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Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru The National Library of Wales Aberystwyth

THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES DNEWSLETTER ALENSPRING 2011 ISSUE 13 Copy of the First Book to be Printed in Wales presented to Pope Benedict XVI A facsimile copy of Y Drych Cristianogawl, a Catholic text and the first book to be printed on Welsh soil, was presented to Pope Benedict XVI at Westminster Cathedral in London on Saturday 18 September 2010. The facsimile was produced by Julian Thomas, 18 September. Manager of the Conservation Treatment Unit Joseph Kelly has great respect for the

at The National Library of Wales. Julian is Catholics who produced Y Drych NLW's Julian Thomas presenting 'Y Drych Cristianogawl' one of the leading bookbinders and Cristianogawl. to Joseph Kelly. facsimile makers in Britain and is regularly ‘I have a longstanding interest in Father selected to create an elegant bound copy of William Davies, the first Catholic publisher each of the six shortlisted Booker Prize The world’s first Chair of Digital Collections in Wales. I had always hoped that one day finalists. This facsimile was commissioned by I could raise awareness of Y Drych The National Library in Wrexham! Joseph Kelly, Chief Executive of the Universe Cristianogawl, and it is a great honour for Catholic Weekly. It was presented to the Who was Islwyn Roberts? me to be able to do that and to see the Pope by Bishop Edwin Regan of Wrexham as facsimile copy of that book presented to the Two NLW Collections Win UNESCO Status a gift from the people of Wales during a Pope.’ Meet the Staff Welsh-themed service at Mass in Westminster Cathedral on Saturday morning New look for Café Pen Dinas Charles & Patricia Aithie: Yemen Season’s Highlights Flickr Commons collection Archive films on the Big Screen Last season we were honoured to welcome One of the highlights of the season was an array of well-known faces to the Library. Hollywood actor Matthew Rhys’s visit to the The Proud Valley in Wrexham Firstly, the Labour politician and author Roy Library to promote his recent book about his Hattersley discussed his recently published journey across Patagonia called Patagonia – book about David Lloyd George, Lloyd Crossing the Plain. Date for the George – The Great Outsider. The renowned travel writers and authors Jan Morris and Owen Sheers gave a fascinating insight into Diary their work, and Dr Nick Barratt the well-known family historian talked about Friday 15 April 7.30 p.m. researching the history of your home. ‘How do we sort out this mess?’ Robert Peston, author and BBC Business Editor, discusses the current position of the British and global economies. Admission by ticket £10.00

www.llgc.org.uk 01970 632 800 632 01970 www.llgc.org.uk ISSN 1744-6759 DALEN 2010 (ENGLISH)_Layout 1 21/12/2010 12:01 Page 2

4 January - 2 April 2011 4 January - March 2012 4 January - 2 April 2011 4 January - 26 November 2011 16 April - 2 July 2011 Exhibitions Small World – Travel in Wales and Beyond Step by Step – Tracing your Ancestors at Patricia & Charles Aithie: Yemen Writers of Wales: Islwyn Ffowc Elis & John Welson & Jean-Claude Charbonel: A major exhibition on the history of travel The National Library of Wales An exhibition of striking photographs of Gillian Clarke Surrealism – the Celtic Eye Opening hours: Monday to Saturday and exploration in Wales and beyond An exhibition highlighting the rich family Yemen. An exhibition celebrating the life and work A major An exhibition of Celtic art by two 10.00 a.m. - 4.30 p.m. through images, journals, text and items history resources held at the Library. of Welsh authors Islwyn Ffowc Elis and leading surrealist artists from Wales and Admission is free. from the Library’s unique collections. Gillian Clarke. Brittany.

Two NLW Collections Win UNESCO On the Trail of the Hitch-hiker – Penny Richards’s use of the National Library's Flickr Commons collection Who was Islwyn Roberts? Status How did you hear about good for shoes – nothing Cranogwen, she liked them

m Two items from the National Library were the National Library’s complicated – shoes have even more. Her work f ha f Wrex among ten items and collections chosen by Flickr Commons collection? such a small space for involves teaching a UNESCO to be the first on a heritage list of t I heard about the Flickr collage elements that the “navigation” in a more s The National Film: The Proud Valley (1940) exceptional documents in the United 07/10/10 Odeon, Wrexham 7.30 p.m. image has to be fairly abstract sense of the word, The National Library in Wrexham! e Library of Wales Kingdom. The items concerned were a Commons uploads from

simple and clear. I like when so the match was good h comes to Wrexham Presentation: What is the National Library of Wales? NLW because I've been Last Autumn, the National12/10/10 Ysgol Library Morgan Llwyd, Wrexhamleft its 7.00 p.m. rediscovered film about David Lloyd George, t October - December following the Commons an image can be flipped there. The paint on the the last Liberal to be Prime Minister (The t home in2010 AberystwythWhat's and in your decamped attic? Learn about our newto website horizontally, so the shoes shoes cracked a little, it project since it was e Wrexham – or, at leastand tell a us yoursmall story part of it did! Life Story of David Lloyd George), and the 
www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk launched. I get a feed for all have mirror images on usually does, but the image e 2/11/10 Llay Miners Welfare 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. Peniarth Manuscripts collection, which them; that makes more is still fine and the shoes As part of its remit to ensure that people of the latest uploads, so I M Open Night - NLW President, Dafydd Wigley hosts includes the famous Laws of Hywel Dda. visual sense on shoes than are very wearable. all backgrounds are anaware evening of talks of and the presentations Library’s always know what's new. Dafydd Tudur collections and the work11/11/10 Guildhallit does, 6.30 p.m.members of The Library’s collections were among ten I tag through many of the identical images. Opening of Exhibition - Old Photos of Wrexham What are your thoughts staff collaborated with11/11/10 local (until 10 people,December) Wrexham clubs Library winning items from all parts of the UK interesting collections, What is your job title? 8.00 p.m. which encompass almost one thousand Do you intend to use on organisations offering and societies in preparing an exciting especially if they involve Rights and Information Manager. timetable of events Familythat and were Local History held - Open Day in years of history in chronicling critically portraits of women, more photos from the their photographs free of 13/11/10 Yale College 10.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m. collection? charge online? October and November. important periods and events in the because I study women's What part of your job do you enjoy 01970 632800 development of the United Kingdom. history (I'm a research I have used other photos The institutions involved in [email protected] Green, Librarian at The National A 1958 photo of a little-known hitch-hiker, most? www.llgc.org.uk/wrecsam10 Islwyn Roberts, saw him become the scholar affiliated with the from the NLW collection. For the Commons project have LibraryLlyfrgell of Genedlaethol Wales, Cymru said: ‘We are very proud to The winner was chosen by the UK Memory Rights and information matters are The National Library of Wales UCLA Center for the Study about eight months my generally been very Aberystwyth unlikely poster boy for the Library’s big of the World special committee, following a have gone to Wrexham this year – a town of Women). daily purse featured an welcoming of my remixes, relevant to many aspects of the Library’s winter exhibition about travel – Small nomination and review process which began that has played a significant role in Welsh image of Sarah Edith so I think I must be hitting work, and as such my job gives me the World. Following our request for in 2009. history. This year’s highlights includes the Why did you choose this Wynne, the opera singer, that right note most of the opportunity to work with people in all opening of the Old Photos of Wrexham information on the globe-trotting ‘We were immensely pleased to see the photo? wearing a plain taffeta time. parts of the building. So, it’s a great exhibition at the town’s Library.’ hitch-hiker from Llanbedr, Meirionethshire, chance to get to know other members of we received many responses. diversity and richness of the first I chose the Cranogwen gown. That's in my Flickr nominations for the register,’ said David portrait for many reasons. stream too. staff at the Library, and gain an • It would seem that Islwyn Roberts had Dawson, Chairman of the UK Memory of the Her story is very interesting understanding of how they contribute to partly lost his hearing during the World Committee. ‘Considering the wealth – a nineteenth-century Have you had much its work. Lorna Hughes appointed to the Second World War owing to a bomb of the UK’s documentary history, I am woman with experience as response to the shoes? What is your favourite item in the first Digital Collections Chair in explosion certain that these winners do no more than a sea captain, teaching Was your friend happy with the shoes? Library’s collection? the world • When travelling he carried a Red scratch the surface. We hope that this will navigation, AND recognized Dragon flag bearing the words “Taffy encourage more people to participate in for her excellent poetry at She loved them! And when I’ll choose the diary kept by Lewis Jones Lorna Hughes, currently Deputy Director of from Wales” their local museums and archives.’ the Eisteddfod. The image is she read the story of (1836-1904) during his visit to South America in 1862-3. the Centre for e-Research at King’s College • He lived for a time in a corrugated iron London, has been appointed to a pioneering shed next door to his brother’s house in This diary is an especially significant new post at The National Library of Wales. Llanbedr Charles & Patricia Aithie: document because Lewis Jones’s She will hold the world’s first ever Chair in Fascinating Facts 2010 conclusions as to the suitability of the • He used to sit on a bench in Llanbedr Yemen 25 September 2010 - 2 April 2011 Digital Collections. The post, funded for five land for a Welsh colony proved later to every day, where he would recount The Library received almost 8,000 years by the University of Wales, is the first Yemen is a country in the news today for all the wrong reasons. be so controversial. The first migrants tales of his journeys to local people, enquiries, 80,000 readers and visitors, academic Chair to be established in any However, an exhibition of beautiful and candid photos of a little accused him of misleading them in his especially children. Today a plaque has 397 group visits, and over a million national library in the world. seen and more peaceful Yemen can be enjoyed at the National descriptions of the land in Patagonia. been installed near the bench, which external internet users. Library. But apart from their historical Lorna will take the lead bears an inscription of Islwyn’s significance, the diaries also contain very on academic research favourite expression – ‘Never Cut a The exhibition is of photographs taken by Cardiff-born Patricia interesting details of the journey, and into the latest Friend’ New look for Pen Dinas Aithie and her husband Charles. She is a photographer, painter, developments in digital writer and lecturer with over twenty-five years’ experience of provide a striking portrayal of Lewis The new-look Pen Dinas café is now open. It resources, utilising the • A postcard was published in the living and travelling in the Middle and Far East who specialises Jones as a young man crippled with sells quality food, including sandwiches, extensive digital 1980s/90s which showed Islwyn sitting in travel, culture and faith, and has written and photographed longing for his wife and child back in panini, jacket potatoes, soups and collection housed at The on the bench with the plaque many books on art and culture. She has exhibited and lectured Liverpool. home-made cakes, and many other tasty National Library of • Islwyn visited South Africa, Patagonia extensively and has taught courses on the History of World Art and Culture in the United Arab snacks along with all kinds of drinks such as This item has been digitised and can be Wales. This work spans and Canada Emirates. She is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers, and has been elected a Fellow tea, coffee, hot chocolate and juices. seen on the Glaniad website the creation, provision, • Allegedly, Islwyn met Lord Haw Haw. of The Royal Geographical Society and awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship. www.glaniad.com investigation, They spoke to each other on the bench In addition to the Pen Dinas café, visitors This exhibition is part of a series of documentary photographs undertaken by Patricia and her interpretation and and readers can also enjoy the intimate in Llanbedr husband Charles on a visit to Arabia with support from the Winston Churchill Fellowship and on conservation of digital "Caffi Bach", a small café in the Main Hall the Arts Council of Wales. In 2001, the project culminated in the publication Yemen: Jewel of w us collections, and will • Islwyn died in June 1993 and his of the Library. Caffi Bach specialises in a Follo obituary appeared in the July 1993 Arabia, and a revised edition of the book was released in paperback in 2009. The photographs embrace legal issues, data management, quality cup of tea or coffee, as well as other now form part of the national collection here at the Library. innovative research methods, and edition of the community newspaper, drinks and snacks, and users are also able to technological developments in access, Llais Ardudwy bring their own food to enjoy in the You can also hear more about the photos and the country at a free gallery talk organised to search and usage. • He was unmarried and had no children. neo-classical setting. coincide with the exhibition on 23 March 2011. DALEN 2010 (ENGLISH)_Layout 1 21/12/2010 12:01 Page 4

Visit us! Opening hours Guided tours The National Library of Wales welcomes readers 9.30 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. Free guided tours are held Monday morning and and visitors alike. Monday to Friday 2.15p.m. every Wednesday, departing from the Why not call in? Have a cup of tea at Pendinas 10.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. Library shop. Please check the Library website Café and browse the Library shop. Saturday www.llgc.org.uk for details or phone 01970 632 548 to book your place on our To arrange a group visit call 01970 632 801 or behind-the-scenes tour. e-mail [email protected]

Archive films on the The Proud Valley in Wrexham In October NSSAW screened the classic film The Proud Valleyat the Odeon cinema at BIG SCREEN Eagles Meadow in Wrexham. Shoppers and passers-by in the centre of the capital will be able to catch a glimpse of the At the entrance to the cinema our vintage Cardiff of the past. poster advertising the coal-mining story from 1940, and starring the great American Archive footage of Cardiff from the National singer Paul Robeson along with a host of Screen and Sound Archive of Wales’s Welsh acting talent, was displayed alongside collection is now screened on the BBC’s big the current crop of films such as Made in screen located outside St David’s Hall. Dagenham and Wall Street: Money Never In all, six films from the Archive’s collection Sleeps. The Proud Valley, however, drew a will be screened, and will include footage of full house, kicking off The National Library’s the Wales Empire Pool in 1968, which was Student Workshop month of outreach activities in Wrexham. built for the 1958 Empire Games, and also On 11 October the National Screen and The audience emerged from the cinema 1940s footage of the docks area. It will also Sound Archive worked with Reel Education moved and uplifted by the heroic struggle of be possible to view footage of the centre of to deliver a film literacy workshop with the miners: many of those present were Cardiff during the 1930s, which include shots students from the Additional Support Unit at descendants of miners who worked in the of the Queen Street shops, the National Yale College near Wrexham. coalfields of north-east Wales and they Museum and the buses, trams and trains shared their family stories with us at the end which were in operation at the time. The students were shown archive footage of the evening. and were then given the opportunity to It is hoped that the Archive’s partnership discuss and complete exercises based on with the BBC will develop further, and that what they had been shown. local footage will be shown on the big screen in Swansea in the near future. The Anwen Pari Jones from the Archive said: Archive is part of the National Library and ‘Being part of the Wrexham Outreach will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2011. Programme has been a very valuable experience for us. It has given us an opportunity to take the Archive out to the Inspiring New Project community and share it with new audiences. A project which the Archive is working on We would like to thank the people of with Coleg Ceredigion has recently been Wrexham for being so accommodating and awarded the Cultural Olympics Inspire Mark. the Film Agency for Wales for contributing financially towards the workshop.’ The project, entitled Precious Life, involves first year students of a BTEC media course at Coleg Ceredigion, Aberystwyth. The students Sir Geraint Evans Archive will compile short films using some of the During the last month the Screen and Sound NSSAW’s amateur film footage. These new Archive has received some valuable archive films will follow one of four different themes, material of the opera singer Sir Geraint which will be On the Farm; At the Seaside; Evans. Carnival and Racing. The collection includes television The project has been inspired by the 2012 Now open on Saturdays! programmes that he appeared in during the Olympics and is a celebration of Welsh 1970s and 80s, such as the opera The Beach The Library is now open on Saturdays but culture. It is hoped it will inspire young of Falesa and also Beneath the Christmas with a limited service. Readers must order people to develop their creativity. Tree where Geraint Evans and guests collections in advance. The films created by the students will be celebrate Christmas, and documentary Exhibitions – Café – Shop premiered in a lunchtime screening on 7 programmes such as Geraint Evans in www.llgc.org.uk/saturday March 2011 at the Drwm in the National Covent Garden in which he revisits the place Library. where he started his career as an opera singer.