How Old is Old?

THE ESSAY is finished! With a huge sigh of relief, I can say that I have finished, and turned in, my main research paper for last term. It is the main item that I will be graded on for the History and Theory of Stained Glass module. The assignment was to analyze 3 windows in All Saints North Street, which is a Parish church here in York.

In the course of my research,  I went to the local library looking for information on a particular stained glass conservator from the 1800’s. After looking  through the card index (yes, I did write CARD INDEX, their older listings haven’t been entered into the computer system yet) I found a listing for the gentleman in question, John W. Knowles, who worked on these windows in 1861. The card listed scrapbooks; I thought they must be copies of his workbooks or a transcription.  Much to my surprise, the librarian came out from the back  and said “Here you go, Volumes 1 and 2” and handed me his actual scrapbooks….FROM 1861! These would definitely be in a museum in the States, and if they weren’t, they definitely would not be handed out to any random person asking to see them. They’d most likely be in a vault in the basement of the Smithsonian!  So how old is old? It’s very relative it seems. Here they casually handle items dating to the time of the American Civil War, and antiques are often from the 14^th or 15^th century. The Minsters foundations and the city walls date to Roman times, and the glass we are studying this week is from the 12^th-13^th century.  This is part of why I love it here!

Pencil sketch from John Knowles Scrapbooks; Study for glass to be painted.



I feel so lucky to be on this course and to have access to such a treasure trove of books. For a book lover like me it’s a dream. Yesterday, I spent a few hours perusing the York Minster library, which we have access to as part of the University’s Art History Department. They had a resource library with items that couldn’t be checked out, but the regular library included books from the 1800’s that you could take home with you, on subjects ranging from everything Shakespeare, the Kings and Queens of England, Architecture, Religion, and of course Stained Glass.   This foray was in search of information on Chartres Cathedral. I will do a presentation for the class on Monday on the Prodigal Son window there.

Today, I am off to the JB Morell Library on the Main Campus for further research. See photos below!

December Part 2

     Shortly after visiting Gargrave, I returned to the area with my class, Philosophical Approaches to Conservation. We were invited to go to Hellifield Peel, which is a recently restored "castle". The site has been occupied for 800+ years as an ancestral home, but in the last 50 years fell into ruin. It was last used as a prisoner of war camp for German and Italian soldiers during World War Two.
    Two years ago a local architect purchased Hellifield Peel (http://www.peelcastle.co.uk/) and embarked on a restoration project that involved English Heritage and was also featured on a British Television show called "Grand Designs". It was somewhat controversial, but had magnificent results. Due to the high cost of the project, the property is now being run as a bed and breakfast.  We were there to view and discuss the various treatments given to the historic fabric of the building.
     The best part of the day was going into the "Old Bedroom", where the centerpiece of the room is a huge, oak Tester bed, supplied by....my Uncle Hugh and his company Dickinson Antiques! I was on the lookout for it, since Uncle Hugh had told me about it the weekend before. You can see it on their website if you follow this link: http://www.peelcastle.co.uk/rooms/oldbedroom/oldbedroom.html.  I admit I did a fair bit of boasting about my family that day.
     What I didn't realize at the time is that I have another family connection to Hellifield Peel. My great Aunt and Uncle live in Hellifield about 1/4 mile from Hellifield Peel. We drove past their house on the way in and out of town.  My father and Uncle David used to spend summers there, and even had jobs delivering the newspaper, which would be flung off the train as it flew past the village. Unfortunately for me, I don't really know them, but it is amazing that they are still living there.