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Library Special Collections: National Museums Scotland Archives
National Museums Scotland Archives Incorporating: • Industrial Museum of Scotland • Edinburgh University Natural History Museum • Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art • National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland • Royal Scottish Museum • National Museums ScotlandNational Museums Scotland
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Blog post
A little cup of happiness in search of a coco chocolatero
There’s nothing quite like a cup of hot chocolate. But have you ever had one from a coconut cup? Assistant Curator Dr Emily Taylor and Professor Kathleen Kennedy explore the origins and cultural background behind a ‘little cup of happiness’ in our collections – a coconut shell made into a...Taylor, Emily ; Kennedy, Kathleen
Collections, silver, Colonial Histories And Legacies , and coconut cup
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Podcast
The Viking-Age Galloway Hoard
The Galloway Hoard is one of the most spectacular Viking-Age hoards ever discovered, its multiple packages and layers containing not only a huge volume of remarkable silver and gold jewellery and a stunning lidded silver vessel, but also an astonishingly rare collection of the organic materials - in this case,...Maldonado, Adrián
scandinavia , ireland , vikingage, britain, vikings, archaeology, viking , and history
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Journal article
Understanding gold in Prehistoric Scotland
Gold, along with copper was the first metal to be used in Scotland, with the earliest dated example of its use here being the tiny, conical sheet gold rivet caps on the superb Langdale tuff 'wrist-guard' - a piece of fancy archery kit - from Culduthel, Inverness. The man's skeleton...Sheridan, J A
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Book
Paleoneurology of Amniotes
This book presents a detailed examination of the current state of knowledge in the field of paleoneurology in the main amniote groups (reptiles, birds and mammals), and advances resulting from new non-invasive technologies. The study of fossil endocasts is an area of considerable current interest, and has long been central...Walsh, Stig
fossils , endocast , inner ear , Cranial Pneumaticity , brain evolution, dinossaurs brain , sensory evolution, Computed tomography, and Encephalization Quotient
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Journal article
A global catalog of whole-genome diversity from 233 primate species
The rich diversity of morphology and behavior displayed across primate species provides an informative context in which to study the impact of genomic diversity on fundamental biological processes. Analysis of that diversity provides insight into long-standing questions in evolutionary and conservation biology and is urgent given severe threats these species...Kuderna, Lukas F K ; Gao, Hong ; Janiak, Mareike C ; Kuhlwilm, Martin ; Orkin, Joseph D …
evolutionary and conservation biology, primates, and genomic diversity study
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Journal article
The landscape of tolerated genetic variation in humans and primates
Personalized genome sequencing has revealed millions of genetic differences between individuals, but our understanding of their clinical relevance remains largely incomplete. To systematically decipher the effects of human genetic variants, we obtained whole-genome sequencing data for 809 individuals from 233 primate species and identified 4.3 million common protein-altering variants with...Gao, Hong ; Hamp, Tobias ; Ede, Jeffrey ; Schraiber, Joshua G ; McRae, Jeremy …
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Blog post
Orientations: Queer imaginings and the Caithness doublet
In our Orientations series, members of the LGBTQIA+ community explore an object that resonates with their identity. We know our collections are filled with queer stories but often they can be hard to find (and even harder to prove). In looking for representation in museums, Joe Setch explores how the...Setch, Joe
Collections , Scottish History, Orientations , and LGBTQIA+
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Conference paper (unpublished)
The material culture of long-distance connections: the evidence from Neolithic Orkney
Anderson-Whymark, Hugo
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Conference paper (unpublished)
Scotland in Renaissance Europe
Groundwater, Anna
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Lecture
A temple for the sun-god: remarkable finds from Roman Inveresk
Dr Fraser Hunter, Principle Curator of Iron Age and Roman Collections at the National Museum of Scotland, returns to the 1722 Waggonway Heritage Centre to give a lecture on the Roman finds at Inveresk, including clues which point to a Temple of Mithras.Hunter, Fraser
Mithras, Roman Scotland, stone altar , and Inveresk
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Journal article
Der Galloway-Hort
Goldberg, Martin
Viking-age hoards, Anglo-Saxon, research project, conservation, and Galloway Hoard
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Journal article
A Late Bronze Age Gold Lock-ring from Chirnside
In 2019 a decorated gold penannular ring was found during metal-detecting at Chirnside in the Scottish Borders. This type of ring, typically refereed to as a 'lock-ring', dates to the Late Bronze Age (c/1150-800 BC).Knight, Matthew G
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Journal article
Silver stories: new insights from the Traprain Treasure
The late Roam silver hoard from Traprain Law (East Lothian) was found over 100 years ago but is still revealing fresh secrets. A recently-published research project (see 'Book Reviews') involved an international team of specialists analysing all aspects of this silver, from its manufacture and use to is later treatment,...Hunter, Fraser
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Journal article
Conservation of the elaborate Anglo-Saxon cross from the Galloway Hoard
The Galloway Hoard is a set of rare and precious artefacts, some of them centuries old when deposited around AD 900. One of the most spectacular objects is an Anglo-Saxon pectoral cross, made to be worn on the chest of a high-ranking member of the clergy. Its true glory has...Davis, Mary
research, conservation, Trewhiddle style art, Galloway Hoard, and pectoral cross
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Journal article
Slag: an introduction
Slag, also variously referred to as 'vitrified material' or 'industrial residue', is a waste product which can form during a range of pyrotechnic activities, including domestic hearths and metalworking, particularly ironworking - or focus here.Cruickshanks, Gemma
archaeology, ironworking, vitrified material, and iron slag assemblages
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Lecture
The Calton Hill Observatories and their Edinburgh Audiences
This talk takes a look at the history of the Royal Observatory Edinburgh, and the longer story of popular astronomy on its Calton Hill site. Rather than focusing solely on the astronomers, it will widen the scope to those who supported, used and otherwise experienced the work of these observatories...Higgitt, Rebekah
Calton Hill, Edinburgh, popular astronomy , and Royal Observatory Edinburgh
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Abstract
Curating & Communicating: on a mission to advocate for insects
Ashleigh is a museum-based entomologist, working with National Museums Scotland for the past 8 years to care for, curate and develop the collection of 2.5 million insect specimens. A key element of this role is ensuring accessibility to the collection, which can take many forms. From hosting in-person visits and...Whiffin, Ashleigh
promotion, National Museums Scotland entomology collections, science communicaton, and accessibility
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Abstract
Readiness for Red Alert: Engaging with the Royal Observer Corps Material Culture
The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) were a uniformed civilian organisation tasked with preparing for nuclear disaster and would have stepped up to maintain control of Britain had an attack happened during the Cold War. Although stood down in 1991, the legacy of the ROC lives on through the remaining underground...Harper, Sarah
Royal Observer Corps, aviation , exhibitions , museums, Cold War , and material culture
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The Vulcan’s Voice: multiple meanings of a Cold War artefact
On 12 April 1984, a massive delta-winged nuclear bomber landed at an airfield in south-east Scotland. Vulcan XM597 was not on a routine journey, but its final flight; for East Fortune was not an active airport, but rather housed an aviation museum, the aircraft’s destination. This moment of transfer was...Alberti, S J M M
Cold War, exhibitions, museums, aviation, and material culture
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Conference paper (unpublished)
Through the Looking Glass War: Museums and exposing Cold War espionage in contemporary Berlin
Gledhill, Jim
material culture , Cold War , museums, exhibitions, and espionage
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Abstract
What Colour was the Cold War?
In interviews with museum professionals about museology I asked each participant if they associated any colour with the Cold War. I intended to use colour as a lens on curatorial perceptions, as well as preconceptions, of an historical era. By leading with associations, rather than empirical data, all interviewees had...Douthwaite, Jessica
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Abstract
Cable, Link Analyser, Synthesiser: Connecting the Cold War in the Museum
In his book Grammophone, Film, Typewriter, the cultural theorist Friedrich Kittler linked the history of writing and imaging machines to the history of warfare. For him, the computer is fundamentally and essentially a machine that structures the production of knowledge in the Cold War. Kittler’s existentialist analysis, however, is based...Nehring, Holger
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Magazine article
Captain Waring and the Great House on Broad Street
Taylor, Michael A
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Journal article
The correct name for the montane Hydrophorus species (Diptera, Dolichopodidae) occurring in the British Isles
The presence of Hydrophorus pilipes Frey, 1915 is confirmed in the British Isles, the species being previously mis-identified as Hydrophorus rufibarbis Gerstäcker, 1864.MacGowan, Iain ; Drake, C Martin
montane Diptera, olichopodid Hydrophorus rufibarbis, National Museums Scotland collections, and David Horsfield
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Journal article
Managing Aspen stands in the Scottish Highlands for dead-wood insects
This article details the management strategies and actions employed in aspen stands in northern Scotland to ensure the continuity of the associated specialised saproxylic insect fauna. This fauna depends on the correct "under-bark" conditions and management focuses on ensuring continuity of this transient microhabitat. Although the strategies have been developed...MacGowan, Iain
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Journal article
An apparent nineteenth-century record of Scopoli’s Shearwater in Hampshire
A putative specimen of a Great Shearwater Ardenna gravis from Hampshire, dated 1878, was located at Leicester Museums & Galleries. On examination, it was found to be a male Scopoli’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea. If shown to have a wild origin, the specimen would potentially represent the first British record of...McInerny, Christopher J ; McGowan, Robert Y ; Clark, John M ; Moody, Marc P ; Senfeld, Tereza …
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Journal article
Historical Mitogenomic Diversity and Population Structuring of Southern Hemisphere Fin Whales
Fin whales Balaenoptera physalus were hunted unsustainably across the globe in the 19th and 20th centuries, leading to vast reductions in population size. Whaling catch records indicate the importance of the Southern Ocean for this species; approximately 730,000 fin whales were harvested during the 20th century in the Southern Hemisphere... -
Journal article
Continued survival of the elusive Seram orange melomys (Melomys fulgens)
Many poorly-known small mammals have remained undetected for decades, including , a distinctive orange murid from Seram, Indonesia, that has been unrecorded since 1920. We report previously undocumented specimens of collected in 1993 and 1994, and local ecological knowledge from 2017 including descriptions and recent sightings, providing strong indirect evidence...Turvey, Samuel T ; Jeffree, Timothy E ; Macdonald, Alastair A ; Leus, Kristin ; Kennerley, Rosalind J …
species rediscovery, local ecological knowledge, lost species, extinction, and Indonesia
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Journal article
A new fossil from the London Clay documents the convergent origin of a “mousebird-like” tarsometatarsus in an early Eocene near-passerine bird
We describe a partial skeleton of a small bird from the lower Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK), which shows close affinities to two phylogenetically controversial early Paleogene taxa, Morsoravis sedilis (lower Eocene of Denmark) and Pumiliornis tessellatus (lower/middle Eocene of Germany). Our phylogenetic analysis supports a clade including...Mayr, Gerald ; Kitchener, Andrew C
Aves, Walton-on-the-Naze, Sororavis solitarius, Eocene, UK, and evolution
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Lecture
Hamilton Palace and the Dukes of Hamilton and their Collections
The speaker, Dr Godfrey Evans is part of the Virtual Hamilton Palace trust which is digitally recreating the house and its collections. According to the trust’s website: ‘During the nineteenth century, the 10th Duke's collecting activities made the Palace internationally famous, a veritable treasure trove of amazing paintings, furniture and...Evans, Godfrey
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Journal article
New postcranial remains from the Lealt Shale Formation of the Isle of Skye, Scotland, showcase hidden pterosaur diversity in the Middle Jurassic
The Early to Middle Jurassic transition was significant in pterosaur evolution, during which these volant reptiles exploded in diversity alongside dinosaurs and other animals. It has long been thought, however, that pterosaurs did not develop large wingspans until after the Jurassic, a notion challenged by the recent discovery of in...Jagielska, Natalia ; Challands, Thomas J ; O'Sullivan, Michael ; Ross, Dugald A ; Fraser, Nicholas C …
Palaeontology and Geobiology, Palaeoenvironments, and Palaeogeography
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Journal article
New machaeridian data from the Upper Ordovician of Scotland: palaeoecological and global palaeobiogeographical implications
New machaeridian material housed in the National Museum of Scotland alongside the type material held in the Natural History Museum London and the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Cambridge, is documented here from the Ordovician of Girvan. The specimens are included in four taxa, three of these in open nomenclature.... -
Journal article
Evolutionary trends in trimerellid brachiopods
Non-articulated trimerellides, one minor group among the largest brachiopods, are commonly found in massive monospecific accumulations in Ordovician and Silurian rocks. In this paper, all species of the family Trimerellidae are listed for the first time, and some of them are discussed. They appeared in the Sandbian and became extinct...Chen, Di ; Huang, Bing ; Candela, Yves
morphospace and phylogenetic analyses, evolution, brachiopods, and trimerellides
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Book
Hamilton Palace: The Dukes of Hamilton and their collections
This is the story of Scotland’s lost treasure trove. The destruction of Hamilton Palace, the grandest stately home in Britain, was one of the greatest losses to national heritage ever to happen in this country. In 1882, Hamilton Palace stood grandly to the south-east of Glasgow. Home to the Dukes...Evans, Godfrey
Hamilton Palace collection, architecture , galleries, Dukes of Hamilton, museums, collection dispersal, applied art, and fine art
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Conference paper (unpublished)
“Endangered Crafts: Documenting Shu Making in Chitral, Northern Pakistan“
This paper is concerned with issues related to the documentation of endangered crafts. It takes as an example an ethnography which aims to understand and record over two years the weaving of shu, a type of woollen cloth characteristic of the region of Chitral in northern Pakistan, for which the... -
Abstract
The ‘Pre-Disciplinary’ Early African Collections of the National Museums Scotland
The African collection of the National Museums Scotland (NMS) is one of the oldest in Britain, because it contains assemblages from two other Edinburgh institutions that were founded well before NMS’ own launch in 1854 as The Industrial Museum of Scotland. The earliest of these contributing institutions was the University... -
Abstract
In the eye of the beholder
In my current role as an assistant curator at National Museums Scotland, I am interested in what we can learn from repaired objects. Working as a conservator with world cultures collections for many years, it was important to understand earlier repairs to inform contemporary conservation practice. Taking this interdisciplinary practice...Richardson, Heather
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Abstract
Entangled Knowledges: Kaartdijin, Science and History in the Robert Neill collection
Taking a multidisciplinary cross-museum collection as its starting point the Entangled Knowledges project aims to highlight Menang Nyungar knowledge embedded in a historic collection of fishes, mammals and artefacts held at National Museums Scotland and a portfolio of sketches of fishes held by the Natural History Museum, London, by returning... -
Conference paper (unpublished)
Music, Movement and the Construction of Identity in Rural Southern Tanzania
Social anthropologists began to take a serious interest in cultural institutions involving spirit possession from the beginning of the 1960s. Where the so-called ‘cults of affliction’ were concerned, the dominant approach in many early studies of was to view them as ‘historically sensitive modes of cultural resistance’ (Body 1994: 419)....Kingdon, Zachary
fieldwork, spiritualism, music, social anthropology, Tanzania, and movement, experience and identities
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Conference paper (unpublished)
From Art to Craft: Re-thinking Iranian material culture in British museum collections
Within the last twenty years, leading museums in Western Europe and North America have acknowledged the diversity of the Muslim world to a greater degree than previously in their renovated and expanded Islamic art galleries. Often driven by perceived or habitual audience expectations, Western aesthetics (masterpieces or tribal art), concepts...Voigt, Friederike
Iranian collection, Islamic art history, National Museum of Scotland, exhibiting objects, home and garden, and cultural context
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Presentation
Provenance Research at National Museums Scotland: Priorities and Challenges, Technical Workshop
Experts en la traçabilitat d’objectes d’origen colonial d’Alemanya i Escòcia han aportat la seva experiència al programa (Tr)african(t)s, amb suport de l’Agència Catalana de Cooperació al Desenvolupament (ACCD).Kingdon, Zachary
African collections, National Museum of Scotland, colonial history, and provenance
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Abstract
The Woven Archive. Material Characterization of Textile Collections in Archives and Libraries
Textiles are present in archival and library collections in multiple and sometimes surprising forms: enclosed in letters, in fabric swatch books and as samples in dyers´ notebooks; but also, as wrappings for wax seals, in embroidered bindings or as the substrate of early photographs known as pannotypes [1]. Such textiles...Lucía, Pereira Pardo ; Jasperse, Jitske ; Cabrera Lafuente, Ana ; Dryburgh, Paul ; Sandström, Edith …
preservation, materiality research, textiles archives , and library collections
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Conference paper (unpublished)
Missing, and wishing, and hoping?: Sources for identifying printed books held by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 1780-1830
This paper will analyse the variety of sources available for reconstructing the contents and context of the library available to, frequented by and enhanced by key figures of the Scottish enlightenment. The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland was founded in 1780 “to investigate both antiquities and natural and civil history...Dye, Jill
investigation, dispersal, National Museums Scotland Library, archives and special collections, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland , and printed books
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Journal article
Historical Textile Dye Analysis Using DESI-MS
Desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) is an ambient mass spectrometry technique that shows great potential for the analysis of fragile heritage objects in situ. This article focuses on the application of a recently built DESI source to characterize natural dyestuffs in historical textiles and a presentation of initial imaging...Sandström, Edith ; Vettorazzo, Chiara ; Mackay, C Logan ; Troalen, Lore G ; Hulme, Alison N
mass spectrometry, mass spectrometry imaging, natural dyes, non-invasive analysis, and textile
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Book chapter
Legislation and Persuasion; Portable Antiquities and the Limits of the Law: Some Scottish and British Perspectives
This chapter will continue the difficulties and challenges in translating heritage legislation from the bare facts of the law to a system that can operate successfully when set against the distinct challenges encountered when groups other than heritage professionals have an interest in accessing the archaeological record. In Scotland, as...Campbell, Stuart
Metal detecting , Scotland , Treasure trove , Antiquities market, and Portable antiquities
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Book
Competing Values in Archaeological Heritage
Discusses the intersection of law and ethics, and the relationship between legal protection on paper and the realities of heritage management on the ground Draws together the connected themes of management, legislation, ethics, and public perceptions around archaeological heritage Will be? of interest to students at undergraduate and postgraduate level... -
Book
Little black dress: a radical fashion
The book of the exhibition, Beyond the Little Black Dress, 2 July-30 October 2022 at the National Museum of Scotland. At its inception, the ‘Little Black Dress’ was radically modern: a masculine-inspired, anti-traditionalist female attire. Yet it has remained a wardrobe staple for almost a century, each new silhouette redressing...Ripley, Georgina
radical fashion, exhibition, textiles, catalogue, and sustainability
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Journal article
Conceptualizing ‘Science’ in the Photography Collections at the National Science and Media Museum
Focusing on the internationally significant photographic collections at the National Science and Media Museum (Bradford, UK), this article explores the central questions: What counts as ‘scientific’ in a museum dedicated to the history of photography (as well as film, television, and digital media)? And what is the place of photography...Geoffrey, Belknap
Photography, Visual Culture, History of Science, Collections, and Museums
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Other
Library Special Collections: Papers of Margaret Swain
Margaret Helen Swain (1909-2002) was a historian of embroidery and textiles. The author of several books and numerous articles, she also lectured widely, and her papers reflect these activities. Her early publications were on Ayrshire needlework but she became an expert on embroidery in general and Scottish work in particular....National Museums Scotland
tapestries, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Margaret Helen Swain, 1909-2002, National Trust for Scotland, Archives, and embroidery and textiles
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Book chapter
A landscape of deposition
The Mount's Bay area has long been associated in the archaeological literature with the exchange of copper and tin. St Michael's Mount, in particular, has often been suggested to be the site of Ictis recorded by Pytheas the Greek in the 4th century BC (Hencken 1932, 158-188; Herring 2000, 116-118;...Knight, Matthew G
metalwork deposition, Bronze Age hoards, Archaeology, and exchange
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Lecture
David Ramsay, the King’s Chief Clockmaker
This lecture is presented by Dr Tacye Phillipson (National Museums Scotland) and Dr John C. Taylor OBE (horologist and inventor), and delivered in conjunction with the National Museums Scotland. Dr Phillipson provides an overview of the variety and development of clockwork during the 17th century. Dr Taylor uncovers the innovation...Phillipson, Tacye ; Taylor, John C
David Ramsay, c1585-1660, master, Worshipful Clockmakers Company, London , Chief Clockmaker, clockwork , Scottish watchmaker, and King James I and VI
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Other
Library Special Collections: Jessie M. Sweet – Finding List
Papers of Jessie May Sweet (1901-79), mineralogist and historian of science. Jessie Sweet worked in the Department of Mineralogy of the British Museum (Natural History) from 1927 until her retirement in 1961, when she moved to Edinburgh. She then became an authority on the life of Robert Jameson (1774-1854), Professor...National Museum Scotland
history of science, Edinburgh University, Robert Jameson, 1774-1854, correspondence, Archives, natural history, mineralogy, British Museum, and Jessie May Sweet, 1901-1979
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Other
Library Special Collections: Jenners Archives
Self-described as ‘the most fashionable shopping centre in Scotland’ and commonly known as the ‘Harrods of the North,’ the luxury retail store Jenners was founded as a drapery business in 1838. Its founders Charles Jenner and Charles Kennington became known as ‘Kennington & Jenner’. Kennington retired in 1861 and in...National Museums Scotland
Library, Jenners Archive, Retail, Edinburgh, Fashion, and Department stores
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Technical documentation
William Jardine Papers
The Royal Scottish Museum holds a variety of manuscripts in the field of natural history. The largest collection belonged to J. A. Harvie-Brown and was deposited in this museum, with part of his library, after his death. Included in his collection were the William Jardine papers, and as a pilot...National Museums Scotland
naturalist, Index, Correspondence, John Alexander Harvie-Brown, exploration, Archives, Sir William Jardine, 1800-1874, Ornithology, and Salmon Fisheries Survey
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Technical documentation
J A Harvie-Brown Papers
This is the third and last publication listing manuscript holdings in the Royal Scottish Museum, The project ran from January 1979 to March 1982 and Joy Pitman is to be congratulated for her work in making the three manuscript collections of William Jardine, W. S. Bruce and J. A. Harvie-Brown... -
Other
Former Museum Staff: Finding List
Thomas Archer: Director of the Industrial Museum of Scotland and Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art from 1860-1885. A S Clarke: Keeper of the Royal Scottish Museum (RSM) (joined staff in 1954) Alexander Robert Hutchieson: Papers of Alexander Robert Hutchieson, Keeper of the Department of Technology, RSM, from 1934 to...National Museums Scotland
Library, Royals Scottish Museum, Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art, museum administration, Industrial Museum of Scotland , and Archives
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Journal article
Not so hidden messages
The written word is a powerful and persuasive tool that can inspire and revolt in equal measure. Equally, jewellery has the power to spread messages and has been used for generations to declare an individual’s position of allegiance or defiance. By incorporating a message, slogan or symbol, a jewel becomes...Rothwell, Sarah
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Journal article
Provocation: Are museums relevant for social and environmental justice today?
JG: I work at National Museums Scotland. Our vision is 'inspiring people: addressing the challenges of our age'. Arguably, two of the most important of these challenges are social and environmental inequality. I've worked in or with museums for over twenty years. One of the reasons that I have done...Asante, Sheila ; Cummins, Nelson ; Giblin, John ; Loovers, Jan Peter Laurens
contemporary collecting, climate change, museology, colonial collections, museum, and curation
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Journal article
We need to encourage a plurality of voices in collections-based research
Stories have too narrow a perspective, says John Giblin and Phoenix ArcherGiblin, John ; Archer, Phoenix
Exchange, African, Caribbean and South Asian diaspora heritage communities, Museology, Colonial Histories and Legacies, and Collections Research
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Abstract
Fractured mountains: quartz crystals and the Cairngorms
Dr Sarah Laurenson is Principal Curator of Modern and Contemporary History and Head of the Modern and Contemporary History Section. She is responsible for the Scottish collections representing cultural, social, political, military and domestic history from c.1750 to the present.Laurenson, Sarah
collections, Scottish material culture, mountains, fragmented objects , research, natural environment, and mineralogy
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Book
The material landscapes of Scotland’s jewellery craft, 1780-1914
During the long 19th century, Scotland was home to an established body of skilled jewellers who were able to access a range of materials from the country's varied natural landscape: precious gold and silver; sparkling crystals and colourful stones; freshwater pearls, shells and parts of rare animals. Following these materials...Laurenson, Sarah
contemporary collecting, crafts, precious metals, Scotland, jewellery, natural environment, and material culture
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Exhibition-related event
The Declaration of Arbroath: Insights from the Archives
Inspired by a rare chance to see The Declaration of Arbroath, curator Dr Alice Blackwell and National Records Scotland conservator, Hazel de Vere, discuss its historical significance and material fragility.Blackwell, Alice ; de Vere, Hazel
Pope John XXII, Robert the Bruce, conservation, preservation, The Declaration of Arbroath letter , barons and freeholders of the Kingdom of Scotland, and seals
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Interactive resource
Scottish material culture in historical coronations
On 6 May Charles III’s coronation will take place in Westminster Abbey – where English monarchs have been crowned since at least the 11th century. But Charles is not just king of England, he is king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as fourteen...Wyld, Helen
Scottish Material Culture, Coronations, Politics and Society, Fashion And Textiles, and Kings and Queens
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Blog post
The Majestic and the Mundane the material culture of coronations
With the approaching coronation of King Charles III, Georgia Vullinghs, Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary History, has been looking at our collections of coronation material. From batons of ceremony and containers for holy oils, to souvenir cups, handkerchiefs, and biscuit tins, this range of material performs an important function...Vullinghs, Georgia
Coronation, Royal History , Scottish History, Politics, and Collections
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Video
Museum Role Call: Calum Robertson
In our third episode of Museum Role Call, we surprised Calum in the National War Museum. Join us as we follow him around asking a bunch of random and not-so-random questions.National Museums Scotland
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Blog post
The Black Watch at National Museum of Scotland
Rosie Waine is the William Grant Foundation Research Fellow at the National Museum of Scotland. Here she writes how the Black Watch Museum & Castle collection contributed to the exhibition she has curated called Wild and Majestic: Romantic Visions of Scotland. -
Research report
Scottish Wildcat Action: Final Summary Report
The wildcat, Felis silvestris, is one of our most iconic species. Elusive and rarely seen, it is threatened by a combination of extremely challenging factors, in particular hybridisation with domestic cats. Its secretive nature has made it a difficult animal to study in the wild, making it harder to design...Kitchener, Andrew C
Felis silvestris, ecology , population, and wildcat
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Journal article
Pests or prey? Micromammal species within an ancient anthropic environment at the Norse settlement site of Tuquoy (Westray, Orkney)
Micromammals, like rodents and shrews, adapt rapidly to take advantage of new food sources, habitats and ecological niches, frequently thriving in anthropogenic environments. Their remains, often retrieved during archaeological investigations, can be a valuable source of information about the past environmental conditions as well as interspecies interactions and human activity....Romaniuk, Andrzej A ; Troalen, Lore G ; Bendrey, Robin ; Herman, Jeremy S ; Owen, Olwyn …
commensalism, introductions, Orkney, micromammal, archaeology, and predation
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Blog post
Doctor Zoo: the real-world taxonomy behind Doctor Who's monsters and aliens
Mark Gatiss, in his narration for the Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder exhibition, astutely observes that the show is rooted in science. This is evident in its portrayal of alien life, including both monstrous creatures and humanoid allies. Dr. Vladimir Blagoderov, Principal Curator of Invertebrates, explores the expansive legendarium of...Blagoderov, Vladimir
Natural Sciences, Doctor Who Worlds Of Wonder , Invertebrate Biology , and Biology
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Journal article
QR codes can enrich a visit to a museum
Some museums want to ban them, while others see them as a low-cost way to connect visitors with contentCoulson, Adam
museums, QR code readers, quick response codes, exhibitions, and digital access
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Exhibition-related event
Burying valuables and valuable burials: The Adabrock Hoard, the Aird Dell Swords and other Bronze Age metalwork from western Scotland
Comunn Eachdraidh Nis (CEN) is pleased to announce the launch of a special exhibition on the 18th April 2023. Following a year of planning between CEN and The National Museum of Scotland, locally discovered Bronze Age finds will be returning to Ness. In 1910, an eclectic hoard of objects was...Knight, Matthew G
exhibition, loans programme, Ness, Aird Dell Swords, Bronze Age finds, and Adabrock Hoard
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Journal article
History in the balance: a newly-discovered Anglo-Saxon runic inscription from Croy, Highland
A recent reassessment of the National Museums Scotland’s Viking-age collections revealed a new runic inscription from a previously overlooked scrap of copper alloy. The Croy Hoard is a mixed collection of objects deposited in the late 9th century AD, not far from what is now Inverness Airport. The Hoard was...Maldonado, Adrián
Old English rune, Viking-age collections, Anglo-Saxon runes, Early Medieval Scotland, Runic inscription, The Croy Hoard, and Bronze balance beam
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Book review
Findlater, The Armorial of Sir David Lyndsay of the Mount with a photographic facsimile
In a SHR review of 2008, heraldry in Scotland was said to be in the midst of a revival, with interest greater than at any time since the resurgence in the 1970s that had witnessed the founding of the Heraldry Society of Scotland.1 The present volume is produced by that...Blackwell, Alice
Medieval Scotland, heraldry, charters, and seals
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Video
Museum Role Call: Rachel Drury
MUSEUM ROLE CALL! In our second episode, we surprised Rachel in the Learning Centre. Join us as we follow her around asking a bunch of random and not-so-random questions.National Museums Scotland
workshops, handling collections, sessions, museum audiences, learning enabler, learning studios, and engagement
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Blog post
Winnie Drinkwater: the pioneering Scottish woman aviator
Scotswoman Winnie Drinkwater was not only the world’s first woman airline pilot but was also Scotland’s first woman to be a licensed aircraft engineer. Her achievements in the fledging aviation industry are even more remarkable since she made important inroads in a field with very few women. On the 100th...Brown, Ian
Aviation , Aviation History , and Civil Aviation
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Journal article
Two medieval pilgrim badges attributed to St Margaret, Queen of Scotland
Two late medieval lead-alloy badges found in Cambridgeshire, England, are argued here to belong to the cult of Saint Margaret of Scotland (r 1070–93). As such, they represent the first pilgrim souvenirs to be linked to this important Scottish saint, whose cultic centre was at Dunfermline, Fife, and for whom...Prosser, Lydia ; Webley, Robert
stray finds, saints’ cults , pilgrimage , Dunfermline, medieval , and pilgrim badge
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Journal article
Collecting the nation in the museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1832–91
The sixty-year period from 1832 to 1891 was key to the development of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and its museum, during which time its collection was transferred to national ownership and greater emphasis began to be placed on social and cultural history. This article analyses acquisition data to... -
Journal article
Evolutionary trends in trimerellid brachiopods
Non-articulated trimerellides, one minor group among the largest brachiopods, are commonly found in massive monospecific accumulations in Ordovician and Silurian rocks. In this paper, all species of the family Trimerellidae are listed for the first time, and some of them are discussed. They appeared in the Sandbian and became extinct...Chen, Di ; Huang, Bing ; Candela, Yves
Morphospace, Trimerellids, Platform, Vault, and Cladistics
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Other
The Daniel Wilson Scrapbook Listing
Sir Daniel Wilson (1816-1892) was an archaeologist, author, antiquarian and Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland from 1845 - 1853). Wilson donated his scrapbook (which he referred to as his "Memorials of Auld Reekie") to the Society. It contains illustrations of Edinburgh and other material, some of which...National Museums Scotland
Archives, Leith, Edinburgh, Library, Memorials of Edinburgh in the olden time , Sir Daniel Wilson FSA (Scot) (January 5, 1816 – August 6, 1892), engravings, and Index
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Other
Alexander Robert Hutchieson – Finding List
Papers of Alexander Robert Hutchieson, Keeper of the Department of Technology, Royal Scottish Museum, from 1934 to 1957National Museums Scotland
Royal Scottish Museum, museum administration, Special Collections, Department of Technology, Staff, Archives, and Library
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Other
Alexander Archer Drawings Index
Alexander Archer was an amateur artist, resident in Edinburgh in the 1820s and 1830s. The library holds a collection of around 160 detailed pencil drawings by Archer of Edinburgh and the surrounding area featuring details such as the typical shops of the time, names of business owners and whole streets...National Museums Scotland
Edinburgh and Leith, Architectural drawing, Index, Alexander Archer, 19th century, artist, and Archive
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Journal article
The aspen hoverfly Hammerschmidtia ferruginea (Fallén)(Diptera, Syrphidae) in Deeside
After a gap of some 30 years the presence of the aspen hoverfly Hammerschmidtia ferruginea (Fallén, 1817), is confirmed in Deeside, Aberdeenshire. The methods used to re-establish the population are discussed.MacGowan, Iain
Hammerschmidtia ferruginea , population, aspen hoverfly , Diptera, cambium, and Syrphidae
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Lecture
Feasting with Latinus: the earliest Christians of Whithorn
The excavations led by the late Peter Hill at Whithorn, Dumfries and Galloway are widely understood as revealing one of the earliest monasteries in Britain. New analysis and dating evidence by the Cold Case Whithorn project is forcing a rethink of the earliest phases of the sequence. A poorly-understood late... -
Presentation
Scottish Weapons: crafting and collecting identity
Join our conversation on the issues of provenance, repatriation, collections, and collecting practices, explored through the lens of material culture. This roundtable brings together researchers to discuss these topics as they pertain to the theme of object biographies from the experience of their various professional backgroundsRobertson, Calum
arms and armour , Scottish Weapons, crafting and collecting identity, national collections, and National War Museum Scotland
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Lecture
'The Viking-age Reuse of Insular Metalwork From Northern Britain'
The looting of Christian shrines and reliquaries in the Viking Age is so well-documented that it has been reduced to a cartoonish vision of pillaging heathens. A close look at the evidence for such ‘looting’ tells a different story – or rather a number of different stories. A recent reassessment... -
Lecture
Re-framing Mary: audience-focused collecting and display
During the life of the RSE project, and following the acquisition of the Mary Queen of Scots casket, National Museums Scotland re-framed the narrative it tells of Mary in the Chambers Street museum. This talk explores the museum’s role in mediating narratives of Mary’s life and impact, to argue that...Groundwater, Anna
casket, material culture, Mary, Queen of Scots, and museum collecting, interpretation and display