NEWS

NATIONAL LIBRARY SURPASSES ENERGY TARGETS The Library has been presented and energy use has also led us with a Gold Pledge Award to make financial savings. It’s a by Zero Waste Scotland and double-win for us.” named Resource Efficiency Marissa Lippiatt, Head Ambassadors as recognition of Resource Efficiency, for its energy-saving initiatives. Zero Waste Scotland, said: The Library has also exceeded “It’s fantastic to see the the Scottish Government’s National Library has already 2020 climate change target. surpassed its goal. It has done The Government set the an amazing job of putting targets in 2009, and since then, a realistic and measurable we have reduced our carbon plan in place that involved emissions by 62 per cent – 20 everyone in the organisation.” per cent more than the target. To achieve the targets, we Energy use has also been cut implemented a programme of by 52 per cent, far surpassing work, which included replacing the 40 per cent target. infrastructure throughout our National Librarian Dr John buildings with more energy- Scally said: “We’re proud to lead efficient equipment, replacing the way in energy efficiency all lighting with LED across the and help our partners, Zero estate, and ensuring all staff Waste Scotland, to encourage used only what was required. savings across the public sector. The Library has also “While it’s important for been shortlisted for the us as a national institution to Environment Award with the meet these targets, it’s also Energy Institute, with the vital work for the environment. ceremony taking place in Our work reducing emissions London in late November.

National Librarian Dr John Scally and Marissa Lippiatt from Zero Waste Scotland check out the scale of our George IV Bridge building

4 | DISCOVER | WINTER 2018 P. B . F. A . BOOK FAIRS IN SCOTLAND 2018/2019

DECEMBER ‘18 MAY ‘19 AUGUST ‘19 Sat 1 Sat 25 Sat 3 EDINBURGH SCOTTISH GLAMIS Radisson Blu BORDERS Bridge View House, Hotel, 80 High The Corn Glamis, Forfar Street, Royal Mile, Exchange, Market DD8 1QU Edinburgh Square, Melrose 10am-5pm. £1 EH1 1TH TD6 9PN 10am-5pm. £1 Sun 4 10am-4.30pm. £1 BALLATER MARCH ‘19 JUNE ‘19 Victoria Hall, Fri 29 and Sat 30 Sat 15 Station Square, EDINBURGH EDINBURGH Ballater AB35 5QB Radisson Blu Radisson Blu 10am-5pm. £1 Hotel, 80 High Hotel, 80 High Street, Royal Mile, Street, Royal Mile, For more Edinburgh Edinburgh information on EH1 1TH EH1 1TH P.B.F.A bookfairs, Friday 12pm-7pm, 10am-5pm. £1 please visit the website or contact Saturday 10am-5pm us using the Free details below.

WINTER 2018 | DISCOVER | 5 NEWS FROM VIENNA TO EAST ANGLIA: A GLOBAL TAKE ON SCOTS

Dr Michael Dempster rounds pieces in the papers. Tae up a hectic couple of feenish it aw aff there wis a months as Scots Scriever plenery speech fae Robert Thir last twa month hiv McColl Millar on marginal been full o activity fir Scots Past an Present masel. Amang ither events luikin at the mair obscure we premiered oor Scots neuks o Scots, particularly an Gaelic owersettin o the thae contact areas atween Opera Dido an Aeneas, A pit Gaelic an Scots athoot on Govan Scots Language Staunnart English bein a Week, A owerset a story intermediary language. fir the Bolivian embassy, Anither affae interestin, A launched ma first Scots an unique presence at language comic anthologie, the Forum for Research on Bristol an East Anglia! See, this conference, is thaim Scrieve! an we stertit oor Languages of Scotland and aftentimes when bletherin at the darg o lairnin an Scots language Cafe in Ulster, hostit this year bi the tae fowk they’re taen aback heezin-up Scots, nemmly Glesga wi a mind tae haein Varsity o Glesga. Amang the wi juist hou monie fowk the the Scots Langauge Centre, mair aw ower Scotland. talks A attendidt wis anes warld ower is interestit in the langest rinnin Scots Affae, affae thrang! on Irish, Gaelic, British Sign Scots, an thit they’v been advocacy organisation, Alangside aw this A attendit Leid an, o coorse, Scots. studyin it fir years. an Education Scotland. Wi a academic conference an There wis fowk fae aw Topics reenge fae Dutch Scots noo bein alood as hit’s that A wantit tae tell ye ower the planet attendin an in early Scots in the pairt o the Curriculum for aboot the noo. giein talks on Scots, fae wir fowerteent yearhunner, Excellence 1 + 2 language The conference wis the ain varsities o St Andra’s, throu explorin the policy it wis braw tae hear frlsu, ane o thae initialisms Glesga, Aiberdeen, Embra, 20t century linguistic o furst language Scots thit juist bonnilie lowps Strathclyde, UWS, tae survey o Scotland, tae weans’ sel-esteem gettin aff yer tung. Tae gie it it’s the likes o Munich, Texas, dialect an grammar o Scots a guid haunner, the lik o mair formal title, hit wis the Vienna, Japan, Australia usage the day, an e’en its whilk wid affect their lifes Twalt Trienial Conference o an even sae faur afield as uise in modren opinion mair widely.

Our collections at your fingertips We just launched Library Search, in our reading rooms or to a new service that allows you – for access some of our electronic the first time – to find details of our resources. Find out how to printed, manuscript and archive, register for membership on our moving image and digital collections website – www.nls.uk in a single search. You can also Our staff are happy to help you carry out a wider search of our with Library Search – please contact collections including high-quality us on our online ‘chat’ service or ask electronic resources and databases a staff member in our reading rooms. from a range of publishers. Other new Library Search replaces the main improvements include being able catalogue which was 20 years-old. to view your borrowing history Thousands of academic and national and receive notifications when libraries around the world use a your item is available for pick-up similar service, so some of you may at the Library. already be familiar with it. Anyone can use Library Search, but you’ll need to be a Library member Library Search is available at to request materials for consultation https://search.nls.uk/

6 | DISCOVER | WINTER 2018 THE SCOTTISH GENEALOGY SOCIETY Family History Centre

All Scotland’s OPRs on film… census records… Largest M.I. collection in Scotland and free access to www.ancestry.co.uk and www.findmypast.co.uk Open 5 days a week, except Friday & Sunday Contact us at 15 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2JL Telephone 0131 220 3677 [email protected] www.scotsgenealogy.com

To advertise in this magazine please contact [email protected]

WINTER 2018 | DISCOVER | 7 MY LIBRARY

SPEAKING UP FOR OUR AGE

Elizabeth Bryan, Community Development Coordinator for Age Scotland, celebrates 75 years of older people’s groups and organisations in Scotland. Together with the Heritage Lottery Fund and the National Library of Scotland, Age Scotland formed a team of ‘history detectives’ to explore their predecessor charities’ records...

is a special year for What excitement for us when on one towns and villages across Scotland. The Age Scotland as we of our first visits to the National Library pace of growth was remarkable. By 1959, 2018 celebrate our 75th we were able to handle and there were 121 constituted old peoples’ birthday. Our ‘detectives’ spent many a read Homes for Old People in welfare committees and fascinating afternoon and evening in the Scotland! Produced in 1947 by 140 in development. The National Library of Scotland’s reading the Scottish Old People’s early emphasis on rooms, consulting the many publications, Welfare Committee, residential care homes annual reports, newsletters and campaign this directory is a gave way to caring for materials from our predecessor charities. fascinating listing people in their own home. Our journey started in the offices of 109 homes for old Committees organised of the Scottish Council for Voluntary a huge variety of services Organisations where we rediscovered including lunch clubs, ‘meals minute books detailing the beginnings Our ‘detectives’ on wheels’ schemes, visiting of the Scottish Old People’s Welfare spent many services for the housebound as well as Committee – our first predecessor. The holidays, concerts, social events and first meeting was held on 22 January 1943 a fascinating even food, log and fuel deliveries. Day and in Edinburgh, soon after the publication weekly clubs also offered everything from of the Beveridge Report and at a time afternoon in the woodworking to hairdressing. when the country was starting to look at Among a great many gems, the what welfare services and support would reading rooms National Library has all the copies of The be required after the war ended. Life Old People’s Welfare, Scottish Bulletin, expectancy was increasing, and post- people compiled with help from the from 1951-1973. The bulletins, published war studies drew attention to the poverty, homes’ matrons. In post-war years this three times a year, were packed with malnutrition and hidden loneliness publication helped the Committee to press news, practical tips and ideas from older experienced by older people, as well for more residential homes. people’s groups and organisations around as the lack of appropriate homes. The Another important role for the the country, the national charity’s work, committee’s immediate aim was to gather Committee was to encourage the spread and articles on policy issues affecting information about the ‘care of the aged’. of local welfare committees in cities, the lives of older people. We were able

8 | DISCOVER | WINTER 2018 A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON AULD REEKIE

Rachel Dishington is a Collaborative Doctoral Partnership PhD student working with the University of Edinburgh and the National Library of Scotland on the history of the Stevenson Engineering firm. Here, she shares some of her discoveries...

uch of the world of engineering is hidden from view. Often, when a project is completed, designs and logistical Mrecords are archived and the structure quickly becomes a taken-for-granted part of daily life. When we drive on roads, cross bridges or travel along train tracks, the work of centuries of engineers goes unremarked in the background. This is especially the case in Edinburgh, a city of intersecting roads, buildings and bridges where STEP BACK IN TIME you enter the Library on George IV Clockwise from left: Rachel Dishington Dancing at St. Mungo’s, Glasgow; Bridge from the street and find yourself Bowls at Woodside Club, on the 11th floor. Aberdeen; Tea party at Stranraer Old People’s Club; Age Concern This occurred to me during my first The Stevenson Engineering Annual Reports from the 1970s visit to consult the archive of one of the firm’s archive, part of the Library’s engineers responsible for designing collections, provides a rich picture of the complicated intersections of the day-to-day working lives of the Edinburgh’s city centre. Robert engineers involved in some of the major to piece together our history by Stevenson was an Edinburgh-based construction projects of the age, as well using these publications, our own civil engineer in the late-18th and early- as the myriad local projects, repairs, documents and photographs, member maintenance and surveying that organisations’ documents, and the provided much of their work. oral history and testimony of those The most For me, the most visually exciting involved over the years. visually exciting part of the archive is undoubtedly its The Scottish Old People’s Welfare collection of plans and engineering Committee became Age Concern part of the archive drawings. From harbours at Peterhead, Scotland in 1974, and was renamed Granton and elsewhere to the roads Age Scotland following the merger is the plans and of central Edinburgh, they record the with Help the Aged in 2009. design, construction and reconstruction We’re enormously grateful to the engineering of sites all over the country in minute National Library, who helped us shed drawings and multicoloured detail. They are light on the remarkable and neglected clearly working drawings. Some have story of older people’s groups and been annotated with amendments organisations in Scotland, and their 19th centuries. Originally apprenticed and calculations, or overlaid with new considerable achievements over the past to his father-in-law, Thomas Smith, designs as the projects changed over 75 years. Without the Library’s work a lamp-maker and lighthouse engineer, time. Some are fragile, torn in places caring for documents, this important Stevenson soon took over the lighthouse from being taken out, consulted and aspect of the social and political history business and branched out into other replaced again and again, presumably of Scotland would have been lost. fields of engineering, from canals by engineers, contractors and clients. and harbours to bridges and railways. Together with the diaries, notebooks Under Robert’s three sons – Alan, and letters that are also included in For a free copy of the David and Thomas – the firm’s portfolio the archive, I am using the Stevenson Speaking Up for Our Age timeline and influence grew, leading them to material to look at the infrastructure magazine, contact Age Scotland be consulted as expert witnesses by we take for granted, and consider on [email protected] Parliament and engaged across the UK, how it came to be and what processes or 0333 323 2400 New Zealand and Japan. shaped it.

WINTER 2018 | DISCOVER | 9 CURATOR’S CHOICE

‘KEEP

WORDS:WORDS: Sally Harrower LOVING Modern Literary Manuscripts Curator The centenary year of one of Scotland’s most ME’ artistic poets is being celebrated widely with some of our beautiful manuscripts on display in Orkney

here are writers who are also of Language, combining some of his direction in 1938 when he was awarded artists – think of Alasdair previously unpublished work with a bursary to study philosophy and Gray, or Ian Hamilton Finlay. new poems written in his honour, was literature at Newbattle Abbey College. TThe poet Jen Hadfield is launched earlier this year. A special Medically unfit for active service during another for whom visual art issue of The Chicago Review, devoted to the Second World War, he had various is an important aspect of their practice. Graham, is imminent. It is handsomely jobs and spent time in London, moving The Library has significant manuscript illustrated with many images from our in bohemian – and often drink-fuelled and artwork holdings relating to all collection. At the time of writing, some – circles. During this time he came into three. But – perhaps unexpectedly – one 60 artworks/manuscripts are being the orbit and influence of Dylan Thomas, of our most visually-rich manuscript taken to Orkney on loan to the Pier Arts and of painters Robert Colquhoun, Robert collections is that of the poet, William Centre in Stromness for the exhibition MacBryde and John Minton, among Sydney Graham (1918-1986). ‘Voice and Vision; the Poetry and Art of others. His first poetry collection, Cage This is W.S. Graham’s centenary year. W.S. Graham’. Without Grievance, was published in Much is being done in celebration, with W.S. Graham was born on 19 Glasgow in 1942. events and exhibitions from Cornwall to November 1918 in Greenock. He trained By the end of the war, Graham was Orkney. An anthology, The Caught Habit as a structural engineer, but changed living in Cornwall. The caravan he

10 | DISCOVER | WINTER 2018 stayedst in was offered rent-free, anand he gave himself entirely to his poetry. Living on the coastco undoubtedly suited and To Alexander Graham inspiredins him, a legacy of his GreenockGre childhood. Lying asleep walking GrahamGr went on to make Last night I met my father manyman friends among the artists Who seemed pleased to see me. wwhoho lived in the area, notably He wanted to speak. I saw RogerRoge Hilton, Peter Lanyon and His mouth saying something BrBryanyan Wynter. Their increasingly But the dream had no sound. abstractabstra work had some influence on GGraham’sra poetic development, We were surrounded by and hihis friends recognised and Laid-up paddle steamers vavaluedlued a fellow striver pushing at the In The Old Quay in Greenock. bboundariesounda of expression. In 1954 he marriemarriedd Agnes Dunsmuir (Nessie) I smelt the tar and the ropes. wwhomhom heh had met at Newbattle many MAN OF LETTERS yyearsears eaearlier, and the couple settled Clockwise from left: Letter to Ruth Hilton; letter to It seemed that I was standing Robert Colquhoun and Robert MacBryde; letter to to a liflifetimeeti of near-poverty in basic Ronnie and Henriette Duncan Beside the big iron cannon cottacottagege aaccommodation in Cornwall. The tugs used to tie up to GraGraham’sham poetry, to which he and When I was a boy. I turned NessNessieie – a poet herself – essentially In recent years, I have met and been To see Dad standing just ggaveave ttheirheir lives and energy, is too in contact with a number of the poet’s Across the causeway under ccomplexomplex to be considered here, and friends, and so much love for him, and That one lamp they keep on. manmanyy otothershe are doing just that in his for Nessie, still shines out 30 or more ccentenaryentenary yyear. We settle for including years after his death. Graham asked a lot He recognised me immediately. a poem, withwit strong Scottish resonance, of his friends – spiritual, intellectual and written to hhis dead father. sometimes financial support – but he I could see that. He was PersonaPersonally,ll I feel I have come to gave a great deal back. The handsome, same age kknownow W.S. GGraham more through How exciting it must have been to With his good brows as when hihiss ddazzlingazzling letters than through his receive one of his epistolary fireworks. He would take me on Sundays ppoems.oems. He must have been the most Before you opened the envelope – Saying we’ll go for a walk. eextraordinaryxtraordina friend. A very difficult which might be decorated with one of oonene at ttimes,ime but a man with whom the Graham’s trademark heads – you would Dad, what am I doing here? most pprofoundrofou connections were made. know who had sent it. Then the letter: What is it I am doing now? an inadequate word here, for many of Are you proud of me? Graham’s letters could as easily be Going away, I knew called artworks. He painted on them, You wanted to tell me something. designed them, sometimes responding to the size and shape of the paper. His You stopped and almost handwriting has a calligraphic quality. turned back You just know that this man enjoyed the To say something. My father, tactile act of creating on paper. There’s a I try to be the best strong element of play and experiment In you you give me always. in both the look and the content of his letters. His friends, Michael and Margaret Lying asleep turning Snow, selected and edited a collection of Round in the quay-lit dark them, published as The Nightfisherman It was my father standing (Carcanet, 1999). As Michael Snow wrote As real as life. I smelt in his introduction, ‘[The letters] provide The quay’s tar and the ropes. him with an arena for language to toss its head and gallop all the way through high seriousness to the absurd and back’. I think he wanted to speak. No description, or transcript, does But the dream had no sound. justice to a W.S. Graham letter or I think I must have loved him. manuscript. A Library visitor once W. S. Graham said: “Once you find W.S. Graham, it’s almost as if you want to keep New Collected Poems, edited by him to yourself”. I know just what she Matthew Francis (Faber, 2004). meant, and that feeling only intensifies Poem and images reproduced when you are face-to-face with his by permission of the Estate of manuscripts. They have to be seen, W.S. Graham first-hand, and you can do that here at our Special Collections Reading Room. Anytime.

WINTER 2018 | DISCOVER | 11

BEHIND THE SCENES

Digitisation Conservator Mary Garner treating a fragmentary letter to allow it to be photographed CONSERVATION BEFORE DIGITISATION

Our conservation department plays a key role extremely minimalist, aiming only to make text legible and ensure items can in the digitisation of our collections. Read on be transported, handled and captured safely. Treatment is usually carried to find out what goes on behind the scenes... out before capture, but sometimes, for example if the sewing structure of a he Library set itself a target book is completely broken, we capture for one third of our collections the item first and treat it afterwards. to be in digital format by 2025, Besides conservation surveys and and this has dramatically treatments, Mary also trains new increased the pace of our digitisation staff, and provides advice on Tdigitisation programme. The most the handling and capture of particularly obvious stage of the digitisation process difficult or fragile items, such as books is ‘capture’, the process of photographing with very tight openings. Most items or scanning the item. But capture is only can be digitised with our standard the tip of the iceberg in a process that can equipment, but in some cases we need take weeks or even months from start to to adapt the equipment, or custom-build finish, involving people throughout the something new. Library, including conservators. Conservation for digitisation is a Our dedicated Digitisation Conservator, A bespoke cradle for a fragile manuscript volume relatively new specialism. We have Mary Garner, plays a crucial role in learned from other organisations as we ensuring items are not damaged in the before capture. Second, she looks out developed our own approach, and in capture process. First, Mary surveys the for things that may impede the capture turn, we are providing advice to other collections scheduled for digitisation to process, such as fold-outs, uncut pages organisations as they start digitising see if they need conservation treatment and size. Conservation treatments are their own collections.

WINTER 2018 | DISCOVER | 13 ANNIVERSARY

Created in Edinburgh 250 years ago to ‘diffuse knowledge of Science’, the famed encyclopaedia has endured and evolved as a source for those seeking enlightenment

WORDS: Professor Stephen Brown and Rare Books Curator Robert Betteridge

14 | DISCOVER | WINTER 2018 10 December 2018, 1760 to 1765. Smellie agreed to compile the Magazine adapted the practices of the Encyclopaedia Britannica’s first edition for a fee of £200, an encyclopaedia, something Smellie On Britannica, one more than Diderot received for his efforts emphasised in introducing the 1762 of the enduring editing the Encyclopédie in 1751, but volume, describing it as “a work achievements of the Scottish nothing like the approximately £25,000 calculated to promote knowledge, and Enlightenment, will celebrate its 250th Bell and Macfarquhar would jointly accrue inspire the reader with the love of it”. anniversary. Conceived, compiled, printed from the Britannica’s first three editions. While Bell and Macfarquhar kept their and published entirely in Edinburgh, the Smellie was uniquely qualified to politics to themselves, Smellie was a Britannica’s first edition was undertaken establish the Britannica ‘brand’. Unlike vocal proponent of a free press and at considerable financial risk by three Bell or Macfarquhar, and probably all especially of the need for knowledge to young tradesmen, none of whom had the other tradesmen in Edinburgh, he be made accessible to all who sought published anything previously. The two was learned, attending Edinburgh’s self-improvement. He opened his preface principal partners, who would retain the High School before studying at the to the first edition with the assertion that copyright of its first three editions, were University. Under his editorship, Scots “utility ought to be the principle intention printer Colin Macfarquhar (1744-1793) of every publication”. To this day, that and engraver Andrew Bell (1753-1832). succinct observation remains the motto Macfarquhar, a wigmaker’s son, had of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, even in just opened his printing firm in 1767. The first edition its digital form. Bell, a baker’s son and an apprentice emphasised two The first edition emphasised two of Scotland’s leading engraver Richard themes: modern science and Scottish Cooper, established his reputation as an themes: modern identity. The articles on anatomy and engraver through pioneering work for Scots law were groundbreaking and Scots Magazine. There, he met William science and controversial. Still, that first Britannica Smellie (1740-1795), himself a master printer, and editor of the magazine from Scottish identity Continues overleaf>

WINTER 2018 | DISCOVER | 15 FIRST EDITION Previous page: The title page to volume 1 of the first edition. Right: Plate CXLVII from volume 3 of the first edition to accompany the article on printing and to illustrate the heraldic tinctures and patterns described in this volume. Below: Caricature of Andrew Bell and William Smellie by John Kay.

From previous page> had a less than auspicious beginning. Production costs depended entirely on the sale of subscriptions, for which the novice proprietors were unprepared. Smellie had difficulty meeting deadlines, subscribers complained about the length of some articles (often exceeding 100 pages), and the medical establishment was less than pleased with the Britannica’s unacknowledged circulation of their intellectual property. When in 1771, after the publication of 100 weekly parts and 160 copperplates, the Britannica’s first edition was complete in three volumes, a significant quantity of unbound sheets remained unsold. Encyclopaedia Britannica and not These would eventually be passed on to only do we have one, but two sets. The OUR APPEAL London booksellers, where they were appearance of the Britannica in the misleadingly retailed as ‘London’ editions Catalogue of the Advocates Library In the 250th year of its publication, with the imprints of Edward and Charles issued in 1776 – printed by none other we have launched an appeal to Dilly (1773) and John Donaldson (1773, than William Smellie – suggests it was celebrate Encyclopaedia Britannica 1775). Smellie supplied a new preface. acquired when first published. However, by opening it up for people around As its anniversary approaches, the the set that came from the Advocates the globe to see online. Please first principle of that first edition of Library to the National Library in 1925 support our mission to conserve the Britannica is particularly resonant appears to be a later 19th-century and digitise the Britannica collection and instructive: “to diffuse the replacement. A second set was kindly if you can. You can donate in the knowledge of Science”. donated to the Library in 1965. following ways: The National Library of Scotland We plan to digitise both the text and holds the first edition of the the copperplate illustrations of a first  Online at www.nls.uk/support- edition and all subsequent 19th-century nls/britannica editions (for copyright reasons, this is up to the ninth edition of 1875-1899) By phone on 0131 623 3740 and make them available through and providing your debit or credit our website, thereby carrying on the card details. tradition that Smellie envisioned of making the Britannica widely available. This will be a considerable task given that the second Britannica was issued in 10 volumes, the third in 18 volumes, and subsequent editions were issued in 20 volumes. By the beginning of the 20th century the Encyclopaedia Britannica was under the ownership of American businessmen who introduced the modern methods of direct marketing which, in their way, recall the subscription process Macfarquhar and Bell used in Edinburgh more than a hundred years before.

16 | DISCOVER | WINTER 2018 A BETTER WORLD?

WORDS: Alison Metcalfe Missionary and Military Collections Curator Jan Usher Social Sciences Curator Sally Harrower Modern Literary Manuscripts Curator A BETTER WORLD? Scotland after the First World War

Marking the centenary of the end of the First World War, the exhibition A Better World? examines life and society in post-war Scotland through books, posters, leaflets, minute books, letters, newspapers and photographs from our collections

mid the noisy celebration Politicians promised a “land fit for “You are about to be demobilised and when news of the 1918 heroes” to a war-weary populace with a will soon be home once more” Armistice broke, there new-found political voice, a population The first major challenge was to was quiet private reflection with raised expectations of better homes, demobilise the huge number of men on on the toll of the war, as improved working conditions and hope active service. The British Army alone Apeople pondered the challenges that lay for a brighter future. numbered around 3.8 million soldiers in ahead in peacetime. November 1918. A scheme introduced by While the war still raged, this question Lord Derby in 1917 instructed that those was being considered on a national scale. who had worked in key industries, and The Ministry of Reconstruction, formed by had jobs to return to, should be released David Lloyd George’s coalition government first. This was considered necessary to in 1917, was tasked with the restoration avoid flooding the labour market, as well and improvement of industrial, trading as preventing the unrest that was feared and social conditions when the war might have centred on returning troops. ended. It developed the idea of rebuilding However, this often resulted in those a society that was fairer than it was who were called up in the later stages of before the war, stating that “the idea of… a the war being released first, and longer- simple return to pre-war conditions, has serving soldiers being forced to wait. gradually been supplanted by the larger War is over: Celebration and contemplation and worthier ideal of a better world”. Continues overleaf>

WINTER 2018 | DISCOVER | 17 A BETTER WORLD?

ABOVE: George Dott letter FromFrompm ppreviousrevious ppage>age>

Unsurprisingly, this led to Sir Robert Lorimer was frustration, which spilled over appointed designer, and Edinburgh into The Soldiers’ Strikes of 1919 Castle selected as its location. The – protests staged by servicemen memorial was the work of more still in uniform. A letter on display than 200 artists and craftspeople, from one demobbed soldier, including sculptor Charles d’Orville George Dott, expresses his Pilkington Jackson. The Scottish disillusionment at being engaged National War Memorial was finally in menial tasks like sweeping unveiled in 1927, recognising the leaves rather than being released, contribution of all ranks across all complaining “the root cause of services, and was unusual at the discontent…is the archaic idea held time for acknowledging the role by the hierarchy that the soldier played by women. Visitors to the ABOVE: Labour took place in December 1918. The and Unionist party must be treated like a child”. exhibition will see photographs of election posters Representation of the People Act Although not widespread, such the memorial under construction introduced earlier that year meant protests helped contribute to the and a hand-drawn floor plan of that the ‘khaki election’ was the introduction of a more equitable the monument, part of Pilkington first opportunity for some women demobilisation scheme. Jackson’s papers at the Library. and all men over the age of 21 to “All the rebel spirit that lies “Men and Women! YOU have vote in a parliamentary election. dormant in every Scot roused now a simple, but sacred duty BELOW: Votes This increased the electorate itself in me…if the people of to perform!” for women in Scotland from 779,000 to Scotland wished to have a A Better World? explores the 2,205,000. National War Memorial…it tumultuous political scene in It was a landslide victory for would be on Scottish soil…” the years after the war through Lloyd George’s wartime coalition, Commemoration of the war a vibrant selection of recently with voters believing politicians’ dead was also at the forefront of uncovered election posters promises of training, work and people’s minds, at a personal, local and leaflets. Shortly after homes for ex-soldiers, increased and national level. The Duke of the Armistice, Liberal Prime food production, and improved Atholl was behind the impetus for Minister David Lloyd George material conditions for all. a uniquely Scottish memorial. called a snap election, which However, although Lloyd George

18 | DISCOVER | WINTER 2018