13th September 2014 - Doors Open Day The Glucksman Conservation Centre welcomed almost 100 people to the studio as part of the national Doors Open Day event. Those attending the three arranged tours were able to look round the studio and see some of the equipment used to care for the rare and valuable material held in Special Collections. Staff had laid out examples of some of their work including: papers from the Duff House/Earls of Fife collection (MS 3175) which are being cleaned and re-housed, the treatment and rehousing of Greek papyri fragments (MS 3847), the repairs carried out on the Dunbar family tree (MS 3203/17/2), the paper repair of the Balquhain papers using a technique called leaf casting (which replicates the way paper is made) and examples of some of the boxboard book cradles made to display bound items on exhibition in the gallery. The tour met with an enthusiastic response and staff were pleased to answer many questions about the work of the centre.
5th September 2014 – 15th Century Conference display Special Collections was delighted to host a visit as part of the proceedings of The Fifteenth Century Conference 2014 an annual symposium for historians of the late medieval British Isles. The event in Aberdeen was supported by the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies and the Centre for Early Modern Studies, and a display was prepared for visiting scholars of some of the 15th century treasures from the University collections. Siobhán Convery discussed the significance and beauty of this material which included the Burnet Psalter (MS 25) dating from the early 15th century, a commonplace book, c.1440 (MS 123) and a selection of charters from this period, including some relating to St. Machar’s Cathedral (MS 249).
27th–29th August 2014 – Rare Books Conference: New Space for Old Books: Building for the Future In August 2014, the Sir Duncan Rice Library hosted some 60 delegates for the CILIP Rare Books & Special Collections Group’s annual study conference. Each year focuses on a particular aspect of curatorship, and the 2014 conference explored issues relating to the accommodation of special collections. Themes encompassed the building of new library facilities, on both large and small-scale budgets; adapting historic buildings for modern usage; and advice on how best to protect special collections. Speakers at a fully-subscribed conference included Stuart Hill, former architect with schmidt-hammer-lassen, the firm which created The Sir Duncan Rice Library, conservator Susie Bioletti from Trinity College Dublin, and Chris Woods, Director of the National Conservation Centre. Attendees also had the opportunity to visit Aberdeen’s Special Collections Centre, Marischal Museum and other libraries, archives and museums of historic interest within the city.
9th-10th August 2014 – Routes to Your North East Roots event at Haddo House Staff from the Special Collections archives team took part in the family and local history fair in the Main Hall at Haddo House as part of Routes to Your North East Roots and the Homecoming Scotland 2014 celebrations.
Routes to Your North East Roots is the online presence of the Aberdeen and North East Scotland Ancestral Tourism Partnership, an affiliation of regional archives, registrars, family history societies and other organisations that hold and promote genealogical resources to visitors both at home and abroad.
Special Collections was just one of a number of organisations in attendance at Haddo, including the Aberdeen and North East Scotland Family History Society, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives, Aberdeenshire Registrars, Buchan Heritage Society, Deceased Online, Garioch Heritage Society, NHS Grampian Archives, Scotland’s People, Tarves Heritage Centre and the Leopard magazine.
The event was well attended and staff were able to answer a number of enquiries relating to the collections or about former students and direct visitors to the wealth of resources available on the Special Collections web pages.
16th July 2014 – Henry James 6th Annual International Conference display - ‘The real thing: Henry James and the material world’ The Sixth Annual International Conference of the Henry James Society was held this year from 16-19 July 2014 at the University of Aberdeen. Conference sessions took place in the Sir Duncan Rice Library, with the opening sessions at King’s College Conference Centre, and included a visit to Tillypronie House, which James visited in the 1870s. During the opening afternoon, materials from the library’s collections were on display for delegates in the Special Collections Seminar Room.
Drawing on the library’s collections of nineteenth century novels and periodical literature, and in-keeping with the conference theme, exhibited items included first and fine editions, such as the twenty four volume New York edition of the Novels and tales of Henry James, as well as examples of later, and more popular, nineteenth and twentieth century editions. James’ novels in serial form were represented with an early outing for ‘Portrait of a Lady’ in MacMillan’s Magazine, with serialisations in the Illustrated London News, and by multi-volumes of the Yellow Book : an illustrated quarterly, the avant-garde arts journal, with artistic contributions by Beardlsey et al, to which James was a regular contributor. MS 3142, Sir John Forbes Clark of Tillypronies’s visitors’ book for the period 1897-1900, was also on show, though sadly just a little too late for it to contain James’ signature!
18th - 21st June 2014 – EOGAN conference in Rotterdam In June staff from the Special Collections Centre attended the fifth European Oil and Gas Archives Network at the Rotterdam Maritime Museum in the Netherlands. The title of the conference was “Building Energy Histories” and sixteen papers were delivered by archivists, curators and researchers working on the history of the oil and gas industry. The University has played an active role in the network through its involvement in the Capturing the Energy (CtE) project, and the project’s Development Officer, Katy Johnson, who is based in Special Collections, presented a paper on heritage data mapping at the conference and outlined her ideas for CtE’s own heritage map for the oil and gas industry.
6th June 2014 – Visit from The Scottish Records Association Eight members from The Scottish Records Association visited the Special Collections Centre for a tour with Deputy Archivist Andrew MacGregor as their guide. The Association was founded in 1977 and is concerned with the preservation and use of historical records in Scotland. It provides a forum for users, owners and custodians of records to discuss matters relating to the records, their custody and conservation and research. For more information about the Association see their website here.
5th June 2014 - Inside Illuminations Conference, Brussels In June 2014 Special Collections Centre paper conservator, Louisa Coles, attended the Inside Illuminations Conference at KIK-IRPA in Brussels This international conference provided a forum for presentations and discussion related to the subject of technical examination of illuminated manuscripts. Papers explored the use of a variety of technical examination tools such as XRF spectroscopy, UV-vis- NIR reflectance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and high resolution digital microscopy. Information gathered through these methods can provide an insight into working practices, relationships between illuminators, provenance, and identification of pigments. The emphasis was on non-destructive techniques, but one paper presented details of a micro-sampling methodology which provoked a lively debate. An upcoming joint project with Durham University will use Raman spectroscopy to identify pigments on a number of important illuminated manuscripts held by the Special Collections Centre.
23rd May 2014 - University of Aberdeen Air Squadron visit Some 40 members from the former members association visited the Special Collections Centre for a display of the archives deposited by the Squadron. Material on display included photographs of personnel, aircraft and events, newsletters, personal histories and also some collections of memorabilia deposited by former members such as flying log books.
The University of Aberdeen Air Squadron was formed in January 1941 at Marischal College and operated until 1981. The Squadron flew first Tiger Moth, then Chipmunk and later Bulldog aircraft from Dyce. In 1981 the Squadron merged with St Andrews squadron and moved to Leuchars. The new squadron was called Aberdeen, Dundee and St. Andrew's Universities Air Squadron but in 2003 that was changed again to the East of Scotland Universities Air Squadron (ESUAS). The former members association has been running since 1966 and is still very active issuing newsletters and organising annual events.
For more information see the collection catalogue here.
11th May 2014 - May Festival – bookbinding workshop and talk A special bookbinding event was held in the Special Collections Centre on Sunday the 11th May as part of the University of Aberdeen’s May Festival. Book Conservator Brannah MacKenzie led a practical workshop in the Glucksman Conservation Centre on binding a mini-notebook. This was followed by a talk in the Special Collections Centre by Jane Pirie, Rare Books Cataloguer, who discussed some of the wonderful rare books in Special Collections and the important information that can be gleaned from the distinctive covers of the books on display.
29th April 2014 – Visit from the Wrights and Coopers, Aberdeen Ten members from the Wrights and Coopers of the Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen visited the Special Collections Centre for an evening event. After being shown the Wolfson Reading Room, Deputy Archivist Andrew MacGregor and Rare Books Cataloguer Jane Pirie, provided an introduction to the collections and a tour of the main book store. Visitors were then guided through a display of archives and books including the title deeds for Wrights and Coopers Place in Old Aberdeen, a day book of William Kennedy, joiner in Kinnernie, Aberdeenshire from 1831 – 1842 and a selection of books including Aberdeen corner-square bindings and bindings created by local 17th century bookbinder Francis Van Hagen. For a list of resources that were displayed, see here.
31st March 2014 – STICK: Archives in Museums Workshop The University hosted a visit by members of the Scottish Transport and Industry Collections Knowledge network (STICK) as part of an Archives in Museums workshop. The aim of the workshop was to provide an overview of managing archives in a museum environment including guidance on cataloguing and storing archive collections and looking at ways of promoting access to, and engagement with, archives.
The programme included an introductory talk by Andrew MacGregor, the Deputy Archivist, a talk by Louisa Coles, Paper Conservator, about caring for archive collections and an introduction to using archives within the context of social media and public engagement by the Learning and Outreach officers Sarah Chapman and Lynsey McNab.
27th March 2014 – World War One Schools Conference Sarah Chapman and Lynsey McNab, Learning and Outreach Officers, and Andrew MacGregor, Deputy Archivist, attended a World War One conference for secondary schools at the Beach Ballroom. Pupils from schools in Aberdeen were joined by pupils from Aberdeen’s twin cities, Gomel, Clermont- Ferrand and Regensburg. In small mixed groups the pupils toured stations manned by experts from various organisations including the Gordon Highlanders and the University of Aberdeen. The Special Collections Centre station focused on communication during WW1, specifically field postcards from soldiers, and letters from Amelia Laws, describing her experiences as a civilian living in Rome and as a masseuse/physiotherapist rehabilitating wounded soldiers in France during the war.
11th February 2014 - Launch of the Roll of Honour website Special Collections has launched its new Roll of Honour website to mark the centenary of the First World War. Containing a searchable database of the staff, students and alumni of the University who served during the war of 1914-1918, it also includes and image gallery, a factsheet guide to our WW1 collections, oral history recordings and a changing collections highlights section which will tell the stories of the men and women connected with the University who served in a variety of roles in aid of the war effort.
The website was created by staff in the University's Special Collections and Library Systems teams and can be accessed here.
22nd January 2014 - Hand to Hand: Curating Project at Ellon Academy Pupils form Ellon Academy gained the opportunity to work across Special Collections Departments with Rare Books, Digitisation and Conservation in addition to Exhibitions and Learning & Outreach in a rich learning experience that will result in the permanent installation at their new school. A specially formed pupil art group, made up of one representative from each year group are working with artist Mary Bourne to research and produce the new artwork, as part of the project called Hand to Hand. The project explores the ways in which memory is loaded in objects handed from person to person. The group worked with Rare Books Cataloguer Jane Pirie to select one item from a shortlist featuring books and manuscripts that reflect historic points of learning or which have a local connection. The item chosen was a manuscript by Patrick Massie of Ellon (possibly a previous Headmaster of the school) dating from the mid-1700s in which the author writes about palmistry alongside an illustration of a hand (MS 2002).
The group then worked with Digitisation Officer Kim Downie to photograph one of the pupils holding the item from Special Collections in their hands and prepare interpretive captions of their knowledge. The project was facilitated by Exhibitions & Programming Officer Scott Byrne and Learning & Outreach Officers Lynsey McNab and Sarah Chapman. The project was a great example of the range and application of learning opportunities available through the Special Collections Centre.
18th January - 29th March 2014 - Loan of Sir David Gill letters Special Collections has loaned letters written by Sir David Gill, Aberdeen's most famous astronomer, for a display at Aberdeen Maritime Museum. The exhibition, which runs until the end of March, marks 100 years since Gill's death and explores the story of his life and career.
Sir David Gill (1843-1914) studied at Marischal College from 1858-1860, receiving an LL.D. from the University of Aberdeen in 1881. He had an early interest in astronomy and in 1872 took up the post of director of the Earl of Lindsay's private observatory near Aberdeen. He became famous for his stellar photography, for precision measurements on stars, for progressing the geodetic survey of South Africa (he was appointed Royal Astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope in 1879) and for coordinating multi- observatory, multi-national research.
In addition to items from the University museum collections on display are two autograph letters by Gill dated 1891 concerning a scientific article (MS 2574).