The Archive will be closed for Christmas and New Year from Monday 24th December until Wednesday 2nd January. Season's greetings to all our researchers.
We were pleased to hear from Sir John Soane's Museum that the Vaulting Ambition exhibition which we featured in our 10th October blog entry has been very successful, with over 10, 500 visitors by the end of November. The exhibition will go on to travel to other venues in 2008, the first being Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum in April and May.
Wednesday 19 December 2007
Wednesday 10 October 2007
22 November closure; new Adam brothers exhibition; William Hunter conference
The Archive is now open as usual, by appointment, following the recent staff changes, but an internal RSA event means that we will be closed on Thursday 22 November.
Shown above is a view of the Adelphi and the Thames by Agostino Brunias, one of the items on display in a very interesting exhibition on the lives and work of the Adam brothers, who were responsible for many wonderful 18th century buildings including the RSA's House. This has recently opened at Sir John's Soane Museum; entitled Vaulting Ambition, the exhibition runs until 12 January 2008 and entry is free of charge. It includes an item on loan from the RSA Archive, an Adelphi lottery ticket issued by the Adam brothers to raise funds when they were hit by the impact of a general financial crisis whilst attempting to complete the Adelphi development.
A forthcoming conference, William Hunter and the Art and Science of Eighteenth Century Collecting, is to take place at the University of Glasgow from 8-10 November 2007. This forms part of the bicentenary celebrations of the founding of the Hunterian Museum. For further information and to register see the University's History of Art Department news pages. Hunter (1718-1793), renowned as an anatomist and physician, was also a member (what we would now term a Fellow) of the RSA.
Shown above is a view of the Adelphi and the Thames by Agostino Brunias, one of the items on display in a very interesting exhibition on the lives and work of the Adam brothers, who were responsible for many wonderful 18th century buildings including the RSA's House. This has recently opened at Sir John's Soane Museum; entitled Vaulting Ambition, the exhibition runs until 12 January 2008 and entry is free of charge. It includes an item on loan from the RSA Archive, an Adelphi lottery ticket issued by the Adam brothers to raise funds when they were hit by the impact of a general financial crisis whilst attempting to complete the Adelphi development.
A forthcoming conference, William Hunter and the Art and Science of Eighteenth Century Collecting, is to take place at the University of Glasgow from 8-10 November 2007. This forms part of the bicentenary celebrations of the founding of the Hunterian Museum. For further information and to register see the University's History of Art Department news pages. Hunter (1718-1793), renowned as an anatomist and physician, was also a member (what we would now term a Fellow) of the RSA.
Wednesday 15 August 2007
James Barry news; London Open House details; accessibility of the Archive in September
This is a somewhat delayed posting, but a longer one than usual which we hope will compensate!
We begin with two items of news concerning James Barry (1741-1806), the Irish artist who created the sequence of paintings 'The Progress of Human Knowledge and Culture' for the Great Room of the Society in the late 18th century. The paintings can still be seen there today, and another work we hold by Barry, the self-portrait shown above, will be shown at a major forthcoming exhibition, British Vision: Observation and Imagination in British Art, 1750-1950, to be held at the Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent from 6 October 2007 to 13 January 2008.
We have recently been made aware of a most interesting contemporary source of information about the execution of the paintings in the Great Room. A letter-journal of Susan Burney (1755-1800), daughter of the music historian Charles Burney and sister of the novelist and dramatist Fanny Burney is currently being transcribed for publication as part of The Susan Burney Letters Project and we have been alerted to an account in this, over 1,000 words in length, of a meeting which Burney had with Barry on 26 October 1779, including a trip to see the work on which he was then engaged:
'Thence he carried us to the Great Room belonging to the Society for Encouraging Arts & Sciences in John St Adelphi, where we saw those pieces which he has more finished, tho' no part of his design is yet compleatly executed. The Progress of Society & Cultivation is his subject, which is comprized in 6 distinct pieces. The Room for which it is intended is a very large one, & when it is compleatly finished he designs to exhibit it —― the subject of the first Painting is Orpheus playing on his Lyre, not to attract Beasts, Trees, or stones, as Mr B. is desirous of setting allegory aside as far as it is in his Power, but to humanize the savage Inhabitants of Thrace, who are crowding round him & listening wth the most earnest attention —― Euridice is among these —― but is as yet but faintly sketched —― there is a great deal of Invention & Fancy in this Piece, & indeed in all the others, everything tending to explain & develop his subject'
Burney goes on to describe Barry's thoughts, and her own, about the paintings in some detail, for example:
'...the concluding Piece is however far advanced —― this we saw at His own House —― it represents Elysium —― In a Groupe sit the younger Brutus, Sir Thos More, Cato, the Elder Brutus, Socrates, & Epaminondas —― the idea of introducing Sir Thos More in company wth all these ancients Mr Barry says he borrow’d from some passage in Swift’s works but I know it not —― Locke, Boyle, Shaftesbury & many more compose another groupe —― in a 3d appear 2 angels unveiling an Orrery to Sir Isaac Newton, Copernicus, Bacon, &c —― above are Angels incensing the Creator, who however is invisible —― but the idea seems a little catholic...'
The original letter-journal is held at the British Library (ref. Egerton MS 3691, ff.19-20). We are indebted to Professor Philip Olleson of Nottingham University for bringing the passage to our attention and for kindly granting us permission to reproduce the above extracts from his transcript.
The RSA will as usual be participating in London Open House weekend, on Sunday 16 September, when we will be open from 12pm to 5pm (last admittance 4.30pm). As a result, there will however be no ordinary RSA Open House opening in September.
And last but not least, there will soon be a staff change in the RSA Archive team, as our current Archive and Records Management Trainee, Claire Batley, leaves us on 21 September to undertake an MA in Archives and Records Management at University College London. We shall be sorry to lose Claire, but wish her every success with the MA and her future career as a professional archivist and records manager. Claire's replacement will be Sophie Cawthorne, and we look forward to welcoming Sophie to the RSA on 24 September. As a result of the changeover we will not be able to accommodate researchers in person for the week beginning 24 September, although we can be contacted as usual via letter, e-mail or telephone during this period. Normal service will be resumed from 1 October. For further details about how to arrange appointments and contact us please see the main RSA Archive pages of our website.
Friday 29 June 2007
July Open House change of date, Archive stock take and new funding for research
Our Monthly Open House provides an opportunity to take a self-guided tour of the RSA House free of charge. Open House takes place from 10am to 1pm (last admission 12.30pm) usually on the first Sunday of each month (excepting January). However, this date is subject to change and in July Open House will be held on the second Sunday, the 8th. Anybody interested is welcome to attend, there is no need to book in advance.
The Archive will undertake its annual stock take during July. As a result we will unfortunately be closed to researchers and for tours of the building throughout the period 9-20 July. We will however be able to receive enquiries by telephone, post and e-mail as usual, although responses may be a little delayed.
The William Shipley Group is an independent body with close links to the RSA (the Archivist sits as an observer on its committee) which amongst other things seeks to promote awareness of the Society and its archives. The Group has recently established a research and publication fund and has awarded a grant to Martyn Walker, Head of Department for Post Compulsory Education and Training at the University of Huddersfield. Martyn is researching the Huddersfield Mechanics Institution and the Society, and recently visited the Archive to look at minutes, correspondence and other papers that relate to this interesting area of the Society's activities. Mechanics institutions were a pioneering form of education for working people in the 19th century, and they and similar organisations were in due course invited to join the Society as part of what was called the Union of Institutions. The Union existed in this form only until the 1880s, but it led amongst other things to the establishment of the Society's examinations. The first of these to be held outside London were in Huddersfield, in 1857. We look forward to seeing the results of Martyn's research in due course.
The Archive will undertake its annual stock take during July. As a result we will unfortunately be closed to researchers and for tours of the building throughout the period 9-20 July. We will however be able to receive enquiries by telephone, post and e-mail as usual, although responses may be a little delayed.
The William Shipley Group is an independent body with close links to the RSA (the Archivist sits as an observer on its committee) which amongst other things seeks to promote awareness of the Society and its archives. The Group has recently established a research and publication fund and has awarded a grant to Martyn Walker, Head of Department for Post Compulsory Education and Training at the University of Huddersfield. Martyn is researching the Huddersfield Mechanics Institution and the Society, and recently visited the Archive to look at minutes, correspondence and other papers that relate to this interesting area of the Society's activities. Mechanics institutions were a pioneering form of education for working people in the 19th century, and they and similar organisations were in due course invited to join the Society as part of what was called the Union of Institutions. The Union existed in this form only until the 1880s, but it led amongst other things to the establishment of the Society's examinations. The first of these to be held outside London were in Huddersfield, in 1857. We look forward to seeing the results of Martyn's research in due course.
Tuesday 15 May 2007
Welcome to the RSA Archive blog
We'll be posting regularly to update our readers and potential readers. We aim to provide news concerning the archives and introductions to some noteworthy items which we hold. We'll also highlight interesting and unusual enquiries we have received and report on topics being researched which are of general appeal.
New opening hours: limited staff resources mean that unfortunately it is not possible for us to open the search room at all times and that it is always necessary to book in advance. We are now closed on Tuesdays, but whenever possible will endeavour to facilitate a visit on other weekdays between 9.30am and 4.45pm.
Photo © Geremy Butler
Richard Horwood's map of London: the cartographer Richard Horwood had sought the support of the Society in 1791 for a new map of London, which aimed to show and number each individual building in the cities of London and Westminster, the borough of Southwark and some adjacent areas. Although the Society did not feel it could give an award until the map was finished, Horwood was able to go on and produce his map, which was completed and printed in 1799.
This image from the map shows the area around the Strand and Covent Garden, with the coloured line indicating the parish boundaries. Although it should cover the RSA's house, in what was then called John Street, this was in fact omitted from the map - Horwood did not quite succeed in featuring each individual building, but what he did achieve is nevertheless remarkable.
New opening hours: limited staff resources mean that unfortunately it is not possible for us to open the search room at all times and that it is always necessary to book in advance. We are now closed on Tuesdays, but whenever possible will endeavour to facilitate a visit on other weekdays between 9.30am and 4.45pm.
Photo © Geremy Butler
Richard Horwood's map of London: the cartographer Richard Horwood had sought the support of the Society in 1791 for a new map of London, which aimed to show and number each individual building in the cities of London and Westminster, the borough of Southwark and some adjacent areas. Although the Society did not feel it could give an award until the map was finished, Horwood was able to go on and produce his map, which was completed and printed in 1799.
This image from the map shows the area around the Strand and Covent Garden, with the coloured line indicating the parish boundaries. Although it should cover the RSA's house, in what was then called John Street, this was in fact omitted from the map - Horwood did not quite succeed in featuring each individual building, but what he did achieve is nevertheless remarkable.
Horwood's completed map was assessed by the Society in 1803 and it was recommended that he be given a bounty of fifty guineas. He left a copy of the map with the Society and this has remained with it since then. It is now held in the Archive, and is available to readers.
A more detailed account of Horwood's map is to be found in an article by Elizabeth Baigent, Richard Horwood's Map of London: 18th century cartography and the Society of Arts, in the Society's Journal, Volume 142, December 1994, which is also available to readers. Elizabeth Baigent also contributed the entry for Horwood in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
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