and Willie Gallacher, encouraged by labour unrest, had hopes of a Communist revolution. “We had known only working- class revolt. Now we could talk about working-class power” Greater state intervention in industry during the war made people more aware of labour issues. Revolution or not, workers had been promised shorter hours, higher pay and a better standard of living. Collective action became the tool whereby ordinary working people had influence, and the tripling of the electorate enabled greater engagement with politics. The government’s failure to deliver The Scottish National War Memorial under on their promises meant there was construction in the 1920s a sharp rise in industrial unrest, and strikes increased dramatically, with 85 million working days lost in 1921. Arguably, the most significant strike in Scotland took place in early 1919, when the leaders of the Clyde Workers’ Committee rejected a nationally negotiated agreement on working hours. The committee instigated a demonstration for a 40-hour week, arguing this would help to make work available for demobilised soldiers. On 31 January, up to 100,000 strikers gathered in Glasgow’s George Square, and a violent confrontation with police ensued. Fearing that unrest might become revolution, the government ordered tanks and English troops to restore order to the streets of Glasgow. Visitors to the exhibition can see photographs of what came to be known as ‘Bloody Friday’, alongside trade

Continues overleaf> remained as Prime Minister, the election marked the start of the Liberal party’s fall into decline, from which both the Unionist (Conservative) and Labour parties would benefit. A series of elections in the mid-1920s saw a resurgent Labour Party winning an increasing share of the vote in parts of Scotland. Other voices were making themselves heard across the political spectrum. There was pressure for home rule for Scotland, and even some nascent fascist groups who sought RIGHT: ‘Bloody confrontation with those on the Friday’ brought left. Individuals like John Maclean unrest to Glasgow

WINTER 2018 | DISCOVER | 19 A BETTER WORLD?

From previous page> union records and news-sheets Legion became a lifeline for many produced by strikers. unable to find work. “We got work, we had to… within As well as becoming a symbol of that few days, most of us are again remembrance, the poppy played in the cage, ready to descend an important role in raising funds once again to the wet and sweat and providing employment for and blackness, and glad to be ex-servicemen, particularly those able to do it” who were left with permanent The major economic downturn disabilities. The Lady Haig within a year of the Armistice, Poppy Factory was established coupled with demobilisation, in Edinburgh in 1926, with “two placed enormous pressure on the workers, a pair of scissors and a labour market, resulting in high piece of paper”, but it soon grew. unemployment in the 1920s. Parts Women were not immune to of Scotland suffered particularly employment difficulties in the badly, not least because of a aftermath of the war. During reliance on heavy industry, which the war, the government, in had previously enjoyed a wartime negotiation with trade unions, boom. Organisations like the introduced measures to increase newly-establishedyy Royal British factoryyp production. This paved p

ABOVE: Equal pay the way for women and the family to take on skilled roles traditionally filled by men. Having thus formed the lifeblood of munitions and other wartime industries, women – particularly those in engineering roles – found themselves pushed out of work in 1919 through the Restoration of Pre-war Practices Act. “The conditions existing at many of these places are beyond description and are a standing disgrace to the city” Scotland had long suffered a shortage of habitable homes in both urban and rural areas, and conditions worsened during the war. The 1919 Housing and Town Planning Act promised government subsidies to help finance the construction of 500,000 houses across the UK, within three years. However, as the 1920s dawned, the economy rapidly weakened and funding was cut. Less than half of the promised properties were built. Items on display give an insight into the LEFT: Flanders poppy wreath squalor many faced, even as the catalogue decade drew to a close.

20 | DISCODISCOVERVER | WWINTERINTER 2018 LEFT: Housing will be Grieve’s letter of 11 November squalor in the 1920s 1918 to his friend and former ABOVE: MacDiarmid’s Scottish Chapbook teacher, George Ogilvie, in which he declared “my plans for after the war are all cut and dried – I am ready and eager for a time of systematic production”. True to his word, Grieve became a powerhouse of creativity during this period, and the Scottish Renaissance gathered pace. Grieve developed his literary version of Scots, culminating in the epic poem A Drunk man looks at the ABOVE: thistle in 1926, a work infused with Resettlement of discussion of politics and Scottish the Highlands identity. Many of those who engaged with Grieve’s vision were In rural areas, many soldiers advantage of government schemes also drawn to Scottish nationalism. returned believing land had been encouraging them to move to the In Scotland, the years after the promised to them as reward for British colonies. First World War were marked loyal wartime service. The Land “Carry on - swim into the BELOW: Many Scots by grief and hope, promises and Settlement (Scotland) Act of 1919 Scottish Renaissance” left post-war Britain disappointments, yet also creativity provided funds for the compulsory The wartime experiences of and political awakening, and above purchase of private lands to be some made them all,al collective effort. Visitors may granted as small holdings to question what they wellw reflect on the struggles and crofters. When this was slow to had been fighting achievementsac of that period, materialise, some took action. for. Creative young anda on the topics that still The Highlands had a history of land Scots began to work resonatere 100 years on. reform activism dating from the together to shape a 1880s, and so were well prepared fresh new identity. A Better World? Scotland to deploy acts of defiance, such as Individually, none aafter the First World War runs land raids. were more active ffrom 16 November 2018 to 27 A lack of work and decent than Christopher AprilA 2019 at George IV Bridge, housing led increasing numbers Grieve (better known Edinburgh. You can also view of people to seek new lives away as Hugh MacDiarmid) some of the exhibition material from Scotland, and in the 1920s in forging in our interactive digital emigration reached a new high. a new cultural resource. Visit www.nls.uk/ Many headed to England, or took landscape. On display exhibitions for details.

WINTER 2018 | DISCOVER | 21 COLLECTIONS

A survey of DISCOVERY

22 | DISCOVER | WINTER 2018 A closer look at the National Library’s photographic archive reveals a collection rich with treasures from Scotland’s social and cultural history

e recently carried alongside other major collections held out a comprehensive elsewhere in Scotland. Our collection survey of the documents more than 170 years of Library’s photographic social, cultural, and technological collections in history and reflects Scotland’s influence Wa project funded by the Professor on the development of photography at T Graham Brown Trust. Between June home and abroad. 2017 and September 2018, we worked our The photographs date from the early way through 1,010 individual collections, 1840s to the present day, with one containing around 381,100 photographic image even dating back to 1835. images, most of which are held in our There are examples of many of the archive and manuscript collections. photographic processes and formats that The survey confirmed that we have been developed since 1839, when hold a photographic collection of the invention of photography was first Left: Photographic great historic significance to rank announced to the world. Conservator, Ioannis Vasallos at work in the stacks Continues overleaf>

WINTER 2018 | DISCOVER | 23 COLLECTIONS

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SURVEY

○ A large collection of 19th- From previous page> century photographically illustrated books and albums, The joint acquisition, earlier this starting with Sun Pictures in year, of the MacKinnon photographic Scotland (1845) by William collection by the Library and National Henry Fox Talbot Galleries of Scotland (see Discover ○ Significant holdings of work Issue 38, summer 2018), arrived too by important photographers late to be included in this survey, but in Scotland and England (1850s this is another significant addition to to early 1900s) such as Thomas our collections. Annan, George Washington We have identified many exciting Wilson and Francis Frith opportunities for these collections to ○ Photographs by early female be further researched and shown to explorers such as Isabella Bird the public. However, the survey also and Fanny Bullock Workman flagged up the need for conservation ○ Portraits of Scottish families treatment for some of the photographs. early, experimental techniques, and from the 19th and early While the collections are generally in early 20th-century colour photographs. 20th centuries reasonable condition, there has been This includes fading and discolouration ○ Significant mountaineering some deterioration, particularly of the of images, mould growth within the and polar exploration more unstable types of photographic layers of gelatine on photographic prints photographs material, such as items created using and negatives, surface dirt, and ‘glass ○ Photographs from the disease’ – a type of deterioration of the Edinburgh Festivals from glass used to house early photographs. 1947 onwards Our collection Some items are also stored in unsuitable ○ Extensive collections containers, making them challenging for representing the activities reflects Scotland’s readers to access. of Scots abroad, such as We are now working to develop a plan travellers, explorers, settlers, influence on of action for the photographic collections. soldiers and missionaries. the history of Some tasks, such as moving unstable items into our dedicated cool store for photography at photographic collections (set at around 15°C and 40 per cent relative humidity), home and abroad will be done as soon as possible. In the longer term we will work on finding resources to carry out more extensive conservation, research, cataloguing and digitisation of the collections, which will enable this national asset to be better preserved and more accessible.

Above: Daguerreotype portrait of a couple by Edward Kilburn

Left: The photographs date from the early 1840s to the present day

24 | DISCOVER | WINTER 2018 JOHN MURRAY

The 250th anniversary of the renowned publisher is an opportunity to celebrate and extol the literary treasures of the Library’s John Murray Archive

A WORLD-SHAPING LEGACY

WORDS: Kirsty McHugh John Murray Archive and Publishers’ Collections Curator

WINTER 2018 | DISCOVER | 25 JOHN MURRAY

1768, having no previous experience of In the book trade, Edinburgh-born John McMurray (1737–1793) took over the bookselling business of William Sandby at 32 Fleet Street, London. In deference to the anti-Scottish feeling in London at the time, he elected to drop what one of this friends called “the wild highland Mac” from his name. John Murray opened for business as bookseller and publisher on 20 October. On that day he could not have imagined that 250 years later, it would be celebrated as one of the most influential British publishing houses. An ex-marine and hard drinker, John Murray I – as he was later to become known – was well- suited to the often boisterous and risky late 18th-century David Livingstone, Austen Henry AN INSPIRING archive of John Murray covering professions of publishing and Layard and Lord Byron, and ARCHIVE 1768 to 1921 was purchased by bookselling. He published inventor of the Handbooks for Above: Travel the National Library of Scotland. Travellers writer Patrick Leigh about 1,000 titles, and was the series, the books issued Fermor’s papers Vital support was provided by the sole publisher of more than a by John Murray helped to shape painted by Hugh Scottish Government, the Heritage third of them. the modern world and the way in Buchanan Lottery Fund, and a campaign Under the management of which we see ourselves. Below left: spearheaded by Lady Balfour seven generations of Murrays, the When John Murray VII Publishing records of Burleigh, resulting in a great reveal details of firm evolved and reacted to the decided to sell the publishing sales and production number of donations from trusts demands of the reading public, company in 2002, it was the costs of books by and individuals. from the late 18th to the early oldest independent family-run authors including The Library’s acquisition of Jane Austen 21st century. As the publisher publishing house in the world. the John Murray Archive allowed of Charles Darwin, Jane Austen, Following the sale, the business Previous page: greater access to its content not John Murray (1737- only by scholars from all over the 1793), founder of the publishing world, but also to anyone with an dynasty, painted by interest in the history of British David Allan c.1777 literature and society. Following the Archive’s arrival at the Library in 2006, thousands of people have been educated, entertained and inspired through a series of talks, events and publications, as well as an innovative 10-year-long exhibition. Opening up the archive also facilitated myriad research projects resulting in many books and articles on topics ranging

The archive’s size and completeness is what makes it so special

26 | DISCOVER | WINTER 2018 from travel writing to Murray’s now been undertaken, relationship with Benjamin but some minor repairs Disraeli and Lord Byron. Creative and routine work is responses included artist Hugh still required. Buchanan’s watercolour studies I joined the National of documents relating to Murray’s Library last autumn with famous authors, exhibited at the a new remit to look after Library in 2015. all the Library’s publishing Over the past 12 years, John collections, as well as the Murray VII donated more of the John Murray Archive. business archive to the Library, We recently launched a which includes the travel refreshed website about journals of John Murray III, the John Murray Archive at proof engravings from Sir Austen www.nls.uk/collections/ Henry Layard’s Nineveh and john-murray and more its Remains, annotated proof information will be added to it pages of Axel Munthe’s The – particularly in relation to its Story of San Michele, and publishing in the 20th century. material relating to the In the coming months Quarterly Review. and years, I’ll be looking at The Library was also gifted ways to explore the dialogue business ledgers and files identifying and describing PAST, between different collections relating to books published tens of thousands of items. PRESENT of publishers’ and booksellers’ from 1921 onwards, that provide Much of the 2006 acquisition AND FUTURE papers in the Library, and a fuller picture of the firm has been catalogued and Above: highlight the publication histories “Dam’ good thing and how it adapted to 20th- descriptions can be viewed on too! Reading books of some of Murray’s most famous century publishing trends and our online catalogue, but work only gives people publications, such as Byron’s Don technologies. will continue for several years ideas.” Cartoon Juan, which celebrates its 200th by Murray author With the support of the Murray to process everything fully. Osbert Lancaster anniversary next year. family and the John R Murray Alongside the cataloguing, I believe the John Murray Below: Painstaking Archive remains a unique and Charitable Trust, the Library also much of the material required conservation work recently acquired the papers of conservation work to ensure ensures the archive valuable collection which has Murray authors Osbert Lancaster that documents are well-housed, is preserved for the the capacity to provide original future and Patrick Leigh Fermor, and that fragile or damaged research and fascinating insights complementing the material documents are repaired so they into British life and publishing for already in the Archive. can be safely handled. many years to come. The Library, The size and completeness Much of the essential and I personally, look forward to of the John Murray Archive is conservation work on the Archive, exploring new opportunities to what makes it so special, but it which had been well maintained open up its contents to as many also presents the challenge of while in the Murrays’ care, has people as possible.

BOOK GIVEAWAY A collection of letters from some of Murray’s most famous authors, edited by David McClay, has been published to mark Murray’s 250th anniversary. We have several copies of Dear Mr Murray: Letters to a Gentleman Publisher to give away.

For a chance to receive a copy, email [email protected] with ‘John Murray Archive’ in the subject heading.

WINTER 2018 | DISCOVER | 27 MILITARY MAPS

M PPING THE MILITARY LANDSCAPE The extraordinary legacy of Scottish military mapping is showcased in a lavishly illustrated book drawn from the Library’s map collections

WORDS: Chris Fleet Map Curator

n 1981, Aberdeen was mapped Suspension Bridge over the Dee, by the Russian Army. But this and between these, the width of We learn from this that was no ordinary street map. the Dee was also measured. Unlike the coastal area north It was, in fact, a very detailed other maps of the city, buildings repository of topographic were colour-coded by function from Aberdeen is suitable Iintelligence. It included precise – brown for residential, black for measurements of many features, industrial, green for military and for amphibious landing such as widths and lengths of the purple for civil administration. Victoria Bridge and Wellington Green contour lines curve across the map at very regular five- metre intervals, with frequent spot heights on the land and depths in the harbour. A set of 58 ‘important objects’ were also numbered and named in the accompanying key. The military purpose behind the map is also clear from its Left: A section of the military road accompanying ‘spravka’, a detailed recently completed geographical description of the in Strathyre in 1749, city. Among other things, we part of the longer route from Stirling to learn from this that the landscape Fort William around Aberdeen is ‘dissected by deep river valleys that are the George Morrison, Survey of Part of the major obstacles for non-road Road from Sterling mobile machinery’, that ‘the to Fort William… Eight Miles and Forty coastal area north from Aberdeen Five Yards (1749) is suitable for amphibious landing’

28 | DISCOVER | WINTER 2018 and that the impressive ‘harbour plans, reconnaissance mapping, LAVISHLY dockage facilities can provide battle plans, plans of military ILLUSTRATED complete overhaul of vessels, roads and route-ways, tactical Above left: The Russian military map including destroyers’. maps, plans of mines, enemy of Aberdeen. These Russian military maps maps showing targets, as well as ƪLJƻƾNjNJǃƹǘƙljDžǁǘ plans showing the construction ƜƾdžƾljƹDŽǕdžǔǂ are only a recent chapter in a ǑNjƹƺƙƺƾljƽǁdž = long history of military maps of of defences. In addition to plans, Soviet Army Scotland stretching back over elevations and views, it also General Staff, six centuries. The Russian maps discusses unrealised proposals Aberdeen share a common thread with and projected schemes. Much of (O-30-104) (1981) those made to support English the material in the book – some Above right: invasion in the 15th century, the of it reproduced in book form A little-known plan of Wars of the Rough Wooing in the for the first time – is visually Dunnottar Castle by John Slezer, 16th century, Jacobite rebellions striking and attractive, and has Chief Engineer in the 18th century, and 20th- been selected for the stories it in Scotland from WIN A COPY! century defences in the two world tells us about both attacking and September 1671 wars. Scotland has had a uniquely defending the country. John Slezer, Plan of To win a copy of this stunning important military history during . Dunotter (1675) book just answer the question this time, and maps provide a key  Scotland: Defending the Nation below. Email your answer insight into this. – Mapping the Military Landscape to the magazine editor, This lavishly illustrated by Carolyn Anderson and Lauren McGarry, at book is drawn from the rich Christopher Fleet was published [email protected] map collections of the Library. in October 2018 by Birlinn, in by 18 January, 2019. It explores the extraordinary association with the National legacy of Scottish military Library of Scotland. Price £30. Question: What is a ‘spravka’? mapping, including fortification ISBN: 9781780274935

WINTER 2018 | DISCOVER | 29

ONLINE RESOURCE

A devastating tragedy remembered A special online learning resource has been developed by the Library to mark the anniversary of the HMY Iolaire tragedy

series of events has been were so close to home – made the trauma organised in the Western even more severe. Isles to mark the 100th A number of commemorative events anniversary of the sinking have already taken place and more of HMY Iolaire, one of the will be held in the run up to the Iolaire Amost devastating tragedies to affect Community Remembrance Event Scotland in the 20th century. in the Lewis Sports Centre, In the early hours of which will take place on 1 January 1919, 205 men Monday 31 December died when the vessel this year. It will feature struck rocks and sank military and school band only yards from the performances, as well as The wreck of HMY Iolaire (pictured left at sea - image courtesy of Adair Ltd) is marked with shore, where many poetry readings, songs a pillar rising out of the water which can be families were waiting to and drama. seen on entering Stornoway harbour welcome their loved ones. Other commemorations The majority of the have included a book  We have developed a special men were locals who were launch and memorial lecture, learning resource using our collections, on their way home, having as well as performances by in conjunction with descendants of the survived the First World War. singer Julie Fowlis and fiddler affected families and the Stornoway Of those who died, 174 were from Lewis Duncan Chisholm. An exhibition Historical Society. This tells the story of and seven from Harris. featuring portraits of 100 of the men the Iolaire disaster and its after-effects, Few events, before or since, have had who died will open on 29 December. which continue to this day. Visit it here: such a profound impact on the islands. And a special sculpture will be unveiled digital.nls.uk/learning/iolaire A great number of men had already at the Iolaire Memorial in Stornoway at died in the War and these further midday on 1 January 2019. fatalities – when the returning sailors

WINTER 2018 | DISCOVER | 31 32 | DISCOVER | WINTER 2018 EXPLORE THE LIBRARY Great Library resources…

Our collection of more than 26 million printed items, two million maps, 32,000 films, three miles of manuscripts, and Join thousands of photographs is OUR LIBRARY spread across three locations TODAY! in two cities, and you can also access more of our collection on our website www.nls.uk

MAIN VISITOR CENTRE Reading rooms and digital facilities, exhibition space, café and shop. George IV Bridge Edinburgh EH1 1EW Phone: 0131 623 3700 Email: [email protected] Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 09:30–19:00 Wednesday 10:00–19:00 Friday and Saturday 09:30–17:00

FILM AND DIGITAL COLLECTIONS You need a Library card to use our or in person at George IV Bridge Kelvin Hall reading rooms and order items from in Edinburgh – please remember 1445 Argyle Street the collections. You can apply online to bring proof of identity and Glasgow G3 8AW at https://auth.nls.uk/registration confirmation of your address. Phone: 0845 366 4629 Email: [email protected] Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10:00–17:00 Wednesday 13:30–20:00 ONLINE AT www.nls.uk We have a vast and growing range conditions may apply in line with of electronic resources on our our licence agreements. website, including digital versions As we are a legal deposit library, of reference works, full-text we also hold websites in the UK facsimiles and business databases. domain web archive, and articles MAPS Many of these resources are or chapters from e-books and Causewayside Building available for residents of e-journals. Library card holders can 33 Salisbury Place Scotland who have registered view this material at our George IV Edinburgh EH9 1SL with the Library. Additional Bridge and Kelvin Hall sites. Phone: 0131 623 4660 Email: [email protected] Our Maps Reading Room is available by appointment: ALREADY KNOW WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR? Monday–Thursday We recommend pre-ordering material before coming to the Library – just 10:00–13:00 visit our catalogue on our website. If you don’t have a Library card but want 14:00–17:00 to enquire about an item, phone 0131 623 3820 or complete our enquiry form https://www.nls.uk/contact/ask-a-librarian

WINTER 2018 | DISCOVER | 33 MEMORY LANE

1 Rugby Roll of Honour

2 On 21 March 1914, just a few months before the outbreak of the First World War, Scotland lost 15-16 to England at Inverleith, Edinburgh. Of the 30 men who played that day, 11 would not survive the War. A total of 31 Scottish international rugby players died in the First World War, more than from any other nation. They are remembered in this solemn, moving and now rare volume The Rugby Football Internationals Roll of Honour by 3 E.H.D. Sewell, published in 1919.

1. 2. 3. Hawick rugby legend David Bedell-Sivright James Pearson died on Walter Sutherland died aged 34 on 31 May 1916 aged 26 was killed aged 27 on 5 September 1915 at at Hooge, Belgium. He 4 October 1918 – just Gallipoli from acute played for Watsonians weeks before the end septicaemia, the result and was capped for of the War. A stray shell of an insect bite. He was Scotland in 1909-13. hit the 13-times capped one of the most famous player as he was cycling sportsmen of his day – back to the front line. as well as being capped 22 times for Scotland, he was also the Scottish Heavyweight Boxing Champion in 1909.

34 | DISCOVER | WINTER 2018