Kith and Kin: New Glass and Ceramics Stage 2 – The ‘Crinson Jug’

Archaeology   Art   Collections & Objects   Design   Education   Exhibitions   Local History   Maritime History   Military History
Posted by administrator on February 9, 2012     Permalink     Comments (9)

The second stage of Kith and Kin: New Glass and Ceramics began at the National Glass Centre on 9th January, where a number of the exhibitors changed or augmented their displays. As the exhibition curators, Prof. Peter Davies and Prof. Kevin Petrie point out, “relationships between family and friends change over time and the same is true of an artist’s relationship to ideas and materials.” The changeover of the exhibition was, therefore, intended to reflect this by allowing the work of participating artists to “evolve” during the course of the exhibition.

'Heirlooms' cabinet installation by Christopher McHugh

'Heirlooms' cabinet installation by Christopher McHugh, Kith & Kin 11 November 2011 – 19 February 2012 Curated by Prof Peter Davies and Prof Kevin Petrie Institute for International Research in Glass and Ceramic Art Research Centre, University of Sunderland. Photo: Colin Davison

My decision process regarding the development of new work for the changeover was greatly facilitated by a contingent event which occurred early in the first stage of the exhibition. Rather than undertaking a wholesale reorganisation of my cabinet display, I decided to make and add a single porcelain jug in response to an enquiry made by Howard Forster, a visitor to the first part of Kith and Kin. Mr Forster lives in Sunderland and has traced his family tree back to his third great-grandfather, William Crinson (d. 1836), who was indentured as an apprentice potter at Scott’s Southwick Pottery in 1788. Many of the other members of the Crinson family were Sunderland-based potters and Mr Forster’s research corresponds with the items of paper ephemera I displayed from the ‘Scott Archive’ borrowed from Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens described in my last blog post. For example, William is mentioned as the father of Robert Crinson in the declaration document. Mark Crinson (b. 1841), manager of Rickaby’s Pottery, named on the apprentice indenture, was Mr Forster’s great-grandfather’s brother. A later Robert Crinson (b. 1876), the potter who wrote the letter to the Sunderland Museum in 1969, was his grandfather’s brother. Further research by Mr Forster shows that Robert’s brothers, John Henry Crinson and William Stanley Crinson, served in the Durham Light Infantry during the Great War. William Stanley was injured during the conflict and John Henry was killed in action on 14th September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme.

Crinson Jug showing John Henry Crinson

Crinson Jug showing John Henry Crinson who was killed during the Battle of the Somme in 1916, glazed porcelain, ceramic decals, mixed media

Detail of Crinson Jug

Detail of Crinson Jug showing Howard Forster's family tree

After meeting Mr Forster and viewing the results of his family research accumulated over fifteen years, I decided to make a jug which employed this information to commemorate the Crinson family in ceramic. Much of this research took the form of digitised original documents downloaded from family search websites and the like. The ‘Crinson Jug’ synthesises a variety of this imagery, including photographs, memoirs, military records and a family tree, as printed surface decoration. It is an attempt to materialise and dramatise Mr Forster’s family history, creating a mnemonic focal point for reflection and remembrance. Printed ceramic, perhaps more than any other medium, has the ability to preserve this kind of potentially ephemeral information in an enduring and creative manner, whilst still retaining a certain sense of familiarity conferred by our long association with clay vessels.

Crinson Jug Labels

Detail of Crinson Jug Labels, porcelain paper clay, ceramic decals

Although the potteries which made the Sunderland pottery in the SMWG’s collection are no more, the descendants of their workers are alive and thriving in Sunderland. The next step is to create a further piece which depicts the three living generations of the Forster family – father, son and grandson. This project, although narrow in scope, provides an ‘organic’ example of small-scale grass roots engagement through creative ceramics practice and perhaps testifies to the enduring relevance of the collection to the kith and kin of contemporary Sunderland.

Howard Forster with Crinson Jug

Howard Forster with Crinson Jug at the National Glass Centre

Christopher McHugh is an AHRC Collaborate Doctoral Award PhD student based at the University of Sunderland and Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens. See more images of the exhibition here.

Kith and Kin: New Glass and Ceramics runs from 11 November 2011 to 19 February 2012 at the National Glass Centre, University of Sunderland.   Curated by Prof. Peter Davies and Prof. Kevin Petrie, Institute for International Research in Glass and Ceramic Art Research Centre, University of Sunderland.

Hidden History – LGBT Month

The Archives
Posted by administrator on February 2, 2012     Permalink     Comments (3)

In recent years there has been increasing interest in more personal versions of history such as gender and sexuality, but it’s often difficult to uncover evidence of private lives, particularly of ordinary people. In reviewing a recent addition to the Archives of an album of North Shields police “mugshots” from the early 20th century I was therefore intrigued to notice that one of the men arrested appeared to be wearing women’s clothing.

Robert Coulthard after his arrest in 1913

The album unfortunately only gives the name and date of arrest, and the records from the North Shields Police Court that would have contained the details of the crime don’t seem to have survived. Finding out more about the circumstances therefore entailed a trip to Newcastle Central Library to research their excellent collection of local newspapers. Armed with the man’s name – Robert Coulthard – and the date of his arrest as 10 December 1913 it was reasonably easy to find the account of his appearance before the court in the following day’s paper.

A single paragraph reports that Robert Coulthard, 25 “who appeared in the dock stylishly dressed as a woman”  was charged with “having loitered in Charlotte Street and Church Street for the purpose of committing a felony” and was remanded for eight days.

More interesting, however, was a much longer report immediately above of five young men who had been arrested the same night at the Mill Dam in South Shields, also dressed in female clothes. A police witness reported that they were “dancing about and shouting to some sailors” and that he had previously seen some of the defendants similarly dressed. The men, however, claimed that they were in fancy dress and had been to a carnival. Nevertheless the chairman of the magistrates “remarked that the Bench regarded it as a very serious charge, and they were determined to put this sort of thing down”.

Circumstantially it would appear that Robert Coulthard had been in company with these men before making his way across to North Shields, and that they all regularly wore women’s clothing, although the court reports are vague as to what their actual offence was.

It is possible to piece together a little more about Robert Coulthard’s life. I discovered from the 1911 census that he was born in Gateshead and at that time was a servant in a sailors’ boarding house at East Holborn, South Shields – providing another link to the South Shields men. In 1891, aged 4, he was living in Oakwellgate, Gateshead with his mother Mary, a charwoman, and four brothers and sisters aged from 11 to 2. Mary is listed as married but her husband was not at home. By 1901 he was an inmate of the Abbot Memorial School in Gateshead, an “industrial school” designed to reform wayward children.

Postcard from http://www.picturesofgateshead.co.uk/postcards_gateshead1/index.html

Unfortunately after 1913 Robert Coulthard can’t be positively identified in the records. What happened to him? Did he serve in the First World War? Did he end up in prison? Or did he go on to lead a long and happy life? Perhaps the release of the 1921 census in 10 years time may tell us more, or other records may turn up in the meantime to help fill out an intriguing life story.

An update on this post 

We originally connected the story of Robert Coulthard to the earlier conviction of a John R Coulthard in the same record. We’ve now done some more research on this story (which we look forward to sharing soon). This clarified that John R Coulthard was a different person.

Revelations of racial discrimination at sea, discovered in the plans of the Sunderland shipbuilding firm, Bartram & Sons

Collections & Objects   Discovery Museum   Local History   Maritime History   Social History   The Archives
Posted by administrator on January 23, 2012     Permalink     Comments (4)

I’m pleased to report that work continues apace with the Sunderland Shipbuilding archives project. Colin and I are both currently working on the records of Bartram & Sons Ltd. The Bartrams shipyard was located at South Dock, Sunderand and was unusual in that it launched vessels directly into the North Sea rather than the River Wear.

Last month’s blog mentioned an interesting plan of a CAM ship, which Colin discovered, and he’s been finding more fascinating items this month. Of particular interest are a series of plans of the ships ‘India’ and ‘Timor’, which were launched by Bartram & Sons Ltd in 1950 (yard numbers 329 and 330). The vessels were built for the Companhia Nacionale de Navagacao of Lisbon, Portugal.

Photo of 'India' taken during sea trials (TWAM ref. 3396/6032E)

Bartrams seem to have been particularly proud of these vessels, which were the largest passenger vessels built in Sunderland for over half a century. However, an examination of one of the plans of the two ships hints at something much less praiseworthy. The plan concerned shows the ‘arrangement of emigrant spaces’ (TWAM ref. DS.BM/4/PL/1/329/18) and makes several references on the plan to spaces for ‘white emigrants … or cargo’.

Plan of emigrant spaces for the ships 'India' and 'Timor' (TWAM ref. DS.BM/4/PL/1/329/18)

Detailed view of part of plan of emigrant spaces (TWAM ref. DS.BM/4/PL/1/329/18)

There’s further evidence of racial segregation in the hull specification for the ‘India’ and ‘Timor’ (TWAM ref. DS.BM/4/6/329/2), which I recently catalogued. Two loose pages of typescript notes, tucked into the specification, document the visit of a Dr Ferreira and Mr Ruis on 2 March 1949. During the visit it was agreed that the crew’s accommodation was approved “subject to certain movement of rooms to enable Greasers, Seamen and Boys to be more segregated from the remainder, as they are Natives …’.

Loose notes of a meeting found in hull specification for the ‘India’ and ‘Timor’ (TWAM ref. DS.BM/4/6/329/2)

While such discrimination is perhaps reflective of the era it is certainly no easier to stomach for that. However, one of the key roles of an Archive is to provide a window into the past, to document a society’s past failings as well as its achievements. It’s the least we owe to those who, with little power to speak out, may have suffered in silence.

Fancy a fight?

Arbeia South Shields' Roman Fort   Social History
Posted by administrator on January 11, 2012     Permalink     Leave a comment

Ever heard of a Boxer’s Booth? Well I hadn’t until we were approached to accommodate a reproduction of a 19th century version for an event this year at Arbeia Roman Fort, South Shields.

Boxer’s Booths were set up at sites such as fairgrounds and a “boxer” would challenge the public to bare knuckle fights (drink was usually involved…say no more).  

Anyway, the reason I’m blogging about this is because Belsay Hall are touring their recreation of a Boxer’s Booth and Arbeia Roman Fort seems a perfect place to have it. I am therefore challenging you, the public, to mortal combat (ok, maybe not that extreme).

The artistic idea is to put on public “battles” using the booth. Given that it’s 2012 and we have the London Olympics, we are looking at holding the event some time in June to mark its launch.

Do you think you can sing better than your friend? If so, then come “fight” it out in the booth. Does Class 4A have a burning issue that they want to debate against Class 3C? Teachers- why not let let the public decide…?

Unfortunately we can’t “settle old scores” with real fights, but we can give you a platform for speaking, singing, music, drama (you catch my drift). If you want to find out more then get in touch with me (gillian.scott@twmuseums.org.uk)

Ged Bell, Chair of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums Joint Committee

Education
Posted by administrator on January 4, 2012     Permalink     Comments (2)

At the recent joint committee meeting Bill Griffiths, Senior Manager for Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) delivered a presentation about the service’s learning and community engagement in 2010/11 and the statistics were extraordinary.

Here are a few of those figures:

  • 285, 795 people engaged in the learning, community and outreach activities.
  • TWAM venues have engaged with 91.7% of primary schools in the Tyne & Wear area and 87.3% of secondary schools.
  • TWAM has engaged with the equivalent of 25% of the Tyne & Wear population through its learning and community programmes.
  • 581 volunteers contributed around 20,000 hours.
  • Engagement with individuals and groups is geographically widespread and covers most of the Tyne & Wear area but also the wider North East and across the UK.
Learning and outreach groups engaged across Tyne & Wear

Learning and outreach groups engaged across Tyne & Wear

I am tremendously proud to be Chair of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums Joint Committee and to support the outstanding work that TWAM delivers but there’s something very powerful about seeing results in black and white.