Volunteer Newsletter JUNE 2015
MUSEUM OF OXFORD
Got an interesting Oxford object from the last 40 years? Come and show us! Saturday 20 June 11am-4pm, drop in The Old Museum
Is
it nearly Summer
already?! It would appear so!
As such, here is the June/July
Museum of Oxford Friends -
edition of the Volunteers
Peter explains how the quiz
Newsletter! Georgina is in the
was put together and what the
Mayor’s chair and we learn
proceeds raised have been put
more about the history of
towards. We are promoting
some of Oxford’s landmarks,
their launch which takes place
this time it’s The Radcliffe
on the 12th June. It would be
Observatory. There is also an
great to see all of you there!
update on the activities of the
Museum of Oxford, Oxford Town Hall, St Aldate’s, Oxford City Council, OX1 1BX
The Radcliffe Observatory Prue Drew
From 1773 until1934 the Grade 1 listed Radcliffe Observatory played a pivotal role in the historical development of our understanding of astronomy. In its time it was one of the most important scientific buildings in Europe and was described by Nikolaus Pevsner as ‘architecturally the finest observatory in Europe’. The Radcliffe Observatory was founded and named after John Radcliffe whose considerable estate h a d a l r e a d y fi n a n c e d a n e w quadrangle for his old College (University College) as well as the Radcliffe Library (now the Radcliffe Camera) and the Radcliffe Infirmary. Its construction was on the suggestion of the astronomer T h o m a s H o r n s by, U n i ve r s i t y Professor of Astronomy, following his observation of the notable transit of Venus across the sun's disc in 1769 from a room in the Mathematical Tower at the Bodleian Library.
The top of the observatory, with (enlarged) the Statue of Atlas The observatory building was completed in 1794 to the designs of James Wyatt, based on the irregular octagonal version taken from an engraving of the Tower of the Winds in Athens: around the top of the structure of Atlas holding up the
World there are representations of the eight winds by sculptor John Bacon. The official role of Radcliffe Observer was created from 1839. However, by the early twentieth century the Observatory’s lead in observational astronomy was diminishing, partly due to Oxford’s viewing conditions, weather, urban development and light pollution. While the Observatory’s viewing continued till 1934, America was now heading the field in astronomical studies, and in 1929 the Observatory’s facility was moved to South Africa, becoming by the 1970s through links with comparable facilities the South African Astronomical Observatory. Meanwhile in 1929 an offer of £100,000 from Lord Nuffield was accepted by the Radcliffe Trustees for the Radcliffe Observatory site, linked with the urgent need to expand the Oxford Infir mar y and develop medical research within the University. In 1936 a further gift of £1,250,000 f r o m L o r d N u f fi e l d established the Nuffield Institute for Medical Research, which in 1979 relocated to the John Radcliffe Hospital, thus freeing the Observatory site for its new owner, Green College. Today, the building is now used by Green Templeton College off the Woodstock Road, which was officially opened 1 October 2008, a merger of two graduate colleges, Green and Templeton. Their curriculum lies in the pursuit of an independent intellectual agenda, focused on a range of subjects concerned with human welfare and environmental
South front of the observatory health, medical and life sciences and management studies. The Observatory forms a centrepiece of Green Templeton College with Wyatt’s semi-circular central building providing space for an entrance hall at the foot of the stairwell and for two other side rooms, originally intended for the Observer and his assistant. Beneath the Tower itself are rooms at each of three levels: the ground floor is now the College dining room, the first floor, originally the library, is now used as the Common Room, and on the top floor i s t h e m a g n i fi c e n t o c t a g o n a l observing room. From this gallery the Observer had access to the roof (now closed off) where meteorological observations were carried out. Now bereft of its instruments, the room nevertheless still contains some of the original furniture as well as a spiral staircase which leads to an upper gallery. The Observatory’s original instruments are now in Oxford’s Museum of the History of Science, except for the Radcliffe 18/24-inch Twin Refractor telescope, which was transferred to the University of London Observatory. The Observatory is open to the public during Oxford Open Doors on the weekend of 12-13th September this year.
MoOFs’ Input to June Newsletter
Organising a Quiz Peter Simpson
is Official! Last year, a number of us, who volunteer for the Museum of Oxford, got together to investigate the possibility of creating a friends’ group.We wanted to contribute to the Museum’s development by showing our support for and helping to promote, this important and unique Museum, both within our local communities and beyond. Finally, we are happy to say that MoOFs is about to launch! By now, you will have received an Invitation to the official launch on the 12th June and, we hope that we will be seeing many of you there. MoOFs’ aims to be a group that is lively, supportive and inclusive; we have a Mission Statement and a Constitution. There will be elections in the near future; any MoOF who wishes to serve on the next Committee can stand; every MoOF will be able to vote for those they wish to have on the Committee to ensure its on-going positive progress. If you wish to support the future of the Museum of Oxford, have your say in its development, meet like-minded people and have fun, then we hope that many of you will chose to become a MoOF; to be part of a sustainable group with a positive impact on the promotion of Oxford’s heritage, people and communities now and into the future. Please look out for more information about joining MoOFs and plans for forthcoming events in future Museum publications. Should you wish to get in touch, please email: museumofoxfordfriends@gmail.com
Judith Price Chair of MoOFs
With the launch of the Museum of Oxford Friends (Moofs) imminent, and without a penny to our name we decided to run a fundraising quiz. I joined up with committee member Georgina Stolerman and started on a task that neither of us had done before. Where and when to hold the quiz, how many could we hold it for, how many in a team, what to charge and how to pay, would there be drinks maybe food, what time of day would be best and what day of the week. We soon realised that putting on a quiz was not as easy as it sounds. For me the best part was devising the questions. Georgie and I locked ourselves away and spent hours trying to come up with just the right sort of questions – not too hard or too easy. There is an old Human Resources test where they ask a job candidate a series of general knowledge questions which are virtually impossible to answer but the final question is very easy. It seems that for most people the brain gives up after all the impossible questions so when they get to the easy one they
can’t answer it. Only the one who can gets the position. We didn’t want this to happen with us so we started with a nice easy round on the history of Oxford – well we thought it was easy, but apparantly others didn’t. Over the six rounds of ten questions the highest any team scored was 7/10 so perhaps they were a bit on the difficult side – sorry. Having said that, though, there was a lot of laughter and cheers so I think we can say it was a success. We have paid off our debts, opened a bank account and are now proud owners of a mobile phone – who could ask for anything more. I would like to say a big thank you to all who came, as well as to Judith Price who did such a great job as MC. Maybe there will be a Moofs Christmas quiz this year – let us know what you think.
In the Mayor’s chair Georgina Stolerman Peter Simpson After three days of hard trekking in heavy rain and the constant fear of landslides. With rivers to ford and high altitude to overcome, finally for Georgie, there standing in front of her, were the mysterious ruins of Machu Picchu.
After this it was on to Bolivia, La Paz and Potosi, one of the highest cities in the world. Here Georgie spent time in the salt mines and the salt flats. Then it was down to Chile to the Atacama Desert where Georgie relaxed by sand boarding.
Georgie was born in London and after a spell in High Wycombe she moved with her parents to the beautiful Cotswold market town of Moreton-in-Marsh. After junior school here it was a secondary education in Tudor Hall, a small but unique school based in Wykham Park near Banbury. After finishing her A levels and making many close friends here, Georgie decided a gap year was needed before university. In order to fund the travelling she had planned Georgie moved to north London and joined a company that provided event catering for large scale weddings and other major functions.
But the holiday couldn’t last forever and soon it was time for work. So it was back to Peru to join the Manu Biosphere project in south east Peru’s Manu National Park. This project is helping to restore land destroyed by logging and Georgie helped to build bio gardens for the small communities of the Amazon. When working among them Georgie also had time to set up her camera to photograph the local wildlife, including tapirs and birds of paradise.
After six months Georgie had saved enough money to spend the next six months exploring South America – which she did, sometimes the hard way. Even now Machu Picchu has no suitable roads for vehicles so it was a matter of walking through the Andes mountain range, which is dangerous, and sometimes fatal. Altitude sickness, floods, landslides and earthquakes are just a few examples of the sorts of threats which the mountain range can pose. But it was worth it all to arrive at this last Incan city, Machu Picchu, a dream destination for many a traveller.
After this exhausting period of travelling and working overseas Georgie arrived home to start at Kingston University, London taking a degree in History of Art with Museum and Galleries Studies. Last summer Georgie got an honours degree, 2:1. Georgie is now based with her parents in Moreton-in-Marsh. She has a part time job with the MAD Museum in Stratford on Avon – a very new museum of mechanical art and automata from all parts of the world. Georgie also volunteers in Snowhill Manor which is a Cotswold manor house which holds treasures from the Charles Wade collection. She also
works in the nearby Chastleton House – a Jacobean country house. Georgie’s long term aim is a full time job in museums specialising in Art and Architecture, architecture curation. She would love to work abroad especially in Italy and with this in mind Georgie is studying Italian. Georgie volunteers at the Museum of Oxford and when not busy helping visitors in Explore Oxford she is also on the committee of the Museum of Oxford Friends. Outside of work, volunteering and studying, Georgie’s passion is baking to a high standard. So perhaps at the next volunteers’ coffee morning we can persuade her to bring a few samples for us to try.
Interested in Contributing to MoOFs or the newsletter? Email david.juler@oxford.gov.uk to find out more
What’s On? At the Museum
Elsewhere…
Museum of Oxford Friends Lauch 12th June, Free, 6pm – 8pm The Old Museum Come along to celebrate the launch of The Museum of Oxford Friends Group. MoOFs has developed from a group of enthusiastic volunteers into an organisation, which aims to support and promote the Museum of Oxford in its growth and development into the future.
Alice’s Day 4th July, FREE, All Day, Various This year Alice’s Day is celebrating the 150th anniversary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The day promises fun for everyone, with city-wide, free family drop-in activities at locations such as the Museum of Oxford and The Story Museum, among others.
Contributors: Prue Drew, Peter Simpson, Judith Price Editor: Felicity Hammond Art Editor:Yi Wu
Out and About – Cowley Road Carnival 5th July, FREE, All Day, Cowley Road Come along and join the fun at Oxford’s biggest street party! There will be a procession, music and dance shows and stalls, along with a range of activities for everyone to take part in! Find out more information about the day at www.cowleyroadcarnival.co.uk.