National Museums Liverpool Blog - Monday, December 18, 2006

Those Victorians had some very funny ideas when it came to designing Christmas cards. Our selection of vintage Christmas e-cards, featuring cards from our decorative art collection, include crickets playing cricket and food racing on pigback, as well as the more common snowy scenes and Father Christmas.

A century later these more unusual designs still appear to be striking a chord though. I was really chuffed to see that the 'Pip pip' e-card (with that festive favourite image of a policeman narrowly avoiding being run over) was the image of the week in The Times on Saturday. You can't beat the classics! 

Note from Karen: introducing Stephen Guy who will be presenting a weekly maritime feature starting next week.

Stephen Guy, author of the new Maritime Tales blog feature

Merseyside Maritime Museum has stunning collections giving insights into this heritage and the unique port linked to the world’s trade routes. My new weekly feature, Maritime Tales, is inspired by those exhibits and collections.  

I'll look at the remarkable characters from Liverpool’s maritime history, many of whom left lasting impressions. They include Isambard Kingdom Brunel, J Bruce Ismay, Alfred and George Holt, William and John Laird,Samuel Cunard,  Captain Edward Smith, Captain Johnnie Walker and Jesse Hartley.

Then there are those who once played a big part in the Liverpool maritime scene and its triumphs and disasters but who may no longer be remembered by many. There is Able Seaman Joseph Rogers, hero of the wreck of the Royal Charter, James Baines founder of the Black Ball Line used by emigrants, William Burslow gallant captain of the first Royal Yacht Mary, John Towne Danson marine insurance pioneer, Sir Percy Bates chairman of the Cunard Line and William Inman with his pioneering emigrant steamships.

Then there are the immeasurable numbers of unrecorded people whose hopes and fears were inextricably linked to its ships, seafarers and docks. The dark days when Liverpool was Europe’s leading slave trade port were followed by 100 years as probably the greatest emigrant port in world history. The Tales recall the highs and lows over the centuries up to the present, when 2007 is Liverpool’s 800th anniversary and Year of Heritage.

Some of the legendary vessels I'll look at include the Titanic, Great Eastern, Thetis, Lusitania, Alabama, Ellan Vannin, Olympic, Carmania, Britannia, Great Britain, Prince of Wales, Bismarck and Tirpitz.

There are disasters and triumphs – from the successes of Brunel’s pioneering steamers to the terrible losses of the Second World War. I'll look at innovative ideas and how Liverpool has frequently led the way taking risks and pushing the pace of progress.

My ancestors settled in Liverpool around 1700 and many have been mariners and shipwrights over the generations.  I have worked for many years as a news reporter and journalist before joining National Museums Liverpool.

A new Maritime Tale appears every Saturday in the Liverpool Echo.

Have I mentioned that Christmas is coming? Only about ten times over the last few weeks. If you still have Christmas shopping to do then you could pick up some traditional gifts at the Croxteth Hall market on Sunday 17 December, which promises lots of festive stalls in the spirit of Christmas past. 

A special guest at the market this Sunday will be the Burrell steam traction engine from our popular land transport collection, which is visiting as part of the Museum of Liverpool on the road project. It's only there for the day, so you'd better steam over there if you don't want to miss it.

It's around this time that people start asking me what big exciting things are going to be happening in our venues next year. Something that I'm looking forward to is the reopening of Sudley House. The venue, in my old student stomping ground of south Liverpool, is currently being refurbished to improve access and create new displays. Dave Moffat, assistant curator of decorative art, is pictured above with two of the dolls that will be going in Sudley's new Toy Zone, which will feature vintage playthings as well as brand new activities for young visitors. Keep an eye on the website for details of the opening in summer 2007.

There are more dolls in the selection of Christmas e-cards on our website - our conservators have assured me that they have treated the dolls much more carefully than the girl on the Doll's bathtime e-card!

Here's one I caught earlier! Taxidermist James Jackson with a mounted specimen of a Tarpon

I was interested to see in the news this morning that taxidermy is considered very fashionable at the moment. The art of the taxidermist has of course been used to great effect by the artist Damien Hirst in the 1990s. More recently Kate Moss bought artist Polly Morgan's work 'To Every Seed His Own Body', which features a mounted specimen of a blue tit on a prayer book.

Like many things, taxidermy never out of fashion at National Museums Liverpool. You can read more about the work that our staff do to preserve and display our important collections in the taxidermy department page on the website.

Above is one of my favourite pictures from the department, showing taxidermist James Jackson with World Museum Liverpool's mounted specimen of a Tarpon. The photo was taken a couple of years ago when the Tarpon had just been conserved after it had returned from a long term loan to Poole Aquarium. The specimen is a particularly large and good example of this species, also known as the Silver King, which can grow up to 8 foot long and weigh 300lbs.  In the wild it is found in the warm coastal waters and estuaries of North and South America and on the other side of the Atlantic on the coast of West Africa. It is a popular sport fish and is much sought after by anglers because of its fighting capabilities and bony mouth, which makes it difficult to hook.

I can’t help thinking that superhero Sportacus from the BAFTA-winning children’s programme LazyTown would be impressed with our LoveSport exhibition at World Museum Liverpool. The exhibition concentrates on encouraging visitors – especially children – to get active and it educates them about the benefits of sport for health.

LazyTown’s Sportacus – who was created and is played by Icelandic gymnast Magnús Scheving – goes one better. Not only is he credited with reducing the obesity levels of children in Iceland, but he has done it without ever mentioning exercise! The idea is that children find Sportacus' heroic flipping and darting around LazyTown so compelling that they decide to follow their role model on the road to fitness. Meanwhile, baddie Robbie Rotten (or is that Rotten Robbie?) is stuffing his face with goodies such as cream cakes.

Sportacus is a total hit with the children, but is also proving popular with the mummies who can’t help but admire the guy’s impeccable physique and mind-boggling agility.

If you haven’t heard about LazyTown before, you soon will. The theme tune ‘Bing Bang’  is in the race for Christmas number one single … and it’s just a teenie-weenie bit annoying. Where’s the superhero that wipes out tacky chart music when you need it?

Picture and frame reunited - Martin will be pleased!

Those of you who attended Martin Greenland's talk on his John Moores winner, 'Before Vermeer's Clouds', or who have listened to the gallery talk since, might remember Martin talking about the original frame. He said he had been persuaded to remove the frame for the show but hadn't been totally convinced as he quite liked the frame and felt it expanded the parameters of the painting.

Well, today painting and frame were reunited as the piece went on permanent display at the Walker Art Gallery. The simple, floating American pine frame is about five inches in depth and has quite a contemporary feel. Check it out.

And oddly enough I've just seen this article on the News & Star website about another of Martin's paintings, 'December' appropriately enough, that is currently on display at Meadowbank Farm Studio in Curthwaite, Wigton, Cumbria.

Detail of a botanical print of frankincense

It's cold outside, so the latest online exhibition to grace the National Museums Liverpool website is on the theme of winter weather.

As always the online exhibition draws on items from different venues, many of which are not usually on public display. This time we've got exhibits and animals from some of the coldest places on the planet, plants traditionally associated with Christmas and the perfect teapots to make a warming cuppa on a cold day, to name just a few.

So if you've ever wondered exactly how Inuit women keep warm in temperatures of -40°C, what frankincense and myrrh actually look like, or what type of bird would make a good novelty tureen to serve a nice warming stew out of - and I'm sure that last question in particular has kept many people awake at night - then we have the answers you seek. 

Well, come capital of culture year everything will be 08 this and 08 that, and the city will be bedecked in the figures 0 and 8. There's doubters saying the city won't be ready, however earlier this week the webteam took a short stroll around town and were able to spot one or two 08's already in place.

It's difficult to explain what I'm on about without having a quick look through the flickr gallery of the results (slideshow available), it's fun to spot them (honest) and if you see one, send it to us. If you are a flickr member you can send images to the group automatically, everyone else will have to use our photo upload function to send us their images.

We've also created a google map showing the locations of the 08 photos.

David by Sam Taylor-Wood; commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery with the support of JPMorgan through the Fund for New Commissions.

I don't usually go for blonds and I don't usually go on appearance alone, but for some reason all that goes out of the window where David Beckham is concerned. He so fine! And now you can gawp to your heart's content under the pretext of bringing some culture into your life. Just skip down to the Walker Art Gallery, nod sagely and say things like 'interesting use of light' and no one will be any the wiser (other than the crowd of other gawpers that is).

Joking (and drooling) aside 'David' is a wonderful video portrait of a super star sleeping, created by artist Sam Taylor-Wood. It was shot in a single take following a training session at Real Madrid. It goes on display at the Walker tomorrow but is only on loan until the end of January so best make use of your Christmas holidays.

More details on the piece, Sam Taylor-Wood and Becks himself can be found on our main site.

Detail from Holman Hunt's 'The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple'

There's an interesting article on the 24 Hour Museum site by Jacob Simon from the National Portrait Gallery on the portrayal of disability in art. Several of the artists mentioned also feature in our collections including Zoffany, Hogarth and Reynolds.

This got me thinking about the portrayal of disability in our own collections, and wondering how much attitudes have changed in the time since these magnificent pieces were painted. Just off the top of my head I can think of the blind man in Holman Hunt's 'The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple' (see image), and three depictions of Nelson (by West, Drummond and Maclise) who at the time of his death was missing an eye and an arm.  

Benjamin Robert Haydon considered himself near blind but still managed to produce several works including 'Christ Blessing the Little Children' which was commissioned to decorate a chapel for the blind (this linked page includes his son's description of Haydon wearing several pairs of spectacles at once).

There is also the theory that JMW Turner had increasing problems with his sight as he aged - colour blind from an early age and then cataracts in later life (check out this Guardian article). Works like The Falls of the Clyde might be seen as the result of a condition, though we probably wouldn't describe Turner as disabled.  

I guess the most famous modern representation of disability in art is Marc Quinn's wonderful statue, 'Alison Lapper Pregnant', which stands in Trafalgar Square. It seems that attitudes really have changed.

Should also mention, in case you've missed it, that National Museum Liverpool is hosting events as part of this year's DaDa Fest. More details on the North West Disability Arts Forum website.

I spent yesterday afternoon at the Alima Centre with artist Alison Jones. Alison was taking us round the 'On the Edge' exhibition in the second floor gallery.

The exhibition is part of Dadafest (Disability and Deaf Arts Festival), 'exploring the physical and emotional issues of being forced to the
edge…of the city, the art scene, society, people’s consciousness and
view'.

Alison has produced an excellent sound piece for the exhibition 'Art, Lies and Audio Tapes' in which visitors to the Walker Art Gallery have been asked to provide a description of our popular painting 'And When Did You Last See Your Father?'. This audio is then played in the exhibition in front of an imprecise line drawing of the painting.

'Art, Lies and Audio Tapes' is a work in progress and one possibility is to produce a version of it for the Walker Art Gallery website in the new year. In the mean time, 'On the edge' continues at the Alima Centre until 15 December 2006.

Casablanca Cabinet

Curator of Fine Art, Ann Bukantas (mp3/transcript/links) takes an extended look at Helen Chadwick's 'Viral Landscapes', a recent addition to the Walker Art Gallery's permanent collection.

Head of Decorative Arts, Robin Emmerson, found time last month to deliver object of the month talks at both the Walker and the Lady Lever Art Gallery.

At the Walker, Robin spoke about Ettore Sotsass' 'Casablanca Cabinet'  (mp3/transcript/links). The cabinet is displayed in the gallery's cafe, outside the entrance to the Craft and Design gallery, and there is a lot of background noise on the recording from the lunchtime crowds.

The next day Robin was at the Lady Lever to deliver his talk on the 'Moor Park mantelpiece' (mp3/transcript/links). Robin begins his talk by admitting that he knew little about the object when he was asked to deliver the talk.

I've abandoned my diet already thanks to temptation from the Christmas market in Liverpool city centre, so I'm looking forward to getting some tips and yummy recipes from Nigella Lawson's Christmas special on BBC2 tonight.

As food's on my mind, today's festive treat is another vintage Christmas card from the Decorative Art collection, showing 'A dead heat for the plate'. This is just one of the designs available in the selection of Christmas e-cards on the website.

Congratulations to LoveSport supporters St Helens Rugby League FC on a further two prestigious accolades. It has been announced that Paul Wellens has won ‘Rugby Player of the Year’, while Daniel Anderson scooped Coach of the Year at the BBC North West Sport Awards 2006.

You may remember that Saints’ loveable mascot Saint Bernard was on hand a few ago for the launch of LoveSport exhibition at World Museum Liverpool. The treble-winning side have had something of a dream season. They were crowned Super League Champions earlier in the year, as well as taking the League Leaders’ Shield and the Powergen Challenge Cup.

Paul Wellens has already been named Man of Steel, Players’ Player of the Year and Rugby League Writers’ Player of the Year, as well as taking the Harry Sunderland Trophy for his performance in this year’s Grand Final.  Earlier in the year Daniel Anderson was named Super League’s Coach of the Year, James Graham was crowned Young Player of the Year, while Sean Long took the Lance Todd Trophy in the Challenge Cup Final.

Given the evidence, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that the super Saints are also in the running for Team of the Year which will be announced at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony at Birmingham NEC on Sunday.

I am though. The only other rugby league team ever to have won the Team of the Year is Wigan RLFC’s 1994 side. Rugby league often struggles to get the attention it deserves in the media as it mistakenly dismissed as a ‘Northern’ sport for men with flat caps and whippets. In actual fact, rugby league is a great spectacle and a wonderful family game where you’ll find everyone from grandma to the youngest of youngsters screaming for their beloved team.

My fingers (and toes) are all crossed for the boys and I managed to get my text vote in before the deadline. Strangely enough, so did my Wigan-season-ticket-holding-husband - because victory for St Helens will be a much-needed boost for the game of rugby league and put this wonderfully entertaining sport in the spotlight.

St Helens are up against the European Ryder Cup Team and Sussex Cricket Team. While we're here, best of luck to Manchester boxer Ricky Hatton and Cheshire gymnast Beth Tweddle who will be competing for Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday.

The BBC North West Sports Personality of the Year show can be seen tonight Wednesday 6th December at 7pm on BBC 1.

Update: I don't believe it! They actually won. Read about it here. Well done lads. And another win for Daniel Anderson for Coach of the Year too!