Regular readers of the blog may recognise the name Susannah Middleton. Her collection of letters, written from Gibraltar in the early nineteenth century, is a real favourite with staff and readers of the Caird Library. In December, a selection of the manuscripts she wrote to her sister in London featured as our item of the month.
It was thus with some interest that, in 2011, I learnt that a descendent of Susannah’s was planning to visit the library. Alison Board spent a day in the old Caird Library reading Susannah’s letters. Alison explained that in addition to being an ancestor of the Middletons, she was also a fine art student at the Arts University College, Bournemouth. On the look-out for inspiration, Alison had hit upon the idea of turning Susannah’s words into a work of art. The result of the research can be seen in the image on the right as Susannah’s writing continues to influence the artwork Alison is creating.
I’ve always known that manuscripts had the potential to inspire far more than academic studies (although don’t get me wrong, they’re very important too!), so it was great to see an example of a different approach to using archives. Thanks to Alison for keeping in touch and sending the image to us. If you would like to find out more about her work, Alison maintains a blog which can be read at: www.susannahandthecaptain.blogspot.co.uk.
Richard (Assistant Archivist)
Image: © Alison Board
December’s Item of the Month features a series of letters written by Susannah Middleton to her sister, Mary Leake. As it’s ‘that time of year’ we’ve selected three letters, each one written during the Christmas period.
Richard (Assistant Archivist)
In a previous post about the move, I mentioned that we’d come across a book with a rather appropriate title, given the work we were undertaking. Continuing on a similar theme, we couldn’t let the safe relocating of another volume pass without comment. Books on the Move, the volume with a purple spine in the image on the right, has now found its home in the new store. Elsewhere, our manuscript collections continue to be picked, packed, carried and placed. Many of them are, of course very well-travelled, such as the logbooks that have been on board ships and carried around the globe.
There’s still some way to go with the move but we’re making steady progress. We’re all looking forward to a time when our books are no longer on the move and available to view in the reading room.
Richard (Assistant Archivist)
I hope the title of this blog-post didn’t cause any unpleasant surprises. Having opened the new Caird Library in the summer, we are, of course, staying put. However, regular visitors will know that we haven’t yet had the opportunity to run a full service in the reading room, due to delays with the move of the collections.
Our new purpose built stores have remained empty while we worked to ensure that the environmental conditions in them meet the relevant British standards. This work was vital in order to ensure we preserve our fabulous collections for this and future generations to benefit from.
Happily, I’m able to write about this work in the past tense and last week we moved in the first items. The image on the right shows some of our library books installed on roller racking in the new stores. Amongst the first to be moved was a volume titled Relocating Modern Science. There’s still a long way to go as we relocate modern, slightly out-of-date and even ancient science, along with the rest of our collections. Nevertheless, we’re on the way!
Richard (Assistant Archivist)
Colleagues in Norway have issued a request for help to solve a mystery dating back to 1816.
The Regional State Archives in Trondheim have in their collection a number of letters that were found, washed ashore in a box, at Orlandet. The box, which also contained clothes and books, had at one time been on board the British ship Mercator and belonged to John Lambeth and his son.
Aside from what little information can be gleaned from the manuscripts themselves, archivists in Norway know nothing further about the Lambeth family or the Mercator. It is now hoped that some genealogical sleuths will be able to shed fresh light on this intriguing collection of letters.
Readers of the blog can find further information, as well as some images of the documents, on the National Archives of Norway website.
Richard (Assistant Archivist)
In 1805 Robert Hope, a member of the sailmakers’ crew of HMS Temeraire, wrote to his brother to recount his recent involvement in the Battle of Trafalgar. Recently acquired by the National Maritime Museum after 205 years in private hands, October’s item of the month is a fascinating below-deck account of the famous battle.
The manuscript has recently received quite a bit of attention. If you would like to view the letter in person it will take a starring role in Thursday’s archive journey session.
Richard (Assistant Archivist)
On 21 October 1805 the British Royal Navy clashed with French and Spanish ships at the Battle of Trafalgar. To coincide with a series of events across the Museum, this week’s archive journey session is Life in Nelson’s Navy.
The session will take place in the E-Library at 14.30 and will include an exciting opportunity to view a document written by a man who witnessed the fighting at first hand. The letter, featured as this month’s item of the month, has recently been acquired by the National Maritime Museum after 205 years in private hands.
We hope to see you there!
Richard (Assistant Archivist)
Regular visitors to the Caird Library will be used to seeing references to the National Archives amongst our collections. Now it seems that other great Kew institution is getting in on the maritime act. We spotted recently this fascinating blog post written by colleagues at Kew Gardens about some rare cloth in their collection with a connection to HMS Bounty.
While we’re at it, I wonder if the staff at Kew Gardens would be interested in this item, re-discovered recently in our archive collection. Not to mention the logbook of HMS Sea Flower; our collection of documents belonging to George Rose and of course a whole host of family trees.
Richard (Assistant Archivist)
We recently had the opportunity to attend the Society of Archivists’ conference in Manchester. With the title ‘We Are What We Keep’, the conference was a chance to explore and revisit concepts surrounding how and why records are preserved for posterity with engaging talks given by many eminent speakers. Particularly interesting was Terry Cook’s broad sweeping and philosophical paper concerning the past, present and future of archival theory. This talk really brought into focus the great responsibility we have at the National Maritime Museum to play our part in ensuring the survival of what is, in essence, our nation’s history and heritage.
The President of the Society of Archivists, now Archives and Records Association, outlined his past career as an archivist and the changes that he had observed over the decades. This had us both thinking of the archival legacy of the NMM and how our collection has come into being – a fascinating history in itself.
On a more personal level, the three days of talks reminded us both of why we had entered the archive profession and was certainly an uplifting experience. A heart-warming session was delivered by Jenny Wong discussing the hidden histories of the Manchester Chinese Archive. Jenny’s talk, accompanied by Chinese dance and music, was a perfect demonstration of how archives can be used by a community to tell the story of a shared past. Perhaps the most thought provoking paper was Louise Ray’s ‘The Living Archive’: myth, reality or aspiration?’ This generated much debate and got us all thinking as it touched upon the questions of why and for whom do we keep an archive? Are the records we hold being used and for what purposes?
In a sense the records we hold encapsulate the lives of those who kept them; and these people are brought to life again through our researchers. Without these records it would be impossible for us to deliver any of the education sessions and public events that allow Museum visitors to explore the past. So much of that past is still visible through the chance survival of archives and, if we are what we keep, we must be very careful that what we keep is representative of everybody. Fortunately the profession has come a long way in recent decades and chance has been replaced by more systematic collecting policies. That said, at the Museum we still get a good number of kind offers from people wishing to donate fascinating manuscripts found in attics and boxes under beds. Who knows, perhaps one day the fact that two archivists were inspired by a conference in Manchester will be of interest to future generations!
Mike and Richard (Assistant Archivists)
Greenwich this Thursday is certainly the fashionable place to be as our archive journey session is Sailor Chic. Using rare, original manuscript and printed items from the Museum’s collections we’ll be exploring what sailors wore on ship; how they obtained their uniform and how much it cost.
This is a great opportunity to view some of the less well known treasures at the National Maritime Museum. So, if you are planning a visit why not come along? The session will start at 2.30pm on Thursday 30 September and takes place in the E-Library.
Richard (Assistant Archivist)
Regular readers of the blog may recognise the name Susannah Middleton. Her collection of letters, written from Gibraltar in the early nineteenth century, is a real favourite with staff and readers of the Caird Library. In December, a selection of the manuscripts she wrote to her sister in London featured as our item of the month.