Cultural Heritage

by Hannah Westall Archivist and Curator (Pictures)

2020 has been a challenging year for us all. On the 18 March 2020 we took the very difficult but necessary decision to close the People’s Portraits exhibition, the Lawrence Room, and the Archive and Special Collections to all visitors. At the time of writing they remain closed, with only the Archive and Special Collections open for a limited range of remote enquiries. We have greatly missed sharing our collections, interacting with our visitors, and simply enjoying the vibrancy that visitors bring to the College.

However, we have continued to work both onsite and remotely, caring for and managing the College’s collections. The Archive now has a new catalogue and the first national lockdown proved an ideal time for data checking, editing and migration. We also decided to split the Curator post and Dr Liliana Janik (Fellow 2007) has now taken over as the Curator (Lawrence Room). New additions to the collections were also received, and we were delighted to accept amongst others: a bequest from Felicity Strong (née Ranger, 1954) of two untitled paintings by Abraham Manievich; a gift from Daphne Todd of her portrait of Simeon Barclay (Artist in Residence 2018–19); and a bequest from Beverly GriffinDougall (Fellow 1965) of a sculpture by the Zimbabwean artist, Luke Mugavazi.

As usual, the richness of our collections was showcased by the annual series of talks at the September Alumni weekend. However, thanks to the hard work and technical expertise of the Development Office, the 2020 weekend was a virtual event. Although this was not the same as seeing everyone in person, it was lovely to see so many faces on screen, and the Zoom format did allow us to enjoy new elements, such as studio tours. The recordings of all the events can be accessed here: www.girton.cam.ac.uk/events/ girtonline-roll-alumni-weekend

Dr Gordon Barrett (Lecturer in Modern Chinese History and Politics, University of Oxford) gave the Library talk, Dorothy Needham, China and the ‘Needham Project’. Dr Barrett explored Dorothy’s career, and how, as a committed internationalist, she went to China in 1944 to join her husband, Joseph. They went on to make two more trips to China in 1964 and 1972. Dr Barrett drew on sources from the Needham Institute, where Joseph Needham’s papers are held, and from Dorothy’s China diaries held in the College Archive, both of which have been digitised and made available on the Cambridge Digital Library (cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/). It was especially interesting to hear about Dorothy’s experiences and insights into wartime China.

Dorothy Needham and Joseph Needham holding up a silk banner embroidered with the words ‘The everlasting spring of scientific knowledge’

Dr Augusta McMahon (Reader in Mesopotamian Archaeology, University of Cambridge, and Fellow of Newnham College) gave the Lawrence Room talk, The Girton College eye-idols and the origins of urbanism in Mesopotamia. It was intriguing to learn more about these enigmatic eye-idols and Tell Brak where they were excavated, thought to be one of the earliest cities alongside Uruk. Dr McMahon explained that these figures, with their overly large eyes that were designed to ‘gaze’ at the gods, were probably made by individuals to represent themselves or their families. The Q&A session which followed covered a variety of topics, ranging from Syrian lions to death curves found in archaeological sites.

Eye Idols from Tell Brak

The People’s Portraits event started with a reading by the Revd Dr Malcolm Guite (Life Fellow 2020) of his poem, ‘Portraits by moonlight’, a light-hearted look at how the portraits coped in lockdown. Next, Dr David Dibosa (1986, Reader in Museology, University of the Arts London) gave a thought-provoking talk, Take My Name. He explored the power of a name, and how, for some, a name can mark the site of a struggle.

David Dibosa

The Zoom format then allowed the audience to enjoy a pre-recorded tour of Tim Benson’s (PROI NEAC RP) studio. It was fascinating to see Tim’s working studio and his current projects, and hear him talk about his painting style. He unveiled the latest addition to the People’s Portraits collection, 92 years, a portrait of his grandmother painted towards the end of her life when she had dementia. The portrait was extremely well received by the audience, and in the Q&A session the idea of losing one’s own self due to dementia powerfully linked back to David’s talk.

92 years by Tim Benson

Luke Burton, Artist in Residence 2019–20, also recorded a tour of his studio, exploring the work he produced during his Girton residency. He explained how the College site inspired his large dreamlike paintings and his small delicate enamels. We wait to see if it will be possible for Luke to return in 2021 to put on an exhibition of his work.

The Gardens talk, Wildlife in the Archive, was given by Stewart Rosell ( 2017). Stewart primarily spoke about the moth survey he started during his time at Girton and how he drew on a previous survey undertaken in 1986 by Chris Sharpe (1985) and Mike Bryan (1985). The Mistress then spoke about aspects of the history of the College gardens. During the talks and the following Q&A session it was clear that our ecology is rapidly changing, making it vital to record our current wildlife for future analysis. The session also highlighted the importance of the grounds and gardens for the well-being of our community.

Image left: Bee box, Image top right: Hazel, Image bottom right: December moth

To quote from Malcolm Guite’s poem, ‘we miss the merry throng that kept us company’, but even if we can’t see you in person, we look forward to seeing you virtually in 2021 to enjoy and learn more about our collections.