tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89871979370927029002024-03-12T19:38:09.658-07:00Art-e-facts: encounters with objects in museumsArt-e-facts. Introducing you to objects & their stories in museums, galleries & heritage sites. Looking at just what's inside museums.Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-52742401703995874982015-12-06T10:03:00.000-08:002015-12-06T10:51:28.428-08:00Ai WeiWei<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It was another of those precious days. A week-day when you both have a day off. The youngest two kids on the train to Granny's house and the older two probably spending the day in bed, it was half term. We had a day off together in early January too, and we went to the <a href="http://artefactsobjects.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/hunterian-museum.html" target="_blank">Hunterian Museum</a> which you can read about <a href="http://artefactsobjects.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/hunterian-museum.html" target="_blank">here</a>. This time we were off to see <a href="https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/ai-weiwei" target="_blank">Ai WeiWei</a> at the <a href="https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/" target="_blank">Royal Academy</a>.</div>
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This was my choice, I was keen, my husband knew absolutely nothing about <a href="https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/ai-weiwei" target="_blank">Ai WeiWei</a>; his artwork and outspoken criticism of the Chinese government, for which he has been arrested, imprisoned and beaten.</div>
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When you arrive you are met in the courtyard by trees. Branches of dead trees are bolted together to look like whole trees. Industrial bolts hold the branches together, looking precariously balanced, a little top heavy. This is the first piece of Ai WeiWei's work to capture my husband's imagination. Mine too, but more for the strange beauty than the engineering.</div>
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Balance and engineering run through Ai WeiWei's work. </div>
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However you can clearly see that it isn't possible to balance between these parallel bars anymore. They have been filled with wood reclaimed from Qing Dynasty temples which were flattened for the sake of modernisation, to make way for new buildings in developing cities.</div>
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As an engineer, my husband knows exactly what these are. Steel bars used to reinforce concrete. All that engineering training yet he never thought he would see them a source of contemplation. </div>
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Each bar was purchased as twisted and bent scrap metal following the collapse of 20 schools and colleges during a powerful earthquake in 2008. Shoddy workmanship and materials were blamed for the deaths of over 5,000 students, kids. In their memory 200 tonnes of steel bars have been painstakingly straightened.</div>
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Ai WeiWei, with others, established a '<i>citizens' investigation</i>', a campaign to record all the names of these kids. Thousands of students with their dates of birth are numbered and listed on the Royal Academy walls. We feel uncomfortable, challenged and truly sad.</div>
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In 2010 in the name of regeneration, the authorities invited Ai WeiWei to build a new studio, which as soon as it was completed, they ordered him to demolish under the pretext that he had not got planning permission. Ai WeiWei managed to procure some of the original building materials during the demolition to create yet more work.</div>
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To commemorate the building of this studio and its imminent demolition, Ai WeiWei held a party, putting an open invitation on the Internet. 800 guests came to feast on river crabs, a feast to which Ai WeiWei could not be present as by then he had been placed under house arrest. </div>
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Whilst incarcerated, although forbidden to discuss anything from the 81 days, he memorised every detail of his cell and has since created six scenes from his time in there, six boxes in which he tells his story, all half actual size. To see inside you have to look through small hatches in the walls and ceilings. That kind of changes your position, from looking at a piece of work in a gallery to feeling like a voyeur. Asking what on earth should I be doing about this? </div>
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I like the way Ai WeiWei challenges the value of stuff, painting these neolithic and 1st century Dynasty vases with industrial paint. He then has photographs of himself taken, dropping one to the floor. You kinda get that, and are challenged to think about whether some things are worth the price. Nothing, however valuable, could replace the lives lost in that earthquake. </div>
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Ai WeiWei is a communicator. He has things to say. He speaks through making and his voice is heard all over the world via social media. He has a huge international following on on Twitter and Instagram. </div>
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Back to the question, what on earth should I be doing about this? Not a direct answer but I have been so encouraged by this story. I don't have a photo but around the doors of the exhibition entrance, the walls are papered with wallpaper made up of I.O.U notes from Ai WeiWei to the people who came forward with money to help him pay a bill. Straight after his 81 day incarceration, Ai WeiWei's company was charged with tax evasion, fined £1.5 million and given 15 days to pay. At this point 30,000 people stepped up to help, some even throwing money over his studio walls.</div>
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<a href="https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/ai-weiwei" target="_blank">Ai WeiWei's exhibition</a> at the <a href="https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/" target="_blank">Royal Academy</a> runs until 13th December 2015. Check out the <a href="https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/" target="_blank">Royal Academy website here</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/ai-weiwei" target="_blank">Ai WeiWei</a> communicates globally through social media, ironically the social aspect of our day out was slightly curtailed by the audio-tour (which was brilliant). The audio-tour, took us to the places above, to those places which inspired Ai WeiWei to make art, going there alone on a day out together.</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-9096187387506121422015-11-05T09:07:00.004-08:002015-11-19T00:19:04.377-08:00Painted Hall: Greenwich<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0YzS4uQI7WE/Vjt0IwiOw6I/AAAAAAAAEx8/3xFa4pal0aI/s1600/P1080735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Greenwich Painted Hall" border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0YzS4uQI7WE/Vjt0IwiOw6I/AAAAAAAAEx8/3xFa4pal0aI/s400/P1080735.JPG" title="Painted Hall Greenwich" width="400" /></a></div>
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You spend 19 years painting the dining room but it turns out "<i>to be far too grand for everyday use</i>". Instead of saving it for best, for naval veterans to sit down to their fish supper, it is decided that the dining hall should be opened up to the public. Only to "respectable visitors", at a cost of 3d each. That's about £1.80 in new money. <br />
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At least James Thornhill then got to have his hard work seen by more people, the "<i>respectable</i>" public. And however awe inspiring this hall is, imagine eating every meal here, you might stop noticing things. Such as...</div>
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...the ceilings </div>
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...the animals</div>
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...the cherubs<br />
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...St Paul's</div>
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...the stonework<br />
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...and the textiles</div>
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Ceilings can be tricky to look at, so mirrors are provided so you can look down rather than up.<br />
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Time has taken it's toll on these paintings in the <a href="https://www.ornc.org/paintedhall" target="_blank">Painted Hall</a> and they are in the process of being restored. And this costs money. You can often be asked to donate to conservation work. But hats off to the <a href="http://www.ornc.org/" style="font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Old Royal Naval College</a> for making it easy, fun and for making it very clear where your money goes.<br />
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To put this into perspective, James Thornhill received £3 per square yard for painting the ceiling and £1 for the walls. Times have changed.</div>
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Visitors have painted the ceiling by numbers. Wish I'd done that.</div>
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I adopted a face. 'Providence'. Who doesn't love a museum badge?</div>
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She was in the paintings somewhere.</div>
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Fundraising is not a new to the <a href="https://www.ornc.org/paintedhall" target="_blank">Painted Hall</a>. It was all very (questionably) transparent back then. Not only did those 'respectable' people get to see who had donated, but also how much they had given. Best not to out-do King William. No-one even came close.</div>
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Over 300 years later, the <a href="https://www.ornc.org/paintedhall" target="_blank">Painted Hall</a> in the <a href="http://www.ornc.org/" target="_blank">Old Royal Naval College</a> in Greenwich is still open to the public. Prices have changed, from 3d to free admission. Details on the <a href="http://www.ornc.org/" target="_blank">Old Royal Naval College website here</a>.</div>
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As for everyday use, meals are still not served to 'respectable vistors', not even birthday lunches. Happy Birthday Nicola.</div>
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Just so you know, we didn't starve, we had lunch in the University of Greenwich cafe very close by.</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-57798144953773991892015-10-15T07:00:00.003-07:002016-02-15T14:47:22.206-08:00Unofficial War Artist: IWM<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have seen the <a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/exhibitions/iwm-london/peter-kennard-unofficial-war-artist" target="_blank">Peter Kennard: Unofficial War Artist</a> exhibition at the <a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london" target="_blank">Imperial War Museum, London, </a>several times with all sorts of people. First chatting around it with colleagues, then alone with a notebook preparing a tour, then as keen mum with my 18 year old son and finally talking and touring through the exhibition with visitors to the <a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london" target="_blank">IWM</a>. </div>
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Peter Kennard's work is explicitly political. Politics of the left. "<i>He has quite a bit to say about Bush and Blair</i>", I forewarn American visitors. "<i>And we will probably agree with him</i>", they smile at me.</div>
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Age 19, as a student at the Slade school of art in 1968, the time of the anti Vietnam War protests, Kennard began to bring art and politics together producing a series of large gelatine prints, STOP. Talking about gelatine prints, a now defunct printing process, elicits a knowing nod from some older visitors.</div>
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Kennard took photos from current (at the time) newspapers of political events, and overlaid them with abstract marks. Taking familiar shocking and powerful images and making them unfamiliar and disorientating. Reflecting on this work and remembering those times, American visitors recognise and point out protests that happened back home.</div>
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Peter Kennard curated this exhibition alongside IWM curators. He made these boards specially to display an archive of his posters produced for different protest groups and organisations.</div>
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The exhibition includes an archive of Kennard's work from the 1970s, filling a whole room. It includes work he did as a student, experiments in sketchbooks, which I'm keen to point out to my newly-started-at-art-college son. "<i>This is work he began at 19, you'll be 19 in 6 months time" </i>I enthuse.</div>
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I had been nagging him to see the Peter Kennard exhibition as soon as I had seen it, even promising him the book. Not until, "<i>mum, they</i> (art college) <i>have told us to see that exhibition where you work</i>", did he agree to meet me and see it together.</div>
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"<i>It's really good</i>".</div>
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Exasperated... "<i>Yes! I knew you'd like it, that's why I said come and see it</i>".</div>
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I might be from another generation, but I get it.</div>
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Kennard was known for his photo-montages, a process that became associated with protest art. This was pre-digital, requiring scissors, knives and sellotape, prompting both political stirrings and affection for good old craft skills. </div>
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Kennard's work provokes comment, causing visitors to speak their thoughts out loud, sometimes without meaning to.</div>
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Particularly this piece from 1982, using Constable's Haywain to comment on the missile base in East Anglia.</div>
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"<i>He's a pacifist! But that's against everything the Imperial War Museum stands for! Why is he in an exhibition here?</i>"</div>
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I don't think she meant to blurt this out as I was speaking but something just clicked. I explained that the IWM was not here to comment, but it has always been part of its remit to collect art to tell stories of war and conflict.</div>
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However, when you put objects in a museum they give off messages, intentionally or otherwise. Putting objects in a museum does kind of give them status that if you'd just left them rusting in the back of a garage they might not otherwise have had. But we all see things differently. For me, that cart looks so fragile under the weight of those cruise missiles. How fragile does life look under the threat of any missile?</div>
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Another visitor, ".<i>..ahead of his time, he saw that coming, the NHS</i>." This was made in the 1980s.</div>
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"<i>Getting the work out into the world and used is as important as its production</i>", says Peter Kennard. Hence we see his work on badges and T-shirts as well as posters and pamphlets. </div>
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What strikes you about Kennard's work is that you don't need a degree in art history to understand it. His images are readable, recognisable. This is not to make less of his work, to say that it is simple, but in fact to make more of his work. He asks questions, challenges the viewer, and gets you to think. In fact Peter Kennard doesn't call himself an artist, but a communicator. Like he says, he has got his "<i>work out into the world</i>", made it readable and understandable. Good communication. </div>
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'Reading Room' is based on Kennards trips to Paddington Library as a child, to read the day's newspapers. People's faces photocopied onto financial pages from newspapers from around the world, unknown faces and stock market figures. A colleague and I find this moving, powerful. The faces are quite beautiful. What impact has the stock market had on their unknown lives? </div>
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On the tour, I ask people to squeeze down a narrow corridor to look at a series of paintings called 'Face'.</div>
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No-one minds the squash, not to contemplate these haunting faces. Faces that merge in and out of darkness, no mouths, no language, mute, therefore universally understood. Sometimes you don't need words. </div>
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The last room in the exhibition has been made specially for it. A kind of mini retrospective of nearly 50 years of work. An installation where Kennard reflects on the financial and human cost of war.</div>
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'Boardroom' where Kennard brings us statistics on the handrail.</div>
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I spend time with my son reading these statistics. Some are not new.</div>
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"<i>I knew that</i>", but it still doesn't lessen the impact.</div>
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One visitor comments, "<i>How long has this exhibition been here? He will have to update that now with the refugee crisis, ...perhaps on a daily basis</i>." </div>
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".<i>..and how many have been used. He should have said that</i>."</div>
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This is an exhibition to make you think beyond the work. It has a been a privilege to see it with many different people, to have the opportunity to reflect on it with them and hear what they have to say. Not least was the opportunity to spend time with my 18 year old. It doesn't happen that much anymore, one to one, doing something we both enjoy.</div>
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<a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/exhibitions/iwm-london/peter-kennard-unofficial-war-artist" target="_blank">Peter Kennard: Unofficial War Artist</a> is free and is on at the <a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london" target="_blank">Imperial War Museum, London</a> until 30 May 2016. Free admission. See the <a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london" target="_blank">Imperial War Museum website</a> for gallery tours.</div>
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Take an 18 year old.</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-49229975611756736102015-10-08T04:36:00.000-07:002015-11-06T04:53:27.500-08:00Face of Britain: National Portrait Gallery<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Not all learning in museums is about the objects they display. In the museum learning literature it is acknowledged that people sometimes learn, "something new about each other"*. Never, for me, has this been so apparent than when I went with my dad to see <a href="http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/simon-schamas-face-of-britain/exhibition.php" target="_blank">Simon Schama's Face of Britain</a> at the <a href="http://www.npg.org.uk/" target="_blank">National Portrait Gallery</a>. I'm in my late forties, you'd think I know him quite well by now.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ir4O4hTOEYU/VhU16R3TNAI/AAAAAAAAEmY/PGOWZyq2XSE/s1600/P1090166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ir4O4hTOEYU/VhU16R3TNAI/AAAAAAAAEmY/PGOWZyq2XSE/s400/P1090166.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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As with the Grayson Perry exhibition, 'Who Are You?' at the <a href="http://www.npg.org.uk/" target="_blank">National Portrait Gallery</a> on last year, which you can<a href="http://artefactsobjects.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/who-are-you.html" target="_blank"> read about here</a>, Face of Britain is displayed over all three of the gallery's floors. My dad has been here before, he knows the form, he suggests taking the lift to the top and working our way down (the stairs). "<i>Much easier that way</i>."</div>
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<a href="http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/simon-schamas-face-of-britain/exhibition.php" target="_blank">Face of Britain</a> looks at portraits and identity with five themes:</div>
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Power, Love, Fame, Self and People.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7-H8iJL7upU/VhU4tamrZVI/AAAAAAAAEmo/UUqtmpWkra4/s1600/P1090133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7-H8iJL7upU/VhU4tamrZVI/AAAAAAAAEmo/UUqtmpWkra4/s400/P1090133.JPG" width="303" /></a></div>
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<b>Power</b></div>
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Walking into the room, "t<i>hat's Cromwell</i>."</div>
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"<i>How do you know?</i>"</div>
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"<i>Cromwell, he is so distinctive, rugged, slightly nasty, I just know what he looks like</i>."</div>
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I one the other hand, hadn't got a clue.</div>
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"<i>Did you do history at school?</i>"</div>
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"<i>No, I hated history at school, bad teacher, it all depends on the teacher. I developed my interest in history after school</i>." </div>
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My dad went round the National Portrait Gallery identifying people. I wasn't expecting this, hearing all he knew about history, particularly impressed by him being able to identify Kings and Queens, and in the right order.</div>
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'Power', it kind of had to be... I didn't need my dad to tell me this was Margaret Thatcher.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c8ZeMvO32jc/VhU4ub1TZBI/AAAAAAAAEnE/op84rF7RltM/s1600/P1090143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c8ZeMvO32jc/VhU4ub1TZBI/AAAAAAAAEnE/op84rF7RltM/s400/P1090143.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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"<i>That makes her look softer than she was</i>"</div>
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"..<i>.almost vulnerable looking</i>."</div>
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"<i>The only time she looked like that was when she was booted out</i>."</div>
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This is when he dropped a bombshell. Never assume you know how your closest family vote.</div>
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"<i>What! I can't believe it. I always thought you were a .</i>.." I can't tell you how surprised I was.</div>
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Thatcher seemed to spark quite a bit of conversation, I couldn't help but overhear.</div>
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"<i>Apparently she kept interfering with what the artist was doing.</i>"</div>
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"<i>Well that just about sums her up!</i>"</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X7MXXtDxfjM/VhU4uu9-xNI/AAAAAAAAEnI/byCql0OoSlU/s1600/P1090149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X7MXXtDxfjM/VhU4uu9-xNI/AAAAAAAAEnI/byCql0OoSlU/s400/P1090149.JPG" width="296" /></a></div>
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The Queen. A 3D picture, a bit like one of those 3D postcards where things move. I had one where if you looked at it from different angles, giraffes moved their heads from side to side.</div>
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" <i>I don't like it, her nose is pronounced too much.</i>"</div>
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I so wished it was one of those 3D moving pictures and she would open her eyes when stepped from side to side looking at her from different angles. It was not to be, this image was inspired by seeing the queen resting, a quick shut-eye between the official shots.</div>
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Here's another Elizabeth, the first.</div>
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No resting for her, she has a country to rule, painted under her feet, putting us firmly in our place.</div>
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<b>Love</b></div>
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My dad proves to be a mine of information. he doesn't need to read the label to know this is is George, Prince of Wales, Prince Regent.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CwACoDSq6ds/VhWMf-KElNI/AAAAAAAAEno/0b-H7ge84tI/s1600/P1090152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CwACoDSq6ds/VhWMf-KElNI/AAAAAAAAEno/0b-H7ge84tI/s400/P1090152.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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George, despite his "<i>serial amorous adventures</i>", had one true love, Maria Anne Fitzherbert (Mrs). When he died George was found with her portrait in miniature around his neck.</div>
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It was also love that prompted Sir Kenelm Digby to call quickly for Van Dyck to paint Lady Venetia Digby after he found her dead in bed. He lived with this portrait by his side, day and night, but it didn't manage to fully console him.</div>
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<b>People</b></div>
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The "<i>great and the good, ...characters</i>".</div>
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Simon Weston, he is part of both our consciousness, memories of the 1980s and the Falklands War. </div>
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Everyday people, from Torquay. It's near where my mum lives, I scan the photos to see if I recognise anywhere. I really don't. But am impressed with this "<i>Torquay fishwife's</i>" 'leg o'mutton' sleeves. What a great jacket.</div>
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These photos intrigue me. Surveillance photos of militant suffragettes, taken undercover while they were in prison. Imprisoned for damaging museum artefacts in the British Museum and the National Gallery. Their photos now hang in the <a href="http://www.npg.org.uk/" target="_blank">National Portrait Gallery</a>. So many questions, not least, how far would I go to stand up for women's rights? I am thankful for these women. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cz_odrh_o8w/VhWSuuI4NQI/AAAAAAAAEoM/dboU3XMLsOk/s1600/P1090183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cz_odrh_o8w/VhWSuuI4NQI/AAAAAAAAEoM/dboU3XMLsOk/s400/P1090183.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Fame</b></div>
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I pause to take a photo to send to a friend via Facebook. We're playing a game. #GuessWho? </div>
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My dad spots Nelson a mile off. I didn't realise how much of a celebrity Lady Emma Hamilton was. The mistress of one of the most famous people in Britain in the 18th century, she was "<i>London's biggest female celebrity</i>". Many of her portraits were reproduced in etchings to "<i>provide the public with affordable portraits</i>". Etchings, social media, has much changed?</div>
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<b>Self</b></div>
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This is the "<i>earliest known oil self-portrait painted in England</i>". It's tiny. Painted whilst inprisoned at the Tower of London, Gerlach Flicke also painted his fellow cellmate, Henry Strangwish, who was in for piracy. </div>
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Frank Auerbach. "<i>very clever scribbles</i>". Despite looking "<i>scribbled</i>", perhaps rushed, Auerbach worked on this painting for six years, continually rubbing bits out. Possibly a testament to that feeling of looking in the mirror and not really being happy at what you see.</div>
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Dame Laura Knight in her studio. I love this painting. She's there, hard at work in a life-drawing class, establishing herself as an artist, in a place where previously she had been barred, for being a woman.</div>
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David Bomberg, we read, went to the Slade school of art.</div>
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"<i>Society of Lithographers, Artists, Designers and Engravers.</i>"</div>
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"<i>No, not that Slade, the art college. But anyway, how do you know that?</i>"</div>
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"<i>My father was a member, a lithographer</i>."</div>
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"<i>I didn't know that, I only remember him retired</i>."</div>
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"<i>Yes he was a printer, worked in the Caledonian Road, Kings Cross. He was at the Woolwich Arsenal in 1940, getting ready to go to France in the Second World War, when he was told that he was not going because they needed him to be a forger, probably to help with the resistance. I don't know exactly what he worked on as he'd signed the official secrets act and never told his family. I've found all this out since he died</i>."</div>
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"<i>Gosh</i>."</div>
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"<i>He could raw a perfect circle free-hand</i>."</div>
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This was my grandfather from an ordinary semi in Wembley. I had no idea. </div>
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Simon Schama tells us that <a href="http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/simon-schamas-face-of-britain/exhibition.php" target="_blank">Face of Britain</a> is about identity, portraits, discovering who people are. As well as learning about the illustrious on the walls of the <a href="http://www.npg.org.uk/" target="_blank">National Portrait Gallery</a>, I was thrilled to learn more about my family.</div>
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<a href="http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/simon-schamas-face-of-britain/exhibition.php" target="_blank">Simon Schama's Face of Britain</a> is on at the <a href="http://www.npg.org.uk/" target="_blank">National Portrait Gallery</a> until 4th January 2016. Free admission. Details on <a href="http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/simon-schamas-face-of-britain/exhibition.php" target="_blank">their website here</a>. </div>
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Did you #GuessWho?</div>
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William Shakespeare</div>
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*Falk and Dierking, 1992</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-59385277388551522812015-09-28T08:22:00.005-07:002015-09-28T13:57:52.011-07:00London Fire Brigade Museum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last weekend was <a href="http://www.openhouselondon.org.uk/" target="_blank">Open House London</a> 2015 and a friend suggested we all go, he loves my kids. <a href="http://www.openhouselondon.org.uk/" target="_blank">Open House London</a> seeks to help people learn about buildings and architecture, those that have, "<i>such a strong impact on us on an everyday basis</i>". They say that photos and illustrations are not enough, we have to visit, get inside these buildings and get to know them and that includes museums.</div>
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So we did.</div>
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We went to the<a href="http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/london-fire-brigade-museum.asp" target="_blank"> London Fire Brigade Museum</a>.</div>
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At this point this trip could have gone one of two ways. Either very un-politically correct with '<i>who doesn't love a fireman</i>', or down the geeky route with engines, water pressure, pumps and ladders. You will be pleased to know that it did just that, the geeky route; history, inventions and the development of firefighting. In some cases little has changed.</div>
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Despite what this 17th century Newsham pump looks like, this is high-tech, designed to pump and direct water down a leather hose to a specific point up to 40 feet away, the firefighters able to keep a safe distance.</div>
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This was manufactured for over 100 years and eventually they came in red. But you may have clocked that there's no ladder. In those days ladders and pumps were separate. Your buildings insurance paid for the fire service which was there to save buildings, not people. Noticing a bit of a problem here, charities paid for ladders to be added to fire engines in the 19th century. </div>
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Eventually in 1969 we came to this, the Dennis F108.</div>
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Still red, a (manual) bell, flashing lights, ladders,</div>
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and 300 gallons of water on board.</div>
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With this on the back, a detachable ladder, handcrafted in wood.</div>
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Wooden cartwheels were in use until the 1980s.</div>
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Producing firefighting equipment has required other artisan skills. Such as basket weaving used to make this filter, seen on this trailer pump used during the Second World War.</div>
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Wicker filters were made to filter the water from rivers, as often the mains were destroyed by bombing. Camouflaged in battleship grey, volunteers in the Auxiliary Fire Service could be trained to use these in just two hours.</div>
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We learnt all this from David, a retired firefighter who has a trailer pump at home. It still works and he takes it to shows and gives demonstrations. Here he is with a wheelbarrow pump. It's amazing what you learn when your engineer husband and friend keep him chatting for hours. How did they think to ask those questions? I was quite impressed with what they knew already. </div>
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This was a museum in two halves. Engines in the appliance bay and the history of firefighting in Winchester House, the residence of the Brigade's Chief Fire Officer, Captain Eyre Massey Shaw who took charge of the Brigade in 1861 and is said to have begun the modern fire service.</div>
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Seeing this picture above I'm feeling slightly better about my un-political "nice firemen" quip. Looks like they've always had a somewhat pin-up status. Here Captain Massey features in Vanity Fair in their '<i>men of the day</i>' section no less. A popular man, "<i>he is, besides being the first fireman, one of the most popular men in London</i>."</div>
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We look at uniforms, past and present.</div>
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A visitor, a firefighter, explains that the reflective visor is to reflect the heat. Of course! We feel a little foolish for not working that out for ourselves. </div>
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Visitors are invited to try on uniforms. I was so pleased to see that these were not replica but the real thing. 'Real' is important in museums.</div>
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He was so desperate to fool people, standing stock still as I wandered into the room, but his height gave the game away a little. I have to say it wasn't just me he tried to fool, he stood like that for ages, hoping to trick other visitors. I moved on denying all responsibility.</div>
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We met another firefighter, another visitor, who explained this...</div>
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We never caught its name, but were seriously impressed with what it does. The red bag is attached to the fire firefighter and on entering a building with low visibility, you tie off the rope at intervals. When your air supply gets low, you have to get out. </div>
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Finding the rope, you feel for the two knots, find the short knot, follow the rope and take the "<i>short way</i>" out. Clever! You abandon the bag and get out.</div>
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We saw women. Mrs J Hicks, Deputy Chief Woman Fire Officer, awarded an OBE for her services in the NFS in the Second World War. Having the word '<i>fire</i>' in her job title was important, "<i>as it gave weight to the fact that the women involved in the Brigade were not just involved in welfare and making the tea</i>".</div>
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The Fire Service is not just reactionary but works hard to educate the public. They must do a good job as my daughter remembered this poster from a primary school visit and I'm pleased, yet slightly alarmed, to learn that from age seven she has had a '<i>Fire Plan</i>' in place with her emergency escape route sorted. She's twelve.</div>
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"<i>Don't you have have an escape route? If I coudn't get out through my bedroom door, well you know that little roof, I'd open my window and jump on that."</i><br />
She is the most organised in our family. </div>
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Meanwhile I worry about the toaster and electric shower, not to mention the vacuum cleaner (not shown). Perhaps I should (could) ditch the hoover as it's a fire risk?</div>
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But here's the rub. We visited the <a href="http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/london-fire-brigade-museum.asp" target="_blank">London Fire Brigade Museum</a> on its last day of opening on that site in Southwark. It is moving to the Albert Embankment, opening in three years time. If our experience is anything to go by, I would pencil it in your diary and go visit when it opens. Details on their <a href="http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/london-fire-brigade-museum.asp" target="_blank">website here</a>. However, keep an eye out for them, as they told me they will be doing pop-up exhibitions, school visits and events around London while they wait.</div>
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Meanwhile <a href="http://www.openhouselondon.org.uk/" target="_blank">Open House London</a> features many museums and will happen again in September 2016. Details on their <a href="http://www.openhouselondon.org.uk/" target="_blank">website here</a>.</div>
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We had a great time and so it seems did this kid.</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-52158099242275120652015-09-21T05:39:00.002-07:002015-09-23T05:12:31.700-07:00Designs of the Year 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/designs-of-the-year-2015" target="_blank">Designs of the Year</a> is an annual exhibition at <a href="http://designmuseum.org/" target="_blank">The Design Museum</a> showcasing the best of design from around the world in six categories: architecture, digital, fashion, graphics, product and transport. In each category a winner, the best of the best, is chosen by an independent jury.</div>
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We went as a family last year, 2014, which you can <a href="http://artefactsobjects.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/designs-of-year-2014.html" target="_blank">read here</a>, where we had trouble agreeing on what we thought made for good design, our own judging criteria being far from independent. It's hard to agree on things when you know what you like and your mum thinks she know better. This year I went with friends, three women, three mums. What would we consider to be good design?</div>
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Firstly this. </div>
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Plant pots to live in, bringing indigenous trees back into a city in Vietnam that is only 0.25 percent green. A kind of two birds and one stone design, helping with pollution and flood prevention.</div>
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Just one problem, "<i>you couldn't seriously sit on that wall. Look at the drop</i>".</div>
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Then there was tea, "<i>I'd like that</i>", just heating the water you need. Could this be the gadget that really does slot into everyday life and doesn't get resigned to the back of the cupboard after the initial enthusiasm has died down and you realise you haven't the space for it.</div>
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Then it gets clever, we all love this. Not only for the innovation, a table that can charge your phone using daylight, but who doesn't love a good pun, "<i>Current table</i>". It all happens by photosynthesis.</div>
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Saving on family squabbles, it is able to charge two phones at the same time.<br />
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Another design we could totally go with. "<i>Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables</i>".</div>
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Common sense, playful design promoting misshapen fruit and veg, making it "<i>appealing and cool</i>".</div>
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An attempt to reduce waste. We learn that fifty-seven percent of the 300 million tonnes of fruit and veg thrown away each year, is due to its appearance. Crazy! Get with it, shoppers, it's thirty percent cheaper too.</div>
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Then there are the designs we are thankful we don't have to rely on, but can still get very excited about. "<i>How cool is this?</i>" Without being connected to a water supply, sewers or mains electricity it provides hygienic sanitation. </div>
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This toilet has everything covered. It's solar powered, waste water is cleaned, with chlorine produced through electrolysis, clean enough to wash your hands. Yes really. Waste material (you get my drift) is separated and collected to be converted into fertiliser and biogases. Practical, everyday design, yet its effects are huge. 1.8 million people die a year due to poor sanitation.</div>
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For some design, there's a story rather than an object on display. "<i>The Ocean Cleanup</i>", an "<i>environmentally safe process</i>" for removing the vast amount of plastic waste from our oceans. A project begun by a teenage engineering student, using the ocean currents to drive the rubbish towards floating barriers. </div>
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We're convinced, however evidence is provided of the damage plastic waste does in our seas.</div>
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Not all the designs that impress us are about providing practical solutions and meeting needs, some is purely aesthetic and playful.</div>
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These designs for new Norwegian banknotes, combine two different designers' ideas, front and back. They work well together, kind of need each other. Two different designers saying, "<i>I did that!</i>"</div>
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"<i>A streetlamp that plays with your shadow</i>"</div>
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We had fun with this, as it recorded our shadow and played it back when the next person walked underneath. What I loved about this, is that it brought people out onto the quieter less explored streets of Bristol purely to search them out and play. One of our favourite designs in the exhibition.</div>
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As I said, we were three mums visiting, we have kids. How clever is this? Sensing labour is underway, it texts the farmer an hour before the calf is due. A design for animal welfare, but there are parallels.</div>
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<a href="http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/designs-of-the-year-2015" target="_blank">Designs of the Year 2015</a> is on at the <a href="http://designmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Design Museum</a> until 31 march 2016.<br />
This is our selection, there are many more design nominations, the best of 2015. Is this the stuff of future museums? As the <a href="http://designmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Design Museums </a>says,<br />
"Someday the other museums will be showing this stuff".</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-30416482539694226882015-09-14T13:34:00.002-07:002015-11-06T05:03:12.339-08:00Kids...'Walk Through British Art'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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'<i><a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/display/bp-walk-through-british-art" target="_blank">Walk Through British Art</a></i>' is a series of galleries at <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain" target="_blank">Tate Britain</a> which in their words is, "...<i>a walk through time</i>", through their collection from 1545 to the present. "<i>There are no designated themes or movements; instead, you can see a range of art made at any one moment in an open conversational manner.</i>"</div>
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Fuelled by lunch, having seen the Barbara Hepworth exhibition, which you can read <a href="http://artefactsobjects.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/barbara-hepworth-at-tate-britain.html" target="_blank">about here</a>, we headed into the permanent galleries. I watched and chatted to my kids, intrigued to see how the Tate's '<i>open conversational manner</i>' approach to displaying art worked itself out in our conversation.</div>
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What made them tick in the Tate?</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Materials</span></div>
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Quite often it was the materials and the questions surrounding their use that drew in the kids, especially my youngest son and his friend.</div>
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Such as bread.</div>
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"<i>Bread people</i>".</div>
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"<i>Do you think he bought sliced bread?</i>" </div>
"<i>How did he cut the bread to make room for the body shape? Did he cut round someone or use a mould of a person?</i>"<br />
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"<i>Bet it smells</i>."</div>
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"<i>I want to climb on them</i>." Fortunately at 12 years old, he knew better.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Puzzles</span></div>
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Sometimes it was the challenge of a piece of art that captured the kids' imagination. Especially if the work presented itself as a bit of a puzzle.</div>
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Art in corners.</div>
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"<i>I really can't tell if those shapes are printed on the wall or hanging there.</i>"</div>
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This was one of those pieces of work in a gallery that make you go and get your mum.</div>
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"<i>Can I show you something really cool?</i>"</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rCvm5ZKy48c/Vfb7QGgUbHI/AAAAAAAAEaw/Qthgx2nianQ/s1600/P1080274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rCvm5ZKy48c/Vfb7QGgUbHI/AAAAAAAAEaw/Qthgx2nianQ/s400/P1080274.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i>That's mad</i>."</div>
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"<i>That's not a hole is it? There's no way that's a hole</i>."</div>
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We were so close, yet couldn't tell. Clever!</div>
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"Mum look, 3D or not 3D." He was pleased with himself for the pun.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Familiarity</span></div>
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We all like the work that reminded us of something, something within our experience.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-LAp5bXri0/VfcY1RMUgDI/AAAAAAAAEbs/Wz-Hbg5tNG4/s1600/P1080286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-LAp5bXri0/VfcY1RMUgDI/AAAAAAAAEbs/Wz-Hbg5tNG4/s400/P1080286.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i>Do you remember seeing that Gilbert & George exhibition in Exeter?</i>"</div>
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"<i>That looks like Britain overcoming the Nazis in the Second World War. They start to break up, then at the end they are shattered apart</i>."</div>
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We look at the label and find out that this was in fact made in the seventies. It is though, a comment on racism.</div>
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"<i>Racism is breaking down</i>.<i> Good.</i>"</div>
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"<i>I've seen this before. I like the colours, the splash</i>." Says a teenager unafraid of colour.</div>
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"<i>What even those greys?</i>"</div>
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"<i>Grey's not a horrible colour. You wear a lot of grey</i>." True.</div>
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"<i>I recognised that from the airport. I saw a security camera and the inside of a suitcase looked liked that.</i>"</div>
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Kids seem to want a work of art to be about something.</div>
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"<i>What's this meant to be?</i>"</div>
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"<i>It's meant to be art</i>."</div>
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"<i>But what's it all about?</i>"</div>
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So when no "<i>about</i>" is mentioned, they start to decide for themselves, more often than not applying concrete rather than abstract concepts.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qAOLptZ1b1Q/VfccYHgl7QI/AAAAAAAAEcY/_iU1YVB2LR0/s1600/P1080309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qAOLptZ1b1Q/VfccYHgl7QI/AAAAAAAAEcY/_iU1YVB2LR0/s400/P1080309.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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"<i>It looks like a ship</i>."</div>
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"<i>They look like singing worms</i>."</div>
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"<i>Friendly creatures</i>."</div>
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"<i>What is it about them that makes them look friendly?</i>"</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hard Work</span></div>
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Hard work is acknowledged and respected.</div>
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"<i>Those words must have taken a long time to do, especially if they did it manually</i>", says a child from a digital age.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What they didn't get.</span></div>
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"<i>How is that a work of art, it just looks like a messy room</i>."</div>
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"<i>That is not someone with a good life because they have mess all over their bed, things you don't really need. If they had a good life, they'd have a bedside light and loads of books</i>."</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rflT06xUZ1k/VfceLOU8F7I/AAAAAAAAEdE/Z3uHNcHMzVY/s1600/P1130799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rflT06xUZ1k/VfceLOU8F7I/AAAAAAAAEdE/Z3uHNcHMzVY/s400/P1130799.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The comments of two boys, not yet teenagers, on a comment made by the artist on her own life.</div>
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" <i>Do you think Tracy Emin has bedside light nowadays?</i>"</div>
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Having a bedside light obviously says a lot about a person.</div>
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At this point, two delighted boys find and show us the smallest spider web, connecting her bedside table to her mattress. The Tate has a squatter, do they know? Does Tracy Emin know?</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ipMLHIV824/VfceLZWgy1I/AAAAAAAAEc8/cZov-aOMgT0/s1600/P1080296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ipMLHIV824/VfceLZWgy1I/AAAAAAAAEc8/cZov-aOMgT0/s400/P1080296.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i>What's the point? It's not saying anything important</i>."</div>
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"<i>It's a wire sculpture. Like a wire drawing. Sometimes when you draw, you make more than one line don't you. I think it's beautiful, a gentle, soft, wire drawing</i>."</div>
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This was our conversation, Whether or not our responses were what the artists or Tate imagined, it's what we talked about. We would have liked a bit more "<i>about</i>" conversation with the Tate. When you're nine and twelve years old, it's important that galleries answer some of your questions. I reckon the Tate could have joined in a little more with the conversation, information was sparse.</div>
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As you can see, kids do get on with it, get engaged, make comments and stop themselves climbing on some very tempting pieces of sculpture, but at times things can come to a dead end.</div>
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"<i>I don't know what it's supposed to be</i>."</div>
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<a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain" target="_blank">Tate Britain</a>, <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/display/bp-walk-through-british-art" target="_blank">Walk Through British Art</a> galleries is free, open every day. What's stopping you visiting?</div>
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Unless you're scared of spiders.</div>
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Details on their <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/display/bp-walk-through-british-art" target="_blank">website here</a>.</div>
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Just in case you were wondering. It was a hole. I can't tell you how we found out, but I promise we did not touch the artwork.</div>
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<b>UPDATE</b>: To answer my son's questions about how Anthony Gormley cut the bread for the body shape in the sculpture above, We have since found out (from the telly) that he ate all the bread required to to make a 3D outline of himself. </div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-23211467297958926762015-09-06T14:08:00.001-07:002015-09-10T10:48:34.262-07:00Museo Piaggio<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Vespa Scooters are not technically my thing. I don't know much about tinkering with engines, and oil changes. I can appreciate cool though. And cool is what we got we got visiting <a href="http://www.museopiaggio.it/en/" target="_blank">Museo Piaggio</a> in Pontedera, Italy.</div>
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We got cool, as in this, the Vespa Scooter,</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XTp-D5fX6sE/Vennhizw6YI/AAAAAAAAEUg/0at7k_g9SDA/s1600/P1080123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XTp-D5fX6sE/Vennhizw6YI/AAAAAAAAEUg/0at7k_g9SDA/s400/P1080123.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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...and cool, as we entered the air conditioned museum when it was forty degrees outside.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nmn6tYTgijg/VennzouquPI/AAAAAAAAEUo/7K_FA144aoQ/s1600/photo%2B1%2B%252817%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nmn6tYTgijg/VennzouquPI/AAAAAAAAEUo/7K_FA144aoQ/s400/photo%2B1%2B%252817%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's not all cylinder heads, top speeds and spark plugs. The <a href="http://www.museopiaggio.it/en/" target="_blank">Museo Piaggio</a> knows how to appeal to many audiences.</div>
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Those who like a touch of Hollywood glamour.</div>
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Those who like colour.</div>
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Those who like the thrill of speed. Racing Vespas.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9qwkOZKh6XY/VentTMVa1SI/AAAAAAAAEWE/ibkM75fZiGU/s1600/P1080095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9qwkOZKh6XY/VentTMVa1SI/AAAAAAAAEWE/ibkM75fZiGU/s400/P1080095.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Those who like a bit of history.</div>
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Designed to be used in France in the Second World War, as far as I can remember.</div>
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And those who like to know how it all started.</div>
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The Vespa, designed Corradino d'Ascanio, an aeronautical engineer who who was not fond of '<i>uncomfortable and bulky</i>' motorbikes, so set out to improve on them, designing the first in 1946. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Jw5V9Q1i-A/VenqJ6NT22I/AAAAAAAAEVY/yBM_6MOw_lY/s1600/P1080083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Jw5V9Q1i-A/VenqJ6NT22I/AAAAAAAAEVY/yBM_6MOw_lY/s400/P1080083.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Since 1946 Vespas have been mass produced,</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gPUy4BC8w84/VensThWhj7I/AAAAAAAAEVw/HEDHc2GwEkQ/s1600/photo%2B2%2B%252822%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gPUy4BC8w84/VensThWhj7I/AAAAAAAAEVw/HEDHc2GwEkQ/s400/photo%2B2%2B%252822%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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proving so popular that in the first ten years they sold one million,</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OM07p1ZU5L0/VensdwcFm-I/AAAAAAAAEV4/Lm7UUJZ-z34/s1600/P1080082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OM07p1ZU5L0/VensdwcFm-I/AAAAAAAAEV4/Lm7UUJZ-z34/s400/P1080082.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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and four years later, they had sold their two millionth Vespa.</div>
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The Vespa has also been subject to much customisation influenced by...</div>
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...helicopters</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xOYDVUhbzhA/Venui51V0wI/AAAAAAAAEWU/oEeOMi0usyg/s1600/P1080097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xOYDVUhbzhA/Venui51V0wI/AAAAAAAAEWU/oEeOMi0usyg/s400/P1080097.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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...aerodynamics</div>
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...TV programmes</div>
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..and meat.</div>
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<a href="http://www.museopiaggio.it/en/" target="_blank">Museo Piaggio</a> is housed in an old Piaggio factory,</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P0u0K0MOW8g/VenvTd2h2iI/AAAAAAAAEWw/JAJlYIgS7so/s1600/P1080099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P0u0K0MOW8g/VenvTd2h2iI/AAAAAAAAEWw/JAJlYIgS7so/s400/P1080099.JPG" width="288" /></a></div>
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which was damaged by bombing in the Second World War.</div>
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Three years after the end of the second World War, and two years after the two wheeled Vespa scooter was designed, in the same year Italy became a republic, Piaggio launched the Ape, a three wheeled van. It has proved to be Italy's most popular goods vehicle, selling 200,000 in ten years.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fPr2ewd0vlU/VeygpdiLcFI/AAAAAAAAEXc/yCSF6nplBlc/s1600/P1080119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fPr2ewd0vlU/VeygpdiLcFI/AAAAAAAAEXc/yCSF6nplBlc/s400/P1080119.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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As with the Vespa they soon moved on from post-war military paint colours.</div>
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To red, for fire engines,</div>
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and designs from Sicily.</div>
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The Ape has been tested to extremes with several round the world expeditions.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8WHLFW85VX8/VeykXSIDucI/AAAAAAAAEYQ/EAnI1jd6lrs/s1600/P1080076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8WHLFW85VX8/VeykXSIDucI/AAAAAAAAEYQ/EAnI1jd6lrs/s400/P1080076.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Including a six month, 25,000 kilometre, journey from Spain to China across twenty countries to celebrate the Ape's fiftieth anniversary.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGtxSByA0PQ/VeykXRhpIqI/AAAAAAAAEYU/Plky2y0XE00/s1600/P1080078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGtxSByA0PQ/VeykXRhpIqI/AAAAAAAAEYU/Plky2y0XE00/s400/P1080078.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you fancy customising your own Vespa, you have the chance in the kids area.</div>
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My kids weren't really young enough but enjoyed the opportunity anyway.</div>
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The Vespa, so called because "<i>sembra una vespa!</i>", "<i>it looks likes a wasp!</i>".</div>
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Old and new, has it changed that much in sixty-nine years?</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D5BdNNn9ZI4/Veymu60aCwI/AAAAAAAAEYc/a9u8AFQGvOg/s1600/P1080160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D5BdNNn9ZI4/Veymu60aCwI/AAAAAAAAEYc/a9u8AFQGvOg/s400/P1080160.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.museopiaggio.it/en/" target="_blank">Museo Piaggio</a> is air-conditioned and open Tuesday to Saturday and the occassional Sunday.</div>
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Check their <a href="http://www.museopiaggio.it/en/" target="_blank">website, here</a>, before you visit as you might just turn up at 1pm on a Saturday when they're closed for an hour for lunch. Just time enough to pop into town for an ice cream.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pE7lpPupn1A/VeymxXjBahI/AAAAAAAAEYk/YKtQN9zG0x8/s1600/P1080062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pE7lpPupn1A/VeymxXjBahI/AAAAAAAAEYk/YKtQN9zG0x8/s400/P1080062.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-67941477790042739912015-08-25T15:32:00.002-07:002015-08-26T05:53:54.074-07:00Museo Benozzo Gozzoli<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We have recently returned from a family holiday in Tuscany, Italy. We went with extended family and hit all the popular tourist spots like the Uffizi Gallery and the Galleria dell'Accademia which houses Michelangelo's David, in Florence. These big celebrity museums, although amazing, are quite hard going. Guidebooks recommend three to four hours for the Uffizi Gallery and you get to see more Renaissance art than you can possibly take on board and in our case possibly understand. With so much to look at, we soon reached saturation point with Renaissance art.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hVgymcZZ1ac/VduMUOWGf3I/AAAAAAAAEQQ/hK6YXFVdasE/s1600/P1070909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hVgymcZZ1ac/VduMUOWGf3I/AAAAAAAAEQQ/hK6YXFVdasE/s400/P1070909.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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We could see how beautiful the paintings were but it was difficult to understand the context in which these paintings were originally made and hung. We didn't always "get it", and sadly it seemed that for many museums, their priority was to get people through the doors, along the visitor route, and safely out the other end without communicating the whys, whats and wherefores of the art works to your everyday visitor.</div>
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Apart from... the <a href="http://www.museobenozzogozzoli.it/" target="_blank">Museo Benozzo Gozzoli</a>, a small local museum in the town where we were staying. For me, this museum "<i>got it</i>", understood how to talk to visitors, even English ones. It was a museum where we "<i>got it</i>" too, and made sense of all the other frescoes we had seen.</div>
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The <a href="http://www.museobenozzogozzoli.it/" target="_blank">Museo Benozzo Gozzoli</a> houses the frescoes from two 15th century chapels painted by a local man, Benozzo Gozzoli.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A2OFExIKq68/VdxI-lZLOFI/AAAAAAAAERo/OeEX4Un7lsY/s1600/P1070933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A2OFExIKq68/VdxI-lZLOFI/AAAAAAAAERo/OeEX4Un7lsY/s400/P1070933.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Benozzo Gozzoli</td></tr>
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The two chapels being the Tabernacle of the Visitation,</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3veTAR71PUA/VduThRNXsxI/AAAAAAAAEQg/77y9gy36TAs/s1600/P1070895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3veTAR71PUA/VduThRNXsxI/AAAAAAAAEQg/77y9gy36TAs/s400/P1070895.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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...and the Tabernacle of the Madonna of the Cough.</div>
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Sounds a little like a Monty Python title, but this chapel was where mothers brought their sick children who were more often than not afflicted with whooping cough, rife in Tuscany.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dskm-Wr3M3M/VduT9qipEZI/AAAAAAAAEQo/y8o_nAUnbeU/s1600/P1070928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dskm-Wr3M3M/VduT9qipEZI/AAAAAAAAEQo/y8o_nAUnbeU/s400/P1070928.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Initially the frescoes in these two chapels had been rescued from further deterioration and displayed in a local library. The library wasn't up to the job, so locals rallied round and got a purpose-built museum built to house them. The paintings were restored and remounted as they would have originally been, on specially built full-size models. </div>
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Which can be viewed from the ground,</div>
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...or from higher up.</div>
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You may be wondering why so much of the lower part of the frescoes are missing. This is due to the regular flooding of the River Elsa washing the paintings away. One of the reasons the frescoes were removed.</div>
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Models of the chapels helped us understand scale.</div>
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And if you were wondering what these chapels originally looked like and where they stood, there are photos.</div>
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In 1965 the removal of the frescoes from these chapels was deemed necessary and during the removal which involved strips of cotton, animal glue and hot water the original drawings under the paintings were revealed.</div>
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These drawings were done in a red earth pigment, the final part of the preparation before the painting began.</div>
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Underneath a fresco are many layers, stages of preparation. Firstly the stone walls are rendered with plaster made from water, lime and sand. Then outlines are drawn with charcoal. When the artist is happy with it, red pigment is applied and all the details filled out. Then the charcoal lines are brushed away with feathers. After that a new thin layer of plaster is applied to the drawing, only enough to cover the expected area to be worked on that day, as the surface to be painted needed to be damp. </div>
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This explains why the <a href="http://www.museobenozzogozzoli.it/" target="_blank">Museo Benozzo Gozzoli</a> contains paintings and the original drawings, originally separated from each other by 2mm of plaster.</div>
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There was a smaller scale model on display.</div>
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Decorated by kids, their version of the original.</div>
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We loved the <a href="http://www.museobenozzogozzoli.it/" target="_blank">Museo Benozzo Gozzoli</a>. The passion that it had for saving, restoring and remounting the paintings was evident in the way they told their story. Rightly proud of their local heritage, showing it off and explaining it to visitors, drawing us in and helping us understand. </div>
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The <a href="http://www.museobenozzogozzoli.it/" target="_blank">Museo Benozzo Gozzoli</a> may be a little far for most readers of this blog to visit, but if you're ever in the area, we highly recommend it over all the big city, as my daughter would say "<i>fancy pants</i>", museums in the guidebooks.</div>
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Details on their <a href="http://www.museobenozzogozzoli.it/" target="_blank">website here</a>.</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-63386157850584859242015-08-19T14:42:00.000-07:002015-08-19T14:50:30.658-07:00Barbara Hepworth at Tate Britain: a Twitter Tour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On the strength of my post '<a href="http://artefactsobjects.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/tate-britain-from-floor.html" target="_blank">Tate Britain from the Floor</a>', which you can <a href="http://artefactsobjects.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/tate-britain-from-floor.html" target="_blank">see here</a>, I was invited to do a Twitter Tour for the <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/barbara-hepworth-sculpture-modern-world?gclid=Cj0KEQjw0tCuBRDIjJ_Mlb6zzpQBEiQAyjCoBrS8T6YonWGfHfFm0Lj4vUu5L_hW9mhtVkoRU_uv5EYaAlgB8P8HAQ" target="_blank">Barbara Hepworth exhibition</a> at <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain" target="_blank">Tate Britain</a> for the @tate_kids account.</div>
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So today I took over the @tate_kids account and tweeted our visit, a virtual tour of the exhibition, sharing our family's experiences. I say 'family', we also took a friend, nine year old charlie. So here's my tour, as you can see it's not my Twitter account, it's the Tate Kids, but it's all me.</div>
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The lovely <a href="https://twitter.com/art_e_facts">@art_e_facts</a> and her family are doing a special Twitter tour of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hepworth?src=hash">#Hepworth</a> exhibition at noon GMT - stayed tuned!</div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633924080408784898">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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At Barbara Hepworth exhib-12yr old straight into taking panoramics of 'Carving'-work more figurative than I expected <a href="http://t.co/OKLx866XcY">pic.twitter.com/OKLx866XcY</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633956985763942400">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Sculpture animals are popular with the kids, especially the Toad. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BarbaraHepworth?src=hash">#BarbaraHepworth</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Tate">@Tate</a> Britian <a href="http://t.co/32TErt5jdR">pic.twitter.com/32TErt5jdR</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633958123116568576">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Seeing things in abstract shapes "Watermelon & an orange". We all like this piece. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BarbaraHepworth?src=hash">#BarbaraHepworth</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Tate">@Tate</a> Britain <a href="http://t.co/0iAL3FiRcq">pic.twitter.com/0iAL3FiRcq</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633959886838177796">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Carving looks difficult "if you make a mistake you can't fix it" "except that one looks like it's made of fudge" <a href="http://t.co/sPGuAylfH7">pic.twitter.com/sPGuAylfH7</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633961350864224256">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Watching the film, we see that carving does indeed look very physical. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BarbaraHepworth?src=hash">#BarbaraHepworth</a> TateBritain <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotFudge?src=hash">#NotFudge</a> <a href="http://t.co/vFTLJ3wJKB">pic.twitter.com/vFTLJ3wJKB</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633962787539144706">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Barbara Hepworth sculpture looks very different from different angles. Kids took these photos not me-<a href="https://twitter.com/art_e_facts">@art_e_facts</a> <a href="http://t.co/mTo2nxEroc">pic.twitter.com/mTo2nxEroc</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633964223958261764">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Kids find the smallest things in galleries intruiging. "What's that?" We can see it's a thermometer "but what for?" <a href="http://t.co/idd9T0xJYn">pic.twitter.com/idd9T0xJYn</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633965785946456064">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Age 9-42 we all love the film. Helps us "get it", her work & ideas. "Cool music" and liked "the way it looked" <a href="http://t.co/jEAAzfnRnY">pic.twitter.com/jEAAzfnRnY</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633967417627164672">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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"Oh yeah!" We all get the link with Hepworth's work and the sea. My kids (<a href="https://twitter.com/art_e_facts">@art_e_facts</a>) response after the film. <a href="http://t.co/ULzuA7ZsbN">pic.twitter.com/ULzuA7ZsbN</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633969341361442817">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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So it's not just us! 12yr old can't resist a photo through her sculpture-We've all done it, surely? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BarbaraHepworth?src=hash">#BarbaraHepworth</a> <a href="http://t.co/e5NGjdBexP">pic.twitter.com/e5NGjdBexP</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633970368521334785">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Taking photos of art. Kids using apps on their mobiles <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CartoonSetting?src=hash">#CartoonSetting</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BarbaraHepworth?src=hash">#BarbaraHepworth</a> <a href="http://t.co/lfJT5lluMT">pic.twitter.com/lfJT5lluMT</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633971801878601728">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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"I've found my favourite, there were books to look at, they were all different" Age9 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BarbaraHepworth?src=hash">#BarbaraHepworth</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/kidsinmuseums">@kidsinmuseums</a> <a href="http://t.co/vc9ILTXllc">pic.twitter.com/vc9ILTXllc</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633973284070141952">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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"They look like learning maths shapes at school" age12 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BarbaraHepworth?src=hash">#BarbaraHepworth</a> was fascinated by mathematical models <a href="https://twitter.com/Tate">@Tate</a> <a href="http://t.co/jOiXJBhTwH">pic.twitter.com/jOiXJBhTwH</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633974869177335808">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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kids moved on from "what is it?" to understanding her influences, "holes in rocks & boulders by the sea" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hepworth?src=hash">#Hepworth</a> <a href="http://t.co/bMRmJV2Ypg">pic.twitter.com/bMRmJV2Ypg</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633976333039706112">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Not all <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hepworth?src=hash">#Hepworth</a> work is found in exhibition <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SculptureForAModernWorld?src=hash">#SculptureForAModernWorld</a> Kids found this in permanent galleries <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tate?src=hash">#Tate</a> <a href="http://t.co/2BwDwKQxBU">pic.twitter.com/2BwDwKQxBU</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633977797283815424">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Ended visit in Tate cafe. Kids took Hepworth influenced photos of the ceiling in there <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SmoothShapes?src=hash">#SmoothShapes</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShapesInshapes?src=hash">#ShapesInshapes</a> <a href="http://t.co/s3fuMMzCd2">pic.twitter.com/s3fuMMzCd2</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633979737304645632">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids">@tate_kids</a> for letting us share our family tour of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BarbaraHepworth?src=hash">#BarbaraHepworth</a> exhibition-We had a grt time <a href="https://twitter.com/art_e_facts">@art_e_facts</a> <a href="http://t.co/br9ez2B6Nn">pic.twitter.com/br9ez2B6Nn</a></div>
— Tate Kids (@tate_kids) <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_kids/status/633980285504372736">August 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/barbara-hepworth-sculpture-modern-world?gclid=Cj0KEQjw0tCuBRDIjJ_Mlb6zzpQBEiQAyjCoBrS8T6YonWGfHfFm0Lj4vUu5L_hW9mhtVkoRU_uv5EYaAlgB8P8HAQ" target="_blank">Barbara Hepworth: Sculpture for a Modern World</a> is on at <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain" target="_blank">Tate Britain</a> until 25th October 2015. Details on their website, <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/barbara-hepworth-sculpture-modern-world?gclid=Cj0KEQjw0tCuBRDIjJ_Mlb6zzpQBEiQAyjCoBrS8T6YonWGfHfFm0Lj4vUu5L_hW9mhtVkoRU_uv5EYaAlgB8P8HAQ" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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It is a paying exhibition and I have to thank <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain" target="_blank">Tate Britain</a> for inviting us to see it.<br />
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Update: I made a mistake. I have to admit I'm not 42. In all the excitement, I knocked a few years off my age. Thanks to a lovely friend who felt she had to point this out.</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-3785287855827780842015-08-14T03:51:00.000-07:002015-08-14T10:30:29.665-07:00Four kids go to the Horniman Museum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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What to do in the summer holidays?</div>
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Especially when your mum is working. Well firstly, have friends over, prevents boredom and therefore lessens the potential for squabbling, then perhaps go out. So we organised for a friend each to come over and a trip to the <a href="http://www.horniman.ac.uk/" target="_blank">Horniman Museum</a>, where I was working that afternoon in the Discovery For All session in the Hands-on Base.</div>
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The Hands-on Base in the <a href="http://www.horniman.ac.uk/" target="_blank">Horniman Museum</a> is exactly what it says it is. A gallery full of objects to touch. I armed the kids with a camera and was intrigued to find out what they got up to, what they looked at and and what exactly captured their imagination.</div>
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They began with the 'Teeth' Discovery Box.</div>
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Silver teeth.</div>
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Fossilised teeth, a mammoth's.</div>
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Wooden teeth.</div>
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Photo opportunity teeth.</div>
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Everyone does this with the shark's jaw.</div>
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Next the 'Toys' Discovery Box.</div>
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Toys from recycled materials.</div>
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As a student I remember playing Mancala but have long since forgotten the rules.</div>
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However, another family hadn't forgotten and they taught my kids how to play. They sat and played Mancala for ages, two groups of visitors who hadn't met before. I love that! </div>
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This wasn't their only opportunity to meet and interact with other visitors. The Puffer fish often draws people together. </div>
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We learn from a family from Ecuador that in Spanish it is called a "<i>balloon fish"</i>. "<i>Cool</i>!"</div>
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They swap the camera and take photos of each other.</div>
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They listen,</div>
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...perform, on their own,</div>
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...together,</div>
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... dance,</div>
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...and wonder how long this snake would had been were the head and tail still attached.</div>
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Of course a museum visit is not all about the objects.</div>
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"<i>Mum, mum, I got to show you something</i>."</div>
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"<i>What</i>?"</div>
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"<i>What's this doing here</i>?"</div>
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They have expectations of what should be included in museum collections. And plastic halloween masks are not one of them.</div>
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The Hands-on Base is only open for the 'Discovery For All' sessions which are Sunday mornings and some afternoons in the school holidays.</div>
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Details on the <a href="http://www.horniman.ac.uk/" target="_blank">Horniman Museum</a> website, here.</div>
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Thanks to Miriam, Tom, Naomi and Roman for the photos and providing even more evidence that museums are not "<i>boring</i>".</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-59402818213410784192015-07-16T04:13:00.001-07:002015-07-16T09:15:26.204-07:00Life on Foot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/life-on-foot" target="_blank">Life on Foot</a>, the exhibition of Camper's story of shoe making is on at the <a href="https://designmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Design Museum</a>.</div>
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Lorenzo Fluxa founded Camper after inheriting his father's shoe factory in Mallorca in 1975, introducing the camper logo, the Red Bridge, in 1981 with his first store in Barcelona.</div>
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Camper has been around for 40 years and despite spending my sixth-form weekends working in a shoe shop, Manfield in Chesham High Street, I had never heard of them until five or six years ago. That's when I bought a pair of their slippers, which are still going strong. I love those slippers.</div>
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Rainbows of camper shoes and materials.</div>
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Camper produces sustainable and ethical footwear. The first camper shoes experimented with used recycled car tyres for soles. </div>
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These shoes below are fully bio-degradable, experimenting with hemp and coconut. "<i>Those grey ones on the right look a little like my slippers</i>."</div>
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I applaud their commitment to sustainable materials, but can see that wearing cork is perhaps a little more suitable to the Spanish climate than ours.</div>
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In an average collection of Camper shoes, over 350 materials are used, components that remind me of "Ink Blots". I can't help myself looking for things in the shapes and checking to see if the patterns are symmetrical.</div>
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The shoe box, "<i>a basic yet important part of footwear manufacture and retailing</i>". Too right. What is so appealing about a brand new shoe box? It's not as if we keep them (for long).</div>
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However good packaging has always been so appealing. It's strange though, with the power of packaging to tempt us to purchase, you generally get to see a shoebox after you have decided to buy the shoes. "<i>Do you want the Box</i>?" I always asked as a teenager in Manfield. Now the shoe's on the other foot (sorry), I get asked this when I buy my kids shoes. Of course they want the box, a new home for a toy hamster, a lunar landscape, a treasure chest, the possibilities are endless and made even more appealing by boxes like these.</div>
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From this archive material we can see that it wasn't just about the shoe and manufacturing, but Camper's concepts extended to the designs of packaging and visual merchandising too.<br />
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Camper regularly collaborates with graphic designers,<br />
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...and store designers.<br />
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White moulded shoes from the wall of a Camper store in new York, 2014.</div>
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<a href="https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/life-on-foot" target="_blank">Life on Foot</a> is on at the Design Museum until 1st November 2015.</div>
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Details on their <a href="https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/life-on-foot" target="_blank">website here</a>.</div>
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What ever happened to Manfield?</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-88090226316782056582015-07-09T13:28:00.000-07:002015-07-09T13:58:31.091-07:00Ightham Mote<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I took a decadent midweek day off and went to <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ightham-mote/visitor-information/" target="_blank">Ightham Mote</a> with friends.</div>
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It's a National Trust property in North Kent and as the name suggests, it does have a moat.</div>
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But this 'Mote' means to meet, to assemble, nothing to do with that water, originally built as an medieval assembly hall.</div>
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<a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ightham-mote/visitor-information/" target="_blank">Ightham Mote</a> is built from Kent Ragstone from a quarry, still there, a mile and a half away. With each owner came the desire to extend and modernise it.</div>
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In 1612 the Selby family inherited it and were given a new fireplace as a moving-in present. Unfortunately no-one thought to measure the space and it didn't fit, it was too tall. Undeterred they raised the ceiling on that side of the house.</div>
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We had to admit it was worth all the effort, it is a great fireplace.</div>
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Dorothy Bonham was the woman responsible for this fireplace. This is her portrait, her younger self, pictured with an open collar, declaring herself available for marriage. It worked, she married William Selby. </div>
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Here, she is a married woman, closed ruff, pictured with a '<i>ghost</i>', wished for child. They both loved kids, but sadly never had any. </div>
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Dorothy Selby died by her own hand. It's not what you're thinking. She was a prolific needle worker and pricked her finger with a dodgy needle. She died of Septicaemia within a week.</div>
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Whether as an homage to Dorothy or not, there is quite a bit of needlework to been seen around Ightham Mote.</div>
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3D flowers, cross-stitch and embroidery in the housekeeper's room.</div>
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Children's samplers on the landing.</div>
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Trimmings on the curtains.</div>
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Not textiles, yet this 18th century hand-painted Chinese wallpaper captured our imagination.</div>
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Below stairs, extracts from a kitchen maid's diary tell us that the crypt was used as an air-raid shelter in the Second World War.</div>
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Bequeathed to the National Trust in 1985, they continued to make changes. Restoring and conserving <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ightham-mote/visitor-information/" target="_blank">Ightham Mote</a> has taken 15 years, at a cost of £10 million.</div>
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Archaeological finds from the last nearly 700 years are on display reflecting the most extraordinary life of the house and its occupants; Medieval, Tudor, Victorian and 20th century.</div>
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Not all occupants are wanted though. There's a rat in the kitchen.</div>
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More about <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ightham-mote/visitor-information/" target="_blank">Ightham Mote</a> and visiting informational on the <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ightham-mote/visitor-information/" target="_blank">National Trust website here</a>. </div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-3617669999898444782015-06-20T10:55:00.003-07:002015-06-26T03:57:29.280-07:00Vivienne Westwood: Cut from the Past<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Built in the 18th century, <a href="http://www.bexleyheritagetrust.org.uk/dansonhouse/" target="_blank">Danson House</a> is showing a collection Vivienne Westwood's clothes very much influenced by the same period in history. As Vivienne Westwood says, "<i>the 18th century embodies a high point in art and culture</i>".<br />
Before we saw this exhibition, <i><a href="http://www.bexleyheritagetrust.org.uk/dansonhouse/exhibitions/" target="_blank">Cut from the Past</a></i>, we weren't really thinking 18th century high art and high culture, more 1970s, 1980s, and punk.<br />
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You could see how this era had influenced Vivienne Westwood, how she'd made it her own with her Portrait Collection, working with 18th century paintings from the Wallace Collection.</div>
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Corset and T-shirt,<br />
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and her signature orb worked into the gold frame of a shawl,</div>
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also embroidered onto this T-shirt, with the print inspired by 16th century Dutch delftware.<br />
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Not just inspired by paintings, furniture captured Vivienne Westwood's imagination too, with designs inspired by marquetry, printed in red foil. </div>
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We read that she had this pattern printed on "<i>leggings, bodies and stockings</i>".<br />
"<i>I'd forgotten all about 'bodies'. Very 1980s</i>".<br />
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This 18th century inspired gown below was once worn by Linda Evangelista. It really had been worn, there were dirty marks on the skirt.</div>
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One side of the gown was traditionally accurate with a sleeve, whereas the other was strapless.</div>
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Whether I should admit to this or not... I did A'level Needlework & Dress.<br />
This is made somewhat more embarrassing because of my grade, I only just passed. But thanks to the most inspirational teacher, Joy (for some reason I can't recall her last name), I have a love for all things needlework. It's the details...<br />
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...applique and bound pockets,</div>
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...leg of mutton sleeves,<br />
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...buttons,<br />
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...and bows.<br />
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We had expected punk, and we got some. The Queen with her nose pierced.<br />
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"<i>Have you got any piercings?</i>" I asked absentmindedly.</div>
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"<i>Yes three</i>"</div>
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"<i>Where?</i>"</div>
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"<i>My belly button</i>"</div>
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The things you learn in museums. It's not always about the objects.</div>
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Wandering around <a href="http://www.bexleyheritagetrust.org.uk/dansonhouse/" target="_blank">Danson House</a>, we perhaps found more of Vivienne Westwood's 18th century influences.</div>
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A nod to punk, off the shoulder, a touch of leopard skin.</div>
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Drapery to inspire any gown.</div>
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And wallpaper worthy of any dress.</div>
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<a href="http://www.bexleyheritagetrust.org.uk/dansonhouse/exhibitions/" target="_blank">Vivienne Westwood: Cut From the Past</a> is on at <a href="http://www.bexleyheritagetrust.org.uk/dansonhouse/" target="_blank">Danson House</a> until 31st October 2015.</div>
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Check out their website, here, for opening hours as it's not open on a Saturday.</div>
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When we went to <i><a href="http://www.bexleyheritagetrust.org.uk/dansonhouse/exhibitions/" target="_blank">Cut From the Past</a></i>, the exhibition was a couple of pieces short. We were told they were coming. Hopefully they now have the wedding dress and 'glove' on display. We'd have loved to have seen more, plus music and photos. To hear the soundtrack, see the look, with Westwood inspired hair and makeup. To see who wore Vivienne Westwood.</div>
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"<i>Margaret Thatcher could have been wearing that for all you know</i>".</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-40694221738287060782015-06-10T13:00:00.000-07:002015-06-10T13:37:10.571-07:00#MuseumTwitterati<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">I don't usually write about myself, however I've been nominated for the #MuseumTwitterati challenge by <a href="https://sarahekirkham.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Sarah Kirkham</a>, writer of <a href="https://sarahekirkham.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Museum Curiosities</a>, for writing this blog. The #MuseumTwitterati Challenge is a way of recognising the museum people you find inspiring and engaging on social media and I now get to to acknowledge those people who's museum blogs I read and admire the most.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5vjwhgbMOr0/VXhLFZbF2QI/AAAAAAAAD8Q/XJuYsYg8rtM/s1600/photo%2B5%2B%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5vjwhgbMOr0/VXhLFZbF2QI/AAAAAAAAD8Q/XJuYsYg8rtM/s400/photo%2B5%2B%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Me and Emmeline Pankhusrt. Camera shy in the National Portrait Gallery.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">I'm a museum educator and I've been blogging about museums for just over a year. I began blogging as a light-hearted way of sharing my take on museums and their collections, about what happens when visitors turn up and look at stuff. As my blog title says, it's about "encounters with objects in museums". I also blog with the aim of getting more people to visit museums. What better way to encourage people to visit a museum, than show them a little of what's inside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">I don't write academic posts about museum learning, I do enough of that for my sudies. I'm in the final stages of a PhD researching family learning. I write posts to be read in 3-4 minutes whilst you sit down with a cup of tea. Hopefully they are food for thought, and more than that, I hope you feel inspired to visit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've borrowed this next bit, '<a href="http://paoloviscardi.com/2015/06/04/twitteratichallenge-museums-bolt-on-museumtwitterati/" target="_blank">Rules' and 'What to do' from Paolo Viscardi's blog</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The idea of the challenge, a spin off, originally started by<a href="https://twitter.com/TeacherToolkit" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #88c34b; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@TeacherToolkit</a> to “<em style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://teachertoolkit.me/2015/04/29/twitteratichallenge-by-teachertoolkit/" style="border: 0px; color: #88c34b; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">recognise your most supportive colleagues in a<strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">simple</strong> blogpost shout-out. Whatever your reason, these 5 <del style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">educators</del></a></em><a href="http://teachertoolkit.me/2015/04/29/twitteratichallenge-by-teachertoolkit/" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #88c34b; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">[museologists]</a><em style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://teachertoolkit.me/2015/04/29/twitteratichallenge-by-teachertoolkit/" style="border: 0px; color: #88c34b; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> should be your 5 go-to people in times of challenge and critique, or for verification and support</a></em>“. So here we go.<span id="more-11" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Rules:</span></h3>
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<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You cannot knowingly include someone you work with in real life (ex-colleagues are fine, it’s a small sector and we’d run out of people in no time otherwise).</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You cannot list somebody that has already been named if you are already aware of them being listed on <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TwitteratiChallenge&src=typd" style="border: 0px; color: #88c34b; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">#TwitteratiChallenge</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=typd&q=%23museumtwitterati" style="border: 0px; color: #88c34b; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">#MuseumTwitterati</a> (a lot of colleagues have already been nominated so apologies for any unwitting double nominations).</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Copy and paste the ‘Rules’ and ‘What to do’ information into your own blog post and be sure to cite <a href="https://twitter.com/TeacherToolkit" style="border: 0px; color: #88c34b; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@TeacherToolkit</a>since they came up with the idea.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">What to do:</span></h3>
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<ol style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 1.4285714285em 1.7857142857em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Within 7 days of being nominated you must write your own blogpost identifying the top-5 museologists that you regularly go to for ideas, support and challenge. Share this on Twitter using the hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=typd&q=%23museumtwitterati" style="border: 0px; color: #88c34b; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">#MuseumTwitterati</a> and tag them in – they are thus nominated.</span></li>
<li style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you do not have your own blog, write your list by hand or on a computer, take a photo/screenshot and upload it to Twitter, tagging the people mentioned (<a href="https://blog.twitter.com/2014/photos-just-got-more-social" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #88c34b; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">yes, you can do that</a>) and using the hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=typd&q=%23museumtwitterati" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #88c34b; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">#MuseumTwitterati</a> – they are thus nominated.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">My #MuseumTwitterati</span></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 23px;"><i>I know that the rules state that you can't nominate people that have already been nominated but I need to break the rules, as these blogs below are the ones I turn to most and would like to publicly acknowledge them, rather than trawl the internet trying to find a blog(ger) not yet been listed.</i></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">Rebecca Herz</b><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> (@</span>rebeccaherz<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">) - Director of the Peoria </span>PlayHouse<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> Children's Museum, author of </span><a href="http://museumquestions.com/" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" target="_blank"><b>Museum Questions</b></a><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> </span>blog<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">. Making time to ask and answer questions about museum learning. Rebecca's </span>blog<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> is a great place to read about and question current museum learning theory and </span>practice<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">Cultural Learning Alliance</b><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> (@</span>CultureLearning<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">) - The </span><a href="http://www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk/" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" target="_blank"><b>Cultural Learning Alliance</b></a><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> is an advocate for cultural learning. "A collective voice working to ensure that all children and young people have meaningful access to culture", including museums. I am particularly passionate about their work to keep cultural learning high on the National Curriculum agenda. </span>CLA<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">, run by Sam Cairns and Lizzie </span>Crump<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">, whether they have time for the #</span>MuseumTwitterati<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> or not, I want to acknowledge their work.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">Tincture of museum </b><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">(@</span>TinctureOfMuse<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">) - </span>Tinc<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> writes </span><a href="https://tinctureofmuseum.wordpress.com/" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" target="_blank"><b>Tincture of Museum</b></a><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">. I encourage everyone to read this </span>blog<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> whether they are </span>museumy<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> or not. </span>Tinc<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> writes about her experiences in museums and is a powerful voice for 'autism in museums' and volunteering. I love her writing. Her post on the Tower Poppies with her brother made me cry.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">Museum Mum</b><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> (@</span>vykisparkes<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">) - </span>Vycki<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> writes the </span>blog<b style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> <a href="https://museummum.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Museum Mum</a></b><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> about taking families to museums, a subject very close to my heart. Check it out for ideas of places to visit, especially if you have young children.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">Jack Shoulder </b><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">(@</span>jackshoulder<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">) He writes </span><b style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"><a href="https://jacksadventuresinmuseumland.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Jack's Adventures in Museum Land</a></b><span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> about so many </span>museumy<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> things. He seems to tweet and </span>blog<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> about them even before they have happened. I love his wit and imagination. Follow to keep one step ahead of the game with different museum initiatives.</span></span></li>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yoLqmp4P5n4/VXhayxQ42KI/AAAAAAAAD8g/CTTZ_iSnHyY/s1600/P1040842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yoLqmp4P5n4/VXhayxQ42KI/AAAAAAAAD8g/CTTZ_iSnHyY/s400/P1040842.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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There are many more excellent blogs I could mention. A special mention to Jenny Fuchs who writes Museum Diary and Nina Simon with Museum 2.0.</div>
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Thanks for nominating me Sarah Kirkham</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-54989743379616365212015-06-08T13:52:00.003-07:002015-06-12T12:36:44.736-07:00William Morris Gallery<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We went to the <a href="http://www.wmgallery.org.uk/" target="_blank">William Morris Gallery</a> with the general election looming.</div>
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Should have clocked beforehand, this wasn't just about arts and crafts, but politics too.</div>
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William Morris was born in Walthamstow in the 19th century.</div>
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Not the Walthamstow we know today at the end of the Victoria Line,</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UwVYVHxMEs4/VXW6IPk2tyI/AAAAAAAAD3s/Lt1Gm2YT6DY/s1600/IMG_2849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UwVYVHxMEs4/VXW6IPk2tyI/AAAAAAAAD3s/Lt1Gm2YT6DY/s400/IMG_2849.JPG" width="307" /></a></div>
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...but a village in the Essex countryside, on the edge of Epping Forest.</div>
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We read that Morris was a social activist, becoming a socialist aged 50. But how did his anti-capitalist ideas fit into a life of arts and crafts?</div>
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William Morris, the eldest son, born into a wealthy family.</div>
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The kind of family who had their portraits painted.</div>
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Not necessarily the son they had in mind.</div>
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Marrying beneath him,</div>
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and rejecting the idea of becoming a clergyman to become an interior designer.<br />
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A designer of...<br />
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...wallpaper,</div>
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...ceramic tiles,</div>
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...furniture,</div>
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...tapestries</div>
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...and textiles.</div>
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Morris believed that beauty is a basic human need and created art for everyone.</div>
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Morris and Co built a brand that "<i>only the most avant-garde bought from</i>".</div>
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Bought by people with "<i>rebellious taste</i>".</div>
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That threw up a few questions. Today these quite mainstream designs don't strike us as rebellious and they're not necessarily that affordable. But Morris wasn't a fine artist, he applied his sense of design and values to household furnishings, bringing art into everyday life.</div>
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Morris hated the effects of industrialisation; slums, overcrowding, diseases and pollution.</div>
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His workshops were places where workers enjoyed clean air and rural surroundings.</div>
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Fabrics and wallpaper were block-printed, rather than use industrial rollers.</div>
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This was a time consuming process, making Morris & Co's products quite costly to buy.</div>
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William Morris set up shop in 1877 in Oxford Street and lived upstairs.</div>
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His major competitor was Libertys. That says something about his target market.</div>
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Choosing fabric today, little has changed.</div>
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The brand has endured and the William Morris Gallery has since embraced some higher tech 21st century printing techniques. On doors. I love good museum loos. </div>
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Until our visit to the William Morris Gallery we hadn't associated these well-known designs with his political ideals, of art for all and a fight against the poor conditions of industrial manufacturing. This still rings true when you consider much of worldwide manufacturing today. Discussing the impending general election, we had heard plenty of politician talk about wages, taxes and the like, but what about the arts and cultural learning? It feels like the arts are being side-lined.</div>
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What would William Morris make of today's political parties? Art, manufacturing, marketing and workers conditions all came together under his socialist remit. I'm not saying he got it all right, but I'd like to see the arts given equal weight and consideration in the political debate, especially when it comes to education. </div>
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The William Morris Gallery is open Wednesdays to Sundays.</div>
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A short walk from Walthamstow Central station. Details on their website, here. </div>
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If you would like to see excellent advocacy on the value of arts learning, check out the <a href="http://www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk/" target="_blank">Cultural Learning Alliance's website</a>. Read their manifesto, <a href="http://www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk/manifesto" target="_blank">here</a>, for "<a href="http://www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk/manifesto" target="_blank">The benefits for young people of participating in arts and culture</a>". The CLA continues to ensure that cultural learning is part of political debate. Rightly so.</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-23858109288775467792015-05-28T15:58:00.001-07:002015-05-29T00:01:48.707-07:00Lines of Communication<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Getting to know other bloggers and seeing what they're up to has been fun. It has been a great way of discovering new places to visit and things to see. A year ago I read about <a href="http://www.prismtextiles.co.uk/" target="_blank">Prism</a>'s annual textiles exhibition on <a href="http://ginaferrari.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Gina</a>'s blog, <a href="http://ginaferrari.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Fan My Flame</a>. Since then I've been keeping an eye out for this year's exhibition, <a href="http://www.prismtextiles.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lines of Communication</a>, at Hoxton Arches. I went today with a friend.</div>
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The work is all for sale. If we had the money what would we buy?</div>
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Despite this being so beautiful and delicate, I'm not sure I could put Tescos on my wall.</div>
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But that's the point, "<i>a plastic bag can be more beautiful than its lowly origin</i>".</div>
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We chatted about buying art, buying any of this work, taking it home. Can you buy a piece of art work because it goes with your sofa? What makes us choose?</div>
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Or perhaps put us off. Despite loving this train, why did we talk about having to dust it? </div>
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Sometimes, the work chooses you. It really did with this piece.</div>
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64 gloves, 64 monthly visits to see her mother with Alzheimers who hadn't recognised her for 10 years, 150 miles away.</div>
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"<i>300 miles to sit and cry</i>"</div>
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The slow deterioration of Alzheimers, strands of lost memories.</div>
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Not sure this piece is meant for a home, but it really should be in a permanent gallery.<br />
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There was something about the work that addressed mental health that touched us. We picked it out, it was work we would buy.</div>
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Or perhaps the pieces that seemed to simply play with textiles, colour, fibres and fabrics.</div>
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Made up of organza layered over satin, "Warp & Waft" really did. Waft in the breeze.</div>
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A sketchbook. I love sketchbooks.</div>
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Why is nice hand-writing so satisfying?</div>
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These textiles pieces did it for us, we might have to ditch the sofa.</div>
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I'll give <a href="http://ginaferrari.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Gina </a>the last word.</div>
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There are only a few days left to "<i>enjoy</i>" this exhibition. It ends Sunday 31st May.</div>
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Lines of Communication, textile inspired art, <a href="http://www.prismtextiles.co.uk/" target="_blank">Prism</a>.</div>
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Hoxton Arches, Cremer Street, London, E2.</div>
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Details on the <a href="http://www.prismtextiles.co.uk/" target="_blank">Prism website here</a>.</div>
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These are just the pieces we picked out, there is so much more there.</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-36291496883582894082015-05-21T05:29:00.002-07:002015-05-22T01:37:06.258-07:00London Transport Museum at Night<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Checking out the '<a href="http://museumsatnight.org.uk/" target="_blank">Museums at Night' website</a>,<br />
we chose to go to the <a href="http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/" target="_blank">London Transport Museum</a>.</div>
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It kind of fit, tunnel man and museumy woman's night out.</div>
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We've been before with our kids. Train spotting, bus spotting, collecting stamps as we went around, climbing on and off buses and trains, it's a kids dream and the museum is often very busy. It does cater brilliantly for kids.</div>
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We met in Covent Garden, the anorak was more train-spotting than London.<br />
I couldn't help myself, I tweeted this photo.</div>
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And was a little over excited to see my tweet on their Tweetwall.<br />
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So what would a night at the <a href="http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/" target="_blank">London Transport Museum</a> have in store for us grown ups?<br />
It had a bar, it was an over 18 event. We had Pimms.<br />
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But more exciting than that, we got to play, be the kids, and notice things for ourselves. No earnest pointing things out to children.</div>
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We got to take #museumselfies (we're not very good at this yet),</div>
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...notice upholstery,</div>
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...and wooden floors. "<i>Wood?</i>"</div>
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"<i>Actually look, the train is made of wood</i>."</div>
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We noticed maps, the place where I grew up.</div>
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And got to chat to other people, who showed us their smart phones, </div>
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"<i>that's were the line used to run</i>".</div>
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Spotting the difference between then and now.</div>
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We saw that wood, for so many health and safety reasons, was replaced by metal,</div>
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...and steam replaced by</div>
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...by electricity.</div>
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More upholstery. This time I remember it.</div>
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We climbed on and off buses. "<i>I don't remember them being quite so high. Perhaps I'm getting old</i>." More evidence of yet a safer transport system, Routemasters didn't have doors, </div>
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...but they did have conductors and women in yellow trouser suits.</div>
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We saw an exhibition.</div>
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Then it was our turn for a bit of drawing. Inspired by the museum's amazing collection of transport posters, we got to make our own. Replacing the kids artwork, they're now on our fridge.</div>
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Building a tunnel. "<i>Come on, you do this for a living</i>."</div>
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Being a bus driver.</div>
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Just like every other family visiting a museum</div>
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(it is acknowledged in the museum literature!),</div>
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we went to the loo. And when it's quiet(er) you get to check out each cubicle.</div>
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Look what I found.</div>
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It wasn't fabric.</div>
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Don't wait until the next 'Museums at Night' in October to visit the <a href="http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/" target="_blank">London Transport Museum</a>.</div>
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It's open every day. Not just for museum types and civil engineers.</div>
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Details on the <a href="http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/" target="_blank">London Transport Museum website here</a>.</div>
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More about <a href="http://museumsatnight.org.uk/" target="_blank">Museums at Night website here</a>.</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-45569324042404250832015-05-13T14:13:00.000-07:002015-05-13T15:06:05.674-07:00Larrakitj at the British Museum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I rarely go to museums alone. However yesterday I found myself at the <a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/" target="_blank">British Museum</a> with not only time to spare, but also alone. It felt like such a luxury. For a short time, about 45 minutes, I had no agenda, I could do and see what I liked. This is what happened.</div>
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Just through the entrance, to the right, I spotted these, <a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/larrakitj.aspx" target="_blank">Larrakitj</a>.</div>
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An art <a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/larrakitj.aspx" target="_blank">installation by Wukun Wanambi </a>from northern Australia.</div>
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Traditionally Larrakitj are Aboriginal hollow memorial poles, used as coffins by the Yolngu from Arnhem Land. Stringybark Eucalyptus trees are specially chosen and stripped, their surface prepared for painting. They are then painted with the design of a clan, filled with the bones of the deceased and put in the landscape for the wind and rain to gradually wear them away.</div>
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I found this really moving, yet felt slightly uncomfortable. Was this something I should be privy to? Is this not a private affair, laying your clan to rest. However these aren't coffins, they are art works which Wukun tells us he has made to "<i>communicate Yolngu values and beliefs to outsiders</i>". </div>
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Wukun painted the surface of these Larrakitj with shoals of sea mullet, the design of his own clan.</div>
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I really liked being with these Larrakitj, I'm not quite sure why. I didn't feel like an "<i>outsider</i>". I loved the sense of movement in the sea mullet design. Loads of fish packed in, but not at all claustrophobic nor chaotic. They all seem to know where they are heading, moving in the same direction. It always amazes me how shoals of fish move seamlessly together without bumping into each other and making a right mess of things. I think Wukun has captured that so beautifully. It gives me a real sense of calm. I can imagine the therapeutic nature of painting these fish onto the prepared trunks. Doing what his ancestors had done, continuing a tradition.</div>
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He has also captured something of a very busy British Museum.</div>
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I won't tell him that I actually had this gallery all to myself for a very short while.</div>
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No shoals here, just me.</div>
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You have until 25th May to see <a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/larrakitj.aspx" target="_blank">Larrakitj: Aboriginal memorial poles buy Wukun Wanambi</a> at the <a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/" target="_blank">British Museum</a>. Details on their website <a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/larrakitj.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-68131745004900602472015-05-07T09:00:00.000-07:002015-05-13T12:02:22.392-07:00Museum of the Order of Saint John<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I met with a friend to visit the <a href="http://www.museumstjohn.org.uk/" target="_blank">Museum of the Order of Saint John</a>. It was her idea as the museum wasn't really on my radar. She writes for <a href="http://chethamslibrary.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Chetham's Library blog</a> which you can read <a href="http://chethamslibrary.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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I didn't really know what to expect, I'm not good on medieval history. I expected knights, but whilst there it dawned on me, that, aside from knowing them as playmobil characters and as dressing up costumes, I didn't really know what a knight or an order was. </div>
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There are clues, you can tell that there were men and they fought battles,</div>
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protected by helmets, shields and chain mail armour.</div>
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Obviously not offering complete protection.</div>
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But their remit went beyond fighting and protecting, to serving the sick and the poor.</div>
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In the 11th century in Jerusalem, Hospitallers, "<i>cared for anyone without distinction of race or faith</i>". From this was born the Order of Saint John and their military arm became the Knights of the Order of Saint John.</div>
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Caring for the sick, they stored their medicine in pharmacy jars.</div>
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And this looks suspiciously like a bed pan, or perhaps bed warmer.<br />
I forgot to check the label.</div>
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These silver platters give us a hint to the Order's rules and values, that the sick were to be, "regarded as if they were Christ, and deserved the utmost respect". Another reason may have been that silver was easy to keep clean and has natural antibacterial properties. </div>
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In the 12th century the order left Jerusalem, sailing across the Mediterranean Sea to Rhodes and Malta to continue their quest to provide food, shelter and safety for travellers.</div>
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The badge that you probably recognise from the St John Ambulance, has been their badge for centuries. It has been imprinted onto bread,</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5w1XlDEbp_w/VUtS-GffSqI/AAAAAAAADsM/hEy_9oEIkHQ/s1600/P1050100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5w1XlDEbp_w/VUtS-GffSqI/AAAAAAAADsM/hEy_9oEIkHQ/s400/P1050100.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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and has decorated breastplates and habits.</div>
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It wasn't all men. This is Saint Ubaldesca from Pisa. </div>
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I was gradually beginning to understand what this religious military order did, and their place in history. But it wasn't until eating breakfast the next day, perusing the gumpf I had picked up in reception, reading the St John's Trail written for kids, that I really got it. Well the version you've just read above.</div>
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I still may well be wrong and there is a lot more to this story, including peregrines, prayer books, canon balls, and door knockers. And their 12th century English headquarters, the Priory of Saint John in Clerkenwell, London, the site of this museum.</div>
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Visit the <a href="http://www.museumstjohn.org.uk/" target="_blank">Museum of the Order of Saint John</a> and see it all for yourself.</div>
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Still a bit confused? There's more to help kids (and adults) understand.</div>
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Like their 'Family Activity Chest'.</div>
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<strike>Un</strike>fortunately we didn't have any kids with us this time.</div>
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Check out the <a href="http://www.museumstjohn.org.uk/" target="_blank">Museum of the Order of Saint John</a> in Clerkenwell, London.</div>
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Open Monday -Saturday, details on their website here.</div>
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As you can probably guess, this story continues on until the 20th century with the St John Ambulance. More on that story in a later blog post.</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-73287669630252558382015-04-28T08:36:00.000-07:002015-04-28T08:40:22.217-07:00Roman Bath?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Reading other people's blogs, I'm loving hearing about so many museums that I've never heard of before. Like the Flora Twort Gallery mentioned by <a href="http://jumbleandjelly.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/day-tripping.html" target="_blank">Lisa </a>in her post, '<a href="http://jumbleandjelly.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/day-tripping.html" target="_blank">Day Tripping</a>' to Petersfield, read it <a href="http://jumbleandjelly.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/day-tripping.html" target="_blank">here</a>. That is now on my 'to visit' list.</div>
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Then there are the places you didn't even know existed until you stumbled upon them in a city you thought you knew quite well.</div>
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Like the National Trust Roman Bath just off the Strand, London.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f5T0541vIho/VT6rOSPKlzI/AAAAAAAADo0/-qS3rUL4r4M/s1600/IMG_2250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f5T0541vIho/VT6rOSPKlzI/AAAAAAAADo0/-qS3rUL4r4M/s1600/IMG_2250.JPG" height="400" width="315" /></a></div>
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I was heading to <a href="http://artefactsobjects.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/cotton-to-gold.html" target="_blank">Two Temple Place</a> with a friend, you can read about our visit <a href="http://artefactsobjects.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/cotton-to-gold.html" target="_blank">here</a>, when we spotted this small sign above an archway. 'ROMAN BATH, DOWN STEPS TURN RIGHT'.</div>
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So we did.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qb2ZRYnnxiM/VT6rSRwr7ZI/AAAAAAAADps/F_cyv8mN4WM/s1600/IMG_2267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qb2ZRYnnxiM/VT6rSRwr7ZI/AAAAAAAADps/F_cyv8mN4WM/s1600/IMG_2267.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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And found ourselves in Strand Lane, a tiny alleyway, at The National Trust Roman Baths.</div>
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Walking down these deserted alleyways, if it wasn't for the sign, it kind of felt like we were discovering this two thousand year old Roman relic ourselves. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j0A0Nm9cgkc/VT6rOdJzOEI/AAAAAAAADo4/X_koF1Nkmv4/s1600/IMG_2251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j0A0Nm9cgkc/VT6rOdJzOEI/AAAAAAAADo4/X_koF1Nkmv4/s1600/IMG_2251.JPG" height="275" width="400" /></a></div>
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These baths are '<i>said</i>' to be Roman.</div>
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But the bricks used to build them are more like Tudor bricks</div>
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and it lies four foot six below ground level, Roman remains would usually be deeper. </div>
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The first written record of these Roman Baths dates back to 1784, a "<i>fine antique bath</i>" in the cellar of a house in Norfolk Street in The Strand. And "<i>William Wedell, a collector, died from a sudden internal chill when bathing there in 1792</i>".<br />
Dickens mentioned them too, in 1850. David Copperfield took many cold plunges in the old Roman Baths, "<i>at the bottom of one of the streets out of the Strand</i>".</div>
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At the end of the 19th century, these cold plunging baths were recommended by the medical profession as "<i>the most pure and healthy bath in London ensuring every comfort and convenience to those availing themselves of this luxury</i>". </div>
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Not so much luxury today, but still cold. They are fed by a stream, with the rate of flow being about two thousand gallons a day. I still think there's a risk of a '<i>sudden internal chill</i>'.</div>
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And the windows could really do with a bit of a clean.</div>
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To see them you have to turn the lights on</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-teS1w7aUr_s/VT6rQFrJz_I/AAAAAAAADpM/I6nxeMJX0wc/s1600/IMG_2260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-teS1w7aUr_s/VT6rQFrJz_I/AAAAAAAADpM/I6nxeMJX0wc/s1600/IMG_2260.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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and look through very misty, grubby windows.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hYDHNodQy_4/VT6rPTk5LrI/AAAAAAAADo8/dspmWORnbLc/s1600/IMG_2256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hYDHNodQy_4/VT6rPTk5LrI/AAAAAAAADo8/dspmWORnbLc/s1600/IMG_2256.JPG" height="400" width="307" /></a></div>
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They sit here silently, looking dormant, but there's a serious amount of water flowing through this pool.</div>
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Roman Baths?<br />
Their origin is a mystery. I'll leave you with a challenge set by the National Trust,<br />
"<i>...meanwhile it is open to the visitor to believe that it is indeed a relic of Roman London or to accept some such theory as set out above</i>".<br />
If you're passing, check them out and make your own mind up.<br />
And National Trust, if you're passing, please give those windows a clean.</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-21281668575562176282015-04-22T14:48:00.003-07:002015-06-10T06:31:03.536-07:00Newton Abbot Museum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'd been waiting to visit <a href="http://www.museum-newtonabbot.org.uk/" target="_blank">Newton Abbot Museum</a> for a while. Waiting until we next went to Devon, to see my mum in the Easter holidays, as quite a few local museums in Devon are closed for the winter. </div>
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It didn't bode well at first when, after we'd parked very close by, we asked someone where it was and they "<i>didn't even know Newton Abbot had a museum</i>".</div>
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It's proper name is <a href="http://www.museum-newtonabbot.org.uk/" target="_blank">Newton Abbot Town & Great Western Railway Museum</a>.</div>
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It was so well worth the wait.</div>
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It was one of those museums that gives you a tingly feeling, a sense of excitement as it draws you in.</div>
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We were given the warmest welcome, in the smallest room, with the largest fire surround.</div>
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This is the Sandford Orleigh overmantle. Made in the sixteenth century from over twenty carved oak panels. It has been recently restored through the Heart of Oak project. </div>
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We were invited to see if we could work out which wooden figures were new and which were original. You could sort of work it out. This didn't detract from the wonder of it. We just gained great admiration for the craftsman who re-carved the missing parts. </div>
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In <a href="http://www.museum-newtonabbot.org.uk/" target="_blank">Newton Abbot Museum</a> there have been other craftsmen at work, making things from wood. This time an eighteenth century replica diving machine, designed to be used to recover valuable cargoe from sunken ships.</div>
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John Lethbridge, a pretty unsuccessful local wool merchant, designed and used the original machine, becoming a successful salvage diver in his forties.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KmYF3a13a1A/VTf6v_MEQ1I/AAAAAAAADjw/gtdf_WrHDA0/s1600/P1050630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KmYF3a13a1A/VTf6v_MEQ1I/AAAAAAAADjw/gtdf_WrHDA0/s1600/P1050630.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This automation helps you get the picture.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4QwhubuDvFY/VTf6yLhWfcI/AAAAAAAADkM/dJv5nLD1UW0/s1600/P1050640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4QwhubuDvFY/VTf6yLhWfcI/AAAAAAAADkM/dJv5nLD1UW0/s1600/P1050640.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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However it could go down to depths of 22 metres.</div>
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"<i>Apparently people died because of the pressure they experienced on their arms</i>."</div>
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Not as far as a Sperm Whale,</div>
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and a military submarine knocks spots off that, at 3000 metres.</div>
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Fortunately you don't have to go to any depth for the obligitory museum selfie.</div>
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Absorbed in John Lethbridge's story, I lost the kids but I could hear bells, train signals.</div>
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I followed the sound to the most amazing room.</div>
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Under the watchful eye of an encouraging volunteer, signals were being pulled...</div>
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...and bells rung.</div>
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There weren't any tracks to move but, spot the difference,</div>
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the signal moved.</div>
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I loved this signal. Undeterred by having to fit a full-size train signal into a downstairs room of, what was effectively, a large town house, they just dug down to get it to fit in.</div>
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We had such fun in this room with civil engineer dad sharing his stories of times</div>
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on the tracks.</div>
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"<i>I've pulled those levers for real, in a signal box in Sussex. You have to put your weight behind them and pull really hard. They even use a tea-towel in an actual signal box, to protect your hands.</i>"</div>
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"<i>I used one of those horns, working on the tracks, you have to blow really hard. When you hear the horn 'blow up' you stand clear, there's a train coming. Site wardens are trained to 'blow up', to keep look-out. Site wardens are a 'walking, talking fence</i>'". Yes really.</div>
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That's the horn on the left. </div>
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Dad's can be quite boring and they're more impressed with the Brunel hat!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3H4msEwXS0M/VTgHoaDlKFI/AAAAAAAADl4/SZIy0e18gGs/s1600/P1050653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="367" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3H4msEwXS0M/VTgHoaDlKFI/AAAAAAAADl4/SZIy0e18gGs/s1600/P1050653.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The GWR room is jam packed with social history and stories of the impact the railway had on the local area.</div>
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My mum and I loved this book.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aBNRzW7Oo2s/VTgJMm_MN5I/AAAAAAAADmI/03NQGGNCSok/s1600/P1050685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aBNRzW7Oo2s/VTgJMm_MN5I/AAAAAAAADmI/03NQGGNCSok/s1600/P1050685.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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These photographs, the volunteer told us, were the views from both sides of the railway, so it sort of makes sense to have one view upside down.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EPDqmO22beQ/VTgJMw4JSEI/AAAAAAAADmM/2YykjotQOns/s1600/P1050686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EPDqmO22beQ/VTgJMw4JSEI/AAAAAAAADmM/2YykjotQOns/s1600/P1050686.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Of course, we had to find Teignmouth. Still recogniseable today.</div>
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"<i>There's the Ness and Shaldon Bridge</i>."</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eEak1j2-9dY/VTgJMko7CnI/AAAAAAAADmQ/h3nDVeiEKso/s1600/P1050687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eEak1j2-9dY/VTgJMko7CnI/AAAAAAAADmQ/h3nDVeiEKso/s1600/P1050687.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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A train spotters paradise. Even photos in 3D.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XDkGuyxPNrk/VTgK4BtMH9I/AAAAAAAADmk/os2VO3B5kkE/s1600/P1050654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XDkGuyxPNrk/VTgK4BtMH9I/AAAAAAAADmk/os2VO3B5kkE/s1600/P1050654.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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They really did look three dimensional, but not digitally photograph-able.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z2Q1b2Od7m8/VTgK4B3uZ-I/AAAAAAAADmo/C7W2uKpWsGc/s1600/P1050682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z2Q1b2Od7m8/VTgK4B3uZ-I/AAAAAAAADmo/C7W2uKpWsGc/s1600/P1050682.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then there's Newton Abbot's history of the First World War.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I8jIX0dGluU/VTgMJE4HeEI/AAAAAAAADnc/Hqp9TmYQFH8/s1600/P1050668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I8jIX0dGluU/VTgMJE4HeEI/AAAAAAAADnc/Hqp9TmYQFH8/s1600/P1050668.JPG" width="326" /></a></div>
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And the '<i>Noteable Newtonians</i>', of which there are many.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e9SQ-Ue3ez8/VTgLmGmgUfI/AAAAAAAADnE/hHhJUAXudJY/s1600/P1050623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e9SQ-Ue3ez8/VTgLmGmgUfI/AAAAAAAADnE/hHhJUAXudJY/s1600/P1050623.JPG" width="297" /></a></div>
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What a tour, from sixteenth century wood carvings to the bottom of the ocean</div>
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to Brunel's Great Western Railway.</div>
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I would like this post to be widely read, not so much for the benefit of my blog, but for the benefit of this most lovely museum, telling genuinely local stories of achievement and history. Staffed by volunteers with such energy and enthusiasm. It does regional museums and Newton Abbot proud.</div>
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Check out the <a href="http://www.museum-newtonabbot.org.uk/" target="_blank">Newton Abbot Town & G.W.R. museum website, here</a>, for opening times</div>
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as well as a wealth of information about what they've been up to.</div>
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Open mid-March until October.</div>
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And if you bump into a local who, "<i>didn't even know Newton Abbot had a museum</i>",</div>
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take them with you, they should know about it. </div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-14675968285377113452015-04-15T04:25:00.001-07:002015-04-16T08:08:28.578-07:00Fashion on the Ration<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VdaAslIvXLw/VS0rds5XFOI/AAAAAAAADeE/5cINuq6219E/s1600/P1050030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VdaAslIvXLw/VS0rds5XFOI/AAAAAAAADeE/5cINuq6219E/s1600/P1050030.JPG" height="400" width="292" /></a></div>
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At the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, with the disruption of everyday life, fear of an imminent gas attack and invasion, and resources thrown into the war effort, people wondered if fashion would just 'go away'. But quite the opposite happened, clothing and fashion adapted to the time, retailers saw new opportunities, people made do and mended, the British government got involved and mass manufacture became more efficient, producing price regulated, decent quality clothes for all.<br />
The exhibition, '<a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/exhibitions/iwm-london/fashion-on-the-ration" target="_blank">Fashion on the Ration</a>' tells this story at the<a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london" target="_blank"> Imperial War Museum, London</a>. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U2o9oqeBSm0/VS0rfC04XWI/AAAAAAAADec/Bmx8RRNmEjg/s1600/P1050048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U2o9oqeBSm0/VS0rfC04XWI/AAAAAAAADec/Bmx8RRNmEjg/s1600/P1050048.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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The fashion landscape changed, more uniforms were seen on the streets, both the armed forces and women's auxiliary services. Some uniforms were more desirable than others which swayed people's decisions about signing up. </div>
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The air force uniform was considered very smart, the men named the '<i>Brylcreem boys</i>'. </div>
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Apart from school, I've never worn a uniform, except perhaps for this one, for a very short time, in the Girl-Guides.</div>
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Like these Girl-Guides taking part in a fund raising parade in 1941.</div>
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If you hadn't signed up and been issued a uniform, there was a kind of home front uniform.<br />
The housecoat, worn to protect your hard-to-replace everyday clothes. Funny how I've grown up thinking that a housecoat was kind of dressing gown.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Czl-W62I4ZQ/VS4rMiRoSCI/AAAAAAAADfY/ILhIUZTPd0A/s1600/P1050046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Czl-W62I4ZQ/VS4rMiRoSCI/AAAAAAAADfY/ILhIUZTPd0A/s1600/P1050046.JPG" height="400" width="278" /></a></div>
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Housecoats increased in popularity. These housecoats look to good to do the housework in. I wouldn't be drying my hands on them like I do with my grubby kitchen apron.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TUSrlGbTp3k/VS4rNfVcfGI/AAAAAAAADfo/-1KOBhCDsMI/s1600/P1050047.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TUSrlGbTp3k/VS4rNfVcfGI/AAAAAAAADfo/-1KOBhCDsMI/s1600/P1050047.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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And aircraft factory overalls in Manchester weren't that bad either.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VBbwgszzYPM/VS4rLoZsnHI/AAAAAAAADfU/oLFOCtLch4g/s1600/P1050032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VBbwgszzYPM/VS4rLoZsnHI/AAAAAAAADfU/oLFOCtLch4g/s1600/P1050032.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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Retailers saw opportunities and jumped on the bandwagon, creating clothes and accessories for war conditions.</div>
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Like the '<i>Siren Suit</i>'. Perfect for pulling on over your nightie for that middle of the night dash to the air raid shelter. This even has a drop down flap at the rear for convenience. Mind you how convenient was the lavatory back at the house when you were ensconced in a shelter down the garden? </div>
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And luminous accessories for the Blackout. Buttons and flowers.</div>
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Plus checkout these handbags with gas mask compartments. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3H_wY75tQIQ/VS4zOd_QQ4I/AAAAAAAADf8/Oy6e5WOTNBk/s1600/P1050038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3H_wY75tQIQ/VS4zOd_QQ4I/AAAAAAAADf8/Oy6e5WOTNBk/s1600/P1050038.JPG" height="360" width="400" /></a></div>
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Or you could just take the government's advice and wear something white, cheaper that way. This wasn't just a gimmick, one in five people were injured in the blackout. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DaBOCd1s0Sk/VS4z1IoIQII/AAAAAAAADgM/rPNNZed2efw/s1600/P1050041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DaBOCd1s0Sk/VS4z1IoIQII/AAAAAAAADgM/rPNNZed2efw/s1600/P1050041.JPG" height="400" width="270" /></a><br />
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In 1941 rationing was introduced. Food had been rationed for over a year. The government wanted to safeguard raw material and free up labour and factory space for the war effort. The rationing of clothes was successful in ensuing decent quality, durable, price regulated supplies for all, resulting in clothes being distributed more fairly. </div>
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You were issued with 66 coupons and a dress was 11. So the public were encouraged to '<i>Make Do and Mend</i>'. This was the bit of the exhibition I was really looking forward to.</div>
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Two Sussex dressmakers made this from scraps.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0pwho7PyzcM/VS455Uejm6I/AAAAAAAADhI/x9dXNE6-1v8/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(11).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0pwho7PyzcM/VS455Uejm6I/AAAAAAAADhI/x9dXNE6-1v8/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(11).JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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Perhaps inspired by 'Woman'.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QrVMtiB4baU/VS453n0K7OI/AAAAAAAADgk/NR3lD7DMHCg/s1600/P1050059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QrVMtiB4baU/VS453n0K7OI/AAAAAAAADgk/NR3lD7DMHCg/s1600/P1050059.JPG" height="400" width="346" /></a></div>
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This dressing gown was made from an RAF silk '<i>escape map</i>'. Surplus maps were sold off to the public in 1945.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cw_99LqByMM/VS453iDAbuI/AAAAAAAADgs/lFbLiBkbdco/s1600/P1050063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cw_99LqByMM/VS453iDAbuI/AAAAAAAADgs/lFbLiBkbdco/s1600/P1050063.JPG" height="400" width="280" /></a><br />
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Then you could also knit for yourself.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eoLUvNb4HOI/VS454u12ZRI/AAAAAAAADgw/heViUi6v8wA/s1600/P1050069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eoLUvNb4HOI/VS454u12ZRI/AAAAAAAADgw/heViUi6v8wA/s1600/P1050069.JPG" height="400" width="268" /></a></div>
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Fairisle was a '<i>useful for using up scraps of different coloured wool</i>'. So they say, I reckon fairisle is more complicated and planned than that. I could well be wrong. </div>
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'<i>Make Do and Mend</i>' has been embraced recently, capturing some kind of romantic nostalgic attitude to crafts and recycling, but this official rhetoric was not particulalrly liked at the time.<br />
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This wedding dress was made from pre-war silk intended for petticoats. It was first worn by Evelyn Higginson in 1943, who later lent it to fourteen other women, including her sister Linda in 1946.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8jczD5kjhqY/VS455KgHUvI/AAAAAAAADg4/k7H4WSn-uAA/s1600/P1050073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8jczD5kjhqY/VS455KgHUvI/AAAAAAAADg4/k7H4WSn-uAA/s1600/P1050073.JPG" height="400" width="258" /></a></div>
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I came to <a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/exhibitions/iwm-london/fashion-on-the-ration" target="_blank">Fashion on the Ration</a> at the <a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london" target="_blank">Imperial War Museum</a> with a little idea how the Second World War had impacted fashion in the forties, influenced by necessity, the need to protect what clothes they had, newly available jobs in the factories, lack of raw materials and the like. The most surprising thing I found out was that the government, in regulating the use of rubber, one of the rarest of commodities in war time, prioritised the use of elastic for women. 'Women's knickers were one of few garments where the use of elastic was allowed'.</div>
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Don't get to excited though, here's a pair of '<i>Utility peach rayon knickers</i>'.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6BiXjQw-zRk/VS4_d-EZKiI/AAAAAAAADhk/JwZ9YQtvagU/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(12).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6BiXjQw-zRk/VS4_d-EZKiI/AAAAAAAADhk/JwZ9YQtvagU/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(12).JPG" height="295" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/exhibitions/iwm-london/fashion-on-the-ration" target="_blank">Fashion on the Ration</a> is on at the <a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london" target="_blank">Imperial War Museum, London</a> until 31st August 2015.</div>
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Details on their website here.</div>
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Before they are accused of a one-sided look at fashion and clothing in the Second World War. There were men's garments and accessories, I just don't seem to have taken any photos of them. </div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-82668283556475358952015-04-03T04:13:00.000-07:002015-10-14T05:53:22.514-07:00Tate Britain from the floor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is a kind of guest blog post. Well it's a joint effort, I scribed.</div>
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Introducing my eleven, very nearly twelve, year old son.</div>
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Who I "<i>made</i>" go to <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain" target="_blank">Tate Britain</a> with his mum, sister and friends.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rc6P58Q3ylk/VR5pkPumdUI/AAAAAAAADdc/me6w8xzDbFA/s1600/IMG_2622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rc6P58Q3ylk/VR5pkPumdUI/AAAAAAAADdc/me6w8xzDbFA/s1600/IMG_2622.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
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Getting the following photos came about quite by chance, when he inventively and creatively got himself out of the "<i>it's boring</i>" place when he began documenting his visit on his mobile phone. He insisted on bringing his phone with him because he was going to be bored. As far as I could tell, this was so he could ignore us all and play games on the train into central London. But he didn't play games.</div>
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He took photos. And played with the settings on the camera.</div>
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First the panorama setting, "<i>in the massive hall</i>".<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DQINK0UwPKo/VRxdyXA-9rI/AAAAAAAADZ8/Acit9Uc2FtQ/s1600/20150330_124406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="51" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DQINK0UwPKo/VRxdyXA-9rI/AAAAAAAADZ8/Acit9Uc2FtQ/s1600/20150330_124406.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i>Mum, that's you in the photo and a man who walked along while I took the photo so he's in it twice</i>"</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3o8NFzjYCKI/VRxdy08sqlI/AAAAAAAADZU/vTMXD6QBPs8/s1600/20150330_125209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="45" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3o8NFzjYCKI/VRxdy08sqlI/AAAAAAAADZU/vTMXD6QBPs8/s1600/20150330_125209.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w1MSaxDMyKA/VRxdzPNJXvI/AAAAAAAADZY/QvQgXrLBZkg/s1600/20150330_125632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w1MSaxDMyKA/VRxdzPNJXvI/AAAAAAAADZY/QvQgXrLBZkg/s1600/20150330_125632.jpg" width="164" /></a></div>
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The photo below is taken by me. I found the boys like this, on the floor taking photos, happily ignoring the stares by staff and visitors.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QPb-2zYAba4/VRxogajaw7I/AAAAAAAADdE/F1gIrfBQ1gQ/s1600/photo%2B(42).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QPb-2zYAba4/VRxogajaw7I/AAAAAAAADdE/F1gIrfBQ1gQ/s1600/photo%2B(42).JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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These are some of the photos my son took whilst lying on the floor in the Christina Mackie sculpture.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UXoUheGZ1Z4/VRxeW_cDZ6I/AAAAAAAADaE/gsRLe9FVxaE/s1600/20150330_132053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UXoUheGZ1Z4/VRxeW_cDZ6I/AAAAAAAADaE/gsRLe9FVxaE/s1600/20150330_132053.jpg" width="172" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-amhGJNmAUYU/VRxeXlgBLUI/AAAAAAAADaM/9IbiHaHj2h8/s1600/20150330_132206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-amhGJNmAUYU/VRxeXlgBLUI/AAAAAAAADaM/9IbiHaHj2h8/s1600/20150330_132206.jpg" width="174" /></a></div>
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"<i>This is a diagonal panorama that didn't work because the net is split into three</i>."</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M0Wnm9El7Kk/VRxeX6fvdpI/AAAAAAAADaQ/WhPMJqcHQwg/s1600/20150330_132331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M0Wnm9El7Kk/VRxeX6fvdpI/AAAAAAAADaQ/WhPMJqcHQwg/s1600/20150330_132331.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>
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Then they tried it in the other galleries.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EfAe1x7nys4/VR5pkIj8ifI/AAAAAAAADdg/F3TvNYOyrUk/s1600/IMG_2635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EfAe1x7nys4/VR5pkIj8ifI/AAAAAAAADdg/F3TvNYOyrUk/s1600/IMG_2635.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WKMcLOu-0Kg/VRxeaGOk-HI/AAAAAAAADas/BnHVg7GV2Do/s1600/20150330_142237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WKMcLOu-0Kg/VRxeaGOk-HI/AAAAAAAADas/BnHVg7GV2Do/s1600/20150330_142237.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next he played with the 'cartoon' setting, experimenting on me in the cafe first.</div>
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I hate photos of me, and contrary to what this looks like, I was having a really nice time.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hju8i45CKwA/VRxeYRgXqUI/AAAAAAAADag/qNbB24MfuA8/s1600/20150330_135826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hju8i45CKwA/VRxeYRgXqUI/AAAAAAAADag/qNbB24MfuA8/s1600/20150330_135826.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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He couldn't wait to get back to the "<i>massive hall</i>", but some of the attraction was being able to skid around on the shiny floor.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EMRBozjDX0E/VRxeW8tI8BI/AAAAAAAADaI/BGIcaqquSJc/s1600/20150330_130606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EMRBozjDX0E/VRxeW8tI8BI/AAAAAAAADaI/BGIcaqquSJc/s1600/20150330_130606.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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and then take photos of these "<i>two sisters, who look like like mine in the future</i>".</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_JXL6AfS4Pk/VRxea1rsE-I/AAAAAAAADa8/nFketAAL6EY/s1600/20150330_143029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_JXL6AfS4Pk/VRxea1rsE-I/AAAAAAAADa8/nFketAAL6EY/s1600/20150330_143029.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's how he described the paintings that he took photos of.</div>
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"<i>This is three boys playing in a tree with a dog and a lethal weapon, a bow</i>".</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4DRZmiJQIJ0/VRxeb-f6wEI/AAAAAAAADbQ/_MEuE5GyxnM/s1600/20150330_143134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4DRZmiJQIJ0/VRxeb-f6wEI/AAAAAAAADbQ/_MEuE5GyxnM/s1600/20150330_143134.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i>This man looked important</i>."</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UnP52cgYWcQ/VRxe8WwA_EI/AAAAAAAADbs/u4hFsML0CtA/s1600/20150330_143202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UnP52cgYWcQ/VRxe8WwA_EI/AAAAAAAADbs/u4hFsML0CtA/s1600/20150330_143202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i>Horses grazing, the white horse is the odd one out</i>."</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SobcI7H6s0o/VRxe8iLyNiI/AAAAAAAADcA/Xy_vzNuc5kM/s1600/20150330_143313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SobcI7H6s0o/VRxe8iLyNiI/AAAAAAAADcA/Xy_vzNuc5kM/s1600/20150330_143313.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i> A weird pose</i>."</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XAzrU2tWA3c/VRxe8n0iXjI/AAAAAAAADbw/-dvEG_ZmlC0/s1600/20150330_143325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XAzrU2tWA3c/VRxe8n0iXjI/AAAAAAAADbw/-dvEG_ZmlC0/s1600/20150330_143325.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i>Trees. These trees looked special because they were hidden behind a cloth</i>."<br />
(They were under a cloth, hidden away from the light.)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kArJIb4rJUI/VRxe9H-xebI/AAAAAAAADb4/zfG9RiTe3_U/s1600/20150330_143348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kArJIb4rJUI/VRxe9H-xebI/AAAAAAAADb4/zfG9RiTe3_U/s1600/20150330_143348.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i>I'm not being rude but that was the first black guy I saw in a painting in the museum and it proves that discrimination in those times was real.</i>"</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T5Hiv2mCP10/VRxe9pAVWcI/AAAAAAAADc0/iRIJTJkYEPA/s1600/20150330_143428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T5Hiv2mCP10/VRxe9pAVWcI/AAAAAAAADc0/iRIJTJkYEPA/s1600/20150330_143428.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i>Jesus healing a sick woman.</i>"</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-POvUWH4JXkk/VRxe-dd3Y9I/AAAAAAAADcI/_X-yu4CJB8s/s1600/20150330_143506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-POvUWH4JXkk/VRxe-dd3Y9I/AAAAAAAADcI/_X-yu4CJB8s/s1600/20150330_143506.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i>A Roman Colosseum</i>."</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DOe4YoN8vkk/VRxe-719MSI/AAAAAAAADcM/8uwHVtbRjzU/s1600/20150330_143534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DOe4YoN8vkk/VRxe-719MSI/AAAAAAAADcM/8uwHVtbRjzU/s1600/20150330_143534.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i>She looks like she's lost</i>."</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GxL8I57M_zU/VRxe_krdJtI/AAAAAAAADcU/9nqvttYsHGc/s1600/20150330_143723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GxL8I57M_zU/VRxe_krdJtI/AAAAAAAADcU/9nqvttYsHGc/s1600/20150330_143723.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i>This looks like the lady from the boat who has fallen in the river and looks even more lost</i>."</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M4C5GBpw16Y/VRxfANX6ItI/AAAAAAAADcc/r77UsHnDIAk/s1600/20150330_144042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M4C5GBpw16Y/VRxfANX6ItI/AAAAAAAADcc/r77UsHnDIAk/s1600/20150330_144042.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i>Me.</i>"</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wgx1KHa17eQ/VRxfAvNr2-I/AAAAAAAADcg/ajw_rXy_W6Q/s1600/20150330_144608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wgx1KHa17eQ/VRxfAvNr2-I/AAAAAAAADcg/ajw_rXy_W6Q/s1600/20150330_144608.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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"<i>I was bored so I found out what my phone could do</i>."</div>
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I've been thinking about why I've written this post, bothered to show this to others. It's not about my son, or me, or the seemingly worthy Easter holiday trip to an art gallery, to the Tate Britain. But I wanted to flag up the ways children can access museums and galleries. And, dare I say it, the creative and inventive ways mobile phones can be used in museums. We took sketchbooks with us, even me. But my son did it his way, it wasn't planned, it wasn't expected. But I love the results, he loved the day, and next time I suggest visiting a museum or art gallery hopefully he won't protest quite so much, "<i>because they're fun</i>". </div>
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I wish I had the courage to lie on the floor in art galleries.<br />
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Details about <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain" target="_blank">Tate Britain</a> on the website here.<br />
Take kids, a camera and see what happens.</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8987197937092702900.post-43439815565559298292015-03-27T10:43:00.001-07:002015-03-27T10:51:53.683-07:00Cotton to Gold<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.twotempleplace.org/" target="_blank">Two Temple Place</a> in London is only open to the public for a few months each year.</div>
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Every year, in this magnificent building, there's an exhibition of publicly owned objects and art-work from museums and galleries from around the UK.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AiJwq8IOsxA/VRVqCP3yXlI/AAAAAAAADVE/P0uYHFuFGVk/s1600/P1040863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AiJwq8IOsxA/VRVqCP3yXlI/AAAAAAAADVE/P0uYHFuFGVk/s1600/P1040863.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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This year it's the turn of <a href="http://blackburnmuseum.org.uk/" target="_blank">Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery</a>, <a href="http://www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/hag" target="_blank">Haworth Art Gallery</a> and <a href="http://www.burnley.gov.uk/residents/towneley-hall" target="_blank">Towneley Hall Art Gallery & Museum</a> with the exhibition <a href="http://www.twotempleplace.org/exhibitions/current/" target="_blank">Cotton to Gold</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y7GNJh3y5HQ/VRVqExizzoI/AAAAAAAADVM/QvRIwOfEqI8/s1600/P1040864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y7GNJh3y5HQ/VRVqExizzoI/AAAAAAAADVM/QvRIwOfEqI8/s1600/P1040864.JPG" height="400" width="290" /></a></div>
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What have these three museums and galleries got in common?</div>
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All have objects collected by industrial entrepreneurs in the North West, bought with wealth amassed through the booming textile industry in Lancashire in the late 1800s. These men were magnates of industry and trade and they had spare cash, a lot of it, to collect stuff.</div>
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Collecting has always been a hobby, and one that has been part of the story of museum collections. You can read about this in my post, '<a href="http://artefactsobjects.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/cabinets-of-wonder-at-royal-albert.html" target="_blank">Cabinets of Wonder: Royal Albert Memorial Museum', here</a>. </div>
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We are told, '<i>Displaying these collections together, the exhibition highlights the circumstances of their exceptional accumulation, asking what such groups of objects can reveal about their owners and the rapidly-changing times in which they lived</i>'.</div>
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So who are these men, what did they do and what did they collect?</div>
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Here are a few.</div>
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Robert Edward Hart, rope maker,</div>
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with his books, ...of Hours.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eypVpFPBZoY/VRV4Q59b5dI/AAAAAAAADVg/ZLbdBhAGUkA/s1600/P1040883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eypVpFPBZoY/VRV4Q59b5dI/AAAAAAAADVg/ZLbdBhAGUkA/s1600/P1040883.JPG" height="373" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lAw2F1WJfms/VRV4Qy18WtI/AAAAAAAADV8/aVu7IhK0WYc/s1600/P1040885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lAw2F1WJfms/VRV4Qy18WtI/AAAAAAAADV8/aVu7IhK0WYc/s1600/P1040885.JPG" height="400" width="383" /></a></div>
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And coins. Roman, Greek, Byzantium and British.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o4346gNmMwY/VRV4Qi8vNJI/AAAAAAAADVc/xEbyNOq0_L4/s1600/P1040892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o4346gNmMwY/VRV4Qi8vNJI/AAAAAAAADVc/xEbyNOq0_L4/s1600/P1040892.JPG" height="177" width="400" /></a></div>
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He got the set, one from each Roman emperor from Augustus to the 3rd century AD.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E6DfNepmneY/VRV4Rp-RzZI/AAAAAAAADVo/r8Xa3Q4Cj4A/s1600/P1040895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E6DfNepmneY/VRV4Rp-RzZI/AAAAAAAADVo/r8Xa3Q4Cj4A/s1600/P1040895.JPG" height="237" width="400" /></a></div>
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Gold coins from the reign of Elizabeth I.</div>
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The daughter of the king played by Damian Lewis. We had a little Wolf Hall chat with another visitor.</div>
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Seriously though, these coins in front of us were in circulation 500 years ago, used to buy things. We think that's quite something.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UKOQsmhJn0Y/VRV4SNvTPdI/AAAAAAAADVs/4vv4R6L5dss/s1600/P1040912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UKOQsmhJn0Y/VRV4SNvTPdI/AAAAAAAADVs/4vv4R6L5dss/s1600/P1040912.JPG" height="332" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thomas Boys Lewis, managed the family's cotton spinning mill,</div>
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and collected Japanese prints.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IhiO4zpL7WM/VRV7U_3CErI/AAAAAAAADWU/9wp0uOg0-jc/s1600/P1040904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IhiO4zpL7WM/VRV7U_3CErI/AAAAAAAADWU/9wp0uOg0-jc/s1600/P1040904.JPG" height="400" width="295" /></a></div>
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"<i>I'd like to knit a scarf in either of these two colourways</i>".</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tzLio9g0y-s/VRV7UUNb4vI/AAAAAAAADWQ/Vcb_q8AjvWw/s1600/P1040900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tzLio9g0y-s/VRV7UUNb4vI/AAAAAAAADWQ/Vcb_q8AjvWw/s1600/P1040900.JPG" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4bBi2bxryM/VRV7UriZlTI/AAAAAAAADWc/qf0vXhpz3Mw/s1600/P1040906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4bBi2bxryM/VRV7UriZlTI/AAAAAAAADWc/qf0vXhpz3Mw/s1600/P1040906.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Arthur C. Bowdler and his beetles from all over the world, was a successful manufacturing chemist and factory owner.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7w7IuYGGPbI/VRV9HendldI/AAAAAAAADWw/1cTEY3ManzE/s1600/P1040919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7w7IuYGGPbI/VRV9HendldI/AAAAAAAADWw/1cTEY3ManzE/s1600/P1040919.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Joseph Briggs, a fabric designer, not only collected Tiffany ware but worked for him, he was his chief assistant.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LvSqNqs0VN0/VRV9sZLoIGI/AAAAAAAADW8/kRMSqyjWrHA/s1600/P1040928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LvSqNqs0VN0/VRV9sZLoIGI/AAAAAAAADW8/kRMSqyjWrHA/s1600/P1040928.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
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George A. Booth, an iron founder from Preston collected stuffed birds.</div>
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Some in cases,</div>
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and some not.</div>
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Some with claws nearly as big as our hands.</div>
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George Eastwood, who began his working life, aged 10, in a local mill, and as far as I can tell, made his money with a party planning business for the rich and famous of Manchester, collected ivories.</div>
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James Hardcastle collected book illustrations.</div>
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Nothing is known of his life, just his collection.</div>
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Wilfred Dean who made gas-heated washing machines and boilers, collected life-drawings by John Everett Millais.</div>
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Millais was a pretty significant figure in the art world, was this investment or a genuine love of drawing? In answering this question, I find out that Wilfred Dean was closely involved in the development of Towneley Hall Art Gallery and '<i>played a significant role in its purchasing decisions</i>'.</div>
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There's a bigger picture surrounding the accrued wealth that financed these collections, which is recognised in the exhibition.</div>
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Questions about the hardships workers endured, ivory, taxidermy, child labour are acknowledged. As said in the museum interpretation, '<i>Doubtless prompted by the hardships endured by their workers, the industrialists of the North West supported a wide range of cultural causes that benefited the inhabitants of the cotton towns. ...they funded museums and galleries, founded local orphanages and schools, and donated money to local churches and Blackburn Cathedral</i>.'</div>
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I'll leave that thought with you. The balance of workers' conditions and philanthropy. Was this just a thing of the past?</div>
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Cotton, where it all began.</div>
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<a href="http://www.twotempleplace.org/exhibitions/current/" target="_blank">Cotton to Gold</a> is on at <a href="http://www.twotempleplace.org/" target="_blank">Two Temple Place</a> until 19th April 2015.</div>
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Details on their <a href="http://www.twotempleplace.org/exhibitions/current/" target="_blank">website here</a>.</div>
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As well as the exhibition, you get to see inside Two Temple Place. we loved that too.</div>
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If you'd like to see inside, check out this post by blogger <a href="http://60andthenext10.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/two-temple-place.html" target="_blank">Fun60</a>, '<a href="http://60andthenext10.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/two-temple-place.html" target="_blank">Two temple Place</a>'.</div>
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Katharine Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12272802201564787548noreply@blogger.com22