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Aberdeen Theatres: Tuberculosis exhibition
3375 Throughout its history the Music Hall in Aberdeen has been used for all manner purposes beyond the performing arts and film screenings.
In March 1912 an exhibition on the infectious disease tuberculosis was held in the Music Hall on Union Street. This striking poster, with the headline "War on consumption", advertised the six-day event and the accompanying series of lectures.
The exhibition was organised by the Town Council of Aberdeen and the National Association for the Prevention of Consumption. The majority of the exhibition was brought to the city by the latter party with local additions from the Aberdeen Public Health Department, the pathological and public health laboratories of the University of Aberdeen and the Aberdeen Mothers' and Babies' Club.
The exhibition arrived in Aberdeen on the 16 March from Dundee where it had been visited by 30,000 people. It had also toured Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Hull.
At the close of the "six day crusade against tuberculosis", Lord Provost Maitland described the exhibition and lecture series as "Magnificent" and local paper The Aberdeen Journal stated that the success of the event, "judged by popularity, is beyond all doubt." In total 39,960 attended over the six days, placing Aberdeen behind only Hull which was open for an extra day.
Approximately 20,000 health pamphlets were disseminated around the city, including 15,000 catalogues freely distributed by the Public Health Committee. A copy of this catalogue, which includes an instructive article from Aberdeen's Medical Officer of Health, Matthew Hay, is kept in the collection of Aberdeen Local Studies. Treasure 27: City of Aberdeen Meteorological Records
200 The state of our weather is a regular topic of conversation whether it's a lovely sunny day or a dark, dreich day. November brought the first snow of the season to Aberdeen in 2015 so we have taken this opportunity to look at historical weather records in our collections and see if our winters used to be warmer, colder, snowier, or wetter than today's!
This table of weather statistics for December 1925 is contained in a large volume of titled 'City of Aberdeen Meteorological Records'. The records were obtained from Aberdeen University Observatory, King's College by the Medical Officer of Health (MOH), Dr Matthew Hay, for publication in his Monthly and Yearly Reports on the Health of the City.
Although this volume covers the period from January 1900 until the Monthly Records were discontinued in September 1931, Dr Hay also included meteorological data in his earlier reports and the later MOH annual reports also contained summaries of the data.
The University Observatory was created around 1868 on the upper storeys of the Cromwell Tower. The Meteorological Observer was William Boswell until 1902. He was succeeded by George Aubourne Clarke the following year. Their equipment included a telescope, thermometer screen and an anemometer. The Observatory was one of the Government's Meteorological Office weather stations and was taken over by the Air Ministry in 1921 but closed down in 1947.
The data in each table includes temperature, relative humidity, rainfall (snow or hail is indicated by the letters S or H), hours of sunshine, and wind direction and velocity.
This table from December 1925 shows that there was some snow in the first and third week but both Christmas Day and Hogmanay were the two sunniest days of the month with between 3 and 4 hours of sunshine each.
Today we are used to regular weather forecasts broadcast and printed in the media. The official body responsible for weather forecasting in Britain is the Met Office. Their website at http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/ provides not only current forecasts and explanations of weather phenomena but also historical information on Britain's weather.
Check this link to see how many times there has been snow at Christmas in Aberdeen between 1942 and 2007. Aberdeen experienced 15 White Christmases as snow fell on 25 December. The likelihood of snow falling - and lying - in December has decreased in recent years due to the effects of Climate Change. Nowadays, Britain is much more likely to experience snow between January and March. Treasure 45: British Association for the Advancement of Science - 1934 Visit Souvenir
214 The British Science Association holds its annual British Science Week in March when a variety of events including talks and activity days for adults, schools, and families are held country-wide to celebrate science and technology.
The British Science Association has evolved from the organisation which was founded in 1831 as the British Association for the Advancement of Science with the aim of promoting interest and research in the sciences, believed to be in decline at the time.
Their annual meetings, held in different cities across the UK during a week in early September, allowed professional scientists to discuss their current research not only with members of other scientific disciplines but also with the general public.
In this Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, it may be interesting to look back at these annual meetings of the Association when Aberdeen welcomed 2000 - 3000 scientists and members in 1859, 1885, 1934 and 1963.
The 1934 visit was even more special because it coincided with the Jubilee of the city's adoption of the Public Library Acts in 1884. A special luncheon was held on Friday 7 September in the Aberdeen Central Library Reference Department when the City Librarian, G.M. Fraser, and the Library Committee entertained 112 invited guests, including the President Sir James H. Jeans, the President-elect Professor W. W. Watts, and about 70 of the more distinguished members of the Association, with representatives of educational, official, professional, commercial and industrial interests of the city. This was believed to be the first time that such an event had been held in a public library and it was regarded as hugely successful.
This attractive menu card in the form of the binding of a book was created by local printing firm Taylor and Henderson at a cost of £9. 5s. 6d. for 120 copies. Catering, including the food, decorations and staff, was provided by the Royal Athenaeum Restaurant at a cost of 5 shillings per head - a total cost of £50 11s. 3d
Having been greeted in the Library Committee Room by Lord Provost of Aberdeen Henry Alexander, the guests were guided by members of staff through the Lending Department to the main staircase which was laid with crimson cloth and decorated with plants and shrubs.
The Library staff were also able to enjoy the day by being treated to lunch at the nearby Caledonian Hotel on Union Terrace, although they were expected to return in time to help escort their honoured guests from the Library.
Guests included Sir Arthur Hill of Royal Botanic Gardens, Miss Olga Nethersole, founder of The People's League of Health, Dr Marie Stopes, paleobotanist, but perhaps better remembered for her work on women's rights and birth control, Sir Josiah Stamp of London Midland and Scottish Railway, and Sir Arthur Eddington, astronomer.
Treasure 48: Tuberculosis Exhibition Poster
219 In March 1912 an exhibition on the infectious disease tuberculosis was held in the Music Hall on Union Street. This striking poster, with the headline 'War on consumption', advertised the six day event and the accompanying series of lectures.
The exhibition was organised by the Town Council of Aberdeen and the National Association for the Prevention of Consumption. The majority of the exhibition was brought to the city by the latter party with local additions from the Aberdeen Public Health Department, the pathological and public health laboratories of the University of Aberdeen and the Aberdeen Mothers' and Babies' Club.
The exhibition arrived in Aberdeen on the 16 March from Dundee where it had been visited by 30,000 people. It had also toured Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Hull.
The exhibits were arranged in the Music Hall's Ball Room and Square Room by Mr Haughton, the organising secretary, with assistance by officials of the Public Health Department. The exhibition included two full sized model rooms. Living conditions such as good ventilation, fresh air and sunlight were considered vital in combating the disease. A "bad room" was modelled on a real property in the East End of London.
Tuberculosis was a grave health concern at the time. The poster states that "During the past Ten Years in Aberdeen 1997 persons died from Consumption, and 1039 from other forms of Tuberculosis." In a preview of the exhibition from 19 March, the Aberdeen Journal wrote "The object of the exhibition is to draw attention to the enormous wastage of life and work caused by tuberculosis in its various forms; to show how the disease is caused and spread; and to illustrate the methods of cure and the precautions for its prevention."
The importance of the exhibition was further stressed in a later article which stated: "There is no single disease that causes among civilian communities so many deaths and manifests itself in such various forms, and nothing can be more desirable than to bring home to the masses of people how the deadly scourge can best be prevented or checked. In Aberdeen alone the number of deaths yearly from all forms of tuberculosis is about 270, and of these about two-thirds, or 180, are due to pulmonary tuberculosis. The disease usually lasts long, and the number of definite diseases attributable to it at any one time in the city is probably not less than four or even five times as large as the deaths."
The exhibition was opened by the Principal of the University of Aberdeen, George Adam Smith, and was accompanied by a series of daily public lectures by experts on the disease. Each day's lecture was followed by cinematograph presentations illustrating the precautions taken in connection to tuberculosis. The lectures were held next-door to the Music Hall in the Aberdeen Y.M.C.A. Hall.
At the close of the "six day crusade against tuberculosis", Lord Provost Maitland described the exhibition and lecture series as "Magnificent" and the Journal stated that the success of the event, "judged by popularity, is beyond all doubt." In total 39,960 attended over the six days, placing Aberdeen behind only Hull which was open for an extra day. Approximately 20,000 health pamphlets were disseminated around the city, including 15,000 catalogues freely distributed by the Public Health Committee. A copy of this catalogue, which includes an instructive article from Hay, is kept in the collection of Aberdeen Local Studies. |