Legacy of the Genetic Codebreakers

Apr 232013

The Wellcome Library has launched a major new digital resource which tells the story of genetics. ‘Codebreakers: Making of Modern Genetics’  contains the digitised archives of the most prominent individuals in this field, together with lots of supporting material.

To celebrate the launch of ‘Codebreakers’ we would like to show you a special selection of MediaHub resources which help illustrate the huge impact the work of these geneticists has had on society and how it has already changed our lives.

It is sixty years since’ Nature’ published  Watson and Crick’s  paper on the structure of DNA. This breakthrough is considered to be one of the greatest achievements of the 20th Century. Since that time enormous progress has been made in the field of genetics and molecular biology.

Francis Crick : Nobel Prize-Winning Scientist
Getty (still images) : 23-04-1993

Legendary Geneticist : James Dewey Watson
Getty (still images) 23-04-1993

Genetic Fingerprinting

Alec Jeffreys discovered the technique of DNA fingerprinting by chance while carrying out research at the University of Leicester in 1984. It revolutionised the field of forensic science and police were now able to use DNA evidence to link  a suspect to the scene of a crime. A few years later the technique had been developed sufficiently to make it commercially available. Click on the following ITV news clip to hear how DNA fingerprinting is carried out and the impact it was to have on criminal investigation procedures.

Genetic Fingerprint Techniques
ITV News 13-11-1987

Jeffreys went on to refine the process further and developed DNA profiling, a technique which made it possible for DNA databases to be established. This has led to ethical questions about whose DNA should be stored and for how long.

However, the use of DNA evidence in court is not without its issues. In 2007 attempts to convict an individual for the Omagh bombings failed due to problems with ‘Low Copy’ DNA that ‘did not stand up to scrutiny’. Watch the ITN news clip below to find out more about the implications this has had for the Crown Prosecution Service.

DNA evidence to be reviewed after Omagh bomb trial verdict
ITN 21-12-2007

Sequencing and Mapping of the Human Genome

The Human Genome Project, established in 1989,  allowed geneticists to work collaboratively on sequencing  the entire human genome. This involved identifying every chemical  base pair within every gene of each human chromosome (around 3 billion base pairs).

Base pairs which make up the structure of a DNA double helix
Book of Life : Wellcome Film 2001

The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, based in Cambridge, carried out nearly a third of the work; the rest was sequenced by institutions  in the USA .  The ‘Book of Life‘ was made by the Wellcome Trust and is a fascinating account of how the sequencing work was done and the immense potential this has released to understand how genes contribute to human disease. We now have the information to discover the genetic basis of  cancer, diabetes and heart disease, as well as many other illnesses such as Alzheimer’s. Find out more about how the work was done by clicking on the image below:

Publication of the entire human genome
Book of Life : Wellcome Film 2001

This immense task was completed to a high degree of accuracy by 2003;  timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the discovery of  the DNA double helix.

Frederick Sanger, the researcher after whom the Sanger Institute was named,  pioneered methods of  sequencing  DNA which would form the basis of the high-speed technologies in use today. In the interview below you can hear this modest man discuss his work and how the life of a research scientist is usually strewn with failures from which occasional breakthroughs are made.

Frederick Sanger
Sanger. Sequences [Dr F. Sanger Interviewed by Mr H. Judson, 13 November 1987] Biochemical Society

The process of DNA sequencing is constantly advancing and becoming cheaper. In 2007 it cost $10 million to sequence a human genome whereas in 2012 it could be done in one day for around $1,000. This is having a revolutionary effect on  scientists’ abilities  to defeat diseases which mutate quickly, such as HIV and malaria, as well as for a multitude of other applications.

Many more genomes of other species are now being unravelled, expanding our knowledge of genetics further. Accompanying these advances will be a host of new ethical issues surrounding the use to which this information is being put and whether it is being used for commercial gain.

Greenpeace activists protest against genetically modified maize crops grown by US company, Monsanto.
Getty (images) 03-05-2005

Giant biotechnology companies such as Monsanto have been accused of introducing genetically modified organisms to the detriment of indigenous species and the environmental health of the planet.

The Genome of Neanderthal Man

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology are trying to sequence the Neanderthal genome following the discovery of ancient DNA within well preserved Neanderthal bones . It will allow scientists to compare human and Neanderthal genomes and identify the changes which are unique to modern man. It is hoped this will give clues to how man evolved and why Neanderthals disappeared.  Watch this Channel 4 Newsclip below to find out why scientists think this work could also contribute to our understanding of human speech disorders.

Neanderthal Skull
Technology: Scientists close to mapping genetic code for Neanderthal man: Channel 4 News 15-11-2006

We now stand on the threshold of a new age in which biomedical technologies will be used diagnose and treat disease, design new drugs and provide us with solutions to help make vital resources more plentiful. This promises to improve all our lives but, as with the advent of all new technologies, we will have to confront previously unknown ethical dilemmas along the way.

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Interface Upgrade; New Collection - Easter 2013 release

Apr 032013

We are pleased to be able to offer some preview screenshots of the new JISC MediaHub interface which is due to go into service on Friday April 5th. We have made a series of changes in line with the Roadmap of forthcoming features. The main new areas are:

  • Simpler classification of collection types
  • Advanced Search: time/date, people/organisations
  • My MediaHub: bookmarking and tagging, commenting.

We have taken the opportunity to update the homepage by enlarging the showcase panel which now includes both content highlights and interface features. It is dynamic and refreshes during a user session as well as being regularly updated with new images.

Screenshot of our new homepage.

Screenshot of our new homepage.

We have also added a social media panel to highlight tweets and blogposts we have written about the service.

The links which appeared on the right hand side of the page are now all available elsewhere, either as links in the menu bar (Explore, My MediaHub) or under other headings (Most Popular under Explore; Useful links now under Help).

Simpler classification of collection types

There are now four Access icons describing content from the different collections.

Items covered by the JISC eCollections licence.
You can view and download the video, image or audio if your college or university subscribes to the JISC eCollections service.

Items requiring a login
These resources have restricted access. Some information will be freely available, but a log in may be required to access and download the video, image, or audio files.

Items held at JISC MediaHub
These resources are held at JISC MediaHub. You can view and download these resources directly from the website provided you have logged in (if required).

Items held on other websites
These resources are held on external websites. You can search for these and access some information within JISC MediaHub, but to view or download the resource you must follow a link to another web site. You may or may not be required to login.

Many resources will be labelled with more than one icon. In the image below, for example, we have a video with 3 icons at the top right; it is covered by the JISC eCollections licence, you have to login for access, and it is held at JISC MediaHub.

Full record with new icons

Full record with new icons

We have also added accompanying icons for the various Explore options:

explore icons

Advanced Search: date, duration, people/organisations

The new advanced search page is accessible either as an Explore option or via the More options link in the Search area at the top of most pages.

The additional options are to search by people/organisations (where records contain such information), duration (of video clip) and by date range.

Bookmarking and Tagging

Bookmark adds a record to My MediaHub permanently. You must be logged in with your college or university login to use the facility and Bookmarks will remain available as long as your login is active. The Bookmark option is available on the full record screen e.g. by clicking on the star under the image, as shown in the image below:

bookmark links screenshot

bookmark links screenshot

As part of the bookmarking process users are able to add tags. This makes it easier to find bookmarks later, in My MediaHub. You can click on any of the suggested tags to add them, or add your own tags. There is also a Private box if you do not wish your bookmarks to appear on any public lists.

Comments

You can now view comments and add your own via the full record page. You must be logged in with your individual login to add or edit comments. The process is simply to Click the Comments tab under the large image. Click Add comment, as shown in the image below.

comments page screenshot

comments page screenshot

Comments can be marked private via a check box. You can view and delete comments that you have added via the My MediaHub comments screen.

We have updated the various help & support guides and these will be available as part of the new release. These fully document all aspects of the new interface, including more detail on the features shown above. We look forward to receiving feedback from users once it is live.

New collection: Bioscience ImageBank

Bioscience ImageBank is an online collection of over 6,000 bioscience images which are freely available and licensed for use in learning and teaching. The content of ImageBank covers a wide range of subjects from Agriculture to Zoology and includes images from all the major taxonomic groups. Many images are accompanied by a short description and the species name and common name where appropriate, and all images and accompanying information have been checked for accuracy by those with substantial knowledge of the subject matter, which gives ImageBank a considerable advantage over other online collections.

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly
Bioscience ImageBank

 

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Tutankhamun

Mar 182013

The 16th February 2013 marked the 90th anniversary of Howard Carter’s historic unsealing of the royal burial chamber of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings. He had been searching for the tomb for many years, with the financial backing of Lord Carnarvon, and its discovery was not only the greatest achievement of his career but also the greatest archaeological find of modern times.

Crowds gather around the entrance to the tomb of Tutankhamun
Lord Carnarvon: Gaumont Graphic Newsreel 05-03-1923

Howard Carter’s personal diary and journal (now held at the Griffith Institute, Oxford)  provide a fascinating account of how the tomb was finally discovered in November 1922.  On Sunday the 5th November, he sent the following telegram to Lord Carnarvon

At last have made wonderful discovery in Valley a magnificent tomb with seals intact recovered same for your arrival congratulations

It took several months to record the hundreds of wonderful objects stored in the antechamber before the team could proceed to investigate the sealed burial chamber. Lord Carnarvon  travelled from England to witness the event on 16th Feb 1923 and the world press descended.

The following clip from Gaumont Graphic Newsreel includes Howard Carter showing  Lord Carnarvon and others around the site in early March 1923. A month later, Lord Carnarvon died suddenly from blood poisoning which originated from a mosquito bite and rumours began to circulate about the curse of  Tutankhamun.

Howard Carter talks to Lord Carnarvon at the tomb of Tutankhamun
Lord Carnarvon: Gaumont Graphic Newsreel 05-03-1923

Tutankhamun ruled Egypt between 1336 and 1327 BC and was a Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Although his tomb was relatively small for an Egyptian Pharaoh it was of enormous significance because very little looting had occurred and the burial chamber was still sealed. HV Morton, the only journalist allowed into the tomb, wrote vividly of astonishing sights which included not only magnificent treasures but also stores of food, perfumed face creams and withered garlands of flowers. The King had been buried with everything he could conceivably need to sustain him in the afterlife.

Carter was famous for his systematic approach to recording archaeological artefacts, ensuring the context of an object was recorded in addition to information about the object itself. His team used Carter’s own card system to record the contents of Tutankhamun’s tomb and he employed Harry Burton to photograph the excavation as it progressed, providing an invaluable visual record of the tomb in situ.

Contents of the tomb are removed in wooden crates after they have been carefully recorded
Lord Carnarvon: Gaumont Graphic Newsreel 05-03-1923

The discovery of Tutankhamun captured the imagination of the public at a time when such exciting events could be watched on early newsreels as well as being reported in print. This was to have a big impact on archaeology and the way in which it was communicated to a new audience.  Brian Hope-Taylor talks about this in the following  film called ‘The Investigators’ and discusses how archaeologists are equally concerned with finding out about the lives of ordinary people as well as royal ones.

A statue of Anubis guards the tomb of Tutankhamun
Who were the British?: The Investigators: Anglia Television Library 1965

Egypt’s tourist industry boomed as the media fuelled public interest in Egyptology. Take your own tour of  Aswan, Luxor and the Valley of the Kings by watching this 1959 Roving Report presented by the famously combative George Ffitch.

George Ffitch is driven to the Valley of the Kings
The Grandeur of Egypt: Roving Report 29-04-1959

Until the 1960′s all artifacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb were housed in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. As a result of political change it was made possible for the major items to be exhibited throughout the world and they still continue to travel the globe .

‘The Treasures of Tutankhamun‘  came to the British Museum in 1972 and was their most successful ever exhibition attracting over 1.6 million people. Click on the image below to watch an ITV news clip broadcast on the eve of its opening.

Scarab Beetle from the ‘Necklace of the Sun in the Eastern Horizon’
Tutankhamun Exhibition Opened: ITV News 29-03-1972

Tutankhamun has drawn people to Egypt for decades. Click on the image below to watch ITN footage of the Princess of Wales visiting Cairo and the Valley of the Kings in 1992. She was lucky and did not have to queue in the heat to see all his splendours.

Princess of Wales looks at the Golden Mask of King Tutankhamun
Princess of Wales Egypt Visit: ITN 14-05-1992

We now know much information about the boy king as a result of modern technology. There have been many theories about  Tutankhamun’s early death at around 19 years of age and many believed he had been murdered (evidenced by a skull injury). In 2005 the king’s mummified remains were scanned and results indicate  it is much less likely that he was deliberately killed. DNA testing  in 2010 shows he probably suffered from malaria which would have resulted in a weakened constitution. Death most likely occurred as the result of a leg injury which failed to heal properly. You can follow this story and find out more about his parentage and physical condition by clicking on the image below:

The real face of Tutankhamun
DNA reveals some mystery on King Tut: Getty (moving images) 2010

Recent work on the analysis of mummies has given us valuable information about our own health. This Lancet article shows that evidence of atherosclerosis existed in a third of the mummies which were examined, suggesting that modern lifestyle factors are not completely to blame for an individual’s predisposition to heart attack and strokes. Instead it’s possible atherosclerosis  may be linked more directly to the human ageing process.

The public face of the King – the Golden Mask of Tutankhamun
DNA reveals some mystery on King Tut: Getty (moving images) 18-02-2010

Controversies continue to follow Tutankhamun. There are problems concerning the deterioration of the King’s remains following their removal from the protective atmosphere of his sealed burial chamber, as well as the condition of the tomb itself. In addition there are the ethics of displaying a dead body, stripped of all the objects with which it had been buried. Many will argue  this is preferable to the looting which would have taken place once the location of the tomb was known, though some believe mummies should not be disturbed.

The legend of Tutankhamun, who died over 3,000 years ago and was sent into the afterlife with treasures beyond imagining, continues to fascinate us and even now he still  holds on to many of  his secrets.

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Robert Burns - Man of the People

Jan 252013

The life of Robert Burns is celebrated every year on the 25th January; the date of his birth. Why did the Burns Night tradition start and how did this obscure Ayrshire farm lad, born in 1759,  turn into a literary phenomenon and national hero?

The Birth Certificate of Robert Burns held at the General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh: Getty (still images) 24-01-2007

The first Burns Night was held on the wrong date (29th January 1802) due to a mistake in a  newly written biography by Dr James Currie (one of many inaccuracies written about Burns’  life).  The poet had been dead less than  six years yet, such was the impact he had made on the Scottish people, there was a great wish to preserve his memory. And what better way than to celebrate in the manner he would have appreciated most: with good company, haggis, Scotch whisky and of course, poetry. If you are thinking of hosting your own Burn’s Night Supper it’s advisable to consult some reliable information on the running order of the event. Click on the image below to watch a newsclip about Burns’ 250th anniversary in 1996.

Delivering the Address to the Haggis
Scotland: Robert Burns: Channel 4 News 23-01-1996

 

Robert Burns was born into a poor Ayrshire farming family in 1759. It was a constant struggle to make a living off the land and Robert endured hard manual labour during much of his early life. Despite this, his father made sure Robert was given the basis of a classical education, although he spent little time attending school. Find out more about the area where Burns grew up by watching ‘ Ayr from the Auld Brig‘ made by Films of Scotland.

Burns Birthplace at Alloway: Ayr from the Auld Brig: Films of Scotland 1961

As a young man he read widely and began to write poetry inspired by his passion for nature,  revelling and the local girls. To say he had a complicated love life would be an understatement and his many amours (plus resulting progeny) deserve a blog post all of their own.

The Brig O’Doon from Burns’ famous Tam O’Shanter
Ayr from the Auld Brig: Films of Scotland 1961

After his father’s death,  life on the farm continued to be precarious. In a bid to secure a reliable job and escape the embarrassing fallout of a recent romance, he came up with the unlikely idea of emigrating to Jamaica. Unfortunately he did not have money for the ship’s passage so decided to publish some of his poems (by subscription) to try and raise the funds. Astonishingly his volume, written in Scots dialect, was a runaway success. He changed his plans and set off for Edinburgh, where he knew no-one, to seek his fortune.

A Legend is Made
Scotland: Robert Burns: Channel 4 News 1996

In the course of arranging a second edition of his poems, he found himself in demand by the leading figures of Edinburgh society who were eager to meet the  ’Heaven-taught Ploughman’ themselves. He charmed them all with his vivacity and wit and soon became a celebrity figure. Burns also had a strong interest in folk songs and he set many of his own poems to music. In 1787  he toured different parts of Scotland, in the course of which he collected many traditional songs which were in danger of disappearing. On his return he worked collaboratively with others to collect, publish and preserve this vital part of Scottish culture. Take your own Scottish tour  by watching Holiday Scotland which features most of the places Burns visited himself.

 

Burns travelled as far north as Inverness during his travels in 1787
Holiday Scotland: Films of Scotland 1966

Sadly,  Burns was never destined to make much money. He sold the copyright to his poetry early on and refused to take any payment for his work collecting folk songs, which he regarded as a patriotic service. He returned to Ayrshire to bring up his family and took up a post with the Excise in order to earn a regular income. Click the image below to find out more about how Burns is still remembered in the town of Ayr.

People of Ayr celebrate the June Rite of Burns by re-enacting the ride of Tam O’Shanter: A Town Called Ayr: Films of Scotland 1974

His outspoken radical views got him into a lot of trouble with the authorities and there were occasions when he nearly lost his job with the Excise as a result.  He desperately needed to support his growing family but hard times lay ahead and he became unwell. Many have said his illness was due to a dissolute lifestyle but we now know he was suffering from endocarditis which, in the days before antibiotics, would inevitably prove fatal. He died on 21st July 1796 at the age of 37. His wife, Jean Armour, gave birth to his 13th child on the day of his funeral. His popularity was so great that it was said  over 10,000 people watched his funeral procession.

Burns Celebrations: Gaumont Graphic Newsreel: 29-01-1920

What was Burn’s legacy to the Scottish nation? His works have been translated into 50 languages and songs such as ‘Auld Lang Syne’ are known globally. His poetry is remarkable for its simplicity and honesty,  expressing his zest for life and egalitarian ideals. He has become a conduit for spreading  Scottish culture throughout the world.

Burns’s poetry and ideas continue to be relevant to us today. When the new Scottish Parliament opened, one of  Burns’ most famous songs was chosen to mark the occasion.  ’A Man’s a Man for A”That’  is a declaration of equality and liberty.

For A’ that and a”that

It’s coming yet for a’that

That Man to Man, the world o’er

Shall brothers be for a’that

 

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The Hobbit

Dec 132012

Peter Jackson’s eagerly anticipated new film ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ opens in the UK today, so  we thought a special blog post about ‘The Hobbit’ would be an ideal way to mark the festive season. So put up your feet and help yourselves to second breakfast while we take you on a journey through JISC MediaHub.

J.R.R. Tolkien has entranced millions with his magical tales of Middle-earth. ‘The Hobbit’, originally written for the entertainment of his son Christopher, was published in 1937.  Professor Tolkien drew upon his vast knowledge of Norse and Old English to conjure a heroic world, where men live alongside dwarves, elves, goblins and other mythical beings. The Channel 4 clip below discusses the Anglo-Saxons and shows how their society and culture was far more sophisticated than we originally thought. It’s interesting to see how Tolkien incorporated elements from Anglo-Saxon life into his Middle-earth fable.

Sutton-Hoo Helmet
[Anglo-SaxonSettlement: New Evidence: Channel 4 News 01-09-1989]

When the tale begins, Bilbo Baggins, the reluctant and unlikely hero,  is living peaceably in the rural idyll of the Shire.

An romanticised view of English rural life was the model for the Shire. A similarly idealised representation can be seen in this propaganda film on the role of the countryside in war efforts.
[Spring Offensive: Royal Mail Film Classics 1939]

 

Before long his comfortable existence is rudely disturbed by the arrival of the wizard, Gandalf who, together with a band of dwarves, whisks him away on a quest for long-forgotten gold. The dwarves use an ancient map containing runes to guide them to the Lonely Mountain where their treasure is being held. It was thought the Norse sometimes used runes for the purposes of magic and divination. Below is an image of a huge runestone from Jelling  in Denmark which contains both pagan and Christian symbols.

Pagan Runes on a Jelling Stone
[Lost Centuries 7 : The Fury of the Northmen:segment 5: Anglia Television Library]

One of the high points of Bilbo’s unexpected journey is a visit to the secret valley of Rivendell , where he and his fellow adventurers rest at Elrond’s Last Homely House. This beautiful refuge is set in a deep ravine with steep hills on either side.

As beautiful as Rivendell? [Sonlerto in the Bavona Valley, Switzerland
Getty (still images)]

After they make their reluctant farewells to Elrond, Gandalf leads Bilbo and the dwarves across the forbidding Misty Mountains. It’s possible this dangerous mountain range was inspired by a summer holiday Tolkien spent in the Alps when he was 19. Take a look at some footage of the high Alpine peaks below to get into the ‘Misty Mountain mood’.

The Alps or the towering peaks of the Misty Mountains?
[Aerial over French Alps:Getty (moving images)]

In a dark cave, under the mountains,  Bilbo finds a golden ring and has his famous encounter with the creature, Gollum: events which are to have unforeseen consequences for the future fate of Middle-earth itself. Maybe it looked a little like the cave below?

This underground cave was a refuge for those escaping pirates and slave-hunters in the XVII century
[La Cueva de los Verdes - 2: GovEd Communications: Francesco Troina]

Great eagles play a key role in the story, rescuing the party from ravening wolves and appearing at the end of the final battle. Tolkien met his fellow ‘inklings’ at the ‘Eagle and Child’ pub in Oxford – could this legend have prompted him to imagine how eagles could carry Bilbo’s party away from danger? Click on the eagle below to watch this magnificent bird in flight.

A Magnificent Hovering Eagle
[Bald eagle hovering and landing on rock: Getty (moving images)]

Beorn the ‘skin-changer’ is one of the most mysterious characters in ‘The Hobbit’; a man who can take on the shape of a bear. Shape-shifters can be found throughout Norse mythology.  Bilbo and the dwarves are given shelter in Beorn’s  great hall which, as Tolkien’s own illustrations suggest, could have been based on a Viking longhouse. To find out more about this and viking culture in general take a look at “Lost Centuries -7: The fury of the Northmen”.

Beorn’s Hall? [A reconstructed viking longhouse at Trelleborg, Denmark: Lost Centuries 7: Segment 4: Anglia Television Library]

Bilbo’s confidence starts to grow as he saves the dwarves from being eaten by giant spiders in black Mirkwood forest. After more adventures they all arrive at the Lonely Mountain and start to plan how to get the treasure back.

A great spider from Mirkwood?
[Garden Spider: Wellcome Images 2009]

No great tale is complete without a monster to overcome and it is through Bilbo’s cleverness that the dragon, Smaug  meets his downfall, leading to the reclamation of the dwarves’ vast treasure hoard.

Smaug? – or another mighty dragon?
[The dragon bridge-3:GovEd Communications: Francesco Troina]

Tolkien was an expert on the Anglo-Saxon poem ‘Beowulf’ and drew upon it as one of his most valued sources.  He used elements from the poem within ‘The Hobbit’ and was very fond of performing it whilst teaching Old English to his students at Pembroke College, Oxford. The story of Beowulf includes a magical sword, a treasure hoard and a dragon. To hear more about this you can watch segment 3 from “The Lost Centuries – 5: A Golden Age” which contains some extracts from ‘Beowulf’.

The tale of how Beowulf defeated Grendel would have been told in Anglo-Saxon halls such as this.
[Lost Centuries - 5: A Golden Age: Segment 3: Anglia Television Library]

And so Bilbo’s great quest was concluded although there were many unexpected outcomes to face before he returned safely to Bag End.

In the words of JRR Tolkien:

There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after

A brief glimpse of Tolkien being interviewed about the Oxford Poetry Chair
[Oxford Poetry Chair: ITV News 25-05-1973]

May all your adventures come to a safe end – and don’t forget to let us know if you find your own hobbit-related material on JISC MediaHub!

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Digital Content for the First World War on JISC MediaHub

Nov 092012

In 2014 we will be commemorating the centenary of the First World War. This event will  generate new interest in historic material relating to such a significant part of our history. JISC has funded work to explore what teachers and researchers will require so they can reinterpret this huge event from a 21st Century perspective. You can read more in a new report called Digital Content for the First World War which was undertaken by King’s College, London and makes recommendations about how valuable resources can be made digitally accessible.

JISC MediaHub provides access to many collections containing First World War material. Our previous ‘War Horse’ blog post focused on the important role horses played on the battlefront. In this blog post we are looking at how the war affected the everyday lives of ordinary people.

Are You In This? : IWM (images) c.1916

Hard times followed the onset of WWI and the government wanted to show the British people how they could contribute to the war effort. Food shortages became more common and rationing was eventually introduced.

Yes – Complete Victory if You Eat Less Bread : IWM (images) c.1916

The IWM (images) Collection contains a large number of propaganda posters distributed by the government to encourage the general public to save food; amongst many other initiatives.

Piling up Rations in the Rations Shed: This item is from The First World War Poetry Digital Archive, University of Oxford (www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit)

 

The role of women began to change as men  departed for the War in their tens of thousands .  Many volunteered to serve as nurses at the Front and we are starting to learn more about their individual stories following the release of new material from the National Archives.

The Scottish Women’s Hospital : In The Cloister of the Abbaye at Royaumont. Dr. Frances Ivens inspecting a French patient. Imperial War Museum (images)

 

Many more women came forward to take over industrial and agricultural jobs which helped keep the economy running. This interesting clip from Gaumont Graphic Newsreel shows a ‘ Women Workers Procession’ in London which was held by the Women’s Social and Political Union to recruit women into  munitions work. Mrs Pankhurst and Lloyd George were key to the organisation of this event.

Women Workers Procession: Gaumont Graphic Newsreel 27-07-1916

The  Great War left its mark on almost every community in the land. Even those living in the far corners of Britain found their lives were changed irrevocably by events played out far from home. The North Highland College Johnston Collection  gives us a unique insight into social change happening around Wick; a coastal town in the top North East corner of Scotland.

Parade after Church Service on Outbreak of the Great War : North Highland College (Johnston Collection) c. 1915

This parade was probably part of a recruiting march taking place throughout the county for one of the Seaforth battallions.

Meanwhile the everyday business of the town had to carry on:

Group photo of Lipton’s staff in Wick, standing outside the shop : North Highland College (Johnston Collection) c.1915

and despite the gravity of the war situation there were still opportunities to have some fun……

Painter and decorator apprentice finishing his time (Brothering) in Market Square :
North Highland College (Johnston Collection) c.1915

Among the treasures of this collection are many studio photographs of men who were about to join the fighting. These photographs would become precious mementoes as families faced an uncertain future. Here a soldier holds his young daughter in a surprisingly informal shot; we can only begin to wonder what their thoughts would have been at such a time.

A Portrait of Mr Clyne and his Daughter – December 1915 : North Highland College (Johnston Collection)

 

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Eric Hobsbawm: Marxist Historian

Oct 262012

Following the recent death of the eminent Marxist historian, Eric Hobsbawm, we thought this would be an ideal opportunity to celebrate his achievements and highlight the resources of our ETV Collection, which is unique in its coverage of the history of the British Labour Movement as well as the influence of Communism.

Although he spent most of his life in Britain, Eric Hobsbawm was born in Egypt to Jewish parents in 1917. Far away in Russia  a revolution was beginning, the reverberations of which would be felt globally, as documented in ETV’s Chronicle of October 1917.

Chronicle of October 1917 : ETV Films Ltd

In his autobiography Hobsbawm said

I belong to the generation for whom the October Revolution represented the hope of the world.

The  family moved to Vienna but by the time Hitler began his rise to power Hobsbawm had been orphaned and was living with his uncle in Berlin. They were moving to a country in the grip of significant political change: ‘How to Make Cannon Fodder’ is an account of the rise of Nazism in Germany at this time and its focus on the country’s youth.

How To Make Cannon Fodder : ETV Ltd 1963

As a result of his experiences in Berlin, Hobsbawm joined the Communist Party at the age of 14;

Anybody who saw Hitler’s rise happen first hand could not have helped but be shaped by it, politically. That boy is still somewhere inside, always will be..

He moved with his uncle to London  in 1933 and as a gangly teenage boy had to adapt to a new language and culture. He clearly managed this with some success and went on to win a scholarship to Cambridge where he made many communist friends. Here he would eventually gain his PhD, after a break in his studies during the war which he spent as a sapper on the home front. This experience gave him an opportunity to meet and work alongside working class Britons.

In 1947  he began his long career as a history lecturer at Birkbeck College. By now he had determined his ongoing commitment to  radical socialism, which remained throughout the cold war, to the detriment of the progression of his academic career.

The Allies : ETV Films Ltd 1965

Hobsbawm considered himself part of the international communist movement, a position echoed in the work of ETV, a distribution company aiming to make the movement available through alternative newsreels. For instance  ’The Allies’ is a documentary film made by the DEFA Studio  (the state-owned film studio of the German Democratic Republic) which gives an account of how the successful military alliance between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies in World War II led to the defeat of Germany. The film interprets these events from a Soviet perspective and stresses the huge price paid by Russia (20 million dead) to help bring an end to the Nazi regime.

Following his post-war research into the Fabians, Hobsbawm developed a great and continuing interest in the growth of the British Labour Movement. Many years later, in 1983, he supported Neil Kinnock’s controversial transformation of the British Labour Party  into what would eventually become known as ‘New Labour’.  A 1985 Channel 4 News Clip focusing on splits within the British Communist Party ( including an interview with Hobsbawm) goes on to discuss the resulting impact on the entire Labour Movement.

Fifty Fighting Years: ETV Films Ltd 1972

Fifty Fighting Years was made as a tribute to the journal ‘Labour Monthly’ and documents the struggles of the British Labour Movement from 1921-1971. The film was directed and produced by Stanley Forman, ETV’s founder and a contemporary of Hobsbawm, whose life also was strongly influenced by the Communist movement.

Hobsbawm’s views – political and historical – were formed by his reactions to the great conflicts of the 20th Century which he called ‘the most extraordinary and terrible century of human history’. His formidable reputation as a historian, however, was established mainly by his quartet of books  spanning  events from the French Revolution to the present day (The Age of Revolution, The Age of Capital, The Age of Empire and The Age of Extremes).

He believed world events are driven largely by economic and social forces rather than through the power of individual leaders. He said

Social injustice still needs to be denounced and fought….the world will not get better on its own.

 

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Great JISC MediaHub Bake Off

Oct 162012

The third series of the Great British Bake Off draws to a close tonight leaving many viewers wondering what cakes, biscuits, breads, crispbreads and gingerbread artistry they can try their hand at. We decided to take a look through JISC MediaHub for inspiration and have found some fascinating bakes for you that not only reflect culinary but also cultural and social history.

Daily Bakes
Baking can be a thing of decadence and luxury but bread is the most fundamental of baked goods and an inexpensive essential staple of diets across the world. The logistics of baking can be tricky – even without Paul Holywood commenting on salt levels. So what happens when a lot of people need basic bread quickly in an unfamiliar environment? Well a little invention is required. This silent footage from 1916, shows British military baking facilities in Salonica, Greece, during the First World War. The bread itself may not win any prizes but the make shift ovens and baking arrangements make the Bake Off marquee look extremely luxurious.

British army personnel bake in make shift ovens in Salonica

British army personnel bake in make shift ovens in Salonica. (TOMMY’S NINEPENNY LOAF, Gaumont Graphic, 27-03-1916)

Pies are another staple not only of British home cooks and high streets but also celebrations. Two news clips from the Gaumont Graphic Collection, from 1923 and 1927, feature (then) newly revived ancient British pie customs. The first sees “Henry VIII and Queen Catherine” (presumably not the real ones) eating eel pie at Twickenham, the other features the Mayor of Mansfield tucking into a gargantuan gooseberry pie.

"Henry VIII and Queen Catherine" attack an eel pie

“Henry VIII and Queen Catherine” attack an eel pie. (ANCIENT CUSTOM RENEWED, Gaumont Graphic, 22-05-1923).

The size of these celebration bakes leads us to baking as business and the industrial processes of manufacturing baked goods.

Industrial Bakes
Some of the earliest cinematic footage captured industrial processes and scenes – sometimes real, sometimes reproduced – indeed the Lumière brothers’ first film “La Sortie de usines Lumière” (1894) shows workers leaving the Lumière factory. Film itself is a mechanised technological process so it is hardly surprising that filmmakers have remained entranced with industrial scenes, especially of repetitive processes and production lines, from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927) and Chaplin’s Modern Times (1936) through to Playschool (1964-1988) and Sesame Street (1969-) taking the viewer on factory adventures, to the fragile production line imagery of Koyaanisqatsi (1982) and Gung Ho (1986), and through to modern advertising campaigns imagining playful animated industrial processes for everything from dairy produce to Coca Cola. Food, particularly baking, is always a favourite topic, from production lines of all sorts of baked items from french bread to post-rationing hot cross buns to that baking essential ingrediant, chocolate!

Two boys eat hot cross buns

Two boys eat hot cross buns in a still from a 1919 Gaumont Graphic film about production beginning again after the end of rationing following the First World War. (HOT CROSS BUNS, Gaumont Graphic, 14-04-1919)

A man looks at a conveyer belt in the Bournville Cadbury Factory.

A man inspects the chocolate on the production line at the Bournville Cadbury Factory (100 Years Of Manufacturing At Bournville Cadbury Factory, Getty (still images) 25-02-2005)

Decorative Bakes
Industrialised baking may be how many of our baked goods reach us but some traditional bakers continue to work by hand. In Toledo the famous Confiteria Santo Tomo, create sweet almond pastries that have been enjoyed for hundreds of years and are still made by hand. The Gov Ed collection includes a series of images of how these traditional treats, which can be hugely decorative, are made.

A marzipan eel, a traditional marzipan treat made by the Confiteria Santo Tome, Toledo, Spain.

A marzipan eel (anguila de marzapan), a traditional treat made by the Confiteria Santo Tome, Toledo, Spain. (Confiteria Santo Tome_14, Gov Ed, 2008)

Of course a beautiful bake requires an appreciative audience. Unfortunately Tiny, the 75 year old elephant from Manchester Zoo, didn’t seem quite as taken with her 1928 birthday cake as the baker might have hoped…

Tiny the elephant enjoys her elaborate 75th birthday cake.

Tiny the elephant enjoys her elaborate 75th birthday cake. (“OH, TRY THOSE TIERS!”, Gaumont Graphic, 04-04-1928)

Extreme Bakes
The idea of baking to excess is hardly new but breaking records is a more modern obsession. In 1964 Denby Dale, known for baking gigantic pies since 1788, decided to bake the mother of all pies, expected to weigh in at roughly 6 tonnes of meat, potato, gravy and pastry and feed up to a quarter of a million fans attending their Pie Festival. The 1964 pie, the eighth pie of 10 extreme pie bakes the village has so far attempted, was baked to celebrate four royal births. History does not seem to have recorded the cost of the bake but trying to recreate the bake today would come in at well over £10,000 at modern supermarket prices. That pie was, astonishingly, reported to have been doubled in 2000 when a 12 tonne pie welcomed in a new millennium!

A sign previews the Denby Dale pie bake of 5th September 1964.

A sign previews the Denby Dale pie bake of 5th September 1964. (DENBY DALE PIE, ITV Early Evening News, 04-05-1964)

Royal Wedding cakes, whilst too classy to go for out and out records, have been some of the most famously grand and outsize of all cakes. And Princess Anne’s wedding cake in 1973 was no exception. Requiring 128 eggs and doused with 2 full bottles of brandy (of which Mary Berry would surely approve) the cake was an incredible 68″ (nearly 6ft) or 172 cm tall towering safely above the height of many bakers. It was built with military precision and decorated with intricate sugar flowers and crests as described in this video from the ITN News collection.

Princess Anne's nearly 6ft tall wedding cake.

Princess Anne’s nearly 6ft tall wedding cake. (PRINCESS ANNE WEDDING CAKE, ITV Late Evening News, 09-11-1973)

There are thousands more baking images and films in JISC MediaHub and we’d love to know your favourite – just leave us a comment below!

And finally, if you are desperate to attempt one of the recipes featured in this year’s Great British Bake Off take a look at the Lothian Health Service Archives blog where you will find the recipe for the rather wonderfully odd (but apparently very tasty), Invalid Fruit Tart as featured in episode 3 of this year’s Bake Off.

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Pre-Raphaelites Invading London

Sep 122012

Tate Britain will pay homage to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in a major exhibition running from 12 September 2012 to 13 January 2013.  This exhibition, called Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Avant-Garde, is launched nearly three decades after a previous Pre-Raphaelite exhibition, held when the museum was still known as the Tate Gallery.

Art historian talking about a Tate exhibit

A 1984 news story about the Pre-Raphaelites and the Tate's last major exhibition of their work (PRE-RAPHAELITES ART. Channel 4 Early Evening News. 07-03-1984)

This Brotherhood of young artists – painters, sculptors, poets, designers – bemoaned the stagnation in the works of their contemporaries and their obsession with meticulous copying of the classics that ignored art’s purpose: making a statement.

Detailed portrait of a woman with fantastical elements

Some Pre-Raphaelite paintings were illustrations of the poetry that also came from within the movement (Jealousy. Art Online, Culture Grid. Painted in 1890)

John Ruskin, a powerful critic and great ally of the Brotherhood, did much to cement their legacy in the world of art history.  He once declared that Pre-Raphaelite doctrine stood against art only for the sake of aesthetic pleasures – beauty, he said, could only ever be subordinate to the message within a work of art.

Portrait of John Ruskin as a young man

Ruskin was a friend of Pre-Raphaelite brother John Millais, but the pair were involved in a love triangle with Ruskin's then-wife Effie, who went on to marry Millais (Portrait of John Ruskin as a young man. By George Richmond, Wellcome Images. 1900)

And send a message they did.  Their use of photographic realism in Christian scenes enraged critics, including Charles Dickens.  And Pre-Raphaelite women, especially those painted by Rossetti, were often derided for their ‘fleshy’ nature.

It wasn’t all about grandiose stabs at orthodoxy.  Their youthful vigour and passion for playful details make Pre-Raphaelite works favourites with the public to this day.

Painting of a woman clutching a pot of basil

This painting has it all: love, tragedy, basil (Isabella and the Pot of Basil. Art Online, Culture Grid. Painted in 1867)

The original Brotherhood was a relatively small group who worked for a short time as “brethren”, but the movement they started, the ideals they championed and the artistic styles they advocated reached far and wide in Britain and beyond.  Indeed, fans of the Pre-Raphaelite movement can be found around the world.

Export of Art Review Committee investigating

One of the Tate's Pre-Raphaelite pieces came into their hands during a bit of a scandal… (Art Deal. Channel 4 Early Evening News. 13-08-1998)

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Posted by Zack O'Leary at 8:00 am JISC MediaHub Highlights, Other No Responses » Tagged with: , , ,

London 2012 Paralympics

Sep 072012

As the London 2012 Paralympics draw to a close we can look back on a fortnight full of excitement and not a little controversy. Over 160 nations have taken part in a Games which have challenged current perceptions of what it means to be disabled. Indeed Channel 4, official broadcaster for the Games, has branded the Paralympians “Superhuman” in an advertising campaign that forces us to reassess our mindset on Paralympian sport.

The Paralympic Movement was born at Stoke Mandeville hospital where athletic events were held for British WW2 veterans following the London 1948 Olympics. Taking a look at an early news report from ITV shot at Stoke Mandeville in 1956 it is clear that it was already becoming an international event.

Paralympics at Stoke Mandeville 1956

Paralympics at Stoke Mandeville 1956: ITV News 28-07-1956

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1984 the Games returned to Stoke Mandeville unexpectedly. The original American hosts (University of Illinois ) pulled out due to financial problems and Stoke Mandeville agreed to co-host the Games together with New York. They had only 4 months notice to organise the event.

World Wheelchair Games

Prince Charles opens the Seventh Paralympic Games held at Stoke Mandeville: ITV News 22-07-1984

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Britain has produced many inspirational paralympic athletes, of whom perhaps the most famous is Baroness Grey-Thompson; better known simply as ‘ Tanni’. During her careeer she won 16 Paralympic medals for wheelchair racing events, of which 11 were gold.

Britain’s paralympian Dame Tanni Grey Thompson holds up her gold medals on the day she announces her retirement from international sport: Getty (still images) 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The London 2012 Paralympic Games will be making history as the second biggest multi-sport event ever held in the UK as well as being the largest and most commercially successful Paralympics held to date. Millions of spectators have enjoyed watching an event which previously received relatively little media coverage.  The Paralympics really have become ‘mainstream’ giving them the power to change social attitudes to disability, which must surely be to the benefit of us all.

 

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