AIA News 140 Spring 2007
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INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY 186 AUTUMN NEWS 2018 THE BULLETIN OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY FREE TO MEMBERS OF AIA Saxony ● Chimneys ● Henry Ford Museum Caithness ● Waterworks Museum ● Belgium Testing the Waters in Barcelona The TICCIH Conference in Barcelona April 2018 industry which will inform the UNESCO report on was held in the Agbar Museu de les Aigües. The water supply, the universal importance of water, full title of this event was ‘The international the history of the water industry and identifying INDUSTRIAL heritage of the water industry – historic values of what aspects of the industrial processing supply and treatment networks. architectural heritage is historically significant. He ARCHAEOLOGY went on to show how the mortality rate fell as Stephen Sanders water quality improved, how the introduction of NEWS 186 the steam engine helped, how water could be Autumn 2018 The material remains of industry: industrial sites, brought from further afield and how the size of buildings, plant, machinery and equipment as water processing facilities grew to keep pace with Honorary President well as housing, industrial settlements, industrial the increasing demand. Prof Marilyn Palmer landscapes, products and processes, and Rolf Höhmann of the Büro für Industrie- 63 Sycamore Drive, Groby, Leicester LE6 0EW documentation of the industrial society, all fall archäologie in Germany delivered a paper on Pre- Chairman Dr Michael Nevell within its remit. Members of TICCIH come from all industrial technology for water supply. Using the Centre for Applied Archaeology, LG19 Peel Building, over the world and include historians, German city of Augsburg to explain both the way University of Salford, Salford M5 4NW conservators, museum curators, architects, water supply was managed and had evolved, he Secretary archaeologists, students, teachers, heritage illustrated the difficulties of working with limited David de Haan AIA Liaison Office, Ironbridge Gorge Museum, professionals and anyone with an interest in the historic material and the absence of industrial Coalbrookdale, Telford TF8 7DX development of industry and industrial society. archaeological remains. He explained why Treasurer Although TICCIH members are both individuals Augsburg had been selected for the study and John Jones and institutions, it is organized through national raised the significance of water used by those in Hines Farm, Earl Stonham, Suffolk IP14 5HQ associations, here in the UK, being the authority, be they princes or states, to show how IA Review Editors Dr Mike Nevell and Dr Ian West Association for Industrial Archaeology. powerful they were – princes building fountains The Barcelona Conference in April 2018 and states building water towers. IA News Editor Chris Barney concentrated on the water industry and aimed to Professor Susan Ross talked about the The Barn, Back Lane, Birdingbury CV23 8EN put the industry’s infrastructure into its historic management of the water supply to the city of Conference Secretary technological and social context, to examine the Montreal. She told the conference how reservoirs John McGuinness 29 Altwood Road, Maidenhead SL6 4PB origins of the technical solutions that have been had developed at various places on the adjacent developed and to compare how they were mountain over time and how they had been Planning Casework Officer Amber Patrick applied in different cities around the world. The maintained, some as parts of the landscape, some Flat 2, 14 Lypiatt Terrace, Cheltenham GL50 2SX conference room itself had been a large, brick, as enclosed treatment plants. There were many Publicity Officer above ground reservoir and, now redundant, contentious issues surrounding aesthetics, Roy Murphy converted into a large meeting room and concert ecology and security of the city’s water supply. 3 Wellington Road, Ombersley, Worcestershire WR9 0DZ hall. This was the first of several redeployed Professor Ross implied that commercial Recording Awards Officer Shane Kelleher redundant industrial buildings connected with considerations too often held sway. She finished Sales Officer the city’s water supply to impress me. by emphasising the importance of ‘water rights’ Roger Ford Delegates were welcomed to the conference by and the importance of public dialogue. Barn Cottage, Bridge Street, Bridgnorth, the museum director Sònia Hernández and James Barcelona developed its industrial revolution Shropshire WV15 6AF Douet from TICCIH. He introduced the inaugural without coal, water or minerals. Dr Manel Martin Facebook Manager Dr Paul Collins address, given by Professor Martin Melosi, Director told how the City developed through the of the Centre for Public History, University of nineteenth century with references to many of Council Members Bill Barksfield (Website and Overseas trips) Houston, USA. Professor Melosi described the social the spectacular buildings that were built to Dr Robert Carr (British Archaeological Awards) pressures that led to the need for better water quench the thirst of a rapidly growing Tony Crosby (APPG Secretariat) Kate Dickson (E-FAITH) supplies, mostly health driven. He cited the findings conurbation. He explained how not all were as Bruce Hedge (Membership development) of people like Edwin Chadwick and Dr John Snow successful as the entrepreneurs had hoped. A Shane Kelleher and explained how the development of a greater magnificent water tower had been built too near Michael Messenger Stephen Miles (Conference bookings) understanding of what diseases were – from the the coast. It produced water too salty for public Ian Miller idea of miasmic influences, to bacteriological consumption and so was used to serve nearby Roy Murphy (Publicity) Dr Tegwen Roberts (Social media) theory, to the ecology considerations of the present industry and fire brigades. High in the hills behind Mark Watson (TICCIH – GB National Representative) day – have created the mosaic nature of the Barcelona there is a water tower with an Honorary Vice-Presidents systems we depend on. He explained that the exceptional lift to carry staff and visitors to the Prof Angus Buchanan Sir Neil Cossons watercarriers and wells had been adequate until top, from where spectacular views of the city can Prof John Hume the rapid growth of population in the nineteenth be enjoyed. Its elevated position meant that it Liaison Officer David de Haan, AIA Liaison Office, The Ironbridge Institute, century created an unmanageable need for clean could keep even the tallest buildings adequately Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Coalbrookdale, Telford TF8 7DX. water. Private enterprise could not cope with the supplied. As Barcelona became a modern Tel: 01952 416026. investment required and municipal investment was European city, it lost its medieval heart and its E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.industrial-archaeology.org often key to providing fresh water, often from ancient walls but gained refurbished old and remote sources. As the appreciation of the issues impressive new fountains. involved in providing clean water improved, so too Dr Jorge Tartarini from the Museo del Agua in did the handling of ‘hazardous substances’ of Buenos Aires described how a town whose COVER PICTURE sewage and waste. principal industry had been contraband, grew Knappenrode, Saxony. The business end of a brown James Douet’s own presentation to the into today’s Buenos Aires. Founded at the time of coal bucket wheel excavator. The wheel is 10m in delegates was entitled, What is Significant about the conquistadores, as its population increased a diameter and the adjacent figure gives an idea of the Water Heritage? This was an explanation of water industry had to develop. Outbreaks of scale. See page 4. the TICCIH comparative study of the water water borne diseases, particularly cholera, proved 2—INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS—186 too much for the water carriers who provided water for most of the citizens and even for the rainwater wells favoured by the better off. This was in spite of the precaution, taken by the wealthy, of keeping a small tortoise in their wells to purify them! The first clean water was brought into the city by the railway company and shared between the engines and the station’s neighbours! The city commissioned the Irish born engineer John Coghlan to build the first water treatment works anywhere in the Americas. This was superseded by more efficient plant in an enlarged system by John Bateman, the British engineer. The project was so grandiose that Doulton decorative tiles were imported from the UK to grace the building. The final presentation was a detailed account of the spectacular Bubene waste water treatment works. Dr Sàrka Jirouškova is the administrator of the Bubene in Prague. It was in use from 1907 until 1967 and currently its building serves as a museum of Prague’s sewage system.It was designed by William Heerlein Lindley to cope with the sewage from Prague. The following day was devoted to site visits and again, very rewarding. The city has several historically interesting water pumping stations and storage and distribution buildings. Delegates were taken to the Torreoó del Tibidabo water tower, the Casa de les Aigüessteam engine and pumping station in Montcada and the Torre de les Aigües del Besòs in Poble Nou. All fine buildings, but for me the last place we visited was the most spectacular redeployment of a structure. An enormous brick-built reservoir, originally constructed to supply water to fountains in a nearby park and designed to