Emmy Sale (BA Fashion and Dress History graduate 2018) on taking part in Worthing Museum’s Objects Unwrapped study day

Figure 1. Left: Wendy Fraser’s unfinished patchwork dating to the 1980s that once had used envelopes and the cover of a child benefit book as the backing papers. Right: the 1830s patchwork quilt in Worthing Museum’s collection, that has reused papers from an unknown source but many show prices, names and places. Despite being made 150 years apart, each quilt uses the same hexagon shape and reuse of paper to produce patchwork pieces.

30th June 2018 marked the launch of the Objects Unwrapped collaborative project between University of Brighton and Worthing Museum and Art Gallery. The study day held at Worthing Museum and attended by staff and students from the university and members of the public, consisted of short presentations by BA, MA, PhD students and staff who shared hidden histories of objects from the archive. The presentations ran in chronological order featuring a range of objects from Worthing Museum and Art Gallery archive including: an 1830s patchwork quilt, Kashmir Shawl coat (1883-85), 1892 library campaign, an Edwardian Blouse, 1930s hand-knitted bathing suit, Second World War map dresses and oral history recordings conducted by former Worthing Museum curator Anne Wise. The objects were also on display at the event, allowing audience members to have the chance to see them up close and not just through images in the presentations.

The event was very enjoyable and ignited an interesting discussion. The audience began to relate the objects and their hidden histories to their present lives and practices, in order to understand them further, proving how relevant their stories still are. Karen Scanlon (MA History of Design and Material Culture student) spoke about the oral history tape recordings from the costume collection that included an interview with Esther Rothstein, a dressmaker in Brighton from 1930 to the 1950s. Members of the audience were concerned with the future of the tapes and questioned if they would be digitised to become easily accessible in the future.  Wendy Fraser (BA History of Art and Design graduate 2018), shared her reflections on Bridget Millmore (PhD, 2015)’s presentation on the 1830s patchwork quilt. She was fascinated by how it reused various paper scraps for the backing of the patchwork pieces and compared it to a 1980s unfinished patchwork in her own collection that used the cover of a child benefit book and envelopes as the backing. Another audience member, in response to lecturer Annebella Pollen’s discovery of the 1892 library campaign pasted in the back of a notebook, shared that Hove library will be celebrating its 110^thAnniversary this year; thus further highlighting that 126 years later it is still a pertinent document in the current climate.

The presentations also highlighted histories of the handmade, upcycled and unfinished. Emeritus Professor Lou Taylor discussed her favourite garment in the collection, an 1883-1885 coat that was radically altered from an Indian Kashmir Shawl. PhD student and lecturer Suzanne Rowland spoke about how her remaking and re-enactment of an Edwardian blouse for a Suffragette costume for Lewes Bonfire night 2017. Lecturer Anna Vaughan Kett shared how silk escape and evasion maps from the Second World War became upcycled as garments after their release to the public in 1945. The objects greatly intrigued the audience and highlighted an interest for an exhibition exploring objects of this nature. The importance of revealing the hidden histories of objects held in Worthing’s archive was also highlighted and I think we all learnt something new and fascinating!

Figure 2 Professor Lou Taylor’s favourite garment from Worthing Museum’s costume collection, an Indian Kashmir shawl that has been radically transformed into a fashionable coat for 1880s Paris.

The event was also my first time speaking in a public setting about my research. My presentation focused on a 1930s hand-knitted bathing suit that I had viewed in the archive for my undergraduate dissertation research. I discussed the factors of cost, adaptation and originality of design that led to its making in the 1930s alongside a brief context of sun worshipping in the period. I also concluded that due to the bathing suit being made in the home, with modest materials and no named designer, some museums would reject the garment. However, Worthing’s acceptance of the garment into the collection in 1981, allows these otherwise hidden histories of ordinary women’s lives and experiences to be remembered and studied. In the audience discussion at the end, one audience member commented on how my talk had reminded her of her childhood and how the first bathing suit wore was hand-knitted. This formed an appreciated addition to the knowledge shared in the presentation, as I mainly discussed why they were made, rather than what they were like to wear. Although I was very nervous before my talk as I listened to my fellow Objects Unwrapped members eloquently present their research, I was also thrilled to share my research with an audience of interested public members and familiar faces from the University. It was a great first experience to talk in a situation outside of a university seminar and contribute to the project’s first event. I hope the experience will help me for future presentation at MA level.

Figure 3 Author, Emmy Sale, giving her talk at the Objects Unwrapped event. Image courtesy of Yunah Lee.

PhD student Liz Tregenza reports from a workshop about using the printed and digital page

1940s Vogue magazines

The Printed and Digital Page: Reassessing Form, Content and Methodologies was the third in a series of student-led events designed to assist doctoral students in the process of their research. The event, supported by TECHNE and held at Kingston University, brought together staff and students from The University of Brighton, The Royal College of Art, London College of Communications and Kingston University for an illuminating and thoughtful day of presentations. It focused on printed and digital pages, both as subjects and objects of research, with papers considering magazines, zines, newspapers, periodicals and books.  The day consisted of discussions on the challenges and opportunities related to these materials. Issues covered included the design, production and consumption of printed and digital pages, the imagery and typography seen on the printed page, the materiality of the printed page and the readership of publications, as well as how the printed page acts as an output of practice-based research.

Two weeks before the event, participants had submitted a 2-3000 word piece of writing from their PhD research. In some cases this was an excerpt from a thesis chapter and in others an account of their experiences of researching or making printed or digital pages. These were shared with participants and respondents ahead of the event. On the day, each participant gave a ten-minute presentation and these were followed by initial responses from the academic convenors. After this, discussion was opened up amongst the group. The papers were divided into four categories. Firstly there was Fashion, aesthetics, the body and the printed page with papers from Liz Tregenza (UoB) and Simon Josebury (KU) (Respondent: Annebella Pollen). Secondly there was Typography and self-publishing with papers from Welmoet Wartena (RCA) and Kollontai Diniz (RCA) ( Respondent: Jeremy Aynsley). Thirdly there was Overlay and visual narrative with a paper from Ilsa Colsell (KU) (Respondent: Sarah Teasley) and finally there was Photography and Designwith papers from Jessie Bond (LCC), Anna Lucas (KU) and Catherine Sidwell (KU) (Respondent: Catharine Rossi).

The presentations were incredibly varied, dealing with topics stretching from the late nineteenth century to the present day. Whilst the focus was on the printed page, a number of the presentations dealt with film as an adjunct to this and the physical act of turning pages. This was seen both in Anna Lucas’s work and Jessie Bond’s; Bond’s rich descriptions of War Porn and Documenting the Iraq War helped those of us in the audience to connect with the texts in a different way. Bond’s descriptions considered more than the images contained within the books. She also described the physical presence of each of the books: the number of pages, the thickness of the book and its overall size. For many of us the joy of the printed page and the physical object was clear. For example, when Simon Josebury presented us with his Sandwich poster-pamphlets we were all eager to look at them, study them, touch them and consider the material  qualities of the paper and the images presented on them.

Ilsa Colsell’s presentation looked to the printed page in a very different way. Through her own artistic practice the printed page was re-imagined through folding, overlay and paint. Both Welmoet Wartena and Kollontai Diniz’s papers were heavily concerned with typography.  Coming from a background in book design, Wartena’s paper explored relationships between typography, written  language and meaning  within artists publications. On the other hand, Kollontai  Diniz’s work considered the glottal stop and how this is used to illustrate dialect. Whilst my own presentation and Catherine Sidwell’s falling at the beginning and end of the day, dealt with very different subjects commonalties were clear in our methodological approach to the printed page.  Sidwell considered C.F.A Voysey’s designs for The Stage (1893), her detailed research into this publication clear throughout. I, on the other hand, discussed print advertising of London wholesale couture and demonstrated my own obsessive efforts in discovering wholesale couturiers advertisements and connecting these to original garments where possible.  I questioned the differing presentation of  garments in advertisements and editorials and why garments were displayed differently in a wide variety of magazines.

Overall the day was incredibly fruitful, filled with interesting presentations and discussions and demonstrating a real range of approaches towards the printed page. The thing that was very clear during the event was the joy felt about the physical object: the printed zine, or the book. The feel, touch or maybe even – for those of us that dealt with older sources – the smell of the printed page.  Whilst topics covered by participants were incredibly diverse commonalities were found amongst work and the event proved to be a great day, not only for considering our own work, but for creating new connections with PhD candidates at other universities.

[This piece first appeared on the University of Brighton’s Centre for Design History blog].

MA History of Design and Material Culture student Sarah-Mary Geissler investigates a display of defunct Apple computers at Aldrich Library

Image 1: Apple: The Early Years (1977-2004) currently on display at Aldrich Library, Moulsecoomb Campus, University of Brighton.

Out-dated computers sitting in the corner of a university library sounds like a dump rather than a museum, but Apple: The Early Years (1977-2004) shows that when it comes to technology, you need not delve too far into the distant past to reveal just how much society has changed. The humble museum in Aldrich is just a row of six Apple computers, all saved from office clear-outs at the University of Brighton. The information panels explain the growth of tech juggernaut Apple, while the machines illustrate the university’s relation to technology over 40-odd years.

Image 2: An Apple II Plus, formerly belonging to the Department of Computing and Cybernetics at Brighton Polytechnic.

Each object would have been at the forefront of tech in its time. The earliest model we have is the Apple II Plus from 1982, used in a former life by the Department of Computing and Cybernetics, when Brighton was still a Polytechnic. The computer may look like it’s missing something, however Apple didn’t actually provide monitors with their computers until 1984, instead it would’ve been compatible with a standard television set. Costing the equivalent of £3100 today, this device has 48KB of RAM, roughly 40 times less than most iPhones on the market.

By just observing these six discarded objects, we can see how tech goes from essential to obsolete in a few short years; each sat next to its usurper. Though the tech is old it’s not necessarily broken, it’s possible to interact with the machines and even switch some on. The display stirs various emotions in its viewers; younger students gaze at the early tech like Egyptian relics, ancient and mysterious. Other viewers are reminded of their own early computing education, when that very machine represented the cutting edge of innovation.

Image 3: Reproduction of screen display from a game playable on the Apple II Plus.

Technology evolves at a blistering pace, moving much faster than any other field and leaving increasing amounts of outdated gadgets in its wake. Apple, in particular, contests frequent accusations of designing tech with planned obsolescence, though the appeal of their products undeniably inspires consumers to discard “old” things before the end of their natural lifecycle. Experts estimated that 50-million tonnes of electronic waste would be produced this year, a staggering amount that these items very nearly contributed to. The Time-Warp Tech display is an innovative example of creating uses for objects otherwise considered useless.

To find out more about the Timewarp Tech project, follow their blog: https://blogs.brighton.ac.uk/ismuseum/

As University of Brighton and Worthing Museum launch Objects Unwrapped, PhD student Suzanne Rowland discusses her research into Worthing Museum’s collections

Image 1: Boxes of blouses, Worthing Museum (photograph by author)

I first heard about the amazing dress and textile collection at Worthing Museum from Professor Lou Taylor during an MA History of Design and Material Culture seminar. Soon after, I arranged a research visit and was delighted to find so many examples of my essay subject: Edwardian blouses. I used the collection again for my dissertation titled A Discomforting Account of Edwardian Blouses.

While studying for the MA, I also taught at City College Brighton & Hove (now Brighton Met). Part of my job was to propose new courses, lasting for 2 hours and to run for a period of 10 weeks. A history of fashion, decade by decade, seemed an ideal choice to fit this model. The course first ran in in 2011 with a small group of students at the Jubilee Library in Brighton. I then approached Worthing Museum with an idea to adapt the course to suit Worthing’s unique collection of mainly homemade and shop bought clothes. Gerry Connolly (then Curator of Costume, now Museum Manager) negotiated various obstacles that meant we were able to offer a course starting in September 2012. We needed 12 people to sign up for all 10 weeks for the course to be viable and so it was a nervous summer waiting for the numbers to rise! With great relief they did and, in addition to the core group, others signed up for weeks of particular interest.

Image 2: World War Two land girls uniform (photograph by author).

We selected a range of garments, accessories, and printed materials to display in the education room each week. Not an easy task due to the wealth of material available. Each session began with a 40-minute illustrated talk followed by tea and biscuits (very important!) During tea break white cotton gloves were provided for participants to handle the collection. [image 2] The second part of the session involved a shorter talk, sometimes followed by film footage supplied by Screen Archive South East. Each week participants shared their fashion memories and brought in objects from their own collections. This ranged from black and white family photographs to a silk Pucci blouse bought directly from the designer’s boutique in Rome at the end of the 1950s. One week, Gerry took small groups for a short behind-the-scenes tour of the archive, which proved very popular. We repeated the same course the following year and then decided to rest it in favour of a series of one-off talks and workshops. [images 3,4,5]

Image 3: 20th Century Fashion History lecture poster

In 2015 I began work on my first book Making Edwardian Costumes for Women (2016). The book recreates authentic museum clothing with step by step photographs and instructions. While five projects are based on garments from Brighton Museum, a further five are based on garments and a hat from the Worthing collection. Researching the book involved many visits to the archive to select the projects with Gerry’s help, to make sketches and notes, and to take photographs. Worthing Museum has a fascinating collection of primary and secondary materials, including Edwardian dressmaking manuals and sewing magazines which were invaluable for understanding terminology and techniques. The museum also holds the archive of an Edwardian fashion illustrator Ida Pritchard who worked for Peter Robinson’s department store.

Image 4: Autumn Fashion Talks leaflet

My second book Making Vintage 1920s Clothes for Women (2017) also recreates garments from Worthing Museum. Archival materials used for research included a scrapbook of fashion cuttings, and copies of Weldon’s Home Dressmaker. I am currently in the second year of PhD study (title: ‘The role of design, technology and business networks in the rise of the fashionable, lightweight, ready-made blouse in Britain, 1909-1919’).The Museum’s boxes of blouses have once again proved an invaluable source for understanding the development of styles, sizing, and manufacturing techniques. As a member of Objects Unwrapped my first essay, perhaps not surprisingly, is called ‘Understanding an Edwardian Blouse Through Remaking and Re-enactment’.

Image 5: Autumn Fashion Talks leaflet

The launch of Objects Unwrapped: Hidden Histories of Worthing Museum and Art Gallery will be held on Saturday 30th June from 1.30-4pm.

Image 6: Objects Unwrapped

Second year Fashion and Dress History student Donna Gilbert on researching a hat in the University’s Dress History Teaching Collection

Fig 1: Woman’s cocktail hat, late 1950s, early 1960s. Silk petals on a silk organza base. University of Brighton Dress History Teaching Collection, Pavilion Parade, Brighton. Personal photograph by the author. 16 Feb 2018.

As part of our second year Constructing Histories module, we were asked to write a catalogue entry based on one of a range of items selected from the Special Collection at St Peter’s House Library and the University of Brighton Dress History Teaching Collection. As a Fashion and Dress History student, my eye alighted on a frivolous pink silk flower hat, illustrated in figs 1 and 2, which perfectly summed up the femininity and impracticality of one of my favourite eras for fashion, the 1950s.

Fig 2: Woman’s cocktail hat, late 1950s, early 1960s. Silk petals on a silk organza base. University of Brighton Dress History Teaching Collection, Pavilion Parade, Brighton. Personal photograph by the author. 16 Feb 2018.

Hats used to be such an important fashion accessory; in the Edwardian era no woman, whatever her class, would dream of going out without a hat or bonnet.  By the 1950s fashion had become increasingly informal but women were still expected to wear a hat for church and social occasions such as weddings, christenings and graduations. Veiled hats and floral cocktail hats were popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s and featured in the collections of several of the major French couturiers, including Balenciaga and Christian Dior.

Fig 3: c.1950s ‘Coquette Original’ evening dress. Photo: PP-Photography.

‘Franck et Fils’ department store

This silk flower hat features the label ‘Franck Modes, Paris’ and is assumed to have come from ‘Franck et Fils,’ an exclusive Parisian department store.[1]Emma Franck opened ‘Les Galeries Parisiennes,’ her first mercerie, or haberdashers in 1897, selling fabrics, ribbons and original hats and incorporating a workshop which would quickly complete client’s orders.[2]After World War One the store became ‘Franck et Fils,’ dedicated entirely to women. The Franck Modes cocktail hat features silk petals designed to resemble sweet-peas (Lathyrus Odoratus).These are glued to a silk organza base, which features darts for shaping, and hand-stitching. The fact that the flowers are glued indicates that the hat was produced for the ready-to-wear market, rather than couture.

The silk flower industry

What particularly interested me about this hat was the manufacture of the silk petals. This was something that had intrigued me since I came across a 1950s ‘Coquette Original’ evening dress, illustrated in fig 3, which had leaves imprinted with veins (fig. 4) on the bodice and cascading down the front. I was curious to know how these had been achieved.

Silk flowers have been produced in Europe since the eighteenth century and are manufactured using traditional processes which are highly skilled and time-consuming.  The silk is attached to a frame and then dropped into a gum, starch or flour bath to ‘dress’ it.  The fabric is then layered in a cutting press and each flower-type has its own punch to cut the petal shapes. This was physically demanding work and mostly carried out by men. Once cut, the silk petals would be hand-coloured. After the initial colouring a second colour is applied to produce the shaded effect, bleeding off the edge of the petals.[3]When the petals are dry, they can be pressed in special moulds which imprint them with the veins and texture. Brass tools are then used to shape them. These are heated over a flame until they are hot enough to gently mould the petals into flower shapes. These traditional techniques continue to be used today by skilled manufacturers.

The silk flower industry was huge up until World War One, with women from all classes donning flower bonnets and hats. The 1891 census reported 4011 silk-flower makers in London alone, but the flowers were often produced in appalling conditions. The Children’s Employment Commission of 1865 found that most women assembling the flowers were under eighteen years of age, and some were as young as eight. Factories had them working between twelve and eighteen hours a day.[4]The disruption of war and changing fashions had a huge impact on the flower-making industry and many houses closed. The popularity of floral hats declined during the 1960s and since the 1970s, cheap artificial flowers from the Far East have infiltrated the market.

Fig 4: Leaf detail on bodice of ‘Coquette Original’ evening dress, illustrating the imprinting of the leaf veins. Personal photo by the author.

The silk flower hat highlights a period in history when women were bound by social mores and the wearing of hats, at least for social occasions, was expected. During the 1960s these expectations were relaxed and hat-wearing amongst both men and women became a matter of choice rather than convention.

[1]“Franck et Fils”, France Today.Web. 16 Feb 2002. www.francetoday.com/culture/shopping-boutiques/franck_et_fils

[2]Celine Vautard, “Franck et Fils: The end of an Institution in the district of Passy,” Fashion United, 3 June 2016. Web. fashionunited.fr/actualite/retail/franck-fils-la-fin-d-une-institution-du-quartier-de-passy/

[3]“The House of Legeron – History”. Web. http://www.boutique-legeron.com/en/37-history

[4]Beatrice Behlen and Natasha Fenner, “The lost art of flower-making,” Curators, The Art of Flower-Making Display, 3 March 2016. Web. www.museumoflondon.org.uk/discover/lost-art-flower-making.

Second year History of Art and Design student Sally Lawrence on investigating a special edition Superman comic

Figure 1: External Front view: Superman Masterpiece edition. Chronicle Books. 1999. 40x40x10cm. St Peter’s House Library Special Collection, Brighton.

Despite never having read a comic book, I was instantly drawn to the 1999 Superman Masterpiece Edition (See figs. 1-4), when it was presented to me during the History of Art and Design Constructing Histories module this year. Our task was to select one of the many items from either the University’s teaching collection or St Peter’s House Library’s Special Collection to write a catalogue entry about.  This lead me on a fascinating journey through 1990s collecting culture; which ultimately inspired my dissertation topic about 1990s collecting, consumer culture and the merchandise of The Simpsons. So, I wanted to share some of my thoughts and ideas about this thought-provoking box set.

Figure 2: Internal view left: Superman Masterpiece edition.Chronicle Books. 1999. 40x40x10cm. St Peter’s House Library Special Collection, Brighton.

In 1938 DC Comics paid creators Jerome Siegel and Joe Shuster just $130 (US) for the rights to Superman.[1]This was an extraordinary investment. Not only would Superman soon become an American icon, but also ‘one of the most lucrative merchandising properties of all time’.[2]Such merchandise became incredibly popular in the 1990s; as an interest in “Golden Age” or late 1930s, ’40s and early ’50s comic-books rose at a staggering rate. Comic-books that were originally sold for mere cents were now ‘worth hundreds and thousands of dollars’.[3]Taking advantage of this craze for comic-book nostalgia, companies began to produce products specifically for the collectables market. This 1999 Superman Masterpiece Edition (figures 1-4)is a beautiful example of the trend for ‘year one flashback projects’, which transported nostalgic fans back to the early years of the world’s first superhero.[4]

Figure 3: Internal view Right: Superman Masterpiece edition. Chronicle Books. 1999. 40x40x10cm. St Peter’s House Library Special Collection, Brighton.

Each new incarnation of Superman, on film, television or radio, seems to require a new set of merchandise, reflective of the contemporary vision of heroism. By continually reinventing Superman, whilst also maintaining his most distinctive qualities, DC Comics are able to capitalize on both Superman’s contemporary and historic presence. Produced as a reaction to the 1990s craze for comic-book nostalgia, the Superman Masterpiece Edition was then a sixty-year-old story being repackaged for a new market. Each item reflects both the age that it celebrates and the age that it was produced in. DC Comics produced a nostalgic product, but they did it in a very modern way, by outsourcing production to China. They were celebrating history by utilising modernity.

By the end of the 1990s it became clear that mass-producing collectables was somewhat problematic. The reason original comic-books are so much more profitable is because so few of them still exist. In the early days, print runs were much smaller and children would use, abuse and ruin their comic-books.[5]In the collectables market value comes from rarity; the fewer there are, the more expensive they become. Nonetheless, this has not stopped DC Comics producing collectables and memorabilia. The mass-produced products are worth less to collectors but still have a sentimental value for the fans who purchase them the world over.

Figure 4: External back view: Superman Masterpiece edition. Chronicle Books. 1999. 40x40x10cm. St Peter’s House Library Special Collection, Brighton.

DC Comics have certainly made the most of their $130 investment. With his core values and his signature look remaining largely intact, Superman is instantly recognisable from any era. Over the last eight decades Superman has infiltrated popular culture by appearing in comic-books, radio, television and film.[6]Each new incarnation came with a fresh set of merchandise, some more collectable than others. Perfectly suited to the 1990s comic-book market the Superman Masterpiece Edition creates a sense of nostalgia for a long gone, yet ever-present Superman.

Bibliography

Duncan, Randy and Matthew J. Smith. The Power of Comics: History, Form and Culture. London:The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc. 2009. Print.

Kidder, David S. and Noah D. Oppenheim. The Intellectual Devotional Modern Culture: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Converse Confidently with the Culturati. London: Rodale. 2008. Print.

O’Rourke, Morgan. “Up, up and away”, Risk Management. 55:12. 12/2008. 62. Print.

Notes

[1]Randy Duncan and Matthew J. Smith. The Power of Comics: History, Form and Culture. (London:The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc. 2009.) 32.

[2]Duncan and Smith, 32.

[3]Duncan and Smith, 76.

[4]Duncan and Smith, 78.

[5]Morgan O’Rourke. “Up, up and away”Risk Management. 55:12. (12/2008.)62.

[6]David S. Kidder and Noah D. Oppenheim. The Intellectual Devotional Modern Culture: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Converse Confidently with the Culturati. (London: Rodale. 2008.) 84.

BA Hons History of Art and Design student Sally Lawrence on being on placement at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft

Fig 1. View of Corita Kent: Get with the Action. Ditchling Museum of Art+ Craft. Author’s own photograph.

On 5th May 2018, a very rousing new exhibition opened at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft. Corita Kent: Get with the action uses film, her personal correspondence and  screen prints, including some that have never before been shown in Britain, to explore the life and work of this fascinating lady. Corita Kent (1918-1986) was an American Roman Catholic Nun, teacher and artist who believed in the power of art to create a sense of togetherness and to elicit social change. She worked in America in the 1960s and was heavily influenced by Pop Art, particularly by the work of Andy Warhol. This year at Ditchling, Corita has influenced a very exciting new project.

Fig 2: Morag Myerscough. Belonging Bandstand, Brighton Sea Front. Author’s own Photograph.

I recently had the opportunity to undertake a placement at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft as part of my degree, for the second year ‘Behind the Scenes’ module. I arrived at a particularly busy time: they were not only preparing their brilliant new exhibition (Fig 1.), but they were also embarking on a very innovative project, inspired by Corita Kent, that involved creating a piece of art and design that inspires and explores notions of belonging. Designer Morag Myerscough, with the help of a plethora of school, community and university groups, put together a travelling bandstand (see Fig. 2), which will help bring communities together through art and music. Myerscough’s bandstand is topped with a crown of placards designed by groups including the University of Brighton, DV8 in Bexhill, Diverse Crawley and Ditchling Primary School. With each new location the bandstand will have a new crown (see Fig. 3) that represents the local community and will host different performers each location.

Fig 3. Morag Myerscough. Belonging Bandstand, Brighton Sea Front. Author’s own Photograph.

Where the bandstand will be this summer:

19^th-20^thMay- Brighton Festival, Your Place, Hangleton

26^th-27^thMay- Brighton Festival, Your Place, East Brighton

7^th-9^thJune- South of England Show

4^th-10^thJuly Crawley Festival

22^nd-27^thAugust- Newhaven Festival of Belonging

1^st-9^thSeptember- Coastal Current Arts Festival, Hastings

17^th– 23^rdSeptember- Ditchling.

You can also see more of Morag Myerscough’s work in a display at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, alongside Corita Kent: Get with The Action, until 14th October 2018.

Fig 4. Morag Myerscough and Luke Morgan. The Sign Machine. 2017. Author’s own photograph. Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft.

Fig 1. Bird’s eye view of The Mary Rose Museum (image by Hufton+Crow)

Fashion and Dress History graduate (2012) Josephine Payter-Harris on working at The Mary Rose Museum

Fig 2. The Mary Rose Museum: cafe and reception (image by Hufton+Crow)

Since graduating I have developed a career doing what I love: working in the museums and heritage industry. I am currently part of the management team at The Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth. Whilst studying for my degree, my end goal was to secure a job either working in costume for TV and film, or to go into the world of galleries and museums. I was (and still am!) completely passionate about period costume, and completed my dissertation on the use of historical costume in period film. Throughout my studies I worked to build up a good level of skills within these areas, so that when I came to graduate, I had a range of experience to add to my CV.

Fig 3. The Mary Rose Museum: Lower Deck Museum Gallery, Lower Deck, showing Tudor brick oven (image by Hufton+Crow)

Work in museums, particularly curatorial and behind the scenes, is hard to break in to. As such I volunteered at several small, local museums and was able to get some fantastic hands-on experience. I undertook a voluntary placement with the Flora Twort Gallery, which houses a beautiful collection of period dress. I dated, researched and archived this collection, and was able to get some ‘white glove’ curatorial experience. I later completed an unpaid placement with Historic Royal Palaces as part of the team to help research costumes for the ‘Fashion Rules’ exhibition at Kensington Palace. Volunteer placements like this are such a good way to help your CV stand out to employers, and a great way to get your foot in the door.

Fig 4. The Mary Rose Museum: Main Deck Museum Gallery (image by Hufton+Crow)

In my final year, I applied for graduate internships at museums and galleries, and anything to do with costume in TV and film. I lucked out and was offered a four week unpaid placement at a production company based in London. My role was to assist the costume and set design runners for location filming, set dressing and costume for historical docu/dramas. I took on everything I was offered, with a flurry of enthusiasm, and was offered further paid work which I gladly accepted.

After a time, I decided to shift my focus to museum work. I secured a paid internship at a small art centre and museum: The Spring, an independent organisation based in Havant. This internship enabled me to develop skills in curation, exhibition planning, marketing, installation, and the organisation of large historically-themed open days, lectures and art/crafts workshops. I progressed from intern to Museum and Participation Assistant, and thrived in a creative and unique organisation. I took on a second job working for English Heritage (now Historic England), starting off as Historic Property Steward, and developing into Site Duty Manager. This was my first experience working within a large, commercial heritage organisation, and I took on all the training, development and opportunities that were available.

Fig 5. The Mary Rose Museum: Upper Deck Museum Gallery (image by Hufton+Crow)

In 2014 I was offered a job at The Mary Rose Museum, where I am currently based. The Mary Rose is a world class visitor attraction which receives over 400,000 visitors a year. The museum is home to King Henry VIII’s warship, which sank during the Battle of the Solent, 1545. The ship and over 19,000 artefacts from every day Tudor life were recovered and raised in the 1970s and 80s. The ship sits at the heart of a state of the art museum, which was opened to the public in 2013. My current role, as Front of House Manager, means I manage the day to day running and flow of the museum and a team of 34 museum staff and look after over 100 volunteers; I oversee aspects of the museum such as ticketing, retail sales, recruitment, staff training, development and personnel – so I am certainly kept busy!

Fig 6. The Mary Rose Museum: View from within Ship Hall, showing ship from the stern (image by Hufton+Crow)

What I love about my work here is that no two days are the same; you have to be flexible, adaptable and ready to deal with all kinds of quirky challenges. My degree certainly laid the foundations for my career, and instilled in me a creative way of thinking, problem solving and a keen sense of attention to detail. Without it I don’t think I’d have the mix of diverse skills and experiences to date which have led me to my current position.

My advice to students aspiring to work in this field is always to put yourself forward, don’t turn down opportunities, even if it means taking unpaid placements. Grasp work and keep striving to learn and develop, don’t pigeon-hole your aspirations, have goals, but be prepared to take a winding road to achieve them, accept that nothing is straightforward and every job will be hard work. Volunteer at smaller organisations, work your way up, take every chance you can get to gain skills and experiences which will make you stand out.

I take pride in my work and feel genuinely lucky to be where I am, my hopes for the future are to keep on moving upwards and onwards within the museum and heritage sphere and to continue to work for organisations which inspire and instil passion.