Flamingo or Ostrich? St Michaels Mount and the big debate

Having recently joined the working world, I haven’t been visiting as many historic places as I would like recently, but here is a little gem from my archive that I thought I’d share with you while we wait for normal service to resume.



Authors Own Photo

Let me start by posing a simple question; is the bird on the left a flamingo? Or an ostrich?

On a mini getaway to Cornwall earlier in the year, I found myself at the top of St Michael’s Mount staring at a stained glass image of what I was convinced was a flamingo. The shape and colouring of the bird had me convinced (allowing for artistic expression and that this is an old image whose artist may never have actually seen a flamingo before) and I was amused at how wherever I seem to go, I manage to find the exotic animal connection somewhere. So rather chuffed I went back to my friends and shared my discovery, only to be rather surprised when they questioned my identification – the remark, “that’s an ostrich”, sparking the beginning of an on going debate. Needless to say, we then all went and stood in front of the window trying to reach a definitive answer but could only agree that we’d have to do some further research and find the answer.

The Mount has an interesting history that dates back to around the 12^th century. It’s a site with religious roots, has been a location for historic battles, was once a trading port and remains the ancestral home of the St Aubyn family, as well as a small local community. It’s now also a popular tourist destination which tourists can reach either by walking out too it at low tide, or otherwise hop on a boat for a short cruise across the sea. But where exactly do exotic birds fit into this equation? And is it a flamingo or an ostrich?

St Michael's Mount
Authors Own Photo

The stained glass window is located in the room known as the ‘Chevy Chase’ and it would appear that also within the room is a 16^th/17^th century plasterwork frieze that depicts, rather unusually, the scene of an ostrich hunt. I will therefore have to admit defeat (Congrats Porge!), for it evidently seems more likely that my friend was correct and that the image was in fact that of an ostrich.

The evidence got more compelling when I then discovered that this very topic was the subject Karen La Borde’s PhD (2011). La Borde describes how the ‘imagery has long been interpreted as symbolic of the events of the early English ballad of ‘Chevy Chase’, hence the name of the room and through her PhD aimed to critically analyse this plasterwork frieze and add historical context. La Borde later suggests the work may have been that of Flemish artist Jan van der Straet who was born in Flanders in 1523. He drew inspiration from Roman frescoes and mosaics which also depicted the hunting of exotic animals, imported from all corners of the globe for the entertainment of the crowds gathered for gladiatorial contests. Animals seem to be a timeless interest/source of entertainment as here once again, we find evidence of human fascination with rare and exotic beasts.  

Authors Own Photo

It continues to amaze me just how often animals are evident within history when you start to look and how their depictions continue to reveal fascinating insights into human history. Whether it was intended as a flamingo or an ostrich, this simple piece of stain glass art sparked a discussion that only now, six months later, has reached a resolution.

Bentley Priory Battle of Britain Trust

I first heard about The Bentley Priory Battle of Britain Trust when I attended Egham Museum’s Identity and Collection Conference earlier this year. I was intrigued to hear from the curator about this new museum and a few weeks ago I finally got around to visiting. Here are my reflections on that visit.

Photo taken by author.

The first thing that struck me, with my public historian ‘hat’ firmly on, were issues of accessibility to the site. As a ‘brown sign’ destination there was a significant lack of signage on the main roads and it was only because I’d read the small print on the website about needing to follow signs for the new residential development, that I eventually found my way. The fact the site is located on this new development is also somewhat hindering, for to gain access to the site you must first appease the curiosity of the security guard and hope he opens the gates to you. I wonder whether this will be a permanent fixture once construction is complete, my hope would be however that this is only temporary and eventually people may come and go as they please.

The Priory itself, plays on the idea of ‘sense of place’ rather than on the presentation of ‘historic items’. The history evoked is tied up in the building rather than the items on display and as such, it has a very ‘new’ feel to it. In most rooms items are sparsely displayed, and where there are higher concentrations, this idea of it feeling new and fresh is very prominent.

Photo taken by author.

The first room that you enter establishes the main historical narrative for Bentley Priory and presents its history as the Headquarters of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. I really liked the strong chronological flow that was presented in this room and established a base line of information on which the following rooms would build. There were however, surprisingly few authentic items on display that relate to the history of the RAF and the building; rather the sense of history comes from the information and the ‘place’ itself.

That said, there were four desks in the room, each of which presented information on a specific period of the history of the RAF and memorabilia could be found in each of the desk draws to illustrate this. For example in some draws there were model planes to give visitors a sense of what was being flown at this time. These draws could be opened and closed by visitors, encouraging a higher level of engagement. This was enhanced by the oral testimonies that could be heard when you picked up one of the telephones found on each of desks. It encouraged the use of another of the visitors senses – the only thing that would have made this better, was if it had been in first hand and not the voice of actors. With such a detached sense of the history, first-hand accounts could have gone someway to rectifying this.

Photo taken by author.

The next room which we encountered was simply fantastic! I have never experienced anything like it and quite simply, I was blown away. Each visitor is invited into the Film Room by the wonderful volunteers and once inside you watch an 8 minute (or thereabouts) film on the history of Bentley Priory. This has been done to the highest standard and was a wonderful thing to watch. The film begins and you feel as though you’re in a small private film screening, until gradually the screen becomes more transparent and reveals a room behind the screen in which the story of Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding is played out. I was made to jump on several occasions as a door opened and I expected someone to suddenly appear, but thankfully they have restrained from introducing any actors and have created what can be described as a wonderful tribute.



Photo taken by author.

Photo taken by author.

The Medal/Dome Room which followed was another assault on the senses and was much more in keeping what you would expect of a classic ‘museum’. The room centres on a vast collection of medals donated to the museum by one of its patrons and it gives a very personal touch to the museum. The touch screens which are located around the room also present the history of all those in Bomber Command and for the first time you see the human faces of those involved in the conflict. It’s very emotive and to read the stories of individuals was very moving. I was also surprised to find on display the Dickin Medal presented to Rip the dog – you just can’t escape the presence of animals in history!

Photo taken by author.

The fourth and final room I’d like to pay particular attention to was the Filter Room which was a really interesting construct. The Priory have attempted to recreate the original and offer visitors and idea of what this room would have looked like during the height of war, but it felt oddly new. The timber freshly cut and untreated  - but then as my friend pointed out, this was probably how it was then too, thrown together and built from scratch as the need arose. So it actually works in both senses. It was another very atmospheric room and again incorporated oral testimonies to good effect. They were however quite long excerpts and the museum could do with making sure visitors had somewhere to sit and listen.

Photo taken by author.

What was particularly striking about this room however, was the strong sense of commemoration that is evoked. The room has been recreated to resemble the original filter room and its hectic atmosphere, but rather than use tacky models, a series of bronze (I’m taking a guess) statues that represent the men and women who had once worked in this room have been erected and the parallels to other war memorials are uncanny. These faceless yet poignant figures, really added to the sense of atmosphere I felt as a visitor and in evoking such a sense of commemoration the museum has ensured the efforts of those on the ground during the war are recognised too.

Photo taken by author.

Overall I felt like there was a lack of information around – in some places there was a bit but not in others. Perhaps this is something that will develop over time, after all, the museum is only a year old. It does have a really fresh feel to it however and it seems to be taking a new approach to presenting history. I’d be really interested to go back in a couple of years and see how it’s developed and what direction it’s taken but for now I will remember it as a wonderful memorial to those men and women of bomber command.

Medals: An act of remembrance or better best forgotten?

Medal Index Card of one of my relatives.

Within the National Archive there are over 5 million medal index cards for soldiers and other military personnel who served between 1914 and 1920. This included most British army officers, Indian Army personnel, British Army nurses, Royal Flying Corps personnel, Royal Naval division personnel and some civilians. 5 million cards, issuing any number of the medals issued to those who served in one of the most difficult periods in modern British history. And that is a figure which excludes those many thousands of records for the service men and women from the Second World War.

I started thinking about this topic the other day when I caught a few minutes of one of these day time auction shows and on there, they were selling a collection of WW1 medals. These medals had no connection to the person who was selling them and it got me to thinking what a sad state of affairs that is. These medals represent the courage and sacrifice made by our generation of grandfathers and great grandfathers, and yet here they are, detached from anyone with a personal connection and being sold off to the bidder of the highest price.

Perhaps it’s a rather sentimental view to take, but it is one I find quite difficult to understand. In the year in which we mark the centenary of this life changing event, to think that so many medals have been disregarded and have ended up in auction rooms or antique shops across the country is quite a sad thought. I suppose for me, it’s because we as a family take such pride in the medals earned by my grandfather and great grandfather, and for the last few years they along with a picture of them both (only one in uniform unfortunately) have taken pride of place on my Nan’s living room wall. For me they are part of our family story – the fact my great grandfather is believed to have arrived in Britain because he wanted to fight in the war and his native Sweden being neutral, marking a changing point in the family history. I can’t imagine them being given away or sold and would fight to keep them in the family.

With this in mind,  I got thinking about the fascinating project my fellow MA student Sue has begun, which uses the diaries her granddad kept during WW1 to offer a very personal insight into life during the conflict. The collection of memorabilia also includes medals, postcards and letters all of which are providing her with some wonderful material on which to base blog posts and with which we, as the interested audience, can engage. It is a really thought provoking way to think about one of those periods of history we think of as familiar, by emphasising the personal experience. The diaries were only discovered after his death, which in itself tells us something about what those diaries meant to him, but had they not been kept and treasured by Sue and her family, this valuable record would have been lost. And it's that idea that underpins my whole reason for writing this blog - the idea of giving away or disposing of something so valuable to a family story. Sue's project is a very personal one but it is also a very publically relatable story and I for one am very keen to hear more of William John West Taylor’s story as it unfolds.

Selection of one of my relatives medals.

I’m sure that Sue’s project is driven by a desire to find out more about the stories behind this amazing assortment of material and the people involved, just as it is with many of us who embark on our own similar family history projects. The genealogical revolution has really gripped the nation and there is an inexhaustible desire to know more about our own individual’s family’s past – so what it is that motivates some people to sell medals or memorabilia? Or worse, too throw it away? And what has led to so much of this material being ‘family-less’? I notice this is not just a predicament found in Britain, but remember vividly passing a stall in Rome which was also selling medals and at the time commented, how if I could have afforded too, I would have bought the medal, traced to whom it was awarded and returned it to the family – they are only small items but they represent so much and I think that is all too easily forgotten. However then on the other hand, I think well, if they were appreciated and valued by the family they'd never have been given up in the first place. There are also those  soldiers who actually sold them, so I guess as with everything, there are many different ways to look at this.

What makes this worse, for me anyway, is that some people have seen the commercial value in this and try to exploit the interest some of us have in our family’s past. Not so long ago I was contacted by a medal dealer who had acquired the medals of a distant relative of mine. He’d tracked this relative through Ancestry and seen my relationship to him and contacted me to see if I would be interested in buying these medals from him. I can only assume, others in a similar position were also contacted, but what a thing! I mean not only has he reduced this item to a meaningless commodity, but he was also willing to play on the sentimentality of those of us with an interest in genealogy. Now I know this is a livelihood for some people, but really? In my view these items are invaluable and should be treasured by families as a reminder of the contribution their ancestors made to two of the greatest conflicts in modern history and at such a prominent time in the ceremonies of remembrance we should really be remembering this.

Then again, as a final thought, perhaps those who were awarded the medals want them forgotten? I know in our case, those medals were hidden away in a tin for years, not displayed - perhaps that's what they both would have wanted? It's hard to say really isn't it - but to see them auctioned on the television just seemed disrespectful in some way.

To be taken to Sue’s blog please follow this link - http://fromshacklefordtothesomme.wordpress.com/ and she has also set up a Facebook page which can be found here https://www.facebook.com/shacklefordtothesomme?fref=ts. Do take a look and keep an eye out for updates on this very interesting project as it evolves.

Reflections on Our Zoo: A Follow Up

As promised I went away and did a little more research on the use of animals by production companies, and in particular those zoological collections who exist merely for that purpose. I will say now, that again I do need to do more research and that these are just thoughts on what I’ve found out since that last blog – they’re not definitive and neither are they completely well informed judgements, but hopefully over time they will be.

So, I didn’t really know what to expect. On the one hand (and perhaps rather optimistically) I had imagined a collection that was the best that a zoo could hope to be; the money they earn from supplying animals to television companies etc. being reinvested into animal welfare and provision within their own collections, or at the very least an investment into some form of conservation work. In my experience, those people who work with animals do so because they are passionate about wildlife and want to do all they can to help species survive; they want to be the best they can be at their jobs, in order to best help their animals. Then on the other hand, I expected something far from what I’d deem acceptable and that would reinforce that feeling of discomfort that had nestled deep in my stomach when watching that first episode of Our Zoo. Unfortunately, it was the latter expectation that was met, and while I wasn’t really surprised that that was the outcome, I have to say I was really disappointed.

I can’t help but think of one of the zookeepers I spoke to for an oral history interview and how he talked about how invested he became in his work, but also the commitment he had to various associations that monitored the standard of zoological collections nationwide. In the later stages of his career he invested so much time and energy into making sure these standards were enforced and that zookeepers were trained to know the best ways to look after their animals. Yet here we are, some 30 years later and things haven’t really changed. Some zoological collections can still get away with cramming big cats into tiny enclosures,  having nocturnal animals out in daylight and active because their routines have been disturbed and having vulnerable and endangered species that aren’t part of breeding programmes.

Again this is something I need to keep digging into to find out more about the legislation and regulations that are in place. It might well be that the problem is actually with the lack of regulations and not the direct actions of the zoological collections, but instinctively I got angry. Maybe the rules for private zoological collections are different, or maybe as a visitor we have different expectations now. Have our sensibilities changed? And now, because we visit them and we take our children, have the public become bigger stakeholders in public zoological collections, and do they plan with us in mind just as much as the animals?  Does what goes on behind closed doors not matter when we are not directly confronted with it? These are all questions I’ve been left asking myself because I just don’t understand how this is still acceptable and I don’t get why it’s still allowed to carry on.

There was an interesting article recently that compared the Zoo lates that take place at London Zoo, to a relic of the bygone Victorian age and their desire to reduce animals to spectacle and you can’t really deny that this mentally doesn’t still exist by some of those who work within professions involving animals. I think I’d been quite naïve to it until recently, and now I find my inner moral being questioning a lot more of what I see and hear.

I know there was anger earlier this year when the Queen’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament omitted mention of the proposed ban on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses, that it was hoped would come into being at the end of 2015 and I just wonder why that was? I know it’s not top of the political agenda at the moment and there are more pressing issues at hand, but why does there seem to be this hesitation to do anything? Furthermore, why stop at their use in travelling circuses – I get that this will impact people’s livelihoods and change the way of life for people that might have been animal trainers for generations, but surely we are at a point where we need to move past this and those skills people have acquired through their careers utilised elsewhere and for the benefit of the wildlife.

The whole idea of animals being used for entertainment, even if born from the decline of the circus, is outdated. We should be looking elsewhere for sources of entertainment – animals are not put on this earth for that purpose. We should be teaching our children to respect wildlife and the benefits of promoting conservation – not “ooooo” and “ahhhing” as they’re forced to do tricks for a round of applause and chunk of meat!

And then I think about somewhere like ZSL Whipsnade which I visited on Sunday in order to be reminded of the positive work that zoological collections can do. ZSL has come under fire recently for its Zoo Lates and while its motives for holding those events are debateable, it is hard to deny the value of the other programmes and organisations they are involved with and the positive repercussions that come from that involvement. So a group of friends and I went along and had a really nice day. One of the things I like most about Whipsnade is the amount of space they can offer the animals, it’s never going to be as good as their natural environment, but unlike a number of zoos I’ve been too, there is a lot of space for the animals to roam around and to hide from public view if they want to.

And while there, for the first time for a long time, I actually sat and watched one of the scheduled ‘talks’ they hold throughout the day. On this occasion it happened to be the Sea lion one, which normally I would avoid because I don’t like to see animals used for entertainment purposes. It’s the same reason (well that and my fear of clowns) that I won’t go to the circus (I know you could argue this is the entire purpose of zoos – I am wading through murky waters on this one!). But on this occasion I figured that it couldn’t be as bad as I’d seen previously and I was right. The whole talk is built around a narrative that highlights the importance of conservation and looking after our wildlife. So every ‘trick’ is done with that in mind. Fetching hoops with fishing netting on from the bottom of the pool informed the audience of the danger to wildlife when fishing nets are just discarded into the ocean; picking up a plastic bottle and placing it in the recycle bin promoted an anti-littering message and highlighted the importance of recycling; and playing dead wasn’t shown for the purpose of entertainment, but is a ‘exercise’ taught to the animals for the purposes of animal husbandry and to allow keepers close enough to conduct checks on their animals, in this case ultrasounds if the animal happened to be pregnant, or to perhaps also check their teeth. After each exercise each animal was rewarded, but equally if a Sea lion went off and did its own thing, it wasn’t forced to come back (again as I’d seen previously) the keepers just adapted and carried on and that was a notable contrast to those who are taught purely for entertainment – after all time is money in that situation. At the end of the Sea lion talk the keepers remind you that your money helps with the upkeep of the animals at both Whipsnade and London Zoo and also helps fund over 50 conservation programmes with which they are involved and that is a really positive thing to be reminded of.

This whole topic is a complex one that is riddled with moral and ethical questions and I’ve realised to conduct research, I am sometimes going to have to do things that go against my principles. Visiting zoos is sometimes the best source of information but equally, can be a difficult experience. I will therefore continue to watch Our Zoo because I’m interested in the historical aspect the drama is trying to convey – but I will do that by sacrificing my principles because I don’t agree with the training of animals purely for entertainment purposes. In my opinion, to justify their existence zoological collections need to actively be demonstrating commitment to conservation and the preservation of endangered and vulnerable species. There should not still be a desire to ‘own’ animals for the purposes of your own entertainment or for commercial purposes – too many animals are at risk and efforts should be concentrated on encouraging future generations to assist in preserving the world’s wildlife and not viewing it purely for entertainment.

No doubt I will follow up on this blog once I've done further research.

The End of an Era!

Well its over – my time as a student of Public History at Royal Holloway has come to an end. And what a year it has been! There have been highs and there have been lows but what a ride?! When it all began a year ago I was anxious about making the move from history to public history.  It was something I was interested in and passionate about, but I wasn’t quite sure how I’d make that adjustment. Soon enough all those anxieties were appeased; I was in my element and didn’t look back.

The course has covered a wide range of elements, including oral history, a skills project and the creation of a radio programme. We’ve also written a conventional dissertation assessing the condition of the heritage industry and analysing how heritage institutions respond to current challenges. While finally there was the final project – our own individual masterpieces of public history. (For those with insider knowledge – yes I did skip over the Concepts module, for it is now a vague and very distant memory!) The creative elements of this course have allowed me to pursue elements of history that are particularly interesting for me and along the way I’ve met and made contact with some truly fascinating people. So, with that in mind there have been a few highlights from the year which really stick out for me and I really just wanted to share them with you.

The first part that really sticks out is the oral history interviews I conducted back in the winter term. I had no idea that there was so much involved in carrying out oral history and while that made for slightly daunting task, once you’ve got your head around it and actually get going, it’s fantastic. I’m a chatty person anyway and I like to hear about people’s stories, yet in this setting you’re potentially being invited in to some quite personal or intimate moments in that person’s life and I hadn’t really appreciated that before being taught this module by one of the best! It’ a valuable historical approach for making inclusive history and it’s definitely something I would look at doing again in the future. Anyway, I digress. So, in keeping with my interest in the history of the wild animal trade and zoological collections, I was fortunate to be able to interview two zoo keepers, one now retired with over 50 years’ experience and the other still in the job, with 30 years’ experience. Research cannot compare to the unique insight these individuals had to offer and I learnt so much about how zoos work behind the scenes, and for a historian in this field, that was a really valuable experience. I know there is this air of hesitation for zoos to open up about their history and I understand the reason for that and it conflicting with their current principles, but that evolution is a hugely interesting process and getting to know more about that from the perspective of those who helped to assist in that process, was one of my favourite parts of the year.

The second has to be the radio programme! For this I chose to look at the effect of WW2 on animals, and the story that began to emerge was not one I’d expected. The final programme looked at the impact on pets rather than the unique uses of animals in the war effort and it was a really enlightening area to look at. Having been taught the history of WW2 all through school and right up to university level, you think you know it all – or at least have a good grasp on it. But in doing this programme the view I had that animals can offer alternative ways of looking at the past was really reinforced, because in researching this programme and speaking with experts, I realised that so much more went on during the war, especially on the Home Front, than I could ever have imagined. I don’t think I’d ever asked before, what happened to peoples pets, or to the animals in zoos? You just don’t do you – when you think of war you think of the human experience and not the animal one. So yes, not only was the topic one I was completely enthused by, but in searching for speakers I also made valuable contacts – because as much as this course is about expanding knowledge, it’s also about getting to grips with the professional world; and making contacts and exchanging information is hugely important to that process. 

The feedback I had for this programme put the icing on the cake, because I’m not really creative or musical and so to be told I “have a good ear” was something I could gloat about to my musically talented younger brother! It was just a really enjoyable experience; taking a concept, researching it and conducting interviews, and finally editing it together into a programme that people want to listen too.

As a final note, I have to talk about the final project and the pop-up exhibition I curated on the history of the wild animal trade. In pursuing ambitious plans for this project and trying to create as many opportunities as possible, I made contact with numerous institutions, not all successfully, but those that were met with positive responses had and continue to have, the potential to be hugely exciting. Whether I really do create a larger installation, or manage to take my research to a new medium and new audience, I don’t know. Who knows what the future has in store but it’s all good experience and adds to this remarkable journey.

Furthermore, hosting Who Let the Lions Out? at LMA last Friday was perhaps the most fitting way to end what has been a remarkable year. I’d been planning this event since February, secured speakers, conducted research and recruited an audience – it was hard work but what a way to finish! I’ve been going on about the fact that the history of animals, or however you want to phrase it, is somewhat new and to have an event where that is the focus and to be responsible for that event, gave me a real sense of accomplishment. I really felt like I’d achieved something and it confirmed that for me this is the path I want to follow. I do want to do the PhD and get this largely untold story out there. I’m enthused and excited about what lies ahead and the MA has equipped me with many of the skills I need to embrace every opportunity. So watch this space…

Reflections on Our Zoo: Animal historian and nature lover in conflict.

As a young historian with an interest in the history of zoological collections and the wild animal trade, I was pleased to hear that the BBC had been working on a new drama series Our Zoo which would look at the creation of Chester Zoo in the 1930s. However, as I sat watching it last night I realised I had mixed emotions about the programme. On the one hand I was somewhat glad that it was exposing this rather new area of historical research to a wider audience, but on the other I found that it somewhat conflicted with my views on animal welfare and the treatment of captive animals. In that moment, it dawned on me that by pursuing the line of research that I am, it becomes difficult not to appear to be glorifying something that was very much of its time and that those actions can actually come into conflict with modern views and expectations.

I was aware that CAPS had begun a petition against the BBC using taxpayers money to fund the use of animals as a sources of entertainment. And actually, it wasn’t until then that I realised (rather stupidly) that companies still exist that ‘own’ animals purely to hire them out for the purposes of entertainment, and that made me feel both sad and angry. When I first started this research I expected things to have been very different in the past to what they are today. I really expected our attitudes and treatments of animals to have changed dramatically, yet while to a certain extent this is true and our knowledge of animal care and biology is vastly improved, the more research and reading that I do, the more I am struck by the striking similarities and how actually, very little has changed. Animals are still seen as sources of entertainment and spectacle, even though renewed emphasis has been placed on conservation and preservation.

Through my research I’ve read a lot about animals having been imported as sources of entertainment and curiosity for the public and I know that this is what it was like at the time, but with a modern mind set, watching a recreation of those attitudes just felt wrong because to recreate them, you have to act them out. For example, witnessing lions performing circus tricks and jumping through hoops in fire and in the trailer for the next episode, bears being caged/chained in a cave, just made me feel really uncomfortable. I disagree with the use of animals in circuses in modern society and don’t ever wish to see animals chained, so the fact that this was done for the TV audiences, in order to tell the history of a zoo, made my heart sink.  I know regulations have improved since the turn of the century and that the animals will have been cared for to a certain degree– but I was actually left wondering if this programme should have been made at all; and for me that would previously have been an inconceivable question.

I am hoping to embark on an academic career looking at the development of the wild animal trade and zoological collections with a public history element and yet, when an opportunity to highlight this aspect of history arose, I recoiled and doubted its suitability. I’m really interested to hear the history of Chester Zoo, yet the presence of the animals in that feature was unsettling. But it’s a catch-22 situation because I don’t know how you’d get around it. This story has animals at its heart and you can’t really tell that story without them, but to have them puts the animals in a compromised position. I kept thinking about the film Water for Elephants where they used digitally composed stampede scenes – yes it was slightly noticeable but would this not have been an alternative?

I need to conduct more research to make more informed conclusions about this programme for these are merely reflections having watched last night’s episode and having studied the topic for two years. I had just expected to sing the praises of the programme for the service it was doing to the blossoming area of historical research and yet I was actually left feeling quite unsettled about it all.

This Month's Events

Since the last blog in April things have been pretty hectic on the MA front, hence the lack of recent blog posts. Radio programmes, essays and archive research have occupied most of my time. However, that doesn't mean that Ispyhistory has stopped and given time I should be back to regular posts. But for now, I just wanted to take the opportunity to publicise a couple of events that are coming up/in progress.

Currently installed in Aldershot Military Museum is my pop-up exhibition 'Wanted: Dead or Alive', which will be there now until the 19th August. It's focus (unsurprisingly I hear you cry!) is the nineteenth century exotic animal trade and it provides a bit of a taster to the topic with some eye catching images found during the course of my research. I am really pleased with the final outcome, especially the design so I owe a special shout out to Maddie for that! All I want to add is, please go! Having the final product is great but its the feedback that is really important, so if you have a spare half an hour, please pop up there and take a look.

Secondly, I should do a bit of shameless plugging for a talk I will be doing in a couple of weeks for the PubSci events in London. Details can be found here http://pubsci.co.uk/?p=274 but again, please come along and show some support. It would be great to get some friendly faces in the audience. It's the first time I will have done anything like this and lets just say I am incredibly nervous about the whole thing! I will also be taking along the pop-up exhibition so, if Aldershot it a little far to come, here's a chance to see it up in London.

My final plug is for an event at LMA which will be running on 5th September - the focus of course being ANIMALS! Details about this can be found on eventbrite, but we're very lucky to have three guest speakers coming along to make things a little more interesting. So remember Animals at LMA: "Who let the lions out?"! (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/who-let-the-lions-out-tickets-12365566743)

Shameless plugging over, I will resume normal blogging soon. Thank you all!

Animals and Empire Goes Live!

Charles Jamrach and his exotic animal menagerie.

I’ve been throwing the name Charles Jamrach into conversations with lecturers and fellow students for months now but it was only recently brought to my attention that people don’t actually know what on earth I am on about. Admittedly that’s not unusual, but Charles Jamrach was one of the leading dealers in exotic animals throughout the nineteenth century, who made a large impression on Victorian culture and as such, is someone I believe people should be familiar with. So to rectify this problem I decided to write a blog to introduce you to him and, as a bit of shameless self-promotion, point you in the direct of a newly launched exhibition which offers more in depth discussion of this unusual character as well as contributions by other academics and scholars, offering insights into theme encompassed under the title ‘Animals and Empire’.

Can you imagine walking down a commercial street in London and hearing sounds of the jungle; the calls of tropical birds, the howls of monkeys and roars of big cats? This was a very real possibility in Victorian London, as shops began to emerge that specialised in stocking and selling exotic creatures from across the globe. Charles Jamrach was the owner of one of these businesses and through his premises at 164 Ratcliffe Highway, established himself as one of the leading dealers in exotic animals of the Victorian period. He had a reputation to match and throughout his career acquired a large and loyal customer that would task Jamrach with finding many a curiosity to add to their growing collections.

However, whilst being renowned amongst his contemporaries, historians seem to have rather overlooked Jamrach.  Several historians have mentioned him briefly in their work, for example Harriet Ritvo, Nigel Rothfels and John Simons, who has produced one of the more comprehensive biographies on Jamrach, yet there is nothing particularly substantial. And that’s where I come in. I just happened to stumble across him when researching for a class presentation on the Ratcliffe Highway in the final year of undergraduate and immediately became captivated by this outlandish character and his peculiar profession. I’d sought a dissertation topic relating to zoos or exotic animals and there it was – Jamrach!

We’ve all visited zoos and wildlife parks in our lives, in my case my interest in ‘fluffy animals’ has become a bit of a running joke (they don’t all have to be fluffy I’d hasten to add). But where exactly did our fascination with exotic animals begin? And how did they come to be such familiar sites in the western world? It was in asking myself these questions that I became fascinated in the nineteenth century exotic animal trade and just how exotic animals have become such a firm fixture in modern society.  As I trawled the archives, books and the internet I uncovered fascinating first-hand accounts, images and tales about Jamrach and this unique family business and became convinced of his importance in the development of the exotic animal trade.

The result was a piece of work that I am really proud of, but more than that, I have been surprised by the interest it has provoked in people around me and the reception it has had from those who would not normally engage with more conventional aspects of history. That’s why when I was offered the opportunity to adapt it for an online exhibition I jumped at the chance. Of course I had reservations, this was after all an undergraduate piece of work that would be displayed along with that of academics, but those reservations were soon overshadowed by a desire to share what I’d learnt. In that sense I suppose I already am a public historian.

So please take a look at the exhibition and engage with the contributions that have been put together. And please do leave some feedback; I’d be particularly interested to hear what you make of my contribution on Jamrach for this is my first attempt at ‘real’ Public History and it would be great to hear what you make of it.

The exhibition can be found here: http://animalhistorymuseum.org/?page_id=4439 Or a direct line to ‘Charles Jamrach’s Exotic Menagerie and the Victorian Wild Animal trade’ here: http://animalhistorymuseum.org/?page_id=4459

Ahoy There!: From Dry Dock To High Seas

Bristol has become somewhat of a regular destination for me of late, but on this occasion I managed to rustle up some willing volunteers and set out on somewhat of an adventure. In the past, I’ve never gone beyond the boundaries of the Zoo (I know, I know) but this time around we set out to explore the city! 

SS Great Britain
Bloggers own Picture

We visited the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery and Bristol Cathedral, but the highlight of this whistle stop tour has to have been the SS Great Britain, which is docked in the Great Western Dockyard. I wasn’t sure what to expect when we first when we arrived, not really being a fan of naval history and I didn’t expect we’d be hanging around long. But appearances were deceptive and I could not have been more wrong. A lot of thought has gone into visitor experience by the team behind this site. You’re given a ‘ticket’ when you first arrive and are ushered out onto the ‘dock side’ where there are barrels, unloaded cases and store fronts, all of which give an authentic impression of what it would be like to be about to set sail on the high seas.

Dry Dock
Bloggers own Picture

You first follow the signs to head underneath the ship to the dry dock, where you can walk around the underside of the ship; an experience which has been done in an equally thoughtful way. A false ceiling has been placed around to enclose the space and water is rippled across the top to give the impression of being under the sea. You can walk around, reading text panels and lifting others which pose questions and encourage you to think more about the ship and the process of conservation that is taking place. You can also stand next to an anchor and a replica of the original propeller which gives you a sense of the sheer scale of this feat of engineering. It is somewhat of a poignant experience to see such a well-loved ship corroding and resting upon concrete bars. A ship should be at sea after all.

Ship's Doctor
Bloggers Own Photo

You then move through into a space which is much more like a typical museum experience, where artefacts are on display, more text panels to read and at various points’ there are also video documentaries explaining how the SS Great Britain came to once again be docked in Bristol. This is also where the children’s activity on your ticket comes into action, as at each phase in the ships history there is a stamp to be collected, representing a journey or significant place. There are other activities to do as well, navigating a ship with a wheel and compass, creating more steam power and a chance for those fancy dress lovers amongst you to dress up and recreate scenes from nostalgic photographs (there was no need to prompt my companions, who were off before you could say “smile”!, let alone “Flash, bang, wallop what a picture!”).

Needless to say we were all quite impressed by this time, but little did we know the best bit was still to come. Once you’ve made your way through the gallery, you head up some steps and onto the main deck where you can wander around and see some (fake) domestic animals that were kept aboard for food and perhaps pick up a ‘visitor companion’ audio guide, which offers you a tour of the ship from the perspective of a passenger. You then head below deck. But this time you travel through a time tunnel and end up back in the Victorian period, becoming a passenger aboard the SS Great Britain bound for Australia.

Ship's Kitchen
Bloggers Own Photo

The ship has been recreated to offer the Victorian passenger experience. There are First Class, Second Class and Steerage passenger rooms that have been replicated to offer visitors an ‘as it was’ experience, in some cases complete with passengers. You can experience a family compartment, see the ship doctor’s office or perhaps lend a hand in the ship’s kitchen. It was an experience of constant surprises for each section of the ship we passed through offered a different experience to the last. But to top it all off, there were also sound and SMELL effects. Oh Yes! One woman was even suffering with seasickness and the smell of vomit lingered through the passage ways.

On Deck
Bloggers Own Photo

When I ‘stepped aboard’ I certainly wasn’t expecting this sort of experience and I have to say it was one of the best historic sites I’ve been to in a long time. As a visitor, being constantly surprised by what lay ahead and having all my senses stimulated made for a highly engaging and somewhat thrilling experience. Those that run the site have really thought about what makes for high quality visitor experience and have catered for that ,in a way that appeals to a wide audience. It’s original and inviting. There is a happy medium of education and entertainment and all the visitors that were around were engaging and talking about the experience. I would thoroughly recommend a visit here to anyone who fancies it, young or old. It makes for a great family day out, with that all important added slice of history!



Passengers
Bloggers own Photo

Dining Cart
Bloggers Own Photo






Tower of London: Britain’s Top Heritage Site

Tower of London
Blogger's own Photo

So this week’s class was held at the Tower of London and the word excited didn’t quite cut it! After a nice long stroll along the Thames, camera in hand and acting like a super tourist we arrived and I have to say it was one of the best classes we’ve had. The Curator of Collections, Sally, was so enthusiastic and down to earth in the way she explained the history of the Tower and how it is managed as a heritage site. It receives the most foot traffic of all Britain’s heritage sites but with such a complex history, presenting that can be a challenge. Just how do you present centuries worth of history to an audience whose let’s face it, primary goal is to see the Crown Jewels? Add to that, the fact that often a visitor’s expectation of what they will learn about the Tower is tied up with legend and folk tales, it’s a mine field. How do the curators tell fact without completely destroying what people think they know about the Tower’s History?

The different architectural styles
Bloggers Own Photo

When visiting the Tower people expect to learn or hear about executions, Anne Boleyn, the Princes in the Tower, the ravens or to see the Crown Jewels. I’ll be honest, that’s what I expected to be informed about. That has, after all, been what has motivated my previous visits. But this time around I found myself looking at other things. From the river side for example, I was taken aback by the multitude of architectural styles that were evident and that show how the Tower has expanded over time. I looked at that with a somewhat trained eye, but would someone else draw the same conclusions? And how do you communicate that to visitors? We walk around these grand sites expecting to look at what they house not necessarily the structures that house them and at the Tower, this can be detrimental to your understanding of its history for so much of its’ history is attached to the architectural changes. It is difficult to show that however, and while the signage that is placed on nearly every wall does help to indicate that history, it’s not always clear.

Also, with so many visitors there is somewhat of a difficulty in supplying enough information. The Tower produces guidebooks and leaflets and there are plenty of text panels on the interior exhibits to explain the history of artefacts. However, it was the issue of audio guides that I was particularly interested in. Due to the high volume of visitors there could never be enough audio guides to supply every visitor with one and so they charge for them. It was explained that this isn’t an ideal policy, but it is a necessity. It also means that those who are really there to engage with the history and not just the spectacle are able to engage at a higher level. Again, I’d never really thought about the policies behind audio guides before and why some places charge and others don’t and it does make sense; giving people the option, to take their level of engagement in their own hands and offering an additional service if that is their intention.  

3 Barbary Lion Sculptures
Bloggers own Photo

(You Ready?) One of my favourite parts of this day however, was hearing about how the history of the Tower as the Royal Menagerie, has been used in recent exhibits. The inclusion of this part of its more unusual and often unheard of history is signified by the presence of 3 Barbary lion sculptures in the moat as you approach the main entrance. Immediately your interest is spiked as you look quizzically at them, why lions? What have they got to do with the history of the Tower of London?



Polar Bear Sculpture
Bloggers Own Photo

There are 13 of these sculptures in total making up The Royal Beasts exhibit and they are located in various places over the site. The menagerie was founded in the reign of King John in the early 1200s and was used as a repository of wild and exotic creatures for over 600 years. Most of the animals were given as political gifts to the reigning monarchs as demonstrations of power, political connections and symbols of foreign lands and were kept as sources of entertainment for members of court. The collection included Barbary lions, a polar bear, an elephant and baboons (all of which are remembered through the sculptures) and became a popular attraction, acting as a forerunner to the emerging zoological collections of the nineteenth century. In particular the Tower was in competition with the proprietor of the Exeter Exchange, Mr Edward Cross whose menagerie in the Strand, had established its own reputation. The menagerie at the Tower eventually closed in 1832 after several incidents, but having unearthed this ‘hidden history’ the Tower of London have created a hook that captures public interest. It’s a quirky feature of the Tower’s past that few people know about and hopefully some of those who overlook the history of the Tower and just come to see the ‘jewels’ will now approach it with less blinkered vision. By using more unusual areas of the Tower’s past, it can tap into a new market and break away from the homogenous narrative that can dictate the history of some historic sites.

And One on Archives.... Digitisation: A Lifeline for Archives

After recent visits to the Wellcome Collection and London Metropolitan Archives it’s really hit home that digitisation doesn’t just make our lives easier as researchers but is an important life line for archives and one of growing importance.

I’m a huge fan of archives and physically visiting them, where you come face to face with documents and to be honest, feel like a proper historian. And yes I probably fall into that category of people who gets lost in awe of original documents, at least at first. Because they are a direct record of the past. They are real pieces of history and I get just as excited as if I were to pull a piece of bone out of a trench. Maybe that opens me up to ridicule but to me visiting archives is something that distinguishes us as historians, or more broadly, as researchers.

Nothing beats finding something really special - like the stationary heading for Anton Jamrach’s exotic animal business that I found in the NHM archives for example. I couldn’t believe the elaborate detail and depictions of all sorts of creatures, including elephants, rhinos and a monkey that strongly resembles a man. I couldn’t have imagined that something like that would have survived and yet there it was and it was pretty cool seeing it in the flesh rather than on a computer screen. Unfortunately I can’t upload a picture due to the copyright restrictions imposed on it, which actually  brings me to what sort of inspired me to write this blog; the changing attitude of archives thanks to digitalisation.

Wellcome Library, London
Zoological Society of London: a variety of animals,
including a lion, a goat and a tiger.
Wood engraving.
Collection: Iconographic Collections
Library reference no.: ICV No 23587

Through visits to Wellcome and the LMA I was surprised to learn how much more open they have become, especially with regard to access of their images collections. I suppose I’ve been used to hearing “no” and “you have to oblige to copyright rules”, which I fully respect, but find it refreshing to hear that the tide is changing and open access seems to be more embraced. The Wellcome collection’s digitising policy applies right across their collections including their special collections, manuscripts and images. In fact they are so keen to promote use of their collections that Wellcome Images was re-launched and all fees were wavered. People from around the world now have complete access to the images Wellcome has digitised. I mean how fantastic is that?  It’s an opportunity to get images out there, to get people talking about them and stimulate discussion not just about the images themselves, but also about the collections they have come from. As evidence it was explained to us that Wellcome Images formerly had 10,000 visitors/users a year, but when it was re-launched that figure rose to 10,000 in just 4 days. With the rise of social media there are ample ways for images to gain high publicity in very short spaces of time and that can be a great tool for promotion.

The LMA shares a similar policy, believing that digitalisation provides ample benefits, including the provision of global access and ensuring the archive has a wider reputation. It also introduces the collections to new audiences, is cost effective and creates preservation surrogates of the originals. I’d also underestimated the commercial benefits that many of the agreements around digitising provide. In some cases they can be a life line and vital source of funding in a very vulnerable sector.

I’m not unfamiliar with archive websites or those that provide access to archive material like Ancestry, I was just surprised to learn how much emphasis is being place on this area of development and just how much like businesses archives have to run. Archives can be intimidating places to visit but the process of digitalisation demystifies them, especially, larger and better established institutions that have a highly respected reputation. Promoting access through various mediums and harnessing the potential of digital media has more benefits than I had ever considered, both for the archives and for the growing number of researchers out there.

One from the archive.... Restoration Controversies

Restoring England’s Heritage – Transmitted on BBC 1 5/12/13

I know, I know another television driven blog piece, but again it was one I saw and thought raised a number of issues interesting issues regarding public history and the preservation of heritage.

Presented by Gyles Brandreth, this one off episode was a follow up piece marking the 10 year anniversary of the BBC’s Restoration series (2004) which saw the British public vote as to which heritage sites from across the country they wanted to see saved from ruin and receive grants from HLF. I vaguely remember the series but can’t claim to have watched it. But what a novel idea? Using a television series on BBC 2 to highlight the plight of British heritage on a regional basis and encourage the public to rally to its protection. I can’t help but feel that the concept had great potential and it would certainly be something that would have caught my attention as a television viewer. However, having done a bit of further research around the piece it would appear that very little was actually achieved as a result of the series, those that were awarded funding struggling to overcome bureaucratic obstacles and other things that prevented restoration efforts. 

That said, in revisiting the legacy of the series this short episode once again drew attention to the question of preservation and raised some interesting questions about its place in modern society. Evidently, this episode was one of a number made but in keeping with the regional focus of the original series, each focused on a specific region and was only aired in that particular area. The one I watched therefore focused on London. At the opening Gyles made the strong assertion that amongst London’s construction boom a great deal of heritage is being left to crumble away. Given that we Brits are a nation of history lovers,who often seek out period features in our homes, I was quite taken aback by this remark at first, but then when you think about it, this hankering for nostalgia has left us with so many properties now in need of preservation, that some are going to fall by the wayside; especially when you consider the economic climate and budget restraints facing local authorities. Right from the beginning a number of the debates surrounding preservation therefore became clear.  

Sandy Coombe
http://www.turnerintwickenham.org.uk/the-restoration-project/

These debates were then put into context through the discussion of several examples which illustrate restoration, redevelopment and non-action. The case for restoration was put forward by the example of Sandy Coombe, Turner’s country retreat, which has been fighting a long battle for preservation. The most recent turn of events has seen HLF grant the Trustees of Turner’s House a small development fund in order to start a campaign for the £2 million need for complete restoration. In this case a voluntary group has been essential to its survival, for without their campaigning it could easily have been bought by a property developer and all connection to Turner lost. That said however, can we afford to cling to every property that has ties to famous British individuals? A line has to be drawn somewhere and perhaps that is why causes such as this never reach the national level but remain local causes. If the nation was littered with blue plaques and houses preserved in memory of former owners, would those we have continue to have any value or meaning?

Battersea Power Station
http://www.industri.uk.com/battersea/filming.html

The more controversial example of Battersea Power Station was used to argue the debate between preservation and redevelopment. The plans for the redevelopment of this site were much contested and remain to be, for the power station chimneys are an infamous part of London’s skyline and conservationists don’t want to see those lost. Developers concluded that the originals couldn’t be preserved and would have to be replaced with replicas and this continues to be a contentious issue. Developers have had to work closely with English Heritage who were responsible from approving development plans and who continue to work closely with developers throughout construction but questions around the nature of redevelopment and whether this is the right course of action still exist. As a whole the power station may be staying and brought into the twenty-first century but at what cost? Are preservation and redevelopment compatible to any degree? Will Battersea provide evidence for this? I wonder.

Broomfield House

www.broomfieldhouse.org/files/BroomfieldHouse_Scaffolding2

The final example shown is that of Broomfield House in Palmers Green. The original assessors from 10 years ago revisited the site in the hope that some sort of redevelopment had taken place and having heard of its importance, as a viewer you will that to be the case - but sadly it isn’t and we’re greeted by, for want of a better word, a ruin. It has been left untouched for the last 10 years and continues to decay, despite the continued efforts of the Broomfield House Trust to secure HLF funding. It’s a rather subdued note to end on, but is this to be the fate of other heritage sites? If someone had taken a wrecking ball and placed a plaque in its memory it might not have been so saddening, but there is something about seeing this once glorious building in such a dilapidated state upon the landscape, that gives off quite a poignant message.

Sadly we can’t save every piece of heritage, but who makes the choice as to what we do save? Restoration attempted to put these decisions in the hands of the public, but from what I gather little changed and I just wonder who will be making these decisions in the future, or in fact, whether there will be these decisions to make. At present it appears to be local enthusiasts campaigning for funding for sites with local meaning, but what if that ends. Who will champion the cause then? And will heritage always have a place in the hearts of the British public?