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Treasure 16: The Book of the Dead
187 When the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799 unlocked the mystery of the hieroglyphics, scholars were finally able to begin deciphering the curious images found on the many monuments and artefacts of Ancient Egypt.
It soon became apparent that many of the writings associated with tombs and coffins had similarities; with further study revealing the texts to be "messages" designed to assist the deceased as they negotiated their way through the underworld towards eternal bliss.
As the texts evolved over time, many different versions of the writings exist in various forms such as stone carvings and papyrus manuscripts. In 1842 the German Egyptologist, Karl Richard Lepsius assembled a selection of the most common depictions and published them under the title of "The Book Of The Dead".
Treasure 17: A souvenir of Aberdeens Cinema
188 This excellent brochure was a souvenir from the opening of the Capitol cinema on Union Street. It was opened on Saturday 4th of February 1933. Despite inclement weather a large crowd gathered for the launch of perhaps the grandest cinema in the history of the city. The ambition of the new establishment is reflected in the design and extent of this brochure.
The Press and Journal reports: "The Capitol was opened to the public in the early evening, and for over two hours before the opening there was a queue in Union Street, while in the heavy rain in the evening hundreds of people were content to wait in the street queues."
The newspaper article stresses the local ownership of the cinema and the local craftsmanship that went into its construction. The Capitol was the undertaking of Aberdeen Picture Palaces Ltd., and was designed by A. G. R. Mackenzie and George Clement.
In the introduction to the souvenir brochure the chairman of Aberdeen Picture Palaces, A. D. Hay, writes "Here then stands the 'Capitol,' a proud, vital and stately landmark in the World of Entertainment. The 'Capitol' was built for you, it is your Theatre, an Aberdeen enterprise incorporating every known value of comfort, and every modern device for the presentation of 'Super Entertainment,' in the interests of Aberdeen patrons whom we feel confident will ever remain, loyal patrons of the 'Capitol.'
The cinema was official declared open by Baillie Watt and he echoed the above sentiments, stating that the Capitol was "the last word in the cinema world, and reflected greatest credit on all concerned in its design and construction."
One interesting feature of the brochure is the inclusion of specially created adverts for all the companies involved in the construction and furnishing of the new cinema. Some of these adverts, such as that for S. B. Russell, bricklayer and contractor on Affleck Street, provide rich information on the history of the companies and give an insight into how the companies saw themselves. The brochure details the companies behind every aspect of the buildings from the cinema seating and terrazzo work to the innovative lighting.
"With a gold key, presented by Mr G. A. Wilson, advocate, one of the directors of Aberdeen Picture Palaces, Ltd., the proprietors of the new cinema, Mrs A. D. Hay, wife of Mr A. D. Hay, chairman of the directors, unlocked the main entrance door, and the Capitol, an Aberdeen-owned and Aberdeen-built hall of entertainment, was opened to the people of Aberdeen and the North of Scotland."
The opening day of the new cinema featured a varied evening of entertainment. The Press and Journal states "All the magnificent possibilities of the new theatre were embraced by the items of the opening programme. There was ballet, cinema and organ playing, each of notable worth." The ballet performance by the Henrietta Fuller Dancers was particularly praised. Mr Edward O' Henry played the theatre's new top of the line Compton organ.
At the opening ceremony, B. H. Gates, a director of Aberdeen Picture Palaces, said: "It was a long lane that had no turning. They had built the Capitol not for to-day, but for the generations of Aberdeen people to come. The company had dedicated the Capitol to the people of Aberdeen, their children, and their children's children in the hope that in generations to come they might appreciate what had been given them." Treasure 18: The Illustrated London News
189 One of this month's treasures is an extract of The Illustrated London News. This issue, dated from the 14th of November 1936, shows the General Francisco Franco, "the leader of the attack on Madrid and, from the first, ranked as head of the anti-government forces"... and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975.
Newspapers are indeed a great source of information on historic topics. What is particularly remarkable about The Illustrated London News is that it was probably the first pictorial weekly newspaper. Founded by Herbert Ingram, a newsagent from Nottingham, the first issue was published on the 14th May 1842 and sold for 6 pence. Ingram had the idea to include pictures and woodcuts within the paper in order to sell more copies. And it worked! The first issue met with immediate success, selling 26,000 copies during the first days and printing 65,000 more copies during the same week.
The Spanish Civil War broke out on the 17th of July 1936. During more than two years, nationalists and pro-government forces fought in Spain. At the same time, in Britain, Chamberlain and his conservative government defended strong neutrality and choose to keep the country far away from the war.
However, the "civil war" was a domestic conflict in name only. During more than two years, and even after the nationalist victory in 1939, it attracted the attentions of many governments and individuals. The Illustrated London News is a witness of the conflict and gives also some sense of the British representation of the Spanish Civil War. Even if it tried to keep its impartiality, its judgments and the way it conveyed the information was viewed through the eyes of local interest and popular opinion.
The newspaper portrayed the majority public opinion, which was non-intervention. As such, it tried to show both the nationalists sides and the pro-government opinion.
From July 1936 to April 1939, 549 Scots joined the International Brigades and fought to defend democracy in Spain. 134 lost their lives in Spain.
The International Brigade Memorial Trust is a British charity which aims to keep alive the memory and spirit of the over 50,000 individuals from Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth who volunteered to defend democracy and fight facism. We hope this treasure acts as an additional commemoration for those who went to Spain.
Treasure 19: Chapbooks
190 Chapbooks were a form of popular literature produced in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
Text was printed on both sides of a large sheet of paper which was then folded repeatedly to create a booklet of 8, 12, 24, or 32 pages, approximately 5 inches by 3 inches in size. The title page had a woodcut illustration which was not necessarily linked to the content of the chapbook but could be selected from illustrations already available in the printer's premises.
Their content was varied but included ballads, songs, folktales, jokes and riddles. They were produced in large numbers and favourite texts would be reprinted over and over again and even by different printers.
In rural areas and at markets and fairs, these little booklets were sold for a halfpenny or a penny by itinerant pedlars or chapmen who carried packs containing bootlaces, needles, thread, ribbons and other trinkets to appeal to their customers. The word "chap" probably derives from the Old English "ceapian" meaning to bargain or trade.
"Tullochgorum" is one of a series of 21 ballad chapbooks, each of 8 pages, printed by John Cumming, a merchant in Hatton of Fintray, about 10 miles north of Aberdeen. He had learnt the merchant business in Aberdeen but, when he returned to Fintray, he also set up a printing press. He sometimes included the music, as here, but for other ballads he only named a tune with which his readers would already have been familiar.
His other printing work included Alexander Watt "The Early History of Kintore" published in 1865 and James Dalgardno "Notes on the Parish of Slains and Forvie in the Olden Days" in 1876.
He died in January 1900 and is buried in the local churchyard.
The popularity of chapbooks declined as other forms of literature, including newspapers and magazines, became more accessible. The physical nature of these unbound flimsy pamphlets has meant that chapbooks have not survived in large numbers but Local Studies has a complete set of those printed by John Cumming bound together as one volume.
Collections of other Scottish chapbooks survive in various libraries and are becoming more available through online cataloguing and indexing while academic researchers are studying the role played by these small publications in their social and literary world.
Treasure 20: Souvenir card to commemorate the open access in the Lending Library
191 In 1925 a major change took place in the Lending Department of the Central Library. The concept of "Open Access" was introduced, allowing readers to select their books directly from the open shelves.
The Lending Library closed for a month for re-organisation and was formally re-opened on 3 October 1925 by Mr FC Thomason MP for Aberdeen South. To mark the occasion an artistic Souvenir card containing notes on the history of the library was presented to each guest (about 100), to the same number of earliest borrowers and to a similar number of libraries throughout the country.
The department was completely transformed with space for over 38,000 books; fiction was arranged around the walls in alphabetical order and non-fiction on island shelving in the middle. |