people could interact with them using digital technology such as VR headsets, and on the web via sketchfab.'Like being on a beach...'When we got back to the Mollusca Collection I was able to take my own time and was under no pressure - so I got to have a good look and explored the shells. It was like being on a beach spending hours of exploring all wonderful natural objects. © Matthew Day 2017 This visit had an amazing impact on my MA project - and I cannot thank Harriet and Jim enough for their time. This visit also gave me the confidence to approach other museums, such as Worcester Medical Museum, where I worked with a prosthetic socket from their collection. I 3D scanned the socket and, with the inspiration from Harriet’s collection of Mollusca, I created a selection of Sculptural Prosthetic sockets, drawing inspiration from the internal structures of shells, and illustrating sections of the shells that I was most drawn to. 'A sculpture in its own right': my collection of sculptural prosthetics Prototype conceptual prosthetic sock sculpture inspired by National Museum Cardiff's Mollusca collection © Matthew Day 2017 Prototype prosthetic sock sculpture inspired by National Museum Cardiff's Mollusca collection © Matthew Day 2017 3D printed, fabric dyed prosthetic sculptural socket, inspired by the Mollusca collections at National Museum Cardiff © Matthew Day 2017 3D printed, fabric dyed prosthetic sculptural socket, inspired by the Mollusca collections at National Museum Cardiff © Matthew Day 2017 What’s next?My MA is now reaching a climax, and I am starting the final major project module after the summer, which I am very excited about.For the final part of my studies, I want to take all that I have explored and incorporated into my research to date, and use it to create a concept prosthetic limb which would be wearable, but also a sculpture in its own right – work which is now on track. Concept design of prosthetic sculptural leg, inspired by the Mollusca collections at National Museum Cardiff © Matthew Day 2017 I aim to create a really spectacular prosthetic limb using 3D printing, further incorporating the shell-inspired aesthetics you see in this blog.More of my work can be found on my website: Matthew Day Sculpture
16th century books in the Willoughby Gardner Library Kristine Chapman, 14 August 2017 Pierre Belon - L’histoire de la nature des oyseaux (1555) In 1953 Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales received the donation of a significant collection of over 300 natural history books, early and modern, from Dr Willoughby Gardner of Deganwy, north Wales. Dr Gardner was born in Cheshire in 1860, but ill health forced him to take early retirement. He went to live in Deganwy in the early 1900s, where he was able to dedicate his time to pursuing his interests, which spanned archaeology, entomology and numismatics. Because of these interests, he had a close relationship with the Museum, for example, he did a great deal of work on surveying hill forts in Wales, and a number of finds from those digs were donated to the Archaeology department. And a few years before his death he donated his collection of British Aculeate Hymenoptera to the Zoology department. However his donation of a substantial library of early natural history books, ranging from the 15th to the 18th centuries was by far his most generous bequest, and contains a number of rare treasures, especially those from the 16th century. Books from this period illustrate the widespread and confident use of printing since the invention of the movable type printing press in 1450 by Gutenberg revolutionised the industry. The innovation spread from Germany throughout the rest of Europe, and by 1500 the number of printer’s workshops had dramatically increased, and they had refined their processes enough to produce books in ever greater quantities. This allowed for an increased exchange of information and ideas that resulted in significant advances in the fields of natural history during the 16th century. Herbals While early subjects for printing tended toward reprints of works from classical antiquity, by the mid-16th century a much wider range of subjects were covered. Very popular at this time were herbals, guides to plants that primarily focused on their properties as medicinal aids. The plants were listed, along with full descriptions and details as to what illnesses they could cure. They were often written by leading physicians and were aimed at the layman rather than the scholar. The descriptions would often include illustrations of the plants, known as woodcuts. A woodcut is a form of relief printing that takes its name from the method of creation, a block of wood is carved away to reveal a raised design. This is inserted into the printing form alongside the text, inked up and printed as one. Afterwards the illustrations can be coloured by hand if required, although a book with coloured illustrations would have been much more expensive. The collection of herbals from the 16th century in the Willoughby Gardner collection covers many of the leading publications of the time, including works by Otto Brunfels, Leonhard Fuchs, and Hieronymous Bock, often known as the ‘Fathers of German Botany’. The Herbarum vivae eicones of Otto Brunfels was influential in that its drawings were primarily taken from life rather than copied from existing works, as was the standard practice of the time. They were also rendered as lifelike as possible instead of the more stylised designs which had been more common in German herbals. First published in 1530, the copy held in the Willoughby Gardner collection is a later volume from 1532. In 1539 Hieronymus Bock published a herbal in his native language, German, which was later translated into Latin and made more widely available. Willoughby Gardner had a copy of the Latin translation, called De stirpium maxime, published in 1552, with hand coloured illustrations. What makes his copy special, is that at some point someone has gone through and written the English names for some of the plants next to the illustrations. De historia stirpium by Leonhard Fuchs was published in 1542, the copy held in the Willoughby Gardner collection also has coloured illustrations, although sadly is incomplete as a section of pages from the middle of the book are missing. Also included in the collection is A niewe herball, or historie of plantes by Rembert Dodoens, an English translation of 1578 taken from an earlier French edition. Originally published in Flemish in 1554, with the French version soon after, many of the illustrations were based on those of Fuchs, although the text was original. Leonhard Fuchs - De historia stirpium (1542) Conrad Gesner - Historiae animalium (1551-58) Zoology As well as the herbals, there are a number of other significant books in the collection dating from the mid-16th century, although these focus more on the field of zoology. Works in this area include; Edward Wotton’s De differentiis animalium libri decem from 1552, a bibliography of the work of classical authors, he was considered to be the first naturalist to make a systematic study of natural history. Guillaume Rondelet’s Libri de piscibus marinis, from 1554. Rondelet was a physician and professor based at the University of Montpelier in the south of France. Libri de piscibus marinis is his most famous work, and covers the full range of aquatic animals as scholars of this period made no distinction between fish and sea mammals. The book was a standard reference for students for nearly a century afterwards. Pierre Belon’s L’histoire de la nature des oyseaux from 1555. Belon was a French explorer, naturalist, writer and diplomat who had been in a position to travel extensively throughout Europe and often recorded the wildlife he encountered in situ. Like many others of the Renaissance period, he studied and wrote on a range of topics including ornithology, botany, comparative anatomy, architecture and Egyptology. And, multiple copies of Conrad Gesner’s Historiae animalium a five volume work, the first four volumes covering quadrupeds, birds and fish was produced in 1551–1558, while the fifth volume on snakes was issued posthumously in 1587. It was Gesner’s intention that his great encyclopaedia should record all of known life both real and mythological, which is why sea monsters, manticores and unicorns are also covered! Gesner was a doctor and professor in Zurich, and unlike Belon he was not in a position to travel as much, relying instead on submissions from friends and colleagues across Europe. First hand observation was not always possible, and because Gesner had decided to include everything written on the animals he featured, he wasn’t always able to guarantee the accuracy of the information. But as he explained himself he: “[thought] it best to record everything that he has been able to meet with, in order that future specialists in the various branches of natural history should have everything placed before them and draw their own conclusions in each case”. Further reading Arber, Agnes. Herbals: their origin and evolution, 3rd edition. Cambridge University Press, 1986 Kenyon, John R. The Willoughby Gardner Library: a collection of early printed books on natural history. National museum of Wales, 1982 A version of this article was first featured in the Friends newsletter.
Hetty Edwards - Part Two Mel Taylor, 10 August 2017 The next step in my search for Hetty Edwards, was to contact Minny Street Welsh Congregational Church in Cardiff. Beth Jones, General Secretary of Minny Street Church, couldn’t have been more helpful. The church had information about both Gwenfron and Hetty, of which Beth very kindly sent me copies.The most interesting information came from a personal appreciation written by the Reverend Mair Griffiths which appeared in Yr Aelod, Cylchgrawn Eglwys Minny Street, Rhif 38, Hydref 1992. According to Reverend Griffiths, Hetty had been working in the National Library of Wales for a number of years before she came to the National Museum as Librarian. When appointed Hetty was the youngest Specialist Librarian in the land [Great Britain]. Hetty’s faith was very important to her. She became a member of Minny Street Church in 1931, when she moved to Cardiff from Aberystwyth. She taught in Sunday school and was church secretary from 1945-55 and joint secretary from 1956-9. Hetty was made Deaconess in 1943 and holds the title of the First Deaconess in the Congregationalist Church.Reverend Griffiths also wrote that Hetty expected a high standard in everything, both of herself and those who collaborated with her. ‘Dim ond y gorau oedd yn digon da’, ‘Only the best was good enough’.Hetty and Gwenfron were very close throughout their lives. Hetty was very grateful to Gwenfron’s family in Coedpoeth who had adopted her when, at the age of nine, Hetty lost her parents. Hetty died on the 29th August, 1991. She was 86 years old. A thanksgiving service was held at Minny Street Church on the 5th September 1991. Both Hetty and her sister Gwenfron had been residents at Woodlands Nursing Home, where they had both died peacefully within days of each other. Their ashes were buried in Coedpoeth Public Cemetery after a thanksgiving service for their life and works. Why Coedpoeth? Because this was where both Hetty and Gwenfron were born and raised. Together in life and death.Now I have a better idea of Hetty the person, my next challenge is to find out more on her career. Hetty is proving to be a very interesting woman. What will my search bring next?
Are you a terrible hoarder? Sarah Parsons, 4 August 2017 This is one of our fabulous, weird and wonderful stores at St Fagans National Museum of History. It’s chockablock full of objects. We’re still collecting new things, but we have to be very selective in what we take in. We just don’t have the space! Store at St Fagans National Museum of History You can come across all sorts of things in a social history store like this one, from grandfather clocks to prosthetic limbs. When a colleague of mine first went into this store and was told to ‘mind the mantrap’ she thought it was a joke. It turns out there really was a mantrap lurking at the end of a dark corridor!For a long time I’ve known that the majority of museum collections are hidden away in storage, that what you see in galleries is only a small portion, but I had no idea to what extent until I started working here. Of the 5 million objects we have across seven museums ranging from vintage motorcars, moon rock, world famous paintings, Iron Age slave chains, to a public urinal. How many objects are on display? Only 0.2% of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales’ collections are on display.So if there is a specific object you want to see at any of our museums, check that it’s on display first, and if it’s not, you can always make an appointment to view it. Thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we have had funding so we can enhance records and add images for you to view in Collections Online which will be up and running in the autumn. Keep an eye out for behind the scenes store tours with the curators and conservators who look after our collections, these can be really enlightening!We’re looking after the collections, on your behalf. We hope you enjoy exploring them as much as we do.
