LAW AND ORDER ON FILM Documenting the fight against crime The magazine of the National Library of Scotland www.nls.uk | Issue 24 Winter 2013 f t h Wha’s Like Us An A-Z of what Scotland has b given the world s j x p Best-selling Scots of Launching the NLS Field Marshal the 19th century Gaelic catalogue Haig’s war diary WELCOME Celebrating Scotland’s global contribution What has Scotland given to the world? The quick DISCOVER NLS answer to that question is ‘plenty’! Our nation’s ISSUE 24 WINTER 2013 contribution to the rest of mankind is substantial CONTACT US and diverse. We welcome all comments, For a small country we have more than pulled our questions, submissions and subscription enquiries. weight, contributing significantly to science, economics, Please write to us at the politics, the arts, design, food and philosophy. And there National Library of Scotland address below or email are countless other examples. Our latest exhibition, [email protected] Wha’s Like Us? A Nation of Dreams and Ideas, which is covered in detail in these pages, seeks to construct FOR NLS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF an alphabetical examination of Scotland’s role in Alexandra Miller shaping the world. It’s a sometimes surprising collection EDITORIAL ADVISER Willis Pickard of exhibits and ideas, ranging from cloning to canals, from gold to Grand Theft Auto. Diversity is also at the heart of Willis Pickard’s special CONTRIBUTORS Bryan Christie, Martin article in this issue. Willis is a valued member of the Conaghan, Jackie Cromarty, Library’s Board, but will soon be standing down from that Gavin Francis, Alec Mackenzie, Nicola Marr, Alison Metcalfe, position. As such, he’s taken some time to reflect on a Willis Pickard, Kenny Redpath, number of items from our collections that have particular Helen Vincent personal significance for him. Some are physical objects EDITOR and some are resources accessible via a screen (be that Jack Kibble-White on a computer, tablet or some other device). [email protected] And it is to the screen that we head for an examination DEPUTY EDITOR of how crime and punishment have been reflected in Andrew Cattanach andrew.cattanach@ the Library’s Scottish Screen Archive. It’s a ne thinkpublishing.co.uk fascinating subject, which we cover here on the A R H occasion of the 50th anniversary of the last hanging DESIGN Matthew Ball coc in Scotland. M SUB-EditorS Elsewhere we take a look at some of the Scottish literary lcol Ellen Arnison, Sian Campbell, Andrew Littlefield, Sam Bartlett contemporaries of Sir Walter Scott and there is also the GE: MA latest Library news, including details of our new Gaelic MARtyN WADE A PUBLISHER John Innes P catalogue, which is an impressive initiative, and another National Librarian [email protected] HIS contribution from Scotland to the world. and Chief Executive ON, T I ADVERTISING Alison Fraser T I B alison.fraser@thinkpublishing. HI co.uk 0141 946 8708 AS EX PUBLISHED by THREE NLS DIGITAL GALLERIES Ide Think Scotland nd Woodside House 20-23 Woodside Place 1 2 3 AMS A Glasgow G3 7QF re 0141 582 1280 THE DUNCAN FIRST WORLD BLIGHTY AND D of ISSN 1751-5998 (print) STREET WAR OFFICIAL SEA PIE on ISSN 1751 6005 (online) EXPLORER PHOTOGRAPHS Editions of two I T Photos, audio Black and white magazines NA National Library of Scotland A recordings, floor images mainly published for George IV Bridge plans and more of the Western Britain’s fighting US? E Edinburgh EH1 1EW help tell the story Front taken forces between TELEphonE 0131 623 3700 of the famous during the First 1917 and 1919, with FAX 0131 623 3701 Bartholomew World War pictures, stories, EMail [email protected] mapmakers digital.nls.uk/ poems and digital.nls.uk/ first-world-war- humour digital.nls. The National Library of The first Times survey atlas Scotland is a registered bartholomew/ official- uk/blighty-and- Scottish charity. Scottish duncan-street- of the world is ready for delivery photographs sea-pie FRONT COVER: WHA’S LIK Charity No. SC011086 explorer Winter 2013 | DISCOVER NLS | 3 CONTENTS 23 14 The genius of James Nasmyth forms part of the NLS exhibition 7 7 NEWS The latest news and comment, including the launch of the Library’s Gaelic catalogue, a swim across the Hellespont and events at the Library 14 AN ABC OF SCOTLAND How NLS curators compiled an alphabet of Scottish achievement for the Library’s new exhibition 20 FIVE OF THE BEST NLS Board member Willis Pickard reflects on his years at the Library through a selection of items from the collections 23 MEET THE RESIDENts We profile the Library’s Wikimedian in Residence and Reader in Residence 24 CRIME AND PUNISHMENT CAUGHT ON CAMERA BBC Journalist Martin Conaghan on how criminality and law enforcement are represented in CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE INCLUDE NLS’ Scottish Screen Archive 28 SCOTTISH SISTERS Helen Vincent on the writers who, in their day, were as popular as Sir Walter Scott K C O and Jane Austen rst E Andrew Martin Alison Metcalfe Gavin Francis Dr Maria Castrillo Willis Pickard 31 MAKE THE MOST OF The Library’s Curator, An author and GP A Manuscripts Willis has been sup E, E, YOUR NATIONAL Modern Scottish Manuscript and Gavin’s first book, Curator, Maria – features and LIBRARY Collections Archive Collections, True North, was with Andrew literary editor of chran Curator, Andrew Alison writes in published in 2008. Martin – has The Scotsman and O C is also part of this issue about His latest book is curated Wha’s editor of the Times LM 33 MY NLS the Council of Field Marshal the award- Like Us? A Nation Educational O the Scots Sir Douglas Haig’s winning Empire of Dreams and Supplement malc 34 LAST WORD Language Centre war diaries Antarctica Ideas exhibition Scotland Winter 2013 | DISCOVER NLS | 5 GAELIC PROJECT COMPLETED + EARL HAIG’S VIEW FROM THE FRONT NEWS + EMULATING LORD BYRON + MYSTERIOUS LITERARY ART + EVENTS + cataloguing which NLS Alasdair Allan meets plans to share with other Senior Manuscripts libraries and organisations Curator Ulrike Hogg that want to develop Gaelic versions of their own catalogues. This will make translating their catalogue interface into Gaelic easier and further encourage the use of the language. The translation was completed by four members of the Library staff who are Gaelic scholars, but non-native speakers, and a volunteer, Katie Murray, who is a native speaker and former teacher of Gaelic. Once the translation was completed NLS launches it was checked internally at NLS and externally by Greg MacThomais, a native Gaelic catalogue Gaelic speaker who works in the library at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig — the Gaelic The Minister for use it more often and because of the technical College on Skye. there must be more and specialist terminology ‘It is great to see our Scotland’s Languages opportunities for them to used in libraries which catalogue available in unveils a major online do so on a day-to-day often required a creative Gaelic,’ says National resource in Gaelic basis,’ says Dr Allan. ‘The approach to the Librarian Martyn Wade. National Library’s Gaelic translation. ‘Shelfmark’, ‘The National Library of catalogue will give for example, became ‘Àite Scotland is committed to LANGUAGE speakers and learners air an sgeilp’, literally ‘the promoting and increasing a unique opportunity of place on the shelf’. There awareness of the Gaelic he world-class being able to access this are also more words in language and we hope collections at the incredible national Gaelic than the equivalent this translation will T National Library of collection of more than in English, but the prove popular with Scotland can now be 15 million printed items translators needed to be Gaelic speakers and searched in Gaelic. This is representing centuries of concise because of the those interested in a major milestone in the Scottish heritage, culture way the catalogue the language.’ Library’s continuing and achievement.’ interface is laid out. commitment to promote One positive spin-off Search the Library’s the use of the language. CHALLENGE from the project has been catalogue in Gaelic at The new Gaelic feature The work on the catalogue the development of a list main-cat.nls.uk/vwebv/ on the Library’s website proved to be challenging of Gaelic terms relevant to searchBasic?sk=nls_gae was officially launched in September by Dr Alasdair Allan MSP, Minister for ‘As a native Gaelic Scotland’s Languages. speaker, I was pleased to It covers the main be able to help staff at catalogue and includes the the Library translate the majority of the Library’s catalogue into Gaelic. printed collections. Translation from English NLS has also produced into Gaelic can be its own Gaelic Language challenging, in particular Plan which sets out how when dealing with the Library will support specialised terms.’ – the use of the language. Katie Murray (left), with ‘For Gaelic to flourish, Digital Access Manager people with the language Gill Hamilton and Dr Allan must be encouraged to Winter 2013 | DISCOVER NLS | 7 NEWS ‘Haig continues to divide opinion Curator Alison Metcalfe with like no other’ Haig’s diary his extract comes from the diary of Field TMarshal Sir Douglas Haig, Commander-in-Chief of the British Army on the Western Front during the First World War. Written on the eve of the Battle of the Somme, it demonstrates Haig’s conviction that the men under his command were well prepared for what lay ahead. The British Army was to suffer 57,000 casualties on the CURATOR’S CHOICE first day alone in a protracted battle that, some historians Alison Metcalfe, Curator, would say, has come to Manuscript and Archive symbolise the incompetence Collections on the First World of British Army command.