THE SPANISH CIVIL war and Scotland’s tireless activists

The magazine of the National Library of Scotland | www.nls.uk | Issue 13 Autumn 2009 The origin of Darwin’s greatest work

TOP 10 Scottish Scientists

PLUS Conan Doyle and the Afghan connection welcome

A new Visitor Centre and a new issue of Discover NLS The autumn issue of Discover NLS celebrates the official opening of our new Visitor Centre in the George IV Bridge building. After many T It’s a tale months of work the new facilities opened over the summer to very positive feedback from staff and of women customers. We hope you will have an opportunity to enjoy turning into the new shop and café area, and the general feeling of campaigners, DISCOVER NLS Issue 13 autumn 2009 welcome that the new facilities have given to the Library. sometimes for

CONTACT US Also in this issue of Discover NLS, Daniel Gray has written the first time We welcome all comments, questions, submissions a fascinating piece on the role that Scotswomen played in and subscription enquiries. the Spanish Civil War. It’s a tale of women turning into Please write to us at the National Library of Scotland campaigners, sometimes for the first time in their lives. address below or email [email protected] Elsewhere, we explore a series of links found in the Library’s collections that bring together Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the FOR NLS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF publisher William Blackwood and Sons and Afghanistan. Alexandra Miller MANAGING EDITOR Touching on connections, Conan Doyle was born in 1859, Julian Stone which also happens to be the year that John Murray first Director of Development AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS published Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. In this issue, Teri Wishart EDITORIAL ADVISER Rachel Beattie recounts how Darwin came to write this Willis Pickard groundbreaking book, and examines the author’s own CONTRIBUTORS reservations about the publication of this work. Peter Arnott, Rachel Beattie, Bruce Blacklaw, Almut Boehme, Within our news pages we cover the completion of one of Catherine Booth, Dr Iain the Library’s smallest collections and the recent discovery of G Brown, Alison Buckley, Beverley Casebow, Emma footage that sheds light on a great lost Scottish feature film. Faragher, Chris Fleet, Daniel Gray, Andrew Martin, So whether you’re reading this issue in the comfort of our Janet McBain, David McClay, Francine Millard, James Mitchell, new Visitor Centre, or elsewhere, I hope you find much to chrane o Cate Newton, Nick Thorpe c enjoy in this autumn issue of Discover NLS. lm o EDITOR Jack Kibble-White [email protected] malc Design Matthew Ball Sub-editorS Anne Boyle, page Clare Harris, Andrew Littlefield this Publisher John Innes Alexandra Miller

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). Woodside House s o 20-23 Woodside Place di Three NLS blogs to bookmark u Glasgow G3 7QF st 0141 582 1280 ISSN 1751-5998 (print) 1 2 3 lithic ISSN 1751 6005 (online) o nd NLS OPU Blog of the The John Murray o National Library of Scotland m The blog of the Official Digital NLS Archive Curators’ ( George IV Bridge Publications Unit The Library’s digital Blog Edinburgh EH1 1EW features updates on the archive is ever expanding, Read correspondence Telephone 0131 623 3700 darwin latest items to come and this blog provides from the vast John Fax 0131 623 3701 into the collection, regular updates on what’s Murray Archive. Email [email protected] ranging from knitwear new, as well as discussion Some letters are charles

, for the British Army to on how to make the most written by well-known The National Library of the 2009 influenza of the internet as names, but many are ver Scotland is a registered o pandemic. a research tool. from unknown c Scottish charity. Scottish http://nlsopublog. http://digitalnls. correspondents. nt Charity No. SC011086 o blogspot.com/ wordpress.com/ www.nls.uk/jma/blog/ fr www.nls.uk

www.nls.uk Autumn 2009 | discover nls | 3 contents

6 USING NLS Your guide on how to find your way around NLS’ collections and services The cause of the

9 NEWS Spanish Mary Queen of Scots republic struck letter at the new Visitor Centre; SCOTBIS and the a chord with recession; new online Scotswomen resources Page 22 16 top scot scientists Your views on which Scottish scientists have contributed the most to science

18 tHE EVOLUTION OF DARWIN’S ORIGIN Rachel Beattie looks at Charles Darwin’s life and times and, with the help of documents held in the John Murray Archive, pieces together the controversy created by the publication of On the Origin of Species

22 SCOTLAND’S FOREIGN WAR Daniel Gray explores the role of Scotswomen in the Spanish Civil War

28 making connections: conan doyle, blackwood’s and two afghan disasters What links the creator of Holmes and Watson, Conan Doyle’s might- have-been first publisher and military conflicts Contributors to this issue include in Afghanistan?

32 MY NLS Writer Nick Thorpe reflects on the way the Library has helped him in his quest for a balanced life

33 proFESSIONAL Rachel Beattie Dr Iain Gordon Brown Daniel Gray James Mitchell PRACTICE Rachel works on Principal Curator Daniel is a JMA James is a Curator Cate Newton talks the John Murray in the Manuscripts Cataloguer and in the Rare Book about NLS’ Gaelic Archive project Division, Iain is author of Homage Collections Division digitisation project in her role as the working on a book to Caledonia: with responsibility Assistant Curator about the Library’s Scotland and the for cataloguing NLS’ 34 LIBRARY LINKS of this collection collections Spanish Civil War pre-1901 acquisitions www.nls.uk Autumn 2009 | discover nls | 5 Using the National Library of Inside Scotland NLS With a collection of around 14 million printed items, two million maps, 32,000 films, three miles of manuscripts, plus thousands of photos and journals, getting around NLS requires a little navigation

How to join valid) and a recent utilities bill. To use the Library’s reading Photos, for identification rooms and order up items purposes, can be taken at Visitors to from the collections, you Readers’ Registration. the Library need to hold a Reader’s Card. An application form can be picked up at George IV Bridge Viewing made in person, by telephone Online or the Causewayside Building, on 0131 623 3700, by email: NLS has a vast range or downloaded from material [email protected], or through of electronic resources, www.nls.uk. With a Reader’s Card you the Library website at including digital versions To complete your gain access to the reading www.nls.uk. If you know of reference works, massive application you will need rooms, from where you can what you’re looking for, full-text facsimiles and proof of identity (a view material held in we recommend you make business databases driving licence, passport the Library’s collections. your request in advance (see below for a list). or matriculation card are all Requests for items can be of your visit to the Library. Many of these resources

Digital resources Education, Government From articles on sport, to the full text science and and official of Parliamentary Papers from 1821, social science ➽ 8th Century Official NLS’ licensed digital collections are a Parliamentary Publications ➽ ALPSP Learned Journals Portal 1688-1834 Over superb research tool Collection From the one million pages drawn Poetry from 1789 to 1832 Association of Learned from 1,400 volumes of Art and ➽ SCRAN Digital Materials and Professional Society The18th Causewayside century official building Images, films and sounds Publishers parliamentary publications literature relevant to Scotland ➽ Blackwell Compass ✱ Early English Books Online ✱ 19th Century UK Journals History, literature (EEBO): Full-text of some Periodicals Part 1. Women’s, Business and philosophy articles 100,000 books printed in Children’s, Humour and ✱ COBRA: The Complete ➽ Electronic Enlightenment England, Ireland, Scotland, Leisure/Sport Early lifestyle Business Reference Adviser Correspondence between Wales, and British North publishing in Britain Business resource writers of the 18th century. America from 1473 to 1700 ➽ Naxos Music Library ➽ Factiva Global news and Contains over 53,000 letters ➽ House of Commons Classical music collection business search service and documents from over Parliamentary Papers ➽ Oxford Music Online ✱ Global Reference Solution 6,000 correspondents Consists of over 9.4 million Major music reference works Company information ➽ JSTOR Leading academic pages and 180,000 papers ➽ Perdita Manuscripts; ➽ Kompass Database journals and bills Women Writers, 1500-1700 More than 23 million ➽ Oxford Journals Online ➽ Public Information Online Manuscripts from British products and services Life sciences, medicine, Papers from Westminster, women authors ➽ Market Research Monitor humanities and law Holyrood and Stormont ➽ RILM Abstracts of Music Research reports from ➽ Science Full Text Select ✱ Making of Modern Law: Literature Bibliography more than 50 countries Titles from Wilson Web Legal Treatises 1800-1926 of writings on music ➽ Mintel Market Leisure, ➽ Web of Knowledge Provides access to over ➽ Scottish Women Poets market, retail and financial Links to the Web of Science 22,000 legal treatises on of the Romantic Period intelligence and Journal Citation Reports US and British law The Visitor Centre at George IV Bridge NLS locations

Films Scottish Screen Archive 39-41 Montrose Avenue Hillington Park, Glasgow G52 4LA Tel 0845 366 4600 Email [email protected] ‘A Favourite Song In Comus’ - from NLS’ collection of English and Scottish songs Maps Causewayside Building FOCUS ON 33 Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SL music COLLECTIONS Tel 0131 623 3970 The National Library of Scotland acquires music through Email [email protected] its legal deposit privilege, as well as through bequests, Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm (Wed donations and purchases. The music collections now 10am-5pm), Sat 9.30am-1pm include extensive British holdings, especially of Scottish are available over the internet music. There is also a wide selection of foreign music to readers living in Scotland All other collect ions editions, special collections of early editions of Handel, (although restrictions do George IV Bridge, Berlioz and Verdi, rare items from Scottish music apply to some collections, in Edinburgh EH1 1EW collectors and music sound recordings. Music line with licence agreements). Tel 0131 623 3700 manuscripts are administered by Manuscript Collections. Your first port of call to Email [email protected] Personal access to the music collections is open to access the Library’s online Mon-Fri 9.30am-8.30pm all holders of a Reader’s Card, while an increasing collection is www.nls.uk/ (Wed 10am-8.30pm), amount of material is available to view online. For catalogues/online/er Sat 9.30am-1pm more information go to www.nls.uk/collections/music

between 1615 and 1947 1475-1700 (EEBO) More History, ✱ Sabin Americana, 1500- than 100,000 classics 1926 Works on the Americas ✱ Eighteenth Century biography ✱ Making of the Modern Collections Online (ECCO) and genealogy World Over 61,000 works Over 150,000 books printed on economics and business between 1701 and 1800 ✱ 17 & 18th Century Burney ✱ Times Digital Archive ✱ Eighteenth Century Collection Newspapers Pages from The Times Collections Online (ECCO) and news pamphlets newspaper from 1785 to 1985 Part 2 45,000 further titles ✱ 19th Century British ✱ Who’s Who (and Who Was ➽ Oxford English Dictionary Library Newspapers Who) Contains the current Online Accepted authority A full-text digital archive Who’s Who plus the entire on the English language ➽ British and Irish Women’s Who Was Who archive ➽ Oxford Reference Online Letters and Diaries Writings 100 dictionary, language spanning the last 400 years Reference and subject reference ➽ Celtic Culture: A Historical works from the Oxford Encyclopedia (via NetLibrary) works and University Press Articles describing the Celts catalogues ➽ InfoTrac Custom All collections can be ➽ FROST & SULLIVAN newspapers featuring ✱ Credo Reference 100 high- ✱ accessed through the INTERACTIVE RESEARCH titles from around the world quality reference books from electronic resources search RESOURCE SERVICE ✱ Oxford Dictionary of the world’s leading publishers service at the Library. The famous global National Biography (ODNB) ✱ Early American Imprints, Collections marked with a ✱ market research company Accounts of those who Series 1: Evans, 1639-1800 can also be accessed outwith provides detailed industry shaped the history of Britain Digitised full-text of more the Library (although some analysis on chemical, ➽ Raj, India & Empire than 39,000 titles require registration for energy, environmental k The history of South Asia ✱ Early English Books Online remote access). and building technologies, healthcare, IT and For more information visit: www.nls.uk/catalogues manufacturing shutterstoc markets worldwide. NEWS

FACILITIES Mary Queen of Scots’ last letter goes on display as Visitor Centre officially opens

he last letter written by The shop offers books, including T Mary Queen of Scots is to the Library’s own published titles, go on display in the newly stationery and gift items inspired opened Visitor Centre at the NLS by NLS’ collections, such as high George IV Bridge building. quality reproduction maps and Queen Mary I’s letter, written only iconic manuscripts. hours before her execution in 1587, In the café there’s Fairtrade tea will be exhibited for just one week and coffee and locally sourced starting Tuesday 15 September. snacks. The centre also boasts After that a faithful facsimile of this PC terminals with access to NLS extremely precious document will be catalogues and other digital on display for several months. facilities, including free wi-fi access. The exhibition of the letter marks the official opening of the new Mary Queen of Scots at Lochleven Castle With the new Vistor Centre now ne a Visitor Centre at NLS. Virtually the open, why not take the time to whole ground floor of the Library In the exhibition areas, visitors are able stop by for a cup of coffee or a light has now been given over to public to browse the summer exhibition The Original lunch? You can browse in the shop, access, with exhibition areas, a shop, Export: Stories of Scottish Emigration and take in the displays or learn more lcolm cochr a m a café and electronic resources. items from the Library’s collections. about the Library’s collections

SHIRLEY Williams’ Donald Dewar Lecture

On 25 August, Baroness to Donald Dewar before In a lively Q&A session Shirley Williams gave the going on to discuss political afterwards, she spoke on a eighth annual Donald Dewar reform, praising what she variety of issues, including Memorial Lecture, sponsored by described as the innovation cabinet government, political NLS, to a full house at the Edinburgh and relative accountability engagement and her own International Book Festival. of the devolved Scottish immersion in politics from Baroness Williams paid tribute Parliament. a very early age.

www.nls.uk Autumn 2009 | discover nls | 9 collections Small words of wisdom recent purchase of the ‘Allies A Bible in Khaki’ completes the Library’s collection of all the variant miniature editions of the Bible published between 1895 and 1914 by David Bryce of Glasgow. Bryce was Scotland’s most prolific and successful producer of miniature books, and in spite of his publications being of the smallest imaginable size, their texts are remarkably clear and legible. To aid readability, many of Bryce’s miniatures were issued with a hinged metal locket, which incorporated an inset magnifying glass. This copy of the ‘Allies Bible’ is particularly significant in that it still has its original dust-jacket featuring pictures of the Belgian, British, French and Russian flags. The only other known copies of this Bible are located at the British Library and Cambridge University Library.

the Balfour Handel Collection remembered in anniversary year

2009 marks a bumper year by which it is now known all over for musical anniversaries. It the world. is 350 years since the birth of The collection contains a large Henry Purcell and 250 years since the number of first edition scores and death of George Frideric Handel, not instrumental parts, as well as a to mention the 200th anniversary of collection of libretti. Of particular the death of Joseph Haydn and the interest is Handel’s oratorio ‘Judas birth of Felix Mendelssohn. Maccabaeus’, written in response to While Mendelssohn and Haydn’s the events around the second Jacobite Scottish connections were featured rebellion in 1745-1746. Handel initially in the National Library’s Scots made modest contributions to the Music Abroad exhibition earlier English cause with two songs, this year, the Library also holds a ‘Stand Round, My Brave Boys’ and collection of early editions of the ‘From Scourging Rebellion’, but by works of Handel, assembled by the August 1746, ‘Judas Maccabaeus’ noted collector Julian Marshall and celebrated later acquired by Arthur J. Balfour. the Duke of The collection was purchased by Cumberland’s ns the Library in 1938 and given the victory over ‘See, The Conqu’ring Hero Comes’ in Handel’s a ‘Judas Maccabaeus’ title ‘Balfour Handel Collection’, the Scots. ry ev a m

10 | discover nls | Autumn 2009 www.nls.uk BUSINESS SUPPORT COBRA SCOTBIS upturn helps new during downturn businesses to grow

s the recession continues to for those people trying to set up a A grip, how has the economic company, or pull together a business downturn impacted upon plan. ‘We have recently rolled out NLS’ Scottish Business Information the Complete Business Reference Service (SCOTBIS)? Adviser (COBRA) database so that ‘It’s still quite early to tell,’ says registered readers can access it John Coll, Head of Access and remotely,’ explains John. ‘COBRA Enquiries at the Library. ‘But our is a continually updated information sense is that the use of SCOTBIS resource that’s particularly useful has increased during the recession. for new businesses.’ (see page 6 One of the realities of the current for more details on COBRA). economic climate is that there are At the time of writing, NLS is lots of people being made redundant, also in the process of finalising a and many of them are using their Memorandum of Understanding redundancy money to start their with Scottish Enterprise that will Rare Books Curator own business.’ allow the two organisations to James Mitchell with the With the largest collection of work together to share expertise and miniature collection market research data in Scotland, further improve support services for SCOTBIS is clearly a key resource businesses during the credit crunch.

by the numbers RARE BOOKS Sale of Origin in anniversary year first edition of Darwin’s day of publication. A On the Origin of Species A second edition of 3,000 copies (pictured) sold in June for sold out shortly afterwards. 24 £15,625 as part of a Rare Books, ‘This particular copy of On The authors feature Manuscripts and Photographs sale Origin of Species was found in a on the John Murray organised by house near Inverness,’ explained Lyon & Lyon & Turnbull’s Head of Archive website’s new Turnbull, the Book Department, Simon interactive timeline Scotland’s Vickers, ‘and it has been in the oldest firm of family a long time. The family and biography pages, auctioneers. have no known connection to bringing to life the Only 1,250 Darwin, and it may have been unique link between copies of the bought on its first publication. first edition It is particularly fitting that ne, shutterstock a the firm and some of Darwin’s we are selling the book in of the greatest influential book Darwin’s anniversary year.’ were printed and published works. every one of them lcolm cochr Read more about On the a m www.nls.uk/jma sold on the first Origin of Species on page 18

www.nls.uk Autumn 2009 | discover nls | news

curator’s choice Hunting for Huntingtower Janet McBain, Scottish Screen Archive Curator, on the newsreel Sir Harry Lauder visits the Regent Picture House, Glasgow, to view Huntingtower

n 1927, film director Janet McBain and I George Pearson cast the autograph book of Harry Lauder in the Dan McArthur, one of role of Dickson McCunn for the Die-Hards, signed his adaptation of John Buchan’s by the cast and novel Huntingtower. Pearson also crew of the film, recruited a dozen Glasgow lads as including Lauder the ‘Gorbals Die-Hards’, the gang that assist McCunn in his rescue of a Russian princess imprisoned by nitrate film was discovered in Bolsheviks in a deserted castle. Hartlepool. It contains a local ‘A merrier entertainment has newsreel of Huntingtower’s Glasgow never been produced’ reported the premiere. The event took place in Daily Express at the time. Sadly it’s October 1928 and was attended by an assessment that we have to take Lauder himself. Thousands crowded at face value. Huntingtower is the streets around Glasgow’s Regent number one on our list of ‘missing Cinema, and the newsreel includes believed lost’ Scottish feature films. footage showing queues of excited Pearson is thought to have sold off people waiting to get into the picture the film’s negatives for recycling in house. The cinema frontage, the 1930s when his company was decorated to resemble the eponymous in financial straits. Silver could be baronial castle, is also captured, From the newsreel: Lauder outside the cinema reclaimed from nitro-cellulose film as are four members of the Gorbals stock and legend also has it that Die-Hards. They stand proudly in the As the film continues, Lauder film stock could be re-processed cinema entrance wearing their film arrives. He acknowledges the crowd, to make patent shoe leather! costumes, and just in case we still greets the cinema management and Whilst it seems unlikely we don’t know who they are, each one shakes hands with his youthful will ever be able to enjoy Pearson’s sports a big rosette on their co-stars. This all took place on a movie, last year a roll of very fragile chest proclaiming their identity. Friday morning. By teatime the film

RESOURCE New resource remembers women’s suffrage new NLS web resource for take place on 10 October starting at The Suffragette leaders A schools focusing on the history Bruntsfield Links. The Library and the of the women’s suffrage WEA will also be hosting a study day movement in Scotland will launch in for adult learners on 21 October. the autumn. The Library has also been working with the adult learning For more on The Gude Cause project organisation the Workers’ Educational www.gudecause.org.uk Association (WEA) to contribute to the For more on NLS and WEA Study Gude Cause project, which marks the day email Beverley Casebow at centenary of the Women’s Suffrage [email protected] View the web Procession in Edinburgh. A resource later this autumn at

re-enactment of the procession will www.nls.uk/learning/suffragettes janet wilson

www.nls.uk NLS ONLINE Viewing Scotland’s historical An air photo landscapes mosaic of Ardrossan Full colour maps in the mid- 19th century The Library has made available Each map is available as a series online all 13,000 of the Ordnance of high-resolution, colour images. Survey’s 25 inch to the mile series A zoomable map interface allows (1855-82) of maps. The series is easy searching by counties, parishes, the earliest detailed mapping of the and a gazetteer of place names. inhabited regions of Scotland. All The website also contains a guide to towns, villages and cultivated rural abbreviations, colours and symbols, areas were mapped, covering over as well as information on the maps. a third of Scotland’s total land area. The maps provide excellent Black and white air photos from the detail of buildings, streets, railways, mid-20th century industrial premises, parkland, farms, The Ordnance Survey’s air photo woodland and rivers. They also mosaics (1945-51) are also now record the precise acreage and land available to view online. The mosaics had been developed and printed and use of every parcel of ground. Even provide a unique snapshot of postwar was run as a prologue to the main features such as flagstaffs, free- urban Scotland. Aerial photography feature. Audiences delighted in standing trees, and railway signal was of key military importance in spotting themselves on the big screen. posts are shown. The bold style both world wars, but these photos of the maps and their attractive, were captured to aid civic planning To view the newsreel: informative hand-colouring and reconstruction work. Published http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=7936 allow easy interpretation for at a scale of six inches to the mile, a wide range of uses. many small features can be seen, In the previous issue’s ‘Curator’s often not appearing on any other Choice’, we referred to Brian Hillyard maps. The photos have been geo- finding in New York Public Library referenced and are available with ‘a 1993 facsimile of the auction Google, Virtual Earth, and catalogue’ for the collection of OpenStreetMap backdrops. Edinburgh resident David Steuart. Whether researching local history This should have read simply ‘a copy or simply seeking an attractive print of the original auction catalogue’. for the wall, these new website A facsimile of this was published in resources have much to offer. 1993 by Edinburgh Bibliographical Society in association with the View these websites at: National Library of Scotland. The 25 inch to the mile series www.nls.uk/maps/os/

New project to research author-publisher relations With funding from the Arts and comparative examinations of and Humanities Research author-publisher relations. Council, the Library’s new As well as working towards a PhD, Collaborative Doctoral Award will the student will also gain experience support a three-year studentship of working closely with JMA staff, to research author-publisher whilst sharing their research and relations in the 19th century. contributing to the JMA’s talks, Research will begin this month publications and exhibitions. and will be focused on the John This collaboration between NLS Murray Archive (JMA). The amount and the Centre for the History and diversity of material in the of the Book at the University of Archive provides an unparalleled Edinburgh builds upon the strong opportunity for a range of detailed links between the two institutions. John Murray’s drawing room

Autumn 2009 | discover nls | 13 news

Autumn EVENTS at NLS

All events take place at the THE KING OF MADISON adventurers who founded National Library of Scotland, AVENUE the firm. George IV Bridge, unless 30 September, 7pm otherwise stated n Discover the original ELSIE AND MARIE ‘Mad Man’ through Kenneth GO TO WAR: Two NLS Film Club: Roman’s biography of David extraordinary women on Angelou on Burns Ogilvy, The King of Madison the Western Front 24 September, 6.30pm. Avenue. Ogilvy was a legend 12 October, 7pm n A screening of a in the advertising world, n Diane Atkinson and two beautifully filmed mastering his craft with a actors will tell the documentary which records sparkle that will live on for extraordinary story of Dr Angelou’s work and her generations. Kenneth Roman, Elsie and Marie, a fearless duo Peter Tatchell trip to Ayrshire. Elly Taylor, a former CEO at the Ogilvy who were the only women the film’s director, will & Mather advertising agency, to nurse on the front line. Chief Scientific Adviser for be present to answer any worked directly with David Scotland, visits NLS to audience questions. Ogilvy for 26 years. THE EDINBURGH discuss what has inspired This event carries a £5 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY her throughout her booking fee – pay online at THE ANDREW TANNAHILL ANNUAL JOHN MURRAY distinguished career. www.nls.uk/events/ LECTURE: Scottish ARCHIVE LECTURE: booking Literature and Visual Art: Reflections on Origins INSPIRATIONS AT NLS: A Caledonian Synergy 10 November, 7pm Peter Tatchell in DOORS OPEN DAY 1 October, 7pm n John Murray Archive conversation with Richard 26 September n In the first Andrew Tannahill Writer in Residence, Holloway n The Library opens its lecture Professor Murdo playwright Peter Arnott, will 17 November, 7pm doors to allow public access Macdonald will explore the rich present a semi-dramatised n Peter Tatchell’s to all ground floor areas. relationship between Scottish reflection on his own work sometimes controversial Please check www.nls.uk writing and the visual arts. on Charles Darwin, and on methods of protest have nearer the time for details. the celebrations that have been celebrated by some THE THISTLE marked and derided by others. AND THE JADE Darwin’s Richard Holloway joins 6 October, 7pm bicentenary. Peter for a look back at n The thistle in the his controversial career, title of this book INSPIRATIONS which has taken in party refers to the AT NLS: politics and moments of Scots firm of Professor headline-grabbing activism. Jardine, Anne Glover Matheson and 12 November, Book events online at Co. Clara 7pm www.nls.uk/events/booking Weatherall will n Professor or you can call to book on Doors Open Day at NLS be looking at the Anne Glover, the 0131 623 3918

translated authors NLS ONLINE Andrew Martin, Curator of Modern Scottish Collections, reports that Indian medical papers now online ‘translations arriving recently at NLS fficial medical publications germ theory of disease was being remind us just how much quality O from around 1850 to 1950 used in the field. Scottish fiction there is on the shelves are available to read online The existing web feature, the of readers in Eastern Europe and and free of charge, thanks to the NLS Medical History of British India beyond.’ For example, thriller queen Digital Archive and funding from the at www.nls.uk/indiapapers, is Val McDermid Wellcome Trust. The collection has already populated with the Disease is a star been divided into three categories, publications. The Drugs and in Bulgaria, Disease, Drugs and Institutions, and Institutions items will be added soon. while Carol Ann includes detailed biological research Duffy’s poetry from Indian Medical Service staff on Explore the full range of medical can now be Val McDermid’s rabies, dysentery, and fevers, all publications at: read in Slovak. The Distant Echo demonstrating how Robert Koch’s http://digital.nls.uk/

Autumn 2009 | discover nls | 15 NLS ONLINE Top Scot Scientists A new NLS web resource lists the John Napier Top Ten Scottish Scientists as voted (1550-1617) for by the public. Catherine Booth, Best known 10 as the inventor a Curator in the Library’s Science of logarithms, Information Service, explains how John Napier conceived the idea in 1594 and spent the project came about the next 20 years doing seven million calculations he idea for the website stemmed from several by hand before he unrelated enquiries we received asking about perfected the system. Scottish scientists. Various anniversaries, such as ‘Maxwell Year’ (2006) and ‘Kelvin 2007’, also indicated that the history of Scottish science was William Thomson importantT and topical. Here was an ideal opportunity to highlight the lives and work of Scottish scientists represented (1824-1907) in our collections. We easily made a list of over 50 names, Thomson (Lord Kelvin) representing all scientific disciplines, who had an association 9 carried out research with Scotland, but which of these should we start with? in heat, electricity We managed to whittle the list down to 24, mounted those and magnetism. He devised on a small web feature, and turned the decision over to the the absolute temperature scale, public in a light-hearted ballot. Over ten months we were where the lowest point is minus delighted to receive nearly 14,000 votes, where James Clerk 273.15ºC, and the second law Maxwell came out on top. Focusing on the ‘top ten’ names, of thermodynamics. Thomson the Scottish Science Hall of Fame website outlines their lives, also invented the mariner’s work and relevance to science and society today. compass.

Joseph Black Alexander Fleming Robert Watson-Watt (1728-1799) (1881-1955) (1892-1973) Black discovered Alexander Fleming was born in Darvel, Ayrshire. Watson-Watt 6 carbon dioxide, 5 Along with Howard Florey and Ernst Chain, 4 made the discovery which he called Fleming discovered the antibacterial properties of that radio waves ‘fixed air’, and established the Penicillium mould, and developed the antibiotic penicillin, could be used to detect some of its properties. He after the discovery of mould in his laboratory inspired his enemy aircraft. He first noted that it was heavier pioneering work. Fleming was given a knighthood in 1944, demonstrated his ‘radar’ in than common air, and that it and he, Florey and Chain were jointly awarded the Nobel 1935, and it played a crucial would extinguish a flame and Prize for Medicine in 1945. role in Britain’s defence suffocate an animal. during the Second World War.

16 | discover nls | Autumn 2009 MARY EVANS, EXCEPT 5 - NATIONAL GALLERIES OF SCOTLAND; 4 - NATIONAL portrait gallery; 2 and 1 - alamy Bell Alexander Graham want you.’ want I here; come Watson, ‘Mr was transmitted: sentence clear 1876 first the March 10 1876. On in Boston in – was patented telephone the Industrial Revolution. Industrial the start kick helped invention This engine. of the rest the cooling without steam to condense chamber condensing separate (1736-1819) James Watt 3 8 (1847-1922) invention – the – the invention famous most Bell’s of version early An

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To view the website, visit www.nls.uk/scientists/ visit To website, the view technology we take for technology ideas, his Without work. to Maxwell’s communication electronic We owe modern also our relativity. in research Einstein’s Albert prompted magnetism and electricity between interactions describing equations four formulated he here, work extensive From his radiation. electromagnetic was of them One fields. distinct several in (1831-1879) James Clerk Maxwell Some of his results results of his Some 1 outstanding work work outstanding produced Maxwell Clerk James

Autumn 2009 photograph – of a tartan. photograph colour first the produced he this, Toviolet. illustrate and green of red, composed is largely (like sunlight) light white that demonstrated he and Maxwell, interested also of colour composition The particles. of small up made fact werethey in showed Maxwell physics, of fluid. up were made rings Saturn’s that believed astronomers many century, 19th the In developed. have been wouldn’t phones, mobile or television today, as granted such Using mathematics and and mathematics Using

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discove groundbreakingpublication Origin T globe, an expedition that Darwin later described as he, left Britain on 27 December 1831. he first stepped aboard HMS Beagle. The ship, and yet little known.’ Darwin was just 22 years old when ‘profit by the opportunity of visiting distant countries FitzRoy believed whoever accompanied him would to be his guest on the ship’s second survey voyage.Beagle, had asked for a man of scientific background expedition. Robert FitzRoy, the captain of HMS chosen to participate on an around-the-world survey – of the greatest influences on his early life. Henslow, whom he befriended and later saw as courseone on botany given by the Reverend John Stevens went to Cambridge University, where he attended a Forth as a base for new discoveries). Darwin next about the classification of species (using the Firth of came to study medicine, he first developed a curiosity world and during his time at Edinburgh, where he He had always displayed an interest in the natural themselves to Darwin when he was a young man. throughthe John r On the Origin of Species. nls The Beagle spent five years travelling across the The book explores ideas that first suggested It was thanks to Henslow that Darwin was | A Thestory of how Charles Darwin came to write his utumn 2009 of the publication of his most famous work and November sees the 150th anniversary of his birth took place in February 2009, enthusiasts. The bicentennial celebrations his is a landmark year for Charles Darwin The Evolution of Darwin’s M urray

Onthe Origin of Species A DARWIN

rchive.

and published only in the event of his sudden withdeath. the strict instructions it should be opened a 235-page manuscript. This he gave to his wife expanded his initial 35-page sketch of theories into it was here during 1842 and 1843 that Darwin Wedgwood in 1839) to Down House in Kent, and took his family (he had married his cousin Emma him to withdraw from fashionable London. He that would dog Darwin for the rest of his life forced of the Beagle World also known as house of John Murray as and titles. An edition was released by the eminent in 1839. The publication went through many editions that animals adapt to their local habitat. discovery helped Darwin to formulate the theory Islands were shown to be island specific. This tortoises and rodents collected from the Galapagos specimens for himself. Darwin made sure to retain the marine invertebrate in Britain were distributed to specialists, although specimens of plants and animals, which once back visited different countries, Darwin collected having ‘determined my whole career’. As the vessel There has been much speculation on Darwin’s At around the time of publication, the ill health Darwin’s accounts of the voyage were published Upon examination, the finches, mockingbirds, and later, more popularly, as RachelBeattie . Naturalist’s Voyage Around the Journal of Researches

can be traced explores The Voyage

,

www.nls.uk

mary evans Charles Darwin – a stay in Edinburgh helped to inspire his interest in classification

Darwin gave the manuscript to his wife with the strict instructions it should be opened and published only in the event of his sudden death www.nls.uk Summer 2009 | discover nls | 19 reasons for not going to print straight away. He was certainly apprehensive about the reactions his theories would generate, and how it might impact on his reputation, for by this point he was a well- respected man of science. Darwin’s solution was to spend the next few years gathering further evidence to back up his theories. On 14 May 1856, after completing research into barnacles, pigeons, ducks, seeds and plants, Darwin finally began writing for publication. He intended his book to be a fully referenced three-volume work, brimming with detail from his own research. However, events soon transpired that would force him to radically change his plans. On 18 June 1858, Darwin received an essay from Alfred Russel Wallace, a naturalist who was studying in the Malay Peninsula. Wallace argued that natural selection was one of the processes of evolution – a conclusion Darwin had already arrived at twenty years previously. Darwin forwarded the letter and essay on to fellow scientist and friend Sir Charles Lyell, who decided that the papers of both men should be presented at the same time to the biological authority, the Linnean Society. Events unfolded so quickly that Wallace wasn’t actually notified about proceedings until they had taken place. Darwin’s hand was forced and so, on the advice of his friend Joseph Hooker, he started to write an abstract of his larger manuscript, with the intention of going to publication as quickly as possible. This version was not to be the heavy, scientific and fully A letter from five times as large as the Origin, and very few would referenced work that Darwin had originally planned; Darwin to John have had the patience to read it’ noted its author. instead it was to be a publication aimed at a general Murray, dated On 31 March 1859, Charles Darwin wrote to audience. Such a change would turn out to be 31 March 1859. John Murray, his former publisher. Of his proposed a major contributory factor in the work’s prominence. Darwin’s letters new publication, Darwin wrote: ‘It is the result of ‘Had I published on the scale in which I began to to Murray are held more than 20 years’ work, but as here given, is only write in 1856, the book would have been four or at Ms.42152-42153 a popular abstract of a larger work on the same subject…I have done my best, but whether it will succeed I cannot say.’ Murray replied with a letter the very next day, a copy of which still exists in the letter books that were kept by the Murray firm. In it, John Murray has This View of Life no hesitation ‘in stating at once even without seeing In October, the Library Glasgow, to put Summerlee Heritage the MS that I shall be most happy to publish it for is hosting a Darwin together a production Centre in Coatbridge, you.’ On receipt of this note, Darwin immediately themed participatory for an invited primary to distill the essence of replied with a letter that indicated he was only too play. Peter Arnott, NLS’ school audience where Darwin’s ideas. The aware of the controversial nature of his work. He Writer-in-Residence, four actors will lead project is still in a fairly wrote that ‘I feel bound for your sake (and my own) has been entrusted to an interactive early stage of to say in clearest terms, that if after looking over develop the project. performance of a time development, but the part of MS you do not think it likely to have a ‘I’ve been working journey called This plan is that by the end remunerative sale, I completely and explicitly free on Darwin,’ he says, View of Life. It will of September we will you from your offer’. ‘one result of which involve dinosaurs, have evolved far Murray sent the manuscript to one of his most is the series of semi- asteroids and pigeons, enough to present an trusted advisers, the Reverend Whitwell Elwin. dramatised historical as we attempt, for engaging day out.’ The verdict was delivered by Elwin to Murray on and public talks I’ve two weeks here, as 3 May 1859 in a marvellous letter wherein the been giving in the well as two weeks in This View of Life, Reverend made his own views crystal clear. boardroom. I’m the Hunterian Museum a participatory play ‘I have been intending for some days to write to working with Emma in Glasgow and a for primary schools, you upon the subject of Mr Darwin’s work on the Faragher here at few days at runs at the Library origin of species…at every page I was tantalised by

the absence of the proofs. All kinds of objections k the Library, and weekdays from 26 c ri

with collaborators October to and possibilities rose up in my mind’. Elwin d

at TAG Theatre 6 November. had heard that Darwin had carried out some Gol

Company, part of research on pigeons and suggested that a book Mc the Citizens The kids from on that subject would be preferable to the current amonn

Theatre in TAG work on offer – ‘Every body is interested in pigeons. E

20 | discoveR NLS www.nls.uk DARWIN

The book would be received in every journal in the kingdom, and would soon be on every table’. Clearly, Murray ignored Elwin’s advice and Evolving Words proceeded with publication. The 1,250 copies Darwin’s walks on Darwin’s time in that constituted the first edition came out on 24 the beaches near Edinburgh, which, November 1859. They were oversubscribed and Edinburgh sparked with support and Murray immediately ordered another 3,000 copies. off a fascination in advice from Anita, Although clearly popular, reaction was nature that would will result in the unsurprisingly mixed; biologist Thomas Huxley eventually lead him to creation of Darwin soon became known as Darwin’s bulldog, such was write On the Origin of inspired poetry. the vociferousness of his defence of Origin. However, Species. This autumn, Evolving Words others were appalled at the implications for the NLS will be recreating is funded by the history of human development inherent in Darwin’s those walks with a Wellcome Trust, theories, even though Darwin himself had shied group of young and the Library away from such subject matter in his publication. people participating is working in One notable supporter was Sir Charles Lyell. in Evolving Words, a conjunction with Darwin had read Lyell’s Principles of Geology performance project North Edinburgh Darwin on display (published in July 1830) while on board HMS Beagle running in six UK Arts Centre and and later recorded that the book had ‘altered the cities to celebrate community learning panel, some of the whole tone of one’s mind, and therefore that, when Darwin200 year. & development staff group members seeing a thing never seen by Lyell, one yet saw John Murray from Edinburgh will also get the it partially through his eyes’. Lyell’s belief that by Archive curator David Council. The project opportunity to looking at the world today we could determine what McClay and poet will culminate in local perform at a public had happened in the past encouraged Darwin to Anita Govan will be performances, a event showcasing study current species as a way to form ideas about working with the video and display of the project at the evolution. Lyell’s geological research and group to discuss the group’s work. If Wellcome Collection understanding was also instrumental in the evolution and selected by a central Gallery in London. formulation of theories supporting the notion that the Earth was in fact much older than had been previously thought. This extended time frame was each other with respect. As a sign of this respect, and crucial to Darwin’s theories of evolution. mirroring Darwin’s relationship with Lyell, Argyll Despite never being fully convinced by all of was one of the pallbearers at Darwin’s funeral. Darwin’s theories, Lyell incorporated natural Despite the debates after publication, Darwin felt selection into later editions of his popular and My views that ‘I have almost always been treated honestly by influential books, and such was the strength of the have often my reviewers, passing over those without scientific two men’s friendship, Darwin would later be a been grossly knowledge as not worthy of notice. My views have pallbearer at Lyell’s funeral in 1875. often been grossly misrepresented, bitterly opposed But if Darwin was able to attract notable misrepresented, and ridiculed, but this has been generally done, I supporters, the quality of his detractors was bitterly believe, in good faith’. impressive too. In 1894, George Douglas Campbell, With all this speculation, the book continued to the eighth Duke of Argyll, published The Burdens of opposed and sell well and Darwin saw six editions published Belief, a book that spoke out against evolution. If, for ridiculed, but during his lifetime. Later versions tried to deal with nothing else, it was notable for the manner in which this has been counter-arguments, as well as offer new research the Duke chose to construct his rebuttal – poetry. from other scientists. Herbert Spencer’s phrase As Argyll himself wrote in a letter to John Murray: generally ‘survival of the fittest’ was first introduced in the fifth ‘In short the poem is a substantial contribution to the done, I edition. The book has never been out of print. great controversy of our time – the connection believe, in The publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of between science and religion’. Argyll argued that life Species was a seminal moment in the modern world, and nature was so complex there had to have been good faith one that far exceeded its author’s own ambition. some kind of designer to bring it into existence. ‘I remember when in Good Success Bay, in Tierra del Although they disagreed, Darwin and Argyll Fuego, thinking…that I could not employ my life maintained a very cordial correspondence and treated better than in adding a little to Natural Science,’ he once wrote. ‘This I have done to the best of my abilities, and critics may say what they like, but they cannot destroy this conviction’. Even with his great intellect, Darwin could never have imagined that national celebrations involving exhibitions, television shows and educational activities would still be honouring his ‘little’ contribution some 150 years later.

In honour of the anniversary of On the Origin of Species’ first publication, Sir Charles Lyell and George Douglas Campbell, eighth Duke of Argyll, will join Darwin in the John Murray Archive

mary evans Alfred Russel Wallace, George Douglas Campbell, Sir Charles Lyell exhibition later this year.

www.nls.uk Autumn 2009 | discover nls | 21 war in spain

iving through the Hungry Thirties, like many young working-class women, Mary Docherty craved an escape from the grind of poverty. Yet Docherty dreamt not of leaving her native Cowdenbeath to find work in Glasgow

or a wealthy husband, but of signing

up to fight in a foreign war. ‘I wanted L to go to Spain,’ Docherty later reflected. ‘I said I could fire a rifle’. For the three years that it ran from 1936, the Spanish Civil War captivated Scotland. Millions of Scots roared on the cause of the republican side and railed against General Franco’s nationalist coalition. Nearly 600 men volunteered to serve; a quarter of them never came back. Domestically, an unparalleled aid movement materialised. That it was driven by working-class women like Docherty makes it all the more impressive. For her part, a lack of medical experience meant that the Fifer was never able to leave for Spain. Instead, Docherty ran the local Aid Spain committee. Hers was not an untypical experience. Across Scotland, spurred on by the example of the Duchess of Atholl, women were prompted to put their principles into practice. They had been inspired to act by a political awakening that embraced the General Strike of 1926, and subsequently the National Unemployed Workers’ Movement. While they had played a supporting role in those political struggles, Spain put them at the vanguard; no longer were they the wives of striking miners or hunger marchers, but campaigners in their own right. The starchy world of the male-dominated trade union hall had been infiltrated and electrified by this brazen and brilliant generation of women. Forming ruling committees of their own but unafraid to put in the legwork, women organised aid campaigns and events meticulously and prolifically. Prams were commandeered for collecting food door- to-door and tins rattled on street corners. ‘We went round every Friday with a wheel barrow,’ recalled Scotland’s foreign war On researching his bookHomage to Caledonia, published in conjunction with NLS,Daniel Gray uncovered the intriguing story of Scotswomen and the Spanish Civil War

22 | discover nls | Autumn 2009 www.nls.uk A 1938 Clockwise from top left: painting of the war; Annie Murray (centre) with nursing colleagues; fund Scottish Aid raising event advert; the Spain movement; a republican nurse showing her support for the cause

Scotland’s foreign war

www.nls.uk Autumn 2009 | discover nls | 23 war in spain

Mary Docherty. ‘Even though inevitable. Women in Scotland seem to there was mass unemployment at have been intrinsically anti-fascist too; that time, there was a great they embroiled themselves in street response to our appeal.’ skirmishes against domestic fascism in Women organised Spanish the form of Oswald Mosley’s British markets, concerts, fiestas, film Union of Fascists (BUF). As Bob viewings and theatre shows to Cooney, an Aberdonian who fought in raise both funds and awareness. Spain remarked: ‘When the BUF arrived With no access to media outlets, we’d shout, “These are the black-shirts to keep their cause current they who are murdering kiddies in Spain – spit daubed walls with whitewashed on them, kids.” Sometimes we’d be too clarion calls such as ‘Save Spain, late because the women had already dealt Save Peace’ and ‘Bombs on with them!’ To them, fascism was the Madrid means bombs on same whether in Aberdeen or Alicante. Scotland’. In Montrose, women There was a form of internationalist were behind the creation of a female solidarity, too: the Spanish

centre for Basque refugee children republican cause was the cause of exiled from Spain as the Luftwaffe’s bombs began to General Franco in Spanish women, and therefore women fall on Guernica. 1936, when war everywhere. Females were, after all, The cause of the Spanish republic struck a chord between his fighting in Spain alongside males in the nationalist rebels hastily organised people’s militias that with Scotswomen for a number of reasons. On a humanitarian level, they responded to atrocities and republican sprung up at the start of the war. And pictured in cinema newsreels by pledging to act for government the conflict had, in part, been caused by the stricken of Spain. The poverty and radicalism of forces began reactionary irritation that the republican the Scotland they inhabited meant that politically, governments of 1931 and 1936 had support for the Spanish republic was natural and advanced women’s causes, for instance, legalising divorce and extending the franchise. Further, the republican side’s figurehead was no stuffy general or suited politician, but the redoubtable Dolores Ibárruri, better known as La Pasionaria. Representing a range of these motivations for trying to influence Spain’s war were nursing volunteers. Although Mary Docherty lacked the experience to enrol, there was an abundance of qualified exponents of Caledonian care. Margot Miller, a 24-year-old from Stirlingshire, was one of the first nurses to arrive in Spain. Miller worked with the Red Cross but was shot and wounded while tending to soldiers in the field of battle. She was joined in Spain by Sister Winifred Wilson of St Andrews. In a letter home Wilson detailed the horror she had witnessed: ‘After an attack we are working day and night. Oh, if you only saw the slaughter! Heads and faces blown to bits, stomachs and brains protruding, limbs shattered or off.’ Wilson depicted the general situation in Spain with The Red Duchess s

The Duchess of Atholl Indeed, her support with her spellbinding equal anguish: ‘They need our help, poor people, rbi co

(1874-1960) was for the republic more oratory, and visited and if you only could see them when bombs are eft Spain with Labour MP dropping overhead. I can vouch your heart would l Conservative MP for or less ended her p Kinross and West political career. Ellen Wilkinson. The ache. Mothers snatch their children and run madly o

for shelter.’ ge, t

Perth, and the first Atholl, dubbed ‘The fruit of her journey a p Scotswoman to be Red Duchess’ because was the enormously Wilson was driven by humanitarian zeal and her s elected to the of her support for this affecting book anger at the inaction of the non-interventionist , thi Commons. From the outwardly left-wing Searchlight on Spain, British government. These motivations, along with ans deeply held political convictions, were what

instant civil war movement, became which sold 300,000 ry ev a erupted in Spain, she chair of the National copies in Britain. persuaded another Scottish nurse, Annie Murray, to enter service. Joint Committee for The aristocrat’s eft m campaigned fervently l

Murray, whose letters are now held at NLS, p for the rights of the Spanish Relief and the work demonstrated o the social breadth of arrived in Spain at the start of the conflict, and

elected republican Basque Children’s ge, t a

Committee. She the Aid for Spain served for almost its entirety. Born in Aberdeenshire p government and its s to an extremely politicised family, she had led u citizens, incurring the toured Scotland to campaign in Scotland, o

wrath of her largely raise support, stirring and inspired women protests against working conditions while employed previ pro-Franco peers. audiences into action from all backgrounds. at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. It was perhaps

24 | discover nls | Autumn 2009 www.nls.uk Aberdeenshire- born Annie Murray with her brigadier brothers, pictured in the 1980s

While Murray travelled alone to nurse in Spain, unsurprising, therefore, that she chose to put her another Scotswoman took an entire ambulance burgeoning nursing career on hold and volunteer for crew with her. For Fernanda Jacobsen’s Scottish

Spain through the British Medical Aid Committee. Ambulance Unit (SAU), though, best intentions In her eyes, the decision to go was straightforward, very often ended in ignominy. The SAU was raised as she later explained in Ian MacDougall’sVoices Women independently of the main aid movements in from the Spanish Civil War: ‘I went to Spain because organised Scotland. Three separate convoys saw service, each I believed in the cause of the Spanish republican of them consisting of 15 or more men commanded government. I didn’t believe in fascism and I had Spanish by the charismatic, if diminutive, Jacobsen. The unit heard many stories of what happened to people who markets, had an avowed commitment to neutrality, pledging were under fascist rule.’ to treat the injured of both sides. Working in tattered hospitals and on medical concerts, However, avoiding partisanship during a time of trains, Murray saw war at its most callous. Writing fiestas, film civil war proved difficult, and the unit was ridden to her sister Agnes, she related how Italian viewings with arguments between those who thought it was aeroplanes had dropped ‘pretty little cigarette boxes biased for the republic, those who thought it was and chocolate boxes with hand bombs neatly packed and theatre biased for the nationalists, and those who wished it inside. The poor little mites of children picking up shows to to be either or neither. This led to frequent disputes, with the feisty Jacobsen forced to repeatedly what they took to be the long-desired chocolate and raise both quickly opening them were suddenly left handless, reprimand the men of the unit. their faces burned beyond recognition. Nothing funds and The SAU was plagued, too, by other controversies. could surely be more brutal.’ awareness Its founder, a former Glasgow Lord Provost named Murray remained steadfast in her commitment Daniel Stevenson, had questionable links to to the cause of the Spanish republic, and never Germany’s Nazi government. Early in its tenure in lamented her decision to volunteer. ‘It was,’ she later Spain, members of the unit were accused of looting said, ‘the most important thing of my life. It was a from dead bodies in the battlefields and expelled. terrific experience I would never like to have missed. And it seems almost certain that Jacobsen was I have certainly no regrets at having gone there at all.’ involved in the smuggling of pro-fascists out of

www.nls.uk Autumn 2009 | discover nls | 25 war in spa in

Madrid using SAU vehicles. The town of This intriguing Scotswoman Guernica after lived long in the memory of those being hit by who met her. The pro-fascist nationalist air aristocrat Priscilla Scott-Ellis strikes in 1937 described a Spanish encounter with Jacobsen in her diary: ‘An incredible woman, small and square, with a huge bottom. She always dresses in a kilt, thick woollen stockings, brogues, a khaki jacket of military cut with thistles all over it, huge leather gauntlet gloves, a cape also with thistles, and, the crowning glory, a little black Scottish hat edged with tartan and with a large silver badge on it.’ When the battered and bruised third Ambulance Unit returned to Scotland, Jacobsen, now in Friends of National Spain, a pro-nationalist society possession of an OBE for her work in Spain, founded by the great-great-grandson of Sir Walter remained in Madrid, even after the fall of the city Scott, Walter Maxwell-Scott and his wife Marie, an to nationalists. She worked, for a time, handing ardent supporter of Franco. The group held a out food to the needy, before disappearing entirely number of incendiary public meetings in an attempt from the annals of history. This firm, but mostly to garner support. benevolent, force of nature has been almost One of their most trenchant advocates was entirely forgotten – the lost Mary Poppins of Mary Allen, the women’s police representative for the Madrid Front. Scotland. She addressed the floor at a rally in the Similarly maverick contributions in Spain came The Civil War Usher Hall, Edinburgh, and proposed a motion from Jenny Patrick and Ethel MacDonald, Glasgow politicised a congratulating ‘General Franco and the Spanish anarchists catapulted into the centre of tumultuous people on their heroic and successful fight to events in Barcelona. Owing to their work in generation maintain Christian civilisation, freedom, and Scotland, MacDonald and Patrick were summoned of Scottish religion in Spain’. However, such sentiments were to the Catalan city to work as journalists in the women. far from common among Scotswomen, who were information centre of an anarchist trade union. In more likely to be outside the Usher Hall protesting her diary, Patrick recorded the joy experienced by Many than inside seconding pro-Francoist motions. the pair upon their arrival: continued Spain’s Civil War politicised a generation of ‘Tuesday, 3 November was the most exciting day in Scotswomen. Many never forgot the fillip it both of our lives and I don’t think we’ll ever forget it. their presented them with, continuing their activism We handed in our papers and after they realised we activism through to the miners’ strike in the 1980s and were comrades, they were terribly nice to us. They through to beyond. While the republican side may have lost the asked us if we had money and we told them the truth war, Scottish women accomplished victories: they that we were broke. They took us to a restaurant the miners’ demonstrated they could run campaigns, nurse, and we had a wonderful time. Everyone was bright strike and fight and write, and proved they had the acumen, and cheerful and happy. So naturally we were the political and otherwise, to compete and lead. For same. We felt full of enthusiasm. This was revolution.’ beyond Mary Docherty and countless others, it opened up a Their crowning glory as journalists occurred in whole new world. May 1937, when they were among the first foreign writers to report on the internecine republican street fighting rocking Barcelona. Yet with the political READ ON WITH NLS 2 tide turning against anarchist groups, the Shelfmarks denoted by Scotswomen faced extreme danger. Patrick returned For more information on using the Library, see page 6 to Scotland, while MacDonald was forced into hiding. Unperturbed, she dedicated herself to Annie Murray letters and Aid Spain papers helping anarchists escape from prison, earning the ✒✒ACC 9083 nickname ‘The Scots Scarlet Pimpernel’. The David Murray letters on Ethel MacDonald clampdown soon caught up with MacDonald, ✒✒Acc.9714/1 though, and after various spells in Spanish jails, she Docherty, Mary A Miner’s Lass (Lancashire finally escaped back to Glasgow in November 1937. Community Press, 1992) Despite the size of the aid movement and the ✒✒HP2.93.4914 actions of those like MacDonald and Annie Murray, Gray, Daniel Homage to Caledonia: Scotland not all Scotswomen supported republican Spain. and the Spanish Civil War (Luath Press, 2008) Some were vociferous in their support of Franco, ✒✒OP8.209.3/8

ns MacDougall, Ian (ed) Voices from the a especially those Catholics who saw the General as

the saviour of their church and the republican side as Spanish Civil War (Polygon, 1986) ry ry ev

a ✒✒HP2.86.3351

m the enemy of religion. A number of them joined the

www.nls.uk Autumn 2009 | discover nls | 27 MANUSCRIPTs

Making connections: Conan Doyle, Blackwood’s and two Afghan Disasters

Dr Iain Gordon Brown, Principal Manuscripts Curator at NLS, explores connections that link the creator of Holmes and Watson, Conan Doyle’s might-have-been first publisher and military conflicts in Afghanistan

28 | discover nls | Autumn 2009 Richard Caton Woodville’s painting depicting an incident at the Battle of Maiwand

n occasion, a curator in manuscript (MS. 4791), apparently that of his the Manuscripts Division earliest story, antedates the appearance of his first may take the chance to published story in Chambers’s Journal in September notice connections that 1879. The manuscript of ‘The Haunted Grange of present themselves Goresthorpe’ came to the Library with the archive of through coincidence William Blackwood and Sons in 1942. Although its or happenstance, and existence had long been known, and its likely priority sometimes as the outcome in the Doyle canon appreciated, it was nevertheless of an intriguing interface recognised as an early work by a still immature between fact and fiction. talent, and publication was not approved by the Such links may be the result keepers of the Doyle flame. It is probable that of careful planning through use of catalogues and the historian John Hill Burton, a friend of the indices, or of personal knowledge, or they may Doyle family, had shown the manuscript to John be prompted by the finding – or more accurate Blackwood, not necessarily in the expectation Oidentification – of individual items in the collections that his firm would publish it, but as a marker, so not previously linked or overtly connected. to speak, of likely future ability on the part of the One such moment occurred when I was looking young Conan Doyle, a new writer who might one out material for a presentation to a visiting party day be worthy of what Blackwood had earlier of United States bibliophiles. With the 150th described as ‘the honours of print and pay’. This, anniversary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s birth rather than Doyle’s own speculative submission of (1859) in mind, I thought that one of the literary his story, seems the most likely explanation of the manuscripts I might show should be the short ghost manuscript’s presence among the Blackwood papers. ans story ‘The Haunted Grange of Goresthorpe’, written With an eye to pointing out not only the world possibly in 1877 or 1878, but which remained reach and significance of our collections, but also ry ev

ma unpublished until the year 2000. This Doyle the relevance of our holdings for today as well as

Autumn 2009 | discover nls | 29 Holmes and Watson in the time of an individual item’s creation, I thought it would be interesting to select for the visiting Americans a couple of things that might illustrate Great Britain’s long and unhappy connection with Afghanistan. This was an involvement that led to three full-scale wars in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and to other major campaigns, punitive expeditions and countless more minor skirmishes on the North-West Frontier of India. From the Minto Papers I chose two volumes of letters from the Governor-General of India, Lord Auckland, to his cousin, the second Earl of Minto. In this correspondence (MSS. 11795-6) Auckland describes his hopes and fears for his policy in Afghanistan, which led ultimately to the disaster of the First Afghan War and the annihilation of the Army of the Indus sent to enforce ‘regime change’. Auckland’s letters chart his descent from the optimism of 1839 to his despair at the situation prevailing in 1841-42. Victorian sentiment had been much affected by the stirring tale of the return of the Scottish army surgeon, Dr William Brydon, who arrived alone at Jalalabad upon a stumbling horse, badly wounded and exhausted, a broken sword dangling from his wrist, as ‘the remnant of an army’ later immortalised in Lady Butler’s famous painting. It was said that Dr Watson and Maiwand Brydon, the sole survivor of Sherlock Holmes was was the model for in its first edition the entire British force, had first introduced to the his character. Dr carries Watson’s escaped more serious injury world (and through Preston left a story of Maiwand because, in a pathetic effort to the medium of the graphic account and its aftermath. shield himself somewhat from fictional Dr John of his remarkable A passage on page the intense cold of the Afghan Watson’s putative survival after 13 shows Sherlock winter, he had stuffed ‘Reminiscences’) in Maiwand, when he Holmes explaining a tattered copy of Blackwood’s Beeton’s Christmas too owed his life to to Watson how he Magazine into his head-dress, Annual for 1887. the bravery of those had instinctively which had warded off some of The story shared who stayed to help known that a man, the tribesmen’s knife-blows. the volume with him and bring him previously a stranger Thus far in my melting-pot, two pieces by other out of danger. to him, had returned so to speak, of allusion and authors, both now The opening page recently from active connection, I already had wholly forgotten. of A Study in Scarlet service in Afghanistan. Conan Doyle and the house of Arthur Conan Doyle Blackwood, the First Afghan reissued his story, War and the great Edinburgh A Study in Scarlet, as periodical Blackwood’s ‘At Bay’ from The Illustrated an independent book Magazine, in which Conan London News, August 1880 the next year with the Doyle, as an Edinburgh man, same publisher as that very much wished to publish some later work. of the annual, Ward, I looked then for something that would illustrate Lock and Co. the subsequent disasters and heroism of the Dr Watson opens Second Afghan War of 1878-80. In the index to the story by telling the manuscript collections I found an item that the reader about his looked hopeful, to me at least, if not to the shades service as an army of poor British, Indian and Gurkha soldiers whom doctor in Afghanistan. I sensed peering over my shoulder as I read the index He explains how he slips. They had perished in a campaign that had the had been seriously single merit of propelling to prominence the future wounded in the Field Marshal Earl Roberts, VC, archetypal shoulder at Maiwand Victorian hero, and enshrining in legend his epic and recounts that due march from Kabul to Kandahar. ‘AFGHAN WAR, to the courage of his 1878-80, letters concerning battle of Mazra (1880), orderly who had found MS. 2544, ff. 130-9’ said the index. The name of this transport for him, he engagement was new to me: I had never heard of it. had been lucky to I was dubious. I went to the strong-room shelf. My survive the retreat to scepticism was proved correct. The letters clearly Kandahar. Watson’s described the Battle of Maiwand and its aftermath. experiences mirror Maiwand was etched on the British military those of the real-life memory. Like Isandlwana in the Zulu War only the Medical Officer who The opening page of A Study in Scarlet previous year it was a bloody defeat. A strengthened

30 | discover nls | Autumn 2009 MANUSCRIPTS

and country still being carried in action British forces at as late as 1880. Both colours were lost Kandahar in the wreck of the shattered battalion, of which the last remaining eleven officers and men made a final stand, all to be killed. The two Indian infantry battalions of Burrows’ brigade suffered even greater losses, with the 1st Bombay Native Infantry (Bombay Grenadiers) faring particularly badly with some 370 dead. (Jacob’s Rifles, 30th Bombay Infantry, lost nearly 250 dead). The two Indian cavalry regiments also present proved less resolute than might have been expected. The importance of traditional research in primary and serious secondary sources such as official military histories (that for the Second Afghan War having been published by the firm of John Murray) cannot be over-stressed today, when so much of what passes for ‘research’ is done from the internet. If one looks at some electronic sources, one would believe that when mention is made of ‘the [Bombay] brigade under Brigadier General GRS Burrows had READ ON Grenadiers’ it was the Grenadier Guards that is being crossed the Helmand River (Helmand! – a name we WITH NLS referred to. That most distinguished regiment was today hear daily as our own forces engage the Taliban Shelfmarks neither present at Maiwand, nor even engaged in the on this same ground) and had found itself denoted by 2 war; yet one article on the internet maligns them for outnumbered seven-to-one by the combined forces cowardice in the battle. When I last looked at it, the of Ayub Khan, both regular Afghan army troops The Second Wikipedia article on Maiwand used a celebrated and irregular hordes of ghazi warriors. The brigade Afghan War painting by Richard Caton Woodville showing the was forced to fight on disadvantageous terrain and 1878-80. Abridged Royal Horse Artillery saving their guns – a sacred once routed, had to retreat to Kandahar in disorder. Official Account duty for Gunners – under heavy fire when out of Dr Watson, Conan Doyle’s fictional creation, had (London: John ammunition and with the enemy almost on their served at Maiwand as Medical Officer of the 66th Murray, 1908) position. This gallant episode was captioned as the Foot, the Berkshire Regiment, to which he had been 2 S. 15.c ‘Royal Horse Artillery fleeing before Afghan attack’, seconded from the Northumberland Fusiliers. At Swinson, Arthur which is not quite the same thing! Maiwand lives in Maiwand he had received the wounds which troubled North-West memory as a shocking defeat for British imperial him in his postwar life in Baker Street. But at least he Frontier. People arms, the disgrace being relieved only by the Boy’s had a postwar life. A thousand other men were not so and Events Own heroism of the Berkshires’ last stand and the fortunate, for Burrows’ force was badly mauled and 1839-1947 (London: RHA’s daring extraction of their guns. casualties were very high. Among those who Hutchinson, 1967) Major Ready’s first note to Lithgow, written from lost their lives was Major George F Blackwood, 2 NF. 1240.e.8 the relative safety of a besieged Kandahar, asked him commanding E Battery, B Brigade, Royal Horse Barthorp, Michael to let his wife know in Reuters cipher that he was all Artillery. He was younger brother to ‘Willie’ Afghan Wars and right. The message ended in a pencilled scrawl, as he Blackwood, who in 1879 had become editor the North-West listed his brother officers as either killed, wounded of Blackwood’s Magazine. Another piece of my Frontier 1839-1947 or missing as he knew the facts to be. Having fought self-made jigsaw was falling into place. (London: Cassell, all day in a ‘broiling sun’ and with no food, he had The Maiwand letters in MS. 2544 were written by 2002) been on the night march for forty-five miles, twenty- an officer of the 66th, Major John T Ready. The 2 HP3.203.1462 five of them without water, and was ‘still half dead recipient was an Army Medical Service (as it then Maxwell, Leigh with fatigue & thirst.’ Otherwise he was unscathed was) officer, John Stewart Lithgow, an Edinburgh My God - Maiwand! apart from a twisted ankle. During the action he graduate and subsequently a much-decorated Major- (London: Leo had personally bandaged the serious wound in General, whose papers came to the Library in 1938. Cooper, 1979) Blackwood’s thigh. Among the wounded, Ready (Doyle certainly, and possibly the fictional Dr 2 H3.79.1803 mentioned ‘Dr Preston’. This was his battalion’s Watson too, were also Edinburgh medical students.) Medical Officer, Surgeon Major AF Preston. It is Ready’s account brings us close to the horror of that the firm belief of the modern-day regiment, which is dreadful day, from which he and all too few others the descendant of the old 66th Foot (that unit having escaped in the rout due to luck and their role in the passed through many amalgamations and name- action. His commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel changes to form today’s 1st Battalion, The Rifles), James Galbraith, nine other officers and nearly 300 that Preston was the model for Sherlock Holmes’ men of his battalion fell and fifty more were Dr Watson, who suffered similar injuries. And wounded, Galbraith and some others (the badly where has that modern Rifles battalion been serving? wounded Blackwood among them, unable to ride Helmand Province, Afghanistan. ans with his battery) having made three desperate rallies So, many notions appear to come full-circle in an attempt to save the colours of the 66th, those when one begins to browse and muse among the ry ev

ma potent symbols of regimental identity and of Queen manuscript collections.

Autumn 2009 | discover nls | 31 MY NLS

Nick Thorpe relaxes in the new NLS café Smiles at the Library Nick Thorpe, the Edinburgh-based author and self-improvers (among them Margaret Thatcher) with the potted success stories of furiously driven journalist, on why NLS turned out to be the perfect men. But rather fewer have read his unfinished environment for the work of self-improvement autobiography, in which he effectively admits that the ceaseless drive he advocated in his books was he first time I visited NLS I was sprinting. precisely what triggered his own debilitating stroke. As a reporter on a deadline, I had been ‘Why did I not stop?’ he wrote in the twilight of sent to ferret out information I’ve long his life. ‘Poor, weak, unreflecting human nature. since forgotten. What I do remember is “We know the right, and yet the wrong pursue”.’ the reverential hush that slowed my pace As a recovering self-improvement junkie, I’ve onT the wide stone staircase, leading up to the airy spent the last two years sampling everything from reading room. After the bedlam of a newsroom, Zen Buddhism to naturism in an attempt to write The vast it was as soothing as a monastery cloister. what is essentially the opposite of Self-Help – NLS book- More than a decade later, as public life continues tentatively titled Relax or Die: Adventures in the to get faster and noisier, NLS has become an Lost Art of Letting Go. The vast NLS book- ordering integral part of my freelance mission to slow down. ordering system, a model of relaxed efficiency, lends system, a It has been a haven through the research and writing itself perfectly to such wide-ranging research. I’ve model of phase of two books about low-tech journeys – first grown to enjoy the quizzical sideways glances of sailing to Easter Island on a boat made of reeds, staff and fellow readers evidently trying to work out relaxed then later hitching around Scotland on other what subject could possibly require the Tao Te efficiency, people’s vessels – and, more recently, a personal Ching, The Essential Guide to Scuba Diving, and lends itself quest for a well-balanced life. Drag Queens of New York. Nobody asks, of course Samuel Smiles, the Victorian motivational writer – another advantage of companionable silence – perfectly who featured in last year’s NLS Heroes exhibition though with the new café offering a friendly social to wide- based on the John Murray Archive, has become a hub at the bottom of the stairs, even relaxed particular obsession of mine – though perhaps not afternoon chats aren’t out of the question. ranging for the reasons he might have hoped. Smiles’ best- Mr Smiles might not approve, but these days research selling Self-Help inspired generations of compulsive I’d rather linger than sprint. MALCOLM COCHRANE

32 | discover nls | Autumn 2009 www.nls.uk PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Who has been involved in the project? Lee Hibberd, the Library’s Digitisation Manager, Gaelic texts has been instrumental in getting us to the point where we have digitised over 2,000 books. Senior Rare Books Curator Anette Hagan go online has been responsible for selecting the items for digitisation and Clara Shakespear has been NLS’ rare Gaelic texts are being the person scanning the books. She has viewed by a new audience, thanks been using a machine developed by the Internet Archive called a Scribe. It’s a to a digitisation project that is scanning camera that has a cradle built making the works available to hold fragile texts in such a way that they won’t be damaged. Clara puts online. Cate Newton, Director the rare text on to the cradle, the camera of Collections and Research, completes its scan, Clara turns the page reviews the project to date over and the process begins again.

What happens after scanning? Tell me about the pilot Gaelic The digitised pages are uploaded to digitisation project – how did the Internet Archive in California. it come about? Their Optical Character Recognition (OCR) It’s a really exciting project we’re software is applied to each page, and within a carrying out in partnership with the couple of days the pages are available to view Internet Archive, a not-for-profit on the internet. One of the benefits of this organisation based in California that initiative is that, thanks to the OCR software, is in the process of building a huge, all of the texts we digitise are searchable. free online text archive. I understand this is a pilot project – what next? Why did the Library choose the We are hoping to build on the success of this Gaelic Collections for this project? project by going out to tender for a further We wanted to contribute material that exciting initiative of this type. The great thing was of key Scottish interest and would about digitisation is that it makes material be difficult for people to see elsewhere. available to an audience that might otherwise For example, the Ossian Collection is never get to see it. You can view the material a rare and valuable collection that we without having to travel to the Library, and felt was of great importance to make you can search the text in ways that are far available to a wider audience. more sophisticated than an ordinary book index. Above all though, digitisation fits in perfectly with the Library’s ambition of making our collection Digitisation fits in perfectly available to as many people with the Library’s ambition as possible. of making our collection View the digitised text at available to as many tinyurl.com/mt9oc3 people as possible Poems of Ossian (1803) can be viewed online

Collecting for the future In December, Cate of collecting strategies material we collect and can also include Newton published in the Library. With so how those collections offering access to revising their a document that many developments should be preserved. digital information respective policies outlined the Library’s in technology in recent We also felt it resources held to ensure that we are new integrated years, we thought it important to recognise elsewhere. all working to a clear collecting strategy. was important to put that with so much The strategy is set of agreed collecting Here she explains in place an overall, information accessible now available on priorities, regardless the purpose of the integrated collecting online, collecting the NLS website of the format of the new strategy: strategy that looked at nowadays need not and all the Library’s material.’ ‘In the past we fundamental questions refer to acquiring collecting divisions had a whole range about the types of physical items, but are in the process of tinyurl.com/lxlul6 MALCOLM COCHRANE

Autumn 2009 | discover nls | 33 LIBRARY LINKS

What would you find if you searched for the word ‘Evolve’ in NLS’ extensive collections?

▲ OFFICERS WITH A GERMAN ANTI-TANK GUN British officers with a captured German anti-tank gun in Bapaume, France, during World War I. This photograph of British officers with a German anti-tank gun is evidence of how quickly military technology had ▲ A PRE-EMINENT SOURCE to evolve during the war. OF INFORMATION THE LASS O’ The Encyclopaedia Britannica was one of the great BALLOCHMYLE landmarks of 18th century Edinburgh publishing. It went on This is a version of a to enjoy success over two centuries, evolving into the ballad whose authorship purely electronic publication that it is today. has often been credited to Robert Burns. In fact, the song credited to Burns started out as a poem to Wilhelmina Alexander (1753-1843) sister of the Laird of Ballochmyle. Burns’ poem was later adapted into a song with the addition of the traditional chorus that also features in the song on this ▲ THE WALTER SCOTT broadside. This is an ▲ HERE COMES THE RAILPLANE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION example of how several This film from 1929-30 captures the construction of The Library has long collected Scott different ballads that the railplane, a form of transport in which the carriage proofs. They are vital pieces of were based on the same is suspended from an overhead track. Invented by evidence that tell us so much of how story could evolve. George Bennie, it marked a great step forward in the his novels and other works evolved. evolution of rail transport.

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34 | discover nls | Autumn 2009 www.nls.uk