The Great North Museum: Hancock during the First World War

Great North Museum: Hancock   World War 1
Posted by administrator on March 8, 2015     Permalink     Leave a comment

As part of the ‘Wor Life’ project we have been researching all our venues to see what was going on at each of them during the First World War. We’ve found some really interesting stories that we’ll be sharing over the next few weeks.

During the First World War the Great North Museum: Hancock was known as the Hancock Museum. The displays looked very different then but would still have contained many of the fascinating natural science objects that they do today.

The curator of the museum in 1914 was Edwin Leonard Gill. In 1915 his father, Joseph J Gill, wrote a letter to the Museums Journal.

Letter from Joseph J Gill printed in the Museums Journal, 1915

Letter from Joseph J Gill printed in the Museums Journal, 1915

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Several of these sets of questions were prepared for me by my son, E. Leonard Gill, the Curator of this Museum, whose place I am temporarily filling whilst he is “on service in France”. Two at least of the papers were composed amidst the roar of big guns a little behind the firing line’ Yours truly, Joseph J Gill, Temporary Curator, Hancock Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne

Flag Spring News

Arbeia South Shields' Roman Fort
Posted by administrator on March 5, 2015     Permalink     Leave a comment

50years 2

Now that the days are lighter and longer, and Spring is just around the corner we thought we’d tell you about some FLAG events coming soon!

As you may know we celebrate our 50th anniversary this year – and as part of the celebrations an extra special event takes place in July. Come and join us for Afternoon Tea on board the Fortuna as we sail down the Tyne – we are pleased to have Michael Chaplin accompany us, and we look forward to hearing stories of the people and places Michael discovered as part of his time as writer-in-residence for Port of Tyne.

In April we have a supper lecture with Sarah Richardson Keeper of Art at the Laing – she will be talking about the gallery’s exciting exhibition, starting in March, Conscience and Conflict.

I’m sure many of our visitors have admired our Paul Noble’s stunning tapestry Villa Joe – which is displayed in the gallery’s Marble Hall – in June Paul Noble will be giving a talk about his life, his works and his association with the Laing Gallery.

As you can see we have a busy few months ahead – why not join FLAG to take advantage of these events – FLAG members also receive discounted tickets to the gallery’s touring exhibitions, discounts in the Laing Gift shop and the Café.

If your visiting the gallery in the next few months – stop by the Friends Welcome desk and pick up a copy of our 50th Anniversary Quiz. It costs £1 and the winner will receive a £25 Eldon Square voucher. The quiz is a good way to ensure you see all of our impressive paintings – especially if you’re a first time visitor – even regular visitors will be able re-acquaint themselves with some old favourites while trying to solve the clues and of course help the gallery with much needed extra funds.

You can contact us on 0191 261 0962, e-mail us art@flag.fslife.co.uk or pop in and see us, there’s usually someone in the office on Tuesday and Wednesday’s. You can also print out an application form by clicking here.

 Come and join in our celebrations for this special year.

The Hatton Gallery during the First World War

Hatton Gallery   World War 1
Posted by administrator on March 1, 2015     Permalink     Comments (1)

As part of the ‘Wor Life’ project we have been researching all our venues to see what was going on at each of them during the First World War. We’ve found some really interesting stories that we’ll be sharing over the next few weeks.

During the First World War the building that now houses the Hatton Gallery was requisitioned to house the 1st Northern General Hospital. This was normal practice throughout the war years, as army hospitals were needed across the country and on a large scale. The Fine Art building in which you are now standing was then part of Armstrong College, Durham University.

Ward C1, 1st Northern General Hospital during the First World War was housed in what is now the Hatton Gallery (image by permission of Robinson Library Special Collections, Newcastle University)

Ward C1, 1st Northern General Hospital during the First World War was housed in what is now the Hatton Gallery (image by permission of Robinson Library Special Collections, Newcastle University)

 

The hospital was staffed by students and staff with an association to the university, which of course included a Medical School. In 1914 the hospital had 420 beds but by 1917 this number had risen to 2,166. Over the course of the war the hospital took in at least 41,896 servicemen.

Enigmatic Objects

Arbeia South Shields' Roman Fort   Great North Museum: Hancock
Posted by administrator on February 26, 2015     Permalink     Comments (2)

One of the most pleasurable things about working with the archaeology in the Great North Museum is the sheer variety of material we have in our collections.  I am always learning something new and adding to my own knowledge.  Sometimes, however, there are objects that do not want to give up their secrets.

In the Ice Age to Iron Age Gallery of the museum we have a carved stone ball from Houghton-le-Side in County Durham.  This object dates to the Neolithic or New Stone Age period (about 4000 – 2500 BC) when farming was first introduced into the British Isles.  Stone Balls like this one are relatively common with at least 418 examples known, but almost all of them come from North East Scotland, with hardly any found in England.  This makes the Great North Museum’s ball very unusual.  These objects were clearly significant to people in the Neolithic as a great deal of time and effort must have gone into carving them.  The trouble is that their exact significance is not clear.  Over the years a number of theories about them have been proposed.  Suggestions include their use as a mace head, a weight or even part of a bolas, a throwing weapon made of weights attached to interconnected cords.    In the museum we have said that the object probably served some ritual purpose, which is really a tacit admission that we do not know what it was for.

A Neolithic carved stone ball from Houghton-le-Side, County Durham.

A Neolithic carved stone ball from Houghton-le-Side, County Durham.

Another enigmatic object can be found in the Hadrian’s Wall Gallery of the museum.  This is a Roman bronze dodecahedron from South Shields.  Like the Neolithic stone balls there are quite a few examples of these objects, most of which come from the northern half of the Roman Empire and date from the 1st to 4th Centuries AD.  There are no literary references or contemporary pictures of these objects and there have been many ingenious ideas about how they might have been used.  These range from candlesticks to surveying instruments and once again the suggestion has been made that they are connected to some form of ritual practice.  My personal favourite theory is that they were used for knitting gloves (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poGapxsanaI).  This certainly would explain their distribution in colder northern areas.

A Roman bronze dodecahedron from South Shields.

A Roman bronze dodecahedron from South Shields.

Both these objects illustrate the fact that despite all the archaeological research and accumulated knowledge of the past there are still objects that cannot be explained and this is one of the many reasons why I enjoy the subject so much.

Arbeia Roman Fort during the First World War

Arbeia South Shields' Roman Fort   World War 1
Posted by administrator on February 24, 2015     Permalink     Leave a comment

As part of the ‘Wor Life’ project we have been researching all our venues to see what was going on at each of them during the First World War. We’ve found some really interesting stories that we’ll be sharing over the next few weeks.

A view of the Roman Remains and People’s Park, around 1905

A view of the Roman Remains and People’s Park, around 1905

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Much of the site of Arbeia that we see today would have been covered with streets and houses during the First World War. However, a small section in the middle of the fort site, containing the most extensive ruins, was open to the public as a park for recreation and to study the Roman Remains.  The park was created in 1880 after excavations were carried out prior to building works and public interest in the Roman ruins was very high.  It was then decided to keep 0.45 hectares of the site uncovered and the Roman Remains and People’s Park was born.  Across the Southern portion of the site was Baring Street School, part of which still stands today and is part of the museum complex and in the North West corner of the site stood the lodge or the park keeper’s house.