|
|
|
|
Salon: Issue 338
16 March 2015
Next issue: 30 March 2015
The Society of Antiquaries of London Online Newsletter (Salon) is a fortnightly digest of news from the heritage sector. It focuses on the activities of the Society and the contribution that the Society's Fellows make to public life. Like the intellectual salons of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe, it aims to amuse and to stimulate debate as well as to inform. A copy of Salon’s editorial policy can be found on the Society’s website. News and feedback for publication in Salon should be addressed to the Salon Editor.
|
|
Inside this issue
|
|
From the Desk of the General Secretary
Heritage in Trouble
Fellows will have watched video footage of the bulldozing of Nimrud and the destruction of artefacts in Mosul Museum at the hands of the Islamic State with horror and outrage, whilst the sale of stolen antiquities to fund IS and others is a continuing tragedy (for example as described on the Radio 4 programme File on 4, 'Islamic State: Looting for Terror').
Council will be discussing at their meeting on 19 March how best to voice the outrage of the Society and what practical steps we may take, however small they may be, to try and halt the destruction and looting.
Additions to the Fellows' Area
Fellows will be pleased to know that they can now use the Fellows' Directory (when logged in to the Fellows' Area of the website) to perform advanced searches for other Fellows (searching for specific Fellows by name, or for groups of Fellows by information such as city, country or even academic or professional areas of interest!). However, our Fellows data for some may be incomplete, so be sure to contact the Society if you need your record updated. Soon, we hope to release another update allowing you to update your Fellows' record via the website on your own. Watch this space for more!
Another exciting addition to the Fellows' Area includes a new Fellows' Discussion Forum. There is space for Fellows to begin 'General' topics of discussion, and also for Fellows' to begin discussion topics for the various Regional Fellows Groups. Log in today to get the conversation started or to see what other Fellows have to say.
If you are still having trouble logging in to the new website (which was launched in April 2014), be sure to contact the Society's Communications Officer for help.
|
|
Forthcoming Ordinary Meetings
Unless stated otherwise, tea is served from 16.15 and meetings start at 17.00. Guests are welcome if accompanied by a Fellow. Details of forthcoming meetings and events can be found on the 'Events' page of the Society's website.
19 March 2015: ‘Hidden Archaeology of Stonehenge’, by Vincent Gaffney, FSA
Stonehenge may be one of the most studied archaeological monuments in Britain, but much of the landscape around the iconic monument remains to be explored. Since 2010 a pan-European consortium of archaeologists has carried out one of the largest and most detailed geophysical surveys of the landscape around Stonehenge. Using mobile, multi-sensor instruments, this survey has begun to demonstrate there remains much to be discovered in the fields around the famous monument. The first results are changing how we view the landscape and Stonehenge itself. This lecture will reveal some of the many new discoveries made during the survey and consider their significance for our understanding of the Stonehenge and similar landscapes elsewhere.
12 March 2015: ‘Whitehorse Hill: the Cist and its Remarkable Contents', by Andy M Jones, FSA*
In August 2011, Cornwall Archaeological Unit, undertook on behalf of the Dartmoor National Park Authority, the excavation of a Scheduled Monument at Whitehorse Hill. The site was a prehistoric cist located on the western edge of a peat mound which was drying out and shrinking. Initially it was thought unlikely that the cist would contain many finds. However, the excavations revealed an intact burial deposit which was associated with a range of organic artefacts, which included basketry, a leather and textile artefact, layers of matted plant material, an animal pelt, a woven band with tin studs, a cremation, beads of amber, shale, clay and tin, a copper alloy awl/pin, flint and worked wood. The exceptional preservation within the peat mound also meant that, in addition to the unparalleled finds assemblage, there was a wide range of environmental material including: pollen, testate amoebae, tephra, fungal spores, plant macrofossils and charcoal. These have helped build up a picture of changing environmental conditions over time around the cist.
*Please note that Dr Jones's name was incorrectly stated as 'Alan M Jones' on the Programme and Events Card posted to Fellows in January. Our apologies for the error.
2 April 2015: No Ordinary Meeting of Fellows (Enjoy the Easter Holiday!)
There will not be an Ordinary Meeting of Fellows this week. Enjoy the Easter Bank Holiday!
9 April 2015: 'Cornelius Johnson (1593–1661): the Portrait Painter as Pragmatist', by Karen Hearn, FSA*
Fellow Karen Hearn is curating a small display on the 17th-century Anglo-Netherlandish portrait-painter Cornelius Johnson for the National Portrait Gallery this spring (15 April through September). Johnson was a very talented artist who has unaccountably been largely neglected by scholars, in spite of his significant sitters (eg, Charles I), career and life.
*Please note that there will be a Ballot for the election of Fellows on this date.
Image © National Portrait Gallery.
|
|
Forthcoming Public Lectures
Public Lectures are held from 13.00 to 14.00 on Tuesdays. These lectures are very popular, so advance booking is advised to be sure of a place. Details of forthcoming lectures can be found on the 'Events' page of the Society's website.
21 April: ‘Electrifying Brunel’s Great Western Railway: the UK’s historic infrastructure in the twenty-first century’, by William Filmer-Sankey, FSA
This lecture will consider the impact on the Great Western Railway of the line’s electrification, and how, if carefully planned, the latest phase in the development of this historic railway line, with its 185 listed structures, can contribute to its significance. William Filmer-Sankey, an architectural historian and archaeologist with Alan Baxter & Associates LLP, the multidisciplinary design consultancy, will explain how the design process for the rail electrification programme, which is continuing, aims to combine respect for the line’s historic significance with the achievement of an efficient twenty-first-century railway.
26 May – 30 June: Magna Carta Through the Ages Six-Week Public Lecture Series
During the first six weeks of the Society's much-anticipated Magna Carta Through the Ages exhibition, there will be a weekly public lecture focused on exploring the impact of the 'Great Charter' around the world and throughout history. Like the Public Lectures Series, these lectures will take place 13.00 to 14.00 on Tuesday afternoons.
These lectures are well on their way to being fully booked already, so you are advised to book early to avoid disappointment! More information can be found on the Society's website at www.sal.org.uk/events or www.sal.org.uk/magna-carta.
|
|
Introductory Tours of Burlington House and the Society's Library
The next in the Society’s regular series of introductory tours will take place on 26 March 2015, and another on 7 May 2015.
Tours are free, but limited to twenty-five people, so places should be booked in advance. Please contact the Society’s Executive Assistant (call 020 7479 7080 or email admin@sal.org.uk). Tours start at 11.00, and coffee is served from 10.45. Lunch is available at the end of the tour for £5, but must be ordered in advance. There will be further tours scheduled in the autumn.
|
|
Regional Fellows Groups
Welsh Fellows
Friday, 5 June: Meeting at Blaenavon Ironworks, the World Heritage site at the head of the Afon valley, followed by a lunch in Abergavenny and a visit to St Mary's Church to see the repositioned figure of Jesse.
Friday to Sunday, 16 to 18 October: Weekend meeting based at the Cawdor Arms, Llandeilo. This event will include visits to prehistoric, Roman, medieval and industrial heritage sites. It is planned to begin Friday afternoon at Talley Abbey, a Praemonstratensian house, and on Saturday visit Carn Goch hill fort and an industrial landscape in the Black Mountains. Lunch will be at Llandovery. At that time, there will be a chance to visit the Norman castle and St Dingat's Church, where Professor Alan Lloyd will talk about the legacy of Sir Gardner Willoughby (the noted Egyptian archaeologist whose tomb is marked by an obelisk in the churchyard). Sunday morning will be spent at Dinefwr Castle and park. There, Dr Sian Rees will lead the fellows around the castle and Ken Murphy will explain the Roman earthworks surviving in the park.
Additionally, a Fellows' lunch will take place in Cardiff near the end of the year in November or December.
All Fellows are welcome to join the Welsh Fellows for these events! Email Fellow Alan Aberg for details.
York Fellows
Tuesday, 17 March 2015: Prof Martin Millett, FSA, will give a lecture entitled 'Recent Work in the Roman Town of Aldborough'. This presentation will take place at the Bedingfield Room, The Bar Convent, York. The Bar Convent is very near the Nunnery Lane car park, Nunnery Lane, York, YO23 1AA.
The Meeting will begin at 17.00 with a special talk in the Chapel of the Bar Convent and an exclusive opportunity to view the Museum. This must be pre-booked as number are limited. Refreshments will be served, as usual, at 18.00, followed by the presentation at 18.30 with plenty of time for questions. We will conclude with a meal at a local restaurant at around 20.00 (again please pre-book). Guests are very welcome. Email Fellow Stephen Greep with questions.
|
|
Ballot results: 12 March 2015
The Society welcomes the following new Fellows, who were elected at the ballot held on 12 March 2015:
- James Eogan, BA, MA. Senior Archaeologist, Irish National Roads Authority (responsible for archaeology on motorway schemes in Munster and Leinster; has contributed to and edited books on archaeology in Ireland).
- Nicola Rogers, BA, PGCertMusStud. Artefact Researcher, York Archaeological Trust (specialist in medieval artefacts and also has published on the York Mystery Plays).
- David John Williams, OBE, FREng, PhD, DEng, FIMechE. Professor of Healthcare Engineering, Loughborough University (internationally recognised expert on gun making, on which he has published widely; has collaborated with the Royal Armouries and the Wallace Collection).
- Leif Isaksen, MA, MSc, PhD. Co-Director, Web Science Doctoral Training Centre, University of Southampton (leading figure in digital humanities, particularly relating to the ancient world, archaeology and cartography).
- Catriona Mackie, MSc, PhD. Lecturer in Manx Studies, University of Liverpool (has expertise in a wide range of studies in the language and vernacular architecture of the Celtic West).
- John Chandler, BA, PhD, DipLib. Historian and publisher (formerly Wiltshire county local studies librarian; has researched and published widely on the history of Wiltshire and Dorset; county editor of VCH for Gloucestershire).
- Serena Christine Cant, BA, MPhil. Maritime historian (specialist maritime adviser for English Heritage and has also worked on the slave trade and women’s history; author of England’s Shipwreck Heritage).
- Virginia Grace Davis, BA, PhD. Professor of Medieval History, Queen Mary University of London (outstanding researcher in late medieval English church history, particularly the records of clergy in London, and has also published studies of Wykeham and Waynflete).
- Charles Donahue, Jr, AB, LLB. Professor, Harvard Law School (leading expert on the history of law in the Middle Ages, especially medieval church courts and has published extensively).
- Robert Morkot, BA, PhD. Senior Lecturer in Archaeology, University of Exeter (Egyptologist and leading authority on the relationship between Pharaonic Egypt and Nubia and also has interests in Libya; has published many papers).
The date of the next ballot is 9 April 2015. Ballot papers should arrive by post soon, but Fellows can also vote online by logging in to the Fellows' Area of the website.
|
|
Help Kelmscott Manor Win the ‘Most Inspiring’ Museum or Heritage Attraction Award
We reported last week that Kelmscott Manor had been shortlisted for the "Most Inspiring UK Museum or Heritage Attraction Award" from the Guardian Culture Pros Network and Musesums + Heritage Awards—for the second year in a row! More than 400 nominations were received, and Kelmscott Manor was one of only five attractions shortlisted!
This is your last chance to help Kelmscott Manor. We need you (and everyone you know) to VOTE before the polls close on Friday, 20 March (midnight).
It only takes a moment to tell the Guardian Culture Pros Network and the Museum + Heritage Awards that Kelmscott Manor is your choice for the UK's "Most Inspiring" Museum or Heritage Visitor Attraction. Don't wait! Vote now!
The winner will be announced at the Museum + Heritage Awards in April.
Looking for a reason to vote? Kelmscott has received a number of accolades this past year. It was shortlisted for this award a year ago, won the Cotswolds Tourism "Best Small Visitor Attraction" award in 2014, received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, and recently won an "Excellence Award" from TravelZoo for its 100 per cent visitor satisfaction rate—something TravelZoo representatives claim that none of their other partners achieved!
|
|
Friday, 24 July 2015: Fellows’ Day at Kelmscott Manor
In the last issue, we polled Fellows to find out the best day to hold a Fellows' Day event at Kelmscott Manor. Based on the polls, we've decided to hold Fellows' Day on Friday, 24 July. Details will be available on the 'Events' page on the Society's website soon!
Some Fellows may recall that the last Fellows’ Day, held in 2013, was a huge success. Fellows enjoyed their private visit to the Manor and were entertained with food, drinks and music. We hope you'll join us this year to find out what we have in store for you!
|
|
Campaign to Save the Skulpturhalle Basel
Fellows Richard Hobbs and Kenneth Painter both requested that Salon alert its readers of the campaign to save the Skulpturhalle Basel. Kenneth writes:
'The Antikenmuseum Basel (or Museum of Ancient Art) is the only Swiss Museum devoted exclusively to the art and culture of the Mediterranean area, with collections covering the 4th millennium B.C. to the 6th century A.D. The Skulpturhalle, which is part of the Antikenmuseum, has a collection of around 2,000 casts of Greek and Roman statues, heads and reliefs, which makes it one of the largest collections of this sort in the world. The plaster casts allow visitors to enjoy and compare sculptures from different museums around the world—for example, its unique Parthenon project has brought together copies of all surviving sculptures from the Temple of Athena, which are exhibited so as to demonstrate their original relationship and context. The display is complemented with models of the Parthenon, Erechtheion and Propylaeum at a scale of 1:20.
'One of the major aims of the Antikenmuseum and of the Skulpturhalle (since its foundation in 1961) has been to show that ancient art and culture have strongly influenced our identity by examining it from different angles and in different contexts. An exhibition at the Skulpturhalle is entitled Hood, Veil and Crown: Accessory and Symbol (8 March 2015 to 31 January 2016). While the veil nowadays evokes images of Muslims' headscarves, the covering of the female head goes back much further. The exhibition outlines the diverse meanings and functions of the head-covering and shows how the three monotheistic religions took over the tradition from the preceding cultures in the Ancient Orient. It focuses on classical antiquity, using casts of Greek and Roman statues and reliefs, together with original statuettes and vase paintings from the Antikenmuseum Basel, to show in what context Greek and Roman women covered and adorned their heads and what this meant. The exhibition thus represents a meeting point of different ages with differing value-systems and hopes to provoke a stimulating discussion within an understanding of the various points of view.'
Dr Danielle Wieland-Leibundgut, president of the „Schweizer Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Klassische Archäologie (SAKA), requests that readers sign the petition 'No to the Shutdown of the Skulpturhalle Basel'. She writes:
'The Basel Governing Council plans to shut down the Skulpturhalle Basel and transfer the 2,200 gypsum casts of Greek and Roman art works to a storage depot...The storage of the fragile casts would put unique holdings at an irresponsible risk. As a result of the closure, not only archaeological research and university teaching, but also schools and the general audience interested in ancient civilizations would loose a place of education as well as a lively and innovative institution of international repute.'
Click here to sign the petition.
|
|
Your Opinion Matters: English Heritage Wants to Hear from You
English Heritage directly publishes a diverse range of paid and free publications used by heritage professionals, academics and interested members of the public. In addition, they are responsible for the indirect publication of various third party publications, supported by Grant Aid. The focus of this brief questionnaire is on English Heritage’s direct publications. We would be grateful if you could spend just five minutes of your time completing the survey. Your views are important to us and will enable us to make informed decisions about the future direction of our publications.
Click here to take the survey.
|
|
News of Fellows
 In our previous issue (337, 1 March), we reported the forthcoming release of Fellow Karen Hearn's book on Cornelius Johnson (the subject of a forthcoming exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery). The cover of Karen's book featured one Susanna Lister, née Temple (1660-1669). In response, Dr Anna Marie Roos, FSA, wrote in to share the recent release of her own publication, which includes the correspondence of Susanna Lister and Susanna's son, Dr Martin Lister.
Most of the letters in the book, The Correspondence of Dr. Martin Lister (1639-1712). Volume One: 1662-1677, were written in the last few years of Susanna's life from the Lister family estate in Burwell, Lincolnshire. At the time of their correspondence, Martin Lister, who would become a Royal Physician and the first scientific conchologist and arachnologist, was a Cambridge fellow. Along with the packages of venison pie sent along in the post to her hungry and homesick son, Suhttps://us6.admin.mailchimp.com/campaigns/wizard/neapolitan?id=545361#sanna also related family news of her daughter by her first marriage, Frances Jennings née Thornhurst, the mother of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough. The Comtesse de Hamilton is also frequently mentioned. To see scans and the manuscript references to Susanna's letters themselves, readers may examine the Lister catalogue in the Bodleian Library's 'Early Modern Letters Online' website.
 Fellow Robert Key, Chair of Salisbury Cathedral Magna Carta 2015 Programme Board, is proud to announce the opening of the Cathedral's exciting new Magna Carta display and interpretation in its Chapter House, celebrating the 800th anniversary of the 'Great Charter'. Director of the British Museum Neil MacGregor delivered a lecture ('Making the Magna Carta We Want: Unintended Meaning of an Icon') during a launch event on 6 March. Robert writes:
'Please read more about the new Magna Carta display at www.salisburycathedral.org.uk . When I retired from Parliament in 2010 (after 27 years as MP for Salisbury and as a Founder Minister at the Department of National Heritage—now DCMS) the Dean of Salisbury asked me to chair the Magna Carta Board. I set to work to bring a glorious project to fruition this year. I was also invited by Sir Robert Worcester to join his Magna Carta 800th Committee overseeing the national celebrations, and I have been a member of his small Committee allocating the £1m of taxpayers’ money provided by the Government – of which the [Society of Antiquaries] has been a beneficiary (my interest was declared, and I did not vote on the matter). In addition, I have represented Salisbury Cathedral on the partnership between Lincoln, Salisbury and the British Library, that brought all four surviving 1215 Magna Cartas to the British Library and to Parliament last month. That was a triumph!'
Robert is featured in this photo, holding a facsimile of Salisbury Cathedral's Magna Carta at the tomb of William Longspée (half-brother to King John) who was at Runnymede. William was Earl of Salisbury, Sheriff of Wiltshire, Commander of Salisbury Castle—and he was the first person to be buried in the new Cathedral in 1226.
Cardiff University has renewed Fellow John Kenyon’s honorary title for a further three years; he is an Honorary Lecturer within the School of History, Archaeology and Religion. John is also now the Honorary Archivist to Llandaff Cathedral, where he is Head Server as well.
Fellow Julian C Richards is the guest curator for a special exhibition entitled Wish You Were Here, which will go on display at the new Stonehenge Visitor centre on 2 May. The exhibition explores the changing experience of visitors to Stonehenge over the last two centuries through souvenirs, guide books and ephemera as well as the role of Stonehenge as a global icon. This involves the juxtaposition of characters as diverse as Superman, Patrick Moore and Mickey Mouse (details will be available soon on the Stonehenge Visitor Centre website). Julian will also be the guest curator for the Stonehenge Visitor Centre exhibition opening 21 September, which commemorates the centenary of the auction sale of Stonehenge.
|
|
Memorials to Fellows
We're delighted that we continue to receive contributions to this column. The latest has been provided by Fellow Anthony Beckles Wilson. The above picture is a draft page from a catalogue of memorials Anthony is preparing for St Mary's Church, Twickenham. The memorial is to 'Roger Wilbraham FRS FSA (1745-1829)'. The stone does not actually claim that he was a Fellow of the Society, although this was stated in a contemporary obituary in The Gentleman's Magazine. Anthony requested that the Society confirm that Wilbraham was a Fellow—Anthony, staff will follow up on this for the next edition!
|
|
Lives remembered: Sheppard Frere, FSA
Fellow Sheppard Sunderland Frere (CBE, FBA) died on 26 February 2015, aged ninety-eight. Frere was elected a Fellow in 1944 at the age of 27 and remained a Fellow for 50 years until his resignation in 1994. Elected a member of Council in 1949, he became a Vice-President in 1962 and was awarded the Society's Gold Medal in 1989.
The Guardian published an obituary for the 'historian and archaeologist whose excavations shed new light on many aspects of Roman Britain', written by William Manning (10 March 2015):
'In 1955, Sheppard Frere, who has died aged 98, was appointed director of a new programme of excavations at Verulamium, the Roman city on the edge of St Albans, where a road-widening scheme was about to cut across the site. Today, such work would be undertaken by a professional unit, but that was not the case in the 50s and Frere had to organise a series of large-scale excavations, working in the summer months, mainly with volunteers.
'These excavations, which ran from 1955 to 1961, were among the largest undertaken in Britain up to then. The outlines of the history of Verulamium had been established by Sir Mortimer Wheeler'—past president of the Society of Antiquaries—'in the 1930s, but Frere’s discoveries led to a substantial revision of Wheeler’s conclusions...
'He was also able to show that, far from being undefended at that time, the city had been enclosed by a substantial bank and ditch. Another important discovery concerned the end of the Roman period. The traditional date for the Romans relinquishing control of Britain is 410, but Frere discovered that in Verulamium, buildings of Roman type were being constructed for at least another half-century showing that, in that city at least, Roman customs and ideas continued for far longer than had previously been thought.
'...Originally trained as a classicist, first at Lancing college, West Sussex, and then at Magdalene College, Cambridge, [Frere] had just embarked on a career as a teacher when the second world war intervened. He spent the next five years in the Auxiliary Fire Service.
'In 1945 he returned to Lancing as a housemaster, but his experience of archaeological excavations before the war led to his appointment as director of the rescue excavations at Canterbury. Canterbury, which was both a great medieval city and a Roman tribal capital, had been heavily bombed in the so-called Baedeker raids of 1942, and the opportunity was taken to excavate the bombed sites before rebuilding took place...he was able to establish a detailed outline of the archaeology of the city, continuing to publish the results of his work over the next 30 years.
'In 1954 he moved from Lancing to a lecturership in archaeology at Manchester University, and then, a year later, to a readership in the archaeology of the Roman provinces at the Institute of Archaeology of London University. He remained there until 1966, when he went to Oxford University as professor of the archaeology of the Roman Empire and a fellow of All Souls. He retired in 1983.
'Until 1967, he was probably best known as an excavator, but in that year he published Britannia: A History of Roman Britain, a book that was to become the standard work on the subject for the next 30 years. Perhaps surprisingly, no detailed history of Roman Britain had been published since RG Collingwood’s Roman Britain and the English Settlements in 1936, and the intervening 30 years had seen profound developments in our understanding of all aspects of the subject.
'Now, really for the first time, we had a clear and up-to-date history of Britain from the Roman conquest to the collapse of Roman control early in the fifth century AD, with detailed accounts of the military and civil development of the province. It brought together the new discoveries and ideas that had come from the development of aerial photography, and the great upsurge in excavations that had followed the end of the war. More than 30 years after it was first published, a revised edition appeared as the first volume of the Folio Society’s History of England.
'The completion of his work at Verulamium left Frere free to excavate other sites, and the years that followed saw him working on Roman forts in the Welsh Marches, in East Anglia and in Scotland, and on one of his favourite sites, the Roman villa at Bignor in Sussex. Retirement in 1983 brought no reduction in the number of his publications, with an important book (with Frank Lepper) on the reliefs on Trajan’s Column appearing in 1988. These reliefs—to be seen not only in Rome, but by means of plaster casts in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London—are our greatest single source of information on the Roman imperial army in the field, but until then there had been no full discussion of them in English. Then came a series of volumes, written with Roger Tomlin, on the inscriptions of Roman Britain; an exemplary project that was of fundamental importance to our understanding of life in the province...'
Fellow Norman Hammond also wrote an obituary for The Times.
Image © The Guardian.
|
|
Lives remembered: Harrington Elmer Manville, FSA
 We were recently notified of the death of Fellow Harriginton Manville, who died on 18 February 2015, aged eighty-five. An obituary of this celebrated numismatist appeared on www.coinbooks.org, written by Douglas Saville:
'Harry Emerson Manville. Born New York September 6, 1929 – Died Seattle February 18, 2015
'Harrington Manville, or "Harry" as many knew him, had been a highly significant contributor to the knowledge base of British numismatics for almost 50 years, despite being based for much of that time in Washington DC and latterly Seattle. Early retirement from the American foreign service in 1980 meant he could devote his considerable efforts toward his magisterial 5-volume Encyclopaedia of British Numismatics, which had begun as a germ of an idea in the mid-1960s and was published in six volumes between 1986 and 2014. Apart from that, he authored the British Numismatic Society’s SP3, Tokens of the Industrial Revolution: foreign silver coins counterrmarked for use in Great Britain c. 1787-1828, published in 2001. Harry was a prolific contributor to many of the well-known numismatic journals. All of his works serve admirably as a memorial to an indefatigable researcher and numismatist. Harry will be sorely missed by all of his friends and all those involved in the subject.'
Our thanks to Robert Thompson, FSA, for reporting the news of Harrington's death to us.
|
|
Forthcoming Heritage Events
18 March 2015: A Future for Regional Museums?
Today, many regional museums - especially those under the control of Local Authorities - are weathering a financial and managerial crisis: subjected to cuts in funding, drastically reduced staffing and shrinking opening times. The contents of these museums and galleries, accumulated through the generosity of donors over the last 150 years, may soon be denied to their local populations and the public at large. This urgent discussion addresses the current situation faced by regional museums and examines a number of emerging responses, asking whether any of them offer the answers that these longstanding and vital public institutions really need.
Details: Free, 18.00, Kenneth Clark Lecture Theatre, The Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 0RN. More information is available on the event website.
2 April 2015 to 3 January 2016: First In, First Out
A new exhibition focusing on the role of the Royal Navy’s submarines during the First World War is opening at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport.The use of submarines was still in its relative infancy when war was declared with Germany on 4 August 1914, however they were amongst the first vessels to put to sea ready for war. Whilst initially the Admiralty regarded the role of submarines as limited to harbour defence, coastal patrols and reconnaissance, within a few months British submarines were on the offensive carrying out some of the most daring and successful operations of the entire war at sea.
The opening forms part of The National Museum of the Royal Navy’s Great War at Sea series of exhibitions detailing the role of the Royal Navy, on the sea, under the sea and in the air between the years 1914-1918. It coincides with the opening, on March 28, of Gallipoli: Myth and Memory at sister museum National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
More information can be found on the National Museum of the Royal Navy website.
30 June to 4 July 2015: Princes of the Church and Their Palaces
An international conference and series of public lectures exploring bishops' and popes' palaces across Britain and Europe, with a particular focus on the redevelopments at Auckland Castle in County Durham. Important developments in research, conservation, and public presentation are currently taking place at Auckland Castle, the Bishop of Durham's former residence. In association with them, this conference will consider bishops' and popes' palaces from across Britain and Europe, and will stimulate discussion on:
- how bishops' palaces and houses differed from the palaces and houses of secular magnates, in their layout, design, furnishings and functions;
- the relationship between bishops' palaces and houses and their political and cultural context;
- their relationship to the landscapes and towns and cities in which they were set, and their relationship to the parks, forests and towns which were planned and designed around them;
- and the architectural form of bishops' palaces and houses, and how far they shared common architectural features across England, Wales, Scotland, and indeed across Europe.
Anyone with an interest in Auckland Castle itself or in historical monuments in general is warmly invited to attend and take part in discussions. The conference will be the fullest treatment of bishop's and popes' palaces ever undertaken. More information is available on the conference website.
|
|
Vacancies
Project Volunteer Co-ordinator, Arun and Rother Connections
Closing Date: 22 March 2015
Arun and Rother Connections (ARC) is looking for a full-time volunteer co-ordinator. ARC is a landscape scale conservation project being delivered by a partnership of seven organisations in West Sussex. This is a fixed term contract for one year. This is an exciting role in which the successful candidate will play an important part in developing volunteering in the catchment, building a strong project legacy of more people being part of a vibrant community of people caring for the rivers, landscapes and wildlife of West Sussex. More information can be found on the ARC website.
Research Curator, Transforming Topography (British Library)
Closing Date: 22 March 2015
The British Library is seeking a suitably qualified emerging scholar to create content for an exciting new web resource on topography, focusing on King George III's Topographical Collection. The post holder will work from within collections, but closely with the learning team, to research the British Library’s collections and aid in the development of online learning resources based primarily on the Library’s extensive collections of topographical views and texts to support the development of the learning team’s forthcoming website, provisionally named Transforming Topography. For more information, visit the British Library's website (the vacancy reference is COL00155).
Archivist, Hereford Cathedral
Closing Date: 27 March 2015
Hereford Cathedral is seeking a suitably qualified and experienced archivist to work within the Chancellor's Department to manage, make information available about, and promote access to the Cathedral's historic and modern records. This is a permanent (subject to a probationary period), full-time position with a salary of £25,000 per annum. The archives go back to the 12th century and includes many series continuous from medieval times to the present day, a significant and varied collection of seals, and prints, maps, drawings and photographs. Candidates should have an honours degree in a relevant subject and a post-graduate qualification in archives and records management, with a minimum of two years' relevant post-qualification experience. For full details, visit the Hereford Cathedral website.
Editor, Society of Antiquaries of London Online Newsletter (SALON)
Closing Date: 1 April 2015
As most readers are award, the former editor of Salon, Christopher Catling, has accepted a position as the Secretary of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. The Society is now looking for an Editor with strong links to the heritage sector to work on the same freelance or independent contract terms as Christopher did. If you are interested in the post (or know someone who might be), you can read about the opportunity and the tender process on our website. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Society to discuss the role before submitting a bid.
|
|
Propose a Lecture or Seminar
Please email Renée LaDue, the Society's Communications Officer if you are interested in giving a lecture at one of the Society's Ordinary Meetings (Thursday evenings at 17.00) or as part of our Public Lecture series (occasional Tuesday afternoons at 13.00).
We welcome papers based on new research on themes related to the Society's field of interest: the study of the material past.
You can view our current lecture programme in the Events section of our website.
Fellows are also encouraged to propose topics or themes for conferences or seminars that bring scholars and professionals from a variety of disciplines together to explain, discuss and debate our material culture. Please email Renée LaDue, the Society's Communications Officer, if you are interested in helping us organise such an event.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
