Research, discoveries and proposals

This is the end of two weeks that I've spent in Edinburgh. I took some data on blocks for the 1st edition

and 2nd edition of the Encyclopaedia. I also sorted blocks for the 1st edition, volumes 1-4 and blocks from the 2nd edition, volume one, that had been scanned by Malcolm, an NMS volunteer. I also found about 40 blocks from the 1st edition in a drawer that hadn't been scanned (by a previous volunteer) and were assumed missing or lost.

Unfortunately I made this discovery my last day, so when I return in September, I'll have to interfile the new blocks into what I've already sorted. Sigh. Although this is more work for me, it is good news for the museum. I told Alison previously, that based on the digital images I had from the first edition, it looked like 82% were in the museum's collection. Now I'm sure that percentage will be up in the 90% rate of blocks accounted for. Of course, I suspect more blocks will continue to pop up through time.

After I left the NMS Storage, I had a meeting with (another) Alison in the Exhibitions Department. (The NMS sees to be full of Alisons.) Anyway, I'm proposing a small exhibition in Gallery 2 or 3 with the tentative title "Illustrating Animals in the 19th century." If it gets approved, I'm looking at working on it, right after I submit my thesis, from September 2017 - February 2018 and it being open to the public in June 2018 (as the Exhibitons department will have to make didactic material, cases and mounts, etc.). In a way, it seems a bit perverse to work on something for 6 months only to have it on display for 3 months. But I guess at least I'll have an immediate plan to do something post, PhD to occupy me while I look for a job.

Above: Aye-aye print and block which created it in Volume 1, 2nd Edition of Chambers's Encyclopaedia. Right image at top of post: Elephant block which created print for Volume 4, 1st Edition of Chambers's Encyclopaedia. This block was thought missing.