National Museums Liverpool Blog - Friday, September 07, 2007

Forget Eastenders, Coronation Street and Neighbours, there’s a new soap storyline in town. Take a tour around the Lady Lever Art Gallery this weekend and experience the amazing architecture and collections through the eyes of a Sunlight Soap worker. You can catch our role-player giving a unique insight into the gallery on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 September at 1, 2 & 3pm. These sessions are part of a jam-packed Heritage Open Day programme happening across our venues. Check out our full programme for details.

Factory girl

Our conservators are highly trained intelligent people who do serious scientific work. Most of time anyway - the other week they spent the day playing with toys. David Crombie explains that it was all in the name of science:

Baby Annabel as you've never seen her before!

"On Friday 24 August, staff from the National Conservation Centre hosted an ‘x-ray your toys day’ as a fun way of showing children how science can be used to examine things and look inside them.

Children turned up with a variety of toys, and we saw Minnie Mouse, Wilma the teddy, and a little lion from the World Museum Liverpool shop amongst others. Some children who hadn’t known about the day had their toys with them anyway, and joined in the fun.

Apart from finding the squashy stuffing inside the lion, (“I think he’s full of beans!” said his owner…) we found that the inside of the head of a Baby Annabel doll was a complicated mixture of wires, mechanics and such like that gave the x-ray image a very surreal ‘android’ look that wouldn’t have been out of place in an episode of Doctor Who!

Inside a little musical bear, meant to hang on a baby’s cot and play a little tune, we could see the tiny clockwork music-box about 6cm long, with its pegged cylinder ready to turn against the tuned metal prongs.  We could even see the word ‘JAPAN’ in tiny letters on the case.

You can see a Flickr slideshow of x-rayed toys from the event here.

We used the new Konica Minolta Regius 190 digital x-ray reader to look at the items, and the digital plate technology means that the process is quick and easy, with no wet chemical processing of x-ray plates needed. This kind of equipment is more usually seen in hospitals, and has been a very valuable asset to the new Reveal laboratory at the centre.

Everybody had a lot of fun looking at the toys, and we hope to run another one in the future, so look out for the National Conservation Centre What's On listings."

Earlier this week in the Time and Space Gallery at World Museum Liverpool, fine watchmaker Christopher Ward presented the first example of the 'C1 Russell' watch to John Millard, Director at World Museum Liverpool, to be added to the renowned horological collection.

John Millard and Christopher Ward with the 'C1 Russell' watch

This exceptional watch is a modern interpretation of the Hunter pocket watch designed by Thomas Russell, watchmaker of Prescot, Liverpool, in the 19th century. It embodies all the design finesse and top quality components of Thomas Russell watches and reflects the historic traditions of Liverpool watch making. Thomas Russell was arguably Liverpool’s finest watchmaker and built a thriving business producing the finest quality watches and clocks, including the celebrated Russell Hunter pocket watch. His fame spread to royal circles and he was rewarded with royal patronage by Queen Victoria. Thomas Russell’s name is synonymous with the Lancashire watch making industry. He remains an icon for watch purists and enthusiasts around the world

It was party time at the Walker Art Gallery this morning as the gallery celebrated it’s 130th birthday. Staff donned birthday badges and enjoyed a slice of cake in honour of the big day.

Named after brewery owner Sir Andrew Barclay Walker who paid for its construction to commemorate his term as mayor of Liverpool, the gallery was opened on 6 September 1877 by the 15th Earl of Derby. A number of events are being staged over the next month to commemorate the birthday, including a special birthday tour and a lecture by former Keeper Julian Treuherz. 

I only hope when I enter my twilight years I look so well. Don’t worry Walker, you’re wearing well … you don’t look a day over 129.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you ...

The Walker Art Gallery's County Sessions House was the scene of a glamorous Vivienne Westwood  fashion shoot for the Daily Post yesterday, as models, make-up artists and photographers took over the former courthouse for most of the day. Wearing pieces from Westwood's new Autumn/Winter collection, models posed in doorways and amongst the pillars outside the gallery.

The model towers over everyone in seven-inch heels

Purple is the big colour of the Autumn/Winter season (yes, it's the new black don't you know?) and the stylists reflected this by choosing a tight fitting purple dress from the collection, along with a ruffled stripy dress and slouchy grey overcoat. 

Westwood's trademark huge heels threatened to cause problems for one of the models, as she teetered around on the extra seven inches of patent leather, but she managed to carry it off in the end as no broken bones were reported. When the article goes on the Daily Post website, I'll give you an update on how it turned out!

Detail of display of 'Morley' stockings in Henderson and Sons department store window, Church Street, 1949

I've got some good, bad and more good news for you this morning. The first good news is that the latest themed Stewart Bale online exhibition, this month on the subject of Retail, including street scenes and vehicles, is online. The bad news is that this is the last in the current series of six. However, the last piece of good news is that a small display of copy prints of a selection of the photographs will be going on display outside the Maritime archives and Library on the second floor of the Maritime Museum from 1 October 2007.

As usual, I've enjoyed looking at the details of the photos with zoomify, including a mysterious man in a bowler hat appearing from behind a car in front of the Newsham Motor Company showroom and the staff looking out of the windows of the Fruit Exchange.  However the mannequin in this picture from the window display of Henderson and Sons department store held the biggest surprise, as she is wearing a dress made entirely of stockings.

Archivist Anne Gleave, who has done a brilliant job researching all of the fantastic images in the online exhibitions, is already planning another display from the Stewart Bale archive for next year, so I'll keep you posted when the details are confirmed.

First exhibited at the Walker Art Gallery in 1907, Walter Richards’ extraordinary aerial painting of his vision of ‘Modern Liverpool’ is now on display at the Maritime Museum. Looking at the painting makes you wonder first of all, how in 1907, he was able to achieve such height and perspective in order to create the work at all – your mind starts to speculate – perhaps he was in a hot air balloon! The painting aims to portray Liverpool as a bustling and confident imperial city and capture the spirit of the time. The attention to detail is particularly impressive, though as Richards apparently worked as a lithographer, this is perhaps not surprising. These small details show Edwardian Liverpool as a city of grandeur, with its Rolls Royce and ladies in exuberant hats in the foreground. It will be interesting to compare this painting from a century ago with the new panorama of Liverpool being created by Ben Johnson that will be completed in 2008.

An Edwardian view of Liverpool

Shipwrecks have always fascinated me, Stephen Guy, since I first explored one at low tide on holiday at Llanddona, Anglesey, as a five-year-old. Stood inside the remains of the hull, I felt like Jonah in the whale.

Liverpool Bay is littered with the remains of ships that have come to grief over the centuries.

Until quite recently one of the sights at the mouth of the Mersey were two half-submerged shipwrecks, their masts and decks at crazy angles, clearly visible from ferries crossing the Irish Sea.

Shifting sands on the coast between Liverpool and Southport occasionally reveal the remains of ships that ran aground on this treacherous shore.

When disaster strikes at sea, the saving of life is paramount – an area where Liverpool has had many achievements. Lifeboat stations, Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, HM Coastguard and the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board have all played their part.

Liverpool can justly claim to have had the first lifeboat station in the world. About 1775 a boat was set aside at Formby for the sole purpose of saving people from shipwrecks.

Merseyside Maritime Museum has collections looking at many aspects of saving life at sea. They include shipwrecks where everyone on board was rescued. One such was the emigrant ship Dakota outward bound for New York when she struck the notorious Skerries rocks off Anglesey in 1877.

About 580 passengers and crew were taken safely shore. Items include a food plate recovered from the wreck.

A map shows original lifeboat stations at Southport, Formby, New Brighton, Magazines (an explosives store on the Wirral), Hoylake and West Kirby.

There is a model of a lifeboat called Manchester and Salford Sunday Schools because she was paid for with money collected by the schools in 1868.

The Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society was set up in 1839, evolving from the grimly-named Liverpool Institution for the Recovery of Drowned Persons.

Among the Society’s awards in the collections is a pair of binoculars and certificate presented to Robert Bence, relating to an incident in 1881.
He was the first officer of the White Star liner Germanic which came across the steamship Hurworth in distress in a mid-Atlantic storm.

The gallant Mr Bence led volunteers in a lifeboat through tumultuous seas to successfully rescue the crew of the Hurworth.

Other items include a dock rescue hook, standard equipment used for rescuing people who had fallen into Liverpool docks 100 years ago.

My uncle, Alfred Guy, a police officer on the docks, would relate gruesome tales of fishing bodies out of the water using similar hooks.

Merseyside Maritime Museum is open seven days a week, admission free. A new Maritime Tale appears every Saturday in the Liverpool Echo.

Image courtesy of the Liverpool Daily Post & Echo.

We've lots of plans for our sites - this blog, our main site, diduknow etc - but want to know what our visitors want from us as well. Do you want more indepth information? Are we missing something vital? What do you think about our collections information?

We've put together an online survey so you can tell us. It should only take a few minutes. If you've any problems please let us know, and thanks in advance.

I, Stephen Guy, have always admired the skills of marine artists – not just their artistic techniques but their observational abilities.

Leading marine artist Samuel Walters (1811-1882) was the son of Miles Walters, who was a shipwright and seafarer as well as a recognised painter of maritime subjects. Samuel was born at sea and became one of the brightest lights in the Liverpool school of marine art and his work continues to be much admired and sought after. Trained at the Liverpool Academy, Samuel shone in all aspects of marine painting but was most skilful in ship portraiture. He had a studio in London for two years but decided to return to Liverpool – rapidly becoming the Second City of the British Empire – to further his career.

The Ethiope by Samuel Walters

Merseyside Maritime Museum has several Samuel Walters paintings in its collections and here we focus on his remarkable painting of the paddle steamer Ethiope. She is pictured off the west African coast with palm trees on the shoreline – a subtle reference to her main cargo, palm oil. Ethiope was built in Liverpool in 1838 for the merchant Robert Jamieson. He was keen to trade with palm oil producers in inland areas rather than deal with middle men on the coast.  Palm oil was used as an engine lubricant and as an ingredient for soap. Ethiope spent two long periods in west Africa exploring the Niger and Cross rivers. Jamieson wrote: “Commerce on the Niger can only be followed by means of steam vessels manned entirely by native Africans under the direction of European officers and engineers well inured to the climate.” Several black seamen can be seen on board in the painting.

Other Samuel Walters paintings in our collection include the Sailing Ship Emma at Sudley House, the No 6 Pilot Sloop Irlam at the Maritime, the No 3 Pilot Schooner The Duke also at the Maritime, and CSS Florida.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries a marine artist charged between three and 10 guineas (£3.15 and £10.50) for his framed paintings – equivalent to between roughly £340 and £1,135 today. These were the prices quoted by Henry Collins (1782-1824), who worked in Whitehaven, Cumbria, in an advertisement in the local paper. However, Collins was not a full-time painter – he also ran a business supplying interior furnishings. His study of the snow Betty shows a type of brig, a two-masted vessel with square sails that were very common around this time. She is shown off the Cumbrian port of Harrington with sails unfurled and flags flying.

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

First the good news: Animated Adventures at World Museum Liverpool has been extended slightly and will now finish on Tuesday 28th August. Also, the Culture Company is organising a family festival on William Brown Street from 12 noon until 5pm on 26 and 27 August, as part of the Mathew Street Music Festival, so you could visit both over the bank holiday weekend.

The bad news is that because of the family festival William Brown Street will be closed from 6pm on Saturday 25 until 8pm on Monday 27 August. Also, because of the 800th birthday pageant which starts and finishes on William Brown Street, the road will also be closed on Tuesday 28th August, so if you were hoping to park there you will have to find an alternative. Check out the World Museum Liverpool visitor information page for alternatives.  Obviously the same arrangement applies to the Walker Art Gallery.

As promised here are some of the radio highlights for the International Slavery Museum launch. Obviously there has been a lot more coverage than this list but a lot isn't available to listen again, or is difficult to isolate within a programme. There's plenty to listen to here anyway.

• Front Row tonight (Friday 24th) will feature Mark Lawson's visit to the new museum. That's Radio 4 at 7.15pm, and hopefully for the week to come on 'listen again'
  
• As I mentioned yesterday Simon Mayo on Radio Five Live interviewed Richard Benjamin for about 20 mins on Wednesday, starting at about 1hr 47 mins into the programme. That programme should be available to listen again until Wednesday next week.
  
• Colourful Radio's Amina Taylor interviewed Richard on 20th August 2007. Just select the date from this page - the interview starts at 1hr 46mins and runs for about 20 mins. 
  
• Colourful Radio obviously like Richard as he was back on the station next day on the Elayne Smith programme. Again, select the date (21st August) and start listening at 1hr 38 mins. The interview runs for about 18 mins. In the interview Richard asked people to send him their comments and thoughts on the museum. You can do that by following this link and completing the 'contact us' form.
  

Helen Renner in her wonderful dress

I was pleased to be able to go along to the Slavery Remembrance Day events yesterday at Otterspool Prom. Thank goodness for the great weather! It was a busy afternoon with delicious Caribbean food followed by the libation ceremony and a mixture of live performances. The libation ceremony was a unique experience - it is a solemn African traditional ceremony, which remembers, acknowledges and honours African ancestors, elders and leaders. Chief Angus Chukuemeka commended the work of National Museums Liverpool and its staff, in producing a museum which he said touched deep seated emotions.

After the ceremony I met Helen Renner (pictured) a resident of Birkenhead, originally from Ghana. I wanted to talk to her because she was wearing amazing traditional dress! She explained that it was made from the commemorative cloth of her school, whose patterns symbolised different aspects of the school and Ghanaian culture. You can see it has a pattern of fish scales and cocoa pods, to represent the importance of the fishing and cocoa industries and is decorated with images of people from the Achimota School that it commemorates. Helen had been around the slavery museum and was planning to go back to have more time to take it all in.

My favourite part of the live performances that followed were the two dancers who performed fantastically energetic routines to traditional African music by the River Niger Orchestra. It was quite moving when they performed a dance to show how the slaves were forced to dance on the ships and how they were whipped as they did so. Everyone enjoyed the poetry performance by Levi Tafari who was met with cheers and got people on their feet. A day of great variety that I enjoyed being part of.

The International Slavery Museum opened today. Pleased to say that there has been lots of positive coverage in the press, on the web, tv etc. I'll post a proper 'listen again' selection of the radio coverage but in the mean time here is an interview from yesterday. Simon Mayo on Radio Five Live interviewed Richard Benjamin, head of the museum. The interview starts at about 1hr 47mins and runs for about 20 mins on either side of the news break. (NB, apparently there are a few problems with the BBC listen again feature so you might have to be patient.)

Also saw today that Anti-Slavery International has digitsed its collection of 18th and 19th century slavery literature and called it Recovered Histories. There are over 40,000 pages so it should be worth a good look.