Tour of San Francisco Museums Chris Owen, 10 April 2007 As part of our Museums and the Web conference, Chris and I had a tour of some of the museums of San Francisco. We visited the SF MoMA (Museum of Modern Art), the de Young Museum, and the Exploratorium.The SF MoMA had a concept similar to Oriel 1's (St Fagans' new Belonging exhibition) 'Read and Reveal' - these were called 'Learning Lounges', which included computer workstations (with a custom made user interface to access all online materials), books, and graphics on the walls and panels. Both Chris and myself liked the design of the Flash-based user interface.At the de Young Museum we had a chance to try out their PDA based tour developed by Antenna Audio. The interface was robust and easy to use. They also showed their digital signage system - which was a Flash display accessing the Museum's web-based CMS (Content Management System).Then finally we went to the Exploratorium, which was similar to Techniquest - but they had an array of web feeds and microsites within their massive 17,000 page (I think!) web site. The conference continues tomorrow with pre-conference workshops, and we are attending the blogging workshop presented by staff from the Walker Art Center, in Minneapolis which we are visiting next week.
Welsh Folk Dancing - Almost lost without trace 10 April 2007 Parti'r Gest, competitors in the 1955 National Eisteddfod 'Singing to the Harp and Dancing': Peter Roberts, The Cambrian Popular Antiquities of Wales (London, 1815) The tradition of Welsh folk dancing was almost wiped out a hundred years ago following years of disapproval by the Nonconformist faith. Today it enjoys a popular following once again, with over 20 groups nationwide and many youngsters enthusiastically taking up what nearly became a forgotten art. Folk Dancing in Wales Once, folk dancing was common throughout Wales. ‘Common folk’ gathered for open-air events and festivals, whilst the upper classes danced at balls and parties. Country dancing, performed outdoors during the warm summer months, was one of the highlights of seasonal festivities, providing a rare opportunity to escape daily routines and join in communal celebration. Increasing influence by Nonconformists in the 19th century caused attitudes towards traditional folk customs, including dance, to alter. Although not entirely responsible for the decline of Welsh folk dancing it certainly played a major role. Other factors were the decline of rural life during the Industrial Revolution and the advent of railway travel offering exciting new leisure activities further afield. The Nonconformists Emerging in Wales during the 1730s, Nonconformity gradually persuaded its followers to lead a more religious way of life, committed to the Christian message. Activities such as dancing, particularly mixed dancing involving close contact, were considered frivolous and corrupt and were condemned by Nonconformist ministers. Small wonder, therefore, that dancing topped a list of twelve sins compiled by Rhys Prydderch in Gemmeu Doethineb [Gems of Wisdom] (1714), ahead of other ‘depravities’ including marrying children. As a result of almost 200 years of constant Nonconformist disapproval, by the 20th century folk dancing had almost vanished in Wales. Gone were the traditional fairs and festivals, and in a changing society focused on industrial expansion the rural traditions of Wales and England were slowly being lost. Folk Dancing almost gone for good Realising that folk dances were about to disappear without trace, Cecil Sharp (founder of the English Folk Dance Society in 1911) urgently began writing down the movements of dances still remembered and passed from one generation to another. In Wales, Lois Blake, an Englishwoman who moved to Denbighshire in the 1930s did the same, and almost single-handedly rescued the remaining fragments of a once common Welsh tradition. Many instructive pamphlets were produced containing dance steps and music, allowing long-forgotten dances, such as the Lord of Caernarvon's Jig of 1652, the Llangadfan set of 1790 and the Llanover Reel, popular at Llanover Court until the late 19th century, to be at last unearthed and reprinted. Folk Dancing Revival Soon a new enthusiasm, strengthened by the introduction of folk dance onto the National Eisteddfod stage, and the local Twmpaths (barn dances) of the 1960s and ’70s, secured a firm foundation for the future of Welsh folk dancing. Since the Welsh Folk Dancing Society was established in 1949, folk dancing has enjoyed tremendous success both at home and abroad. Regular workshops, lectures and courses arranged by the society are always well attended, while dance events at the Eisteddfod continue to attract large audiences. Considering its unsettled past, Welsh folk dancing now seems to have a strong and promising future.
200 Years of Industrial Innovation at Ebbw Vale 10 April 2007 Abersychan Ironworks, 1866, run by the Ebbw Vale Co., 1852-83 Ebbw Vale blast furnaces, about 1900 Blast furnace Taphole, 1907 Steel works roughing mill, 1907 The Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Company In the mid-19th century the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Company was one of the largest iron producers in South Wales and was of international importance, not only in terms of size, but also for technical innovation. 100 years later, the works were the first in Britain to introduce American-style steel and tinplate production techniques and before the closure of the site at the turn of the millennium it was the largest producer of tinplate in Britain. 1790, the first Blast Furnace Industry at Ebbw Vale extends back to 1790 when the first blast furnace was established. From 1796 to 1844 it was owned by the Harford family who built it into a successful concern. It supplied rails for the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1829. At the same time, the company began experimenting with the use of locomotives, one of the first of the South Wales ironworks to do so. In 1848 the Ebbw Vale Company was formed and the works went from strength to strength, absorbing four other ironworks at Abersychan, Sirhowy and Pontypool. The first steel works in Britain The company experimented in changing over from wrought iron to steel in 1854, installing one of the first steel plants in Britain in 1866. The works declined in the 1870s and 1880s due to poor management, but the rapid expansion of the export coal trade kept the company afloat and saved the works from closure. 20th Century revival The iron and steel works was revived in the early 20th century which, combined with a booming market for Welsh steam coal, helped make the company the largest integrated iron and coal company in Wales. Closure and hardship By the early 1920s it was employing no fewer than 34,000 men. The company was increasing its debts to finance its expansion at a time when the steel and coal industries declined sharply. This ultimately led to the works' closure in 1929 and its collieries being sold off. Revival and expansion with Tinplate The great hardship and unemployment in the town caused the Government to site Britain's first steel stripmill at Ebbw Vale and the works were rebuilt in 1936-38 under the ownership of Richard Thomas & Company, Britain's largest tinplate manufacturer. The new works received a further boost in 1947 when Europe's first electrolytic tinplating line was installed. Largest tinplate producer on Britain Re organization in the steel industry following nationalisation in 1967 led to a run-down of steel making at Ebbw Vale, and the steel plant closed in 1978. Subsequently the works concentrated on tinplating and galvanising, becoming the largest tinplate producer in Britain. These works closed in 2002, ending over 200 years of industrial innovation at Ebbw Vale.
The Undy Roman coffin 5 April 2007 The Undy Coffin during excavation in 1996. The coffin was donated to Amgueddfa Cymru by David Mclean Homes Ltd. The Undy Coffin being raised for transportation. Inside surface of the coffin showing the tool marks of a pick and mason's point. Image © G. Lock. The Undy Coffin. In the 3rd or 4th century AD a young woman was buried in a stone coffin at Undy, Monmouthshire. 1600 years later her grave was rediscovered. In 1996 workmen unearthed a coffin while digging foundations for new houses at Undy, Monmouthshire. Following their discovery the site was investigated by archaeologists, but it remains uncertain whether this was a lone burial of part of a small cemetery. The coffin contained the skeleton of a young, right handed, adult, probably female, aged between 25 and 34 years old. The cause of her death is unknown, but radiocarbon dating revealed she was buried in the late 3rd or 4th century AD - when the Romans occupied Wales. Although no grave goods were found, her burial suggests that she was a relatively wealthy woman, someone who could afford a stone coffin and a proper burial. Burial rather than cremation Burial in this manner had not always been the norm in Roman society. Until the late 2nd century AD most people were cremated; their ashes often being buried in a glass or pottery vessel. However from this time burial traditions began to change. New ideas about the afterlife required that the body be buried 'intact'. These ideas were due to influences from the eastern part of the Empire, including the rise of Christianity, with belief in bodily resurrection. The coffin was an optional feature. The poor might be buried in a grave without a coffin. Coffins were produced in a range of materials including wood, lead and stone. The Undy Coffin is made of Bath Stone, a light creamy coloured limestone which is soft and easily worked when first quarried, but hardens on exposure to the air. This stone is found in the region around the spa town of Bath, England (known to the Romans as Aquae Sulis, which translates as "The Waters of Sulis"). This area is some 20 miles (35km) south-east of Undy. The Roman stonemasons who made it used a very similar range of tools to their modern counterparts. The surface of the Undy coffin preserves these toolmarks, including those made by adze-hammers, chisels, picks and masons points. The direction of the toolmarks indicates that the mason was left-handed. Background Reading "Tools and Techniques of the Roman Stonemason in Britain" by T. F. C. Blagg. In Brittania, vol. 7, p152-72 (1976). "Stone Coffins of Gloucestershire" by R. N. Willmore. In Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucester Archaeological Society, vol. 61, p135-77 (1939).
Looking after DNA in Natural Science Collections 5 April 2007 Fluid preserved specimens over a hundred years old and are a potential source of DNA studies. The Extinct Tasmanian Wolf. DNA extracted from the skin of Museum specimens has been used to study the relationship of the Tasmanian Wolf to other marsupial animals. Historic insect collections are a valuable source of future genetic studies. The growing crisis in the world's biodiversity has created new demands on the biological collections held in museums. In addition, modern techniques are allowing us to look at our collections in new ways such as analysis of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid). It is now possible to extract and read the DNA from museum specimens but this can depend on how they have been stored and preserved. Irreplaceable collections Over three million biological specimens are housed at Amgueddfa Cymru. As the pressure on our natural environment increases, these collections are becoming an ever more important resource. Many of the species collected are now either extinct or so highly endangered that further collection is not possible. Many of these specimens are irreplaceable and vital in helping us understand biodiversity and climate change. Preserving biological material can be very difficult. Biological material, including DNA, decays rapidly. Chemical treatments are aimed at preventing this decay, allowing the long-term preservation of biological specimens. Early preservation Preserve museum specimens date back over 300 years. Initially only dry and inert specimens could be preserved. Alcohol was first used in the 17th Century, formaldehyde (formalin) was introduced in the 19th Century. These methods enabled a wide range of specimens to be preserved - but were developed before DNA was known about. It can be very difficult to obtain DNA from specimens preserved using formalin. Other chemicals, such as ethanol (alcohol), are useful in the preservation of both the specimen and its DNA. Using DNA from the collections DNA can be used in many areas of study, such as work on evolution, species identification, and ecology. DNA studies at Amgueddfa Cymru include: Researching Hunter snails from East Africa and using DNA to study how they are related to each other. Freshwater pearl mussels are highly endangered in Wales. Museum researchers are using DNA to look at the genetics of the remaining populations to help in their conservation. Lichens are an important aspect of biodiversity, but difficult to identify. DNA is being used to help identify lichens. DNA - a fragile resource Unfortunately DNA can be damaged in many ways. Following the death of an organism, DNA molecules break down very quickly. This means that careful and quick conservation of specimens is needed to ensure the preservation of the DNA as well as the specimen as a whole. The museum is involved in researching methods of DNA preservation. One method is storage in -80°C freezers or liquid nitrogen. Some museums have already set up frozen-tissue banks, but these methods are expensive. Ongoing research aims to improve our understanding of the effects of these treatments, helping us keep our specimens DNA intact for the future.
