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Celebrating Milne Public Art Commission Background & Site Celebrating Milne Public Art Commission Background & Site Information John Milne – Father of Modern Seismology John Milne, born 1850, was a brilliant English geologist who lived and worked in Tokyo, Japan, and in Newport on the Isle of Wight, and is regarded as the founding father of Seismology. Milne was instrumental in establishing serious scientific study of earthquakes and in producing the first codes of practice for civil engineers in seismic regions. He lived and worked at Shide Hill House, in Newport on the Isle of Wight, from 1895 until his death in 1913. Shide Hill House was situated close to Pan Chalk pit from where Milne was able to measure earth tension. Milne was a keen photographer, and many glass plate images of his time in Japan and Isle of Wight are housed locally. 2013 is the commemorative year of John Milne’s life and work, with a programme of events being planned to celebrate his work locally and nationally. This Public Art commission offers the chance to celebrate and reinterpret his work for a contemporary audience. Photo Source: Tokyo University Library Archives The Milne horizontal seismograph (modified from Milne, 1898a). Copyright - http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/seismology/history/part09.php A record obtained with a Milne horizontal seismograph on April 5 1901 (reproduced from Rep. Bril. Ass. Advmt. Sci. 1901, p. 50). As may be seen, the usefulness of Milne's instrument was diminished by its lack of damping. Copyright – as above. • Photographs: for glass plate images taken by John Milne at home and in Japan see: www.historicimages.co.uk These are kept at Carisbrooke Castle Museum, IOW. • Further info about the history of measuring earthquakes: http://earthquake.usgs.gov The Public Art Site and Details Address: Little London Car Park, Sea St, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 5BD The site is the outer facing corner wall of this town centre car park. See photo of the site below, with the panel spaces indicated in yellow (guide only). The art work will consist of three enamel panels; two square panels on each side and one long panel in the centre beneath the iron railings. These will be constructed at AJ Wells & Sons enamel department (located nearby), with a five day studio time there for the chosen artist. This site is located on a busy town centre road in the heart of Newport, the Island’s capital town, with a population of 24’000, close to its Civic centre. It is situated directly adjacent to the popular Quay Arts, the Island’s art centre and is also next to a cycleway on Little London road leading to The Bargeman’s Rest pub, and the Industrial Estate. Buildings in the immediate area include County Hall, the County Courts, the Riverside Centre and Jubilee Stores artists’ studios. The Surrounding Area: The immediate area is part of Newport Quay and Riverway, just a few yards from the Medina River which was historically the island’s busiest port. The road in the site photo, with the no entry sign, is ‘Little London’ which is a popular cycleway and walkway along the river, running parallel to the Riverway Industrial Estate, and eventually leading to the Cycleway to Cowes (another popular Island town). The Section 106 funds which have enabled this project come from a small Superstore Development 2 minutes from here on the Riverway Industrial Estate. Quay Arts – Side View Site History: The car park site belongs to Hursts, a local hardware shop. The site used to be a gas plant and before that a foundry belonging to Hursts. Scrap metal was stored and sold from here. The old railway building is in the background, behind the site. Newport Railway Station, open from 1862 - 1966, The Hurst’s hardware store existed in Milne’s day, and Milne actually acquired a lamp post from the Hurst’s foundry on this site to make the large scale seismograph pictured here. Milne at Shide It is important to acknowledge that Milne lived and worked at Shide, where he had a laboratory and studied earth movement from Pan Chalkpit. The artwork will be located in the centre of Newport, but the artist can consider the link with Shide and the fact that this public art may become part of a Milne ‘trail’ to Shide, linking Milne’s grave and his house etc. Further Resources: Carisbrooke Castle Museum (Near Newport) Here, Milne’s photographs are housed for viewing. A preview online is at: www.historicimages.co.uk Also there is a working earthquake monitor for public use. The museum education service runs an activity for school children where they build an earthquake-proof structure much as Milne was involved in Japan. Books may be available, please ask if required. Patrick Nott – Milne expert We have the notes from a talk given by Patrick Nott which he kindly passed on which is essential reading for research purposes. Patrick is a locally-based expert on Milne, his life and work. He has contributed to books about Milne below: Further Reading: Use ‘John Milne seismologist’ as a web search ‘John Milne, Father of Modern Seismology’ (now out of print) L.K. Herbert-Gustar and P.A. Nott Paul Norbury publisher 1980 ‘John Milne, the Man who Mapped the Shaking earth’ Paul Kabrna, foreword by Patrick Nott Craven & Pendle Geological Society 2007 ‘A History of Newport Quay and the River Medina’ Bill Shepard and Brian Greening Published privately by the authors 2008 .
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