British Studies: Day 14

As I have mentioned several blogs earlier, we have attended the V&A.  While I did not get to attend the David Bowie exhibit, I did today get to see the Beatrix Potter archive at the Blythe House.  It is a storage facility of the Victoria and Albert and as such is quite old- it use to be a post office and savings bank.  By the 1970s it was computerized and taken for storage and increasingly they wanted to increase their reserves.  The V&A originally kicked off around 1837 when schools studied design and the subject became large, thus the British Archive formed with a collection valued around 52 pounds.  In 1851, there was a great exhibition and the public was allowed to attend.  In 1851, a South Kensington branch began and then the suite we were at today.  It really started because of ambitious curators who were acquiring a wider selection of material- sculpture, paintings- and by the 1860s-1870s they became "one capacious handbag."  Textiles, wood, metal, illustrations, and more.  The archive and registry holds records of management roles, staff records and documents, freedom info, data protection legislation, and in the old schools of archive they were taught records with management practice.  So IT, records, database, and collaboration.  Nowadays, they face challenges such as print/electronic records, as was decreed the thing to do and thus more print has ensued, and the cataloging of the archive online.  Record retention is something archives has in their veins and the online catalog allowed the public to see what is available even before it is properly cataloged.  We were show a few books, including a 19th Century registrar with a request from Queen Victoria for a stain glass repair, as well as correspondence of William Morris's tapestries.

Peter Rabbit Illustration.

Alexia , an archivist of arts and design, talked to us about the importance of design to the collection.  They were set up in 1978 and with a lack of records of design and new design courses being offered with people needing research, they began collecting British-based artists & designs, making sure not to step on other cultures designs.  So they have clothing, furniture, textile, and other styles handy.  the collection does not, however, include fine art or architecture.  They aim for 5-15 items a year to collect, with 2 staff members to do so, and mainly do this from donation or gifts.  There are 400 individual archives, which can be seen in print and the online catalog- interestingly enough they are in a consortium.  Alexia showed us an interesting fashion designer of the 1920s named Lucile, the prints were lovely, and another example of fashion from the 1950s where they predicted 1980s trends, which included knitwear.

Francis talked to us about Beatrix Potter, as she is a specialist of children's literature and has her MLIS.  There are 100,000 Potter items.  The 1920s man collection came from a husband and wife team, Enid and Leslie Linder(of whom Andrew Whiltshire talked extensively about his family's connection and the importance of these two to the Beatrix Potter codex, a written piece that Leslie translated and crafted the history of the famous author) and how the collection changed houses a few times before settling.  Since the Linder's play a large part in the collection, there are a few of their books and personal effects here as well.  Parts of the collection are on long term loan, such as the Peter Rabbit Letters(from the states).  The most impressive was a 1901 copy of Peter Rabbit.  Growing up with the stories, it was great to listen to an in-depth history of their finding.  There was also an interesting Alice in Wonderland adaptation/reimagining and over 2000 botanical studies, such as butterflies beneath microscopes.  Andrew Whiltshire was able to shed light on the interest of the Linders on Beatrix Potter, often draw by the wife and the overall works being purchased quickly(they had plenty of money to do it), and thus his theory was that their work on the gathering of the collection and the codex inspired works such as The Tale of Beatrix potter by Margaret Lane, Letter to Children from Beatrix Potter by Judy Taylor, Tales of Beatrix Potter ballet, and Miss Potter starring Ewan McGreggor.


Then this evening I spoke on behalf of the class.  I hope to post my speech soon, but as it is almost 11:20, I will need some sleep before Cardiff tomorrow.

British Studies: Day 13

Today's post will be a brief but studious one.  In the morning, we ventured to Middle Temple Library(which isn't far away from a DaVinci Code scene) and met Ms. Slattery.  This library is known as one of four Inns of Court.  There is Middle, Inner, Lincoln, and Gray, all of which work together to accomplish their needs and collections.  Each have their own special subject- Middle focuses on Law with a specialization for American law.  In 1641 they received a donation of books that started the library from a Robert Ashley, whom the building is named after.  We received a small history of how law libraries of the Inns began, around the 19th century there was a surge in law publishing and by 1861 the library was built, however nearby ones went through bombs but thanks to a Sir Edward(the last name I missed) their concrete was reinforced for protection.  They have a displays of arms, a display of armor, a display of the Molyneux globes, and several royal rooms- including the smoking room or Prince's room, and the Queen's room.  The Queen's room and Princes room are both elegant in their own fashion, the first brighter than the second but the second with comfier chairs.  The library doesn't throw books out unless they are not under their jurisdiction, in which case they are deselected and offered/sold elsewhere.  On the 3rd floor there was a US law collection, here no food or drink is allowed(unlike the first floor) and it holds an association with the Carnegies.  I am getting the idea that this guy liked libraries and had a lot of money.  Either way, his son studied at Middle and eventually took his learning home.  On this floor one would find classrooms, American textbooks, West Law US subscriptions, and financial records.  The classrooms are called advocacy suites and hold pros and cons- pro, more people, and con, people cannot always access their materials since the suites are lined inside and out with the books.  Thus being shut inside for a period of time. 

Dozens upon dozens of law-related books!

There is no classification system here, most of the items are, however, in subject booklets that are readily available.  There is an online catalog for online objects only, though it cannot collect online, and an ILL can be done through any of the four Inns to another.  Slattery began as a rare books librarian at Middle and is now the senior librarian, though she began as a librarian of the Canadian Government.  There were all sorts of fun British law terms, like a bencher, and it held many fascinating   items and locals- such as the Judgement of Soloman painting which was collected due to an argument of law, and Middle Temple Hall which had double banner beam roof, oak structures, a head table with planks floated down the Thames, and all sorts of activities are done there.  Speaking of events, the first performance of Twelfth Night was done there(see masks, plays, balls, and revels) as well as the 3rd Harry Potter release and in the Princes room a scene from Bridget Jones Diary(see Colin Firth) and other shows.

For lunch, we attended the Old Bank of England, where Sweeney Todd was pointed out to be a real man that operated around there.  Somehow, I ate a meat pie, but really tentatively and not much.  My classmates and I played some witty games and had a real get together.  Just before this, it was decided that I was to speak on behalf of our class at the Symposium tomorrow.  So while I met my personal goal(to speak there with an awesome idea) I am going to spend the hours travel crafting an outline for a five minute chat so I don't sound daft.  By afternoon, I went to the Westminster Reference Library where I saw their collection, asked a few details about it, and gathered some information of further places to contact and further my research, such as the University of Minnesota and the Portsmouth Library.

Tonight, I am headed to Camden once more, with LH, K, & AG.  Something about Macbeth and funny dressed men.  Oh nightlife of England, how strange you are!

British Studies: Day 12

Being in London forces one to learn their directions quickly.  Also, undergrounds at 8:30-9am are nuts.  This morning JD and I, my Scotland travel mate for the mini holiday, needed to purchase our unlimited passes.  In doing so, we left at 8:30 promptly, purchased them at Waterloo, bought coffee/bagel, and were waiting at our respective crosswalk(the one facing the station) and began waiting by 8:50 for our group.  Now, as I said before, there was tons of foot traffic and we were watching down the sidewalk, where we have always crossed at, for fifteen specific women.  By 9:15, these women did not come.  Beginning to grow frantic(it has been days since we went towards the British library so we didn't exactly remember how to get there) we doubled back to the courtyard to make sure no one was waiting for us.  They were, in fact, gone.  Luckily, JD has a data plan and can Google Maps like no tomorrow.  We figured that we had to connect from Waterloo(walking there once more) and to Euston, then a brief walk.  We did that, no problem and a few minutes before ten.  When we got to the area for the British Conservation Library(the behind the scenes of the British Library) no one was there either.  At this point I checked my phone, it has had shoddy reception/receiving abilities the whole trip(until seemingly this week) and I had a missed call from a classmate, telling me we had missed them in Waterloo.  This evening, we discovered, they had crossed to Waterloo several crosswalks up, thereby blending into the foot traffic we had been ignoring on the far side.  Like I said, quick moving.

Either way, we had made it and while people had no idea where were were suppose to meet our group, this was solved when we met them in the front entrance of the British Conversation Library.  Here our tour guide was Robert Brodie, the leader of the team.  He began by pointing out the architecture of the facility, north facing with much natural light, and no pipes.  They have a display here with many type face tools of which are impressive to have since they originally were headed for America on the Titanic.  Their photo center has a special water system that allows pure water- calcium and CO2 or something- and can hold many items at a time.  To work on a piece, one must enter a bidding and estimating process, this allows 66% of the collection, and items won in bidding might contain a 350 hour project.  There are teams used for this time, as they figure how long(estimate) and is sent to the head of the department where they give options that dictate the outcome of their proposals.  There are minimum interventions, high profile phases, frequent requests, and digitization that affect these proposals.  Typically they work in pairs.  Robert over sees some people himself.  Having taken a history of books and printing course, this was all fascinating to see up close.  They have special boxes for different items, office records and geneological items make up the bulk of the collection, and then we saw examples.  One such example was an office record with a decorative and practical look.  It had a spring back, marble pages, and if you rip out a page it leaves an opening.  Quite noticeable.  Another example was of a leather bound book that was rebound but used the original leather pieces.  Life the leather, reline the book, add new leather, put in the old, and set it.  Here they left the original innards, some manuscript notes that were in both front and back covers, and the work was from 1649.  If a work needed sewing, there are many different types of Japanese paper, including shusi and kuzu-shi.  

A nice entrance.

Our second guide was Chris of the PACCAR finishing department.  It takes years to learn this skill, of which much patience is involved and much knowledge of heating elements, leather/cloth reaction, and type face mishaps.  Their job is no freehand, but rather comes with specific instructions for typefact and gold from the others.  They use a stone to heat the type and a souffle looking item to cool it, so that the type doesn't punch through the leather.  Gold foil melts easiest but the spine must be washed first and then clamped down.  Gold leaf is used for leather and gold foil for cloth, which is interesting.  It has to be cut to size, the gold is cut on a cushion, and then pasted with an eggwhite glue to the area of the book.  The tools used vary by style and as Chris has worked at more decorative places before, he is quite good here.  Francis, a conservator, was very nice as well.  I asked if the Illuminated Manuscripts with gold gilded pages come here and indeed they do.  I am not sure what the process involves, but I imagine it is more time taking then other areas, however they told me that the works pretty much keep them selves up.  

That's gold foil.  On K's finger.

And don't worry, I am doing research in here.  I tried to see a document from the British Library(featured in their display Crime Fiction A-Z) today, but the readers card process was a little more technical then I anticipated.  Turns out, my drivers license does not have my current house address and I need to return later this week if I am to learn nothing about the display.  On the upside, I have an appointment scheduled with the Westminster Reference Library for tomorrow to discuss their huge Sherlock Holme s collection.  I am very happy about this.

In the evening, I hopped on a tube to Euston, a train to Watford Junction, and a "knight" bus to the Warned Brothers Harry Potter J&K stages.  Let me tell you, I haven't been able to afford going to Harry Potter World, but I know this was ten times better.  I can't wait to upload photos, as there are at least a thousand, but it was fantastic.  I went with a great bunch- thank you, you know who you are- and had the experience of a lifetime.  I was able to sit in/on Hagrid's motorcycle, walk acrros the bridge of Lupin(my favourite character) and Harry in that touching scene,, pose with chess pices that were larger than me, see the special effects of the cratures(oh yes, Aragog too), and drink Butterbeert with a souvenir cup to boot!  I think I will be reliving moments of this for a long time.  If you can g, do so.  Spend the money, it is highly worth it.  Make sure to have some time, bring some friends and just take it all in.  I did and it is the best night of the trip, I think this is safe to say.  And, as you have read by now, I have done quite a bit.  

LH & I, stealing a ride in Hagrid's motorcycle!

British Studies: Scotland Day 2

Scotland: Day 2

Edinburgh Central Library is located not far from the Frankenstein or the Elephant Cafe, of which I went to both yesterday.  It is a rather large 'public' library, complete with a local flavour(artist works) and a sense of humour(see photo The Mad Dalek Tea Party).  Our first speaker was Sarah Fortieth, Fiona Myles, and Robin Brown.  In a shared discussion, they told us that their library uses multi/dual management systems.  This offers both different flavor as well as consistency.  The best I can relate this is to the branches of a public library, say Cranston where I am interning this fall, of which has several Rhode Island locations.  In 2012, they were awarded a UK award of The Bookseller Industry Awards Winner for Best library Service.  After telling us of all the programs and services, this is not surprising.  Some of their pillars for progress include change, community, and creativity.  They base their goals on "operational"(next generation strategy, performance workshops, extended Saturdays, standards for review, revenur/capital, etc.) "social"(improving range for reach of readers, "Get up and Go" 4th ed., increased number of staff trained to deliver Bookbug, increase in Chatterbooks reading groups, niche reading- read, learn, sing, get involved!) and the "physical"(craig millar, new library of Drumbrae: 2 multi-zoned library facilities with co-located neighborhood hubs, innovative and alternative funding solutions, etc.)  

A Very Mad Dalek Tea Patry.

There was a brief section on Edinburgh's Digital Public Library, of which I missed Allison's opening because there was a que for the restrooms and, seeing as it was a disabled toilet, we let several people in before us.  From what I did catch, they have a fantastic site called Our Town Stories, which is storytelling meets history in an interactive manner.  From what we saw, it is a site I want to explore in my off time on my iPad- the source of all my assignments.  They also had Your Edinburgh, E-Magazine work(71 titles), and Your Library.  In this new generation of learners, their aim is to 1)engage, 2) keep up with the technology 3) online displays/upkeep, and 4) discover how they want to learn.  The library is a community hub that seeks to be flexible, open and connected, meet people.  The main concern is to keep the public in the know.  They then told us about a Dyslexic project revolving around Maggie Moon which is a venue that extends, uses ambassadors at events, and gets them involved.  You can see their projects on YouTube and their social media projects are so advanced, but this is possible when these areas have someone working on them.

In the afternoon, we went to the New College of the University of Edinburgh.  Sheila Dunn and Eleanor were our speakers.  Before New College, an academic library that meets the needs of the Divinity school, it was a church.  You can see the windows inside, stained glass with scenes of various religious tales.  In 1936, the library began; the pews were recycled as shelves, in 2005 outlets and wifi were added, and there are three stacks of storage.  They have a budget of about 52000 pounds a year, most going towards online purchases such as electronic journals, and a seasonable donation from the Church of Scotland as well.  The way Sheila puts it, they are well provided for.  For 50 pounds a year, you can be a member and have access to their items as well as one level of books.  Their oldest item seems to be a 15th Century Medieval Manuscript, but their most prized is a first edition King James Bible.  They keep ledgers, an online catalog, make most purchases from staff recommendations, hold an annual book sale(this helps weeding and is allowed by the larger library), and they hold exhibitions as well as allow visitors in.  They aren't necessarily on a consortium, though they are part of The Union of Theological and Philosophical Scheme.  Also, oddly enough, they use the Library of Congress classification system.

In the evening, I played pool and darts with some library classmates and a few locals.  Of darts, we taught them a new way to play and they found it, maybe not better but certainly, more fun than their normal game.  It was a good last night out  in Dalkeith, as I will be spending the last few nights in Edinburgh and beginning my mini break.  Dalkeith, of which I have wandered the ground to see the old structures and the animals, is a fantastic place to stay.  

British Studies: Scotland Day 1

Scotland: Day one

We began today's tour at the Scotland Museum, here they had an exhibit on pride & prejudice, Livingstone's travel in South Africa, and a small room that had outfits, interactive panels, and Conan Doyle displays.  while I have to examine my notes more on the Doyle displays, I think it may give me a boost for my research paper.

Eventually we approached the national archives of Scotland.  after a bit of a bus ride and a wander down the old streets, we entered Scotland's largest family history centre.  The building was designed by a Robert Adam, an architect of his time.  According to our tour guide, the library is at a point of transition but keeps their focus on public accessibility.  they have three facilities total, and have a person designated both "keeper of the records" & "registration general."  [insert taftan guide info]

The archive is home to registration, statistics, and NRS services online.  they have census, births/deaths, marriages, Scottish wills, tartan registrar, and more.  there are even course taught there.  their oldest piece comes from the 12th century, a brieve from King David I(1120s).  It was from a charter to build Edinburgh Castle and is apparently quite small.  Their library is home to researchers, genealogical seekers, and hold virtual volumes as well as an online catalog to aide them.  there are strict rules, no food or drink allowed, noise, mobile phones, etc.  

We were given both a tour of physical items they host as well as the staff areas.  the staff consisted of catalogers, digitization managers, and more.  the digitization process was the coolest part- the machinery consists of high-tech cameras, a cradle for the item, and compressor for the glass cover, a computer screen, and more.  they have records for nearly everything- Glasgow games, golf records, colorado letters, pennsylvania newspapers, crime and church records, and more.  our second tour guide, jenny cotus, has been at the library in various positions for 13 years.  Leslie was our other tour guide when it can to digitization.  she informed us that the photos must be recorded, converted to JPEGs, put in volumes, have negatives released, and that the process starts either via request or something else.  Overall, the behind the scenes was my favourite part o the visit.

In the evening, AG & LH and myself went in some stores, including the Edinburgh Hard Rock Cafe, but kept our purchases light.  Wandering the cobblestones, I discovered very quickly that it was an easy place to navigate, visually speaking.  I am loving the accents and have plenty of idea for tomorrow, since Wednesday is not an early morning.  By afternoon, we went to a quaint Italian restaurant, which was thrifty and we had a great waitress.  This evening we went on an Underground Ghost Tour.  for 8 pounds, we wandered beneath the south bridge, listening to stories of olden Scottish times and the people who lived down there, in one form or another.  we were told scary stories of past tours.  one in particular will stand out for awhile- in our second vault, somehow our group was at the back.  I discovered this when I felt like there was someone behind us, turned to look, and discovered that there wasn't.  turning, I listened to my tour guide and again, felt like there was a person staring.  once more, no one was there.  eventually she told us about "the watcher", a man who is always just out of sight, well-mannered, but attentive- hence his name.  my friends didn't feel anyone watching, but the sensation did not occur in any other room.  it was a relief to exit into twilight, to shake it off before we went home.  and somehow we want to do the graveyard one tomorrow.  am I asking for trouble?  probably, but the stories will be worth it!

Our tourguide, she was a toughie!

British Studies: Day 12 & 13 part 1

This morning I walked as the queen might when she enters Parliament.  The tour was just over an hour and gave us the inside scoop on the processions of the Houses of Parliament.  The insides are gorgeous and tell the complete history of the old royal families.  There is even half a hallway dedicated to Henry VIII, his six wives, and four children.  We sat in the "no" wing, learning about the local houses that have bells that toll when the eight minute vote begins.  Our tour guide, Victoria, was very invested and it was pleasant.

In the early afternoon, My group of five visited another Trafalgar Square event- Get Reading.  Hre, there was a stage and different local celebrities would visit the stage and read to the crowd of kids, family members, and wanderers by.  In the list was Hugh Grant and Russel Tovey, who we did not get to see.  It had a pretty large turnout, despite the heat wave that hit London.  I look forward to Edinburgh and will be disappointed if the humidity follows.

By afternoon, myself, GOP, and AG visited 221b.  We waited an hour in line, but it was worth it to say we had been.  Not to mention we had company- the nice line greeters with Sherlockian ties.  The house was actually four stories tall, with an attic and bathroom at the top.  The wax museum bit was rather creepy and claustrophobic- ever time I turned my back on one wax man ther was another behind it!  I took a few photos anyways, proof I suppose, and used many areas in the house as prop locations.  Baker Street was quiet besides. Although the London Beatles Shop drew quite a crowd.

Tonight I prepare for Edinburgh, likely over packed but hey, I have no idea what to expect weather-wise for the week.  I brought warm clothes as well as cooler ones, and the suitcase should still be liftable.  I brought it for the wheels.  To keep low key, I intend to visit the Thames tonight with LH & A.  Then it is time for bed and a long day's worth of bus riding.  I do hope my iPod is charged, though secretly- or maybe not so much so- I look forward to having time to read Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, which I bought the day we visited Stratford.  It was the last copy there and the first as had seen all trip.  

British Studies: Day 11

Today was another adventurous day.  Having still been jazzed up from meeting Daniel Radcliffe and sipping cider at The World's End yesterday, we today traveled to the Tottenham Road stop for a tour of the library at the British Museum.  Like many of the tours this month, we saw a behind the scenes element that normal tours cannot.  Our tourguide was Stephanie Clark, an energetic speaker and rather impressive figure.  The archive collection here is massive, taking up the whole space of the museum below and Stephanie keeps track of it all herself.  For 7 years she has worked here with no catalogue when she arrived and having no official one at present.  There are all sorts of archives here- finance, staff, trustee, building, and reading room.  There are 8 collecting departments but only the one archivist.  

The majority of her records of are trustee records with minutes from meetings.  These, she says, provide a sense of the era and are therefore important to keep in their bound volumes- for easy storage and finding.  Stephanie's department receives a total of some 30-40 emails a week that may come from legal services, those interested in family history, or anotehr special interest.  Of the trustee minutes, she tells us that there are dates of importance as well as page numbers, giving the item its own organization.  Some volumes have been tossed (due to the lack of use or concern for space) by previous directors.  The volumes include letters from the meetings, subject points most likely, as well as letter books that accompany them.  Today there are no staff records to be kept due to confidentiality laws.  

Of the building plans, she shows us an example from the 1830-1920 collection.  A trasncription from Aaron Hayes' previous work.  These include sketches of a sheep and a man.  In 1920 there were some records not kept.  There are some 1500 photos in the collection that relate to archives.  These are delivers to their respective departments, which aides the finding of materials requested.  She then showed us a (bomb)shell from 1941 and its related photos of their destruction.  In 1854, the museum highered its first photographer, Roger Fenton, in a time of pre-electricity.  The photos she showed were purchased at auction in 1980.  In 1881 they had a zoology/botany section, later moved to the Natural History Museum, which included an Irish Deer.  We viewed the images from a viewing device which made the 8 see the image in a 3D prespective as well as o see details of the previous version of the museum.  These were very cool.  Rather than focus on preservation of materisl, they have microfilm copies of all written works and building records.  They also have some impressive drafts from Smirke's architecture of the museum's outside.  Their round reading room is often take for special displays, so we did not get ot see it.  What I did get to see downstairs was far more special- a signature and reqiuest form from one Bram Stoker.  THE Bram Stoker.  Rumour has it that his Dracula and the British Museum are connected, though Stephanie was unsure how.

In the end, Stephanie has a job for life.  She took a task that had no organization and made a system that requires inquires through her.  There is no browsing done prior to the completed request, so she must retrieve it amongst some areas that seem to have no classificatin.  The index downstiars is aphabetical, with ticket numbers, and mostly grey boxes.  There does not seem to be a devised plan for digitalization because, due to the content f the collection, many photos are taken with poor quality so that they are not published elsewhere.  The items cannot, therefore, be used for digitalization.  Stephanie has a major in history with a masters in archive and management.  She says the realm can be tough and there have been a lot of changes in the last ten years(post-graduation) but there are still tradiational channels and she had the qualification over experience when highered.  She said to do her job one needs to have cataloguing, records, conservation, and preservation experience.  

In the afternoon, I finally made it to London's Hard Rock Cafe.  I am a bit obsessed at this point.  I hae a background as a classic rock/college dj.  The Hard Rock gives me an opportunity to see some iconicperformance  pieces.  Queen and The Beatles were there, amongst a vault of items, so I was not dissappointed.  Tonight, I must pack and book tickets for travel during mini break.  Tomorrow I am viewing the Houses of Parliament and venturing on Baker Street for research.  Wish me luck at a Benedict Cumbebatch sighting ;)