Welsh Newspapers

Search 15 million Welsh newspaper articles

Hide Articles List

17 articles on this Page

CONVERSAZIONE AT THE GROSVENOR…

News
Cite
Share

CONVERSAZIONE AT THE GROSVENOR MUSEUM. 0 SPEECHES BY THE BISHOP AND MR. G. WYNDHAM, M.P. The twenty-sixth annual conversazione of the Chester Society of Natural Science and Litera- ture was held at the Grosvenor Museum, on Wednesday evening. The crowded attendance left no doubt as to the growing popularity of this interesting gathering, and as to the in- creased interest which is being aroused in the excellent work of the society. The company during the evening must have numbered over 800, and the crush, particularly in the entrance hall, was so great that, while recognising the convenience oi having the exhibition in the permanent home of the society, one would have preferred the ampler breathing space of the Town Hall. The exhibition itself was admiraby arranged, and afforded infinite pleasure to the visitors, of whom the ladies enjoyed the large preponderance. There were several new departures in the programme, and the most attractive was undoubtedly Mr. J. D. Siddall's exhibition of animated photographs with the bioscope, a kind of improved animatographe. This novelty proved an immense attraction, the lecture theatre being densely crowded at each of the three exhibitions. 1 he instrument was manipulated with conspicuous success, a bull fight and a bathing scene at Milan being repro- duced with really remarkable fidelity, and equalling in realism anything that has so far been achieved by either animatographe or cine- matographe. Sandwiched with these were some admirable photographs of still objects, including Mr. J. H. Spencer's pictures of the recent Royal visit to Hawarden, as well as views of Chester on Jubilee day and the distribution of prizes at the Chester Regatta, in which the portraits were wonderfully life-like. Needless to say Mr. Siddall was rewarded for the trouble and expense to which he had gone to entertain the audience, with repeated salvos of applause. While speaking of photography, we may men- tion another equally attractive novelty exhibited by Mr. Spencer, in the shape of coloured views. This is the invention of Mr. Frederick Ives, and the instrument, which is something like a camera in outward appearance, is one in which transparent and uncoloured photos on slides are placed, while the observer looks through the stereoscope-like lenses in front. Red, green, and blue-violet glasses are interposed, and the light passing through them, the slides take up the natural colours of the object, which appears, when looked at in this way, as tangible as the real article. It seems that the photos are taken first through, say, a red screen, and afterwards separately through screens of green and violet- blue. These, of course, are the primary colours, and the chemical values of the colours, thus being transferred to the photos or krdmograms, are taken up in the manner described. The objects which Mr. Spencer shewed with such success, included a vase of fruit and flowers, all the tints of which were marvellously clear. The chief feature of the exhibition in con- nection with the Chester Guild of Arts and Crafts was a collection lent by the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, including Maclure Hamilton's portrait of himself, Burne Jones's picture of Miss Dorothy Drew, a handsome vase made by workmen of Burslem and presented to Mr. Gladstone some years ago, the gold inkstand presented to him by the Prince and Princess of Wales, an old watch in porcelaine case belonging to the late Mrs. Glynn, a watch with diamonds and emeralds given to Mrs. Gladstone by the Shah of Persia, another present in the shape of a brooch received from Sir Edward Watkin, a beautiful Indian silver casket which contained a complimentary address, and a tiny tea service manufactured out of a gold piece by a workingman admirer of the G.O.M. The same department was enriched by a col- lection of drawings, consisting mainly of botanical subjects, but also including water- colour landscapes, lent by Professor Ruskin. Some of the Professor's own works were also exhibited by his publisher, Mr. George Allen, while Mr. T. Cann Hughes added considerably to the interest displayed in this section by forwarding some of Randolph Caldecott's inimitable drawings and other sketches of a local character. In the Art School was seen a very effective display of cut herbaceous flowers, berry bearing shrubs, &c., by Mrs. Townshend Ince, Miss Humberston, Mrs. Potts, Mr. A. O. Walker, Mr. Worker (Mollington Hall), Mr. James Yates (Grosvenor Park), Messrs. Dicksons, &c. The fine weather which has been experienced of late has, of course, been favourable to the development of these beauti- ful autumn flowers and shrubs, and the specimens shewn were exceptionally fine. To those interested in the science of electricity the room devoted to this branch of the Museum work exercised an irresistible fascination. Here Mr. J. A. McMichael, with the assistance of Mr. F. J. Jones, of Frodsham-street, had arranged a up ique exhibition of miscellaneous apparatus, demonstrating many of the uses to which the electric current may be adapted. It is interesting to learn that during the last three or four years, and par- ticularly since the installation of the electric light system n the city, the interest in this branch of the Museum teaching has largely developed, especially among the Post Office employes, who are now offered pecuniary advantages for passing in electricity. The apparatus shewn included working models of the three-wire system adopted in Chester, and the simple two-wire system made by Mr. McMichael himself for use in his class, also a model showing the effect of resistance, a variety of bells, and burglar and fire alarms, a toy motor-car, telephones, demonstrating the stages of perfection through which this instrument has passed from its infancy, &c. Altogether, the exhibition was a most creditable one, evincing the thoroughly practical nature of the teaching afforded at the Museum, and we are pleased to learn that a large portion of the special grant voted by the Corporation this year will be spent upon providing the most complete electrical apparatus for the benefit of the students. The work of Mr. R. Newstead (the curator) is, of course, in evidence in almost every depart- ment of the Museum. His splendid life histories of birds are too well known to need more than a passing allusion on this occasion, but he had added also, since the last con- versazione, drawings of British scale insects, prepared for a monograph about to be published by the Ray Society. These formed a general theme of admiration, and will undoubtedly establish his reputation as the head of all specialists in that branch of scientific work. In the same room were to be seen drawings illustrative of natural history subjects by Mr. C. K. Baillie and Miss G. M. Siddall, the latter of whom, a daughter of Mr. J. D. Siddall, was the designer of the very artistic front page of the programme, introducing portraits of the founder of the society, and the president for the year, Mr. Thos. Shepheard. The micros- copical display in the art gallery was the largest that has ever been brought together under the society's auspices, and there was also a good exhibition of prints, transparencies by well-known members of the photographic section. Much interest was as usual shewn in the work of the art and technical students, the latter being seen at work under the supervision of Mr. J. W. Marriott. There were many other features of the programme which space pre- cludes us from commenting upon, but mention should not be omitted of the rare collection of moths and butterflies from Poona, exhibited by Mr. J. Arkle, and of the fossil footprints of an extinct reptile, recently acquired from the fine collection of the late Mr. Oamond Jeffs. The lecture theatre was densely crowded at eight o'clock, when the general meeting of the society was held, under the presidency of Mr. Thos. Shepheard, on whose right and left sat Lady Lettice Grosvenor and Mr. Geo. Wyndham, M.P. There were also present the Lord Bishop, Mr. W. H. Verdin (High Sheriff of Cheshire), the Sheriff of Chester (Mr. J. F. Lowe) and Mrs. Lowe, Dr. Dobie, senr., Dr. W. H. Dobie, Mr. A. O. Walker, Dr. Stolterfoth, Mr. G. R. Griffith, &c. Apologies for absence were received, among others, from the Mayor (Mr. B. C. Roberts), Mr. R. A. Yerburgh, M.P., Sir Horatio Lloyd, General Swaine, Mr. Geo. Barbour, and Col. Davies Cooke. The PRESIDENT, after a few opening remarks, called upon Lady Lettice Grosvenor to make the following presentations:- The Kingsley Memorial Medal, awarded for having contri- buted materially to the promotion and advance- ment of some branch or department of natural science,' to Dr. W. Henry Dobie; the Kingsley Memorial prize (£5 5s.) to Mr. Alfred Newstead (brother of the Museum curator), for a collec- tion of life-histories of insects the president's 'Jubilee' prize (£5), to Mr. A. E. Goodman, for a collection of microscopical botanical preparations. The LORD BISHOP, in moving a vote of thanks to Lady Lettice for her kindness, said he was not going to overwhelm her with thanks, but he should congratulate her upon having thus early and graciously begun a career of public help- fulness, which they hoped might be continued through a long life. (Applause.) It was the best wish they could bestow upon her that this might be her ambition through life, in all quiet, homely, womanly ways to serve the public weal. Speaking of the work of the curator of the Museum, his Lordship doubted very much whether it was sufficiently realised by Chester and the neighbourhood of Chester that in Mr. Newstead they possessed a very real treasure. Though Mr. Newstead was far too modest to lay claim to be regarded as a man of genius, he had all that infinite and loving patience and perseverance which went to con- stitute genius, and he had that imagination which also was an essential part of genius; and he (the Bishop) felt sure they in Chester ought to learn to prize Mr. Newstead more than they did at present. He was as they knew curator of that museum. What did that mean? It meant that he must have the many-sided gifts to keep touch with the Museum in all its many branches of art and science, to be able to expand with its expansion, and to inspire to a very considerable extent, and to guide that expansion. Then, besides that, he was the consulting naturalist of the neighbourhood. He (the Bishop) was looking over the programme of the Paxton Society very recently, and there he saw Mr. Newstead down as consulting naturalist. Mr. Newstead had been a pioneer in the study of the history and younger life of various mis- chievous insects, and he thought if there was a powerful educational influence within those walls it was the influence of Mr. Newstead. Let them go into the natural history museum, take a child or a grown man in there, and to become acquainted with Mr. Newstead's marvellous setting of birds was in itself a liberal educa- tion. Then again Mr. Newstead was a man of utility almost throughout the county, for there was a time when the County Council availed themselves of his services as a lecturer upon insects, and he imagined that was rather a bright time for the education of the county. He could not help thinking that as yet Mr. Newstead's services were not as adequately recognised as they ought to be, and as he was quite sure the governing body of the Museum would wish to remunerate and recognise them if only they had the power. It was not for him to say exactly how their duty was to be done, but he thought the Jubilee year would be about as well commemorated in Chester by the recog- nition of a man as by the doubtful recognition of an arch. (Laughter.) He had always under- stood that it was an ungenerous thing to hit a man or a thing when he or it was down. That strange structure was down-long might it remain down. (Laughter.) In these days we were a great deal too ready to betake ourselves to bricks and mortar, and overlook the individual. In this case he for one ventured to think the Diamond Jubilee year would not be passed worthily by till the merits of Mr. Newstead were more adequately recognised by the city and perhaps the county of Chester. (Applause.) In con- clusion his Lordship paid reference to the en- quiry now being held into the pollution of the Dee, and said everyone would agree—Water Company and water consumers as well-that if our water supply was to come out of the Dee, no sewage should be allowed to go into the river, either from above or below the weir. Therefore they welcomed the Local Government Board inspectors, in order that they might give their powerful assistance to our County Council and City Council in freeing the Dee from this pollution, which, despite the great trouble taken by the Water Company to make the water perfectly clear, might con- ceivably land Chester some day in the position of Maidstone. While they were there under the auspices of Charles Kingsley, they could not dream of sitting down under that peril. (Ap- plause.) Mr. W. H. VERDIN seconded the proposition, which was carried with enthusiasm. Mr. GEORGE WYNDHAM, after acknowledging the compliment on behalf of Lady Grosvenor, expressed the regret of the Countess at her own unavoidable absence. It was already ten years ago since he attended one of those pleasant gatherings. Every year they thought that nothing new could happen, but every year they discovered a new landmark. The first landmark he recollected was the first official recognition by that society in any shape or form of the services of Mr. Newstead, whose great gifts and long life of industry and successful achievement they all reverenced and respected. Another landmark was the occasion on which their energetic secretary succeeded in waylaying a travelling fraternity of geologists drawn from all nations who were travelling from America to Europe, and were delighted to attend that society's gathering. They had again a land- mark when the society came of age, and two years ago they had that great landmark, namely, the first meeting in the Grosvenor Museum, where so much had been brought together under one roof, and where the various societies which inhabited it worked with the utmost goodwill and equal profit. (Applause.) Last year he failed to attend that gathering, owing to his absence in South Africa. He was glad to be in South in South Africa. He was glad to be in South Africa then, but he was glad to be here now, to associate himself with them in some little measure in recognising the great services which Dr. Harry Dobie had rendered, not this year only, but during many years, in the cause of science. (Applause.) It was not enough that the members of his family worked in the field of the most noble science known to man. They must go outside it, and whether in astronomy, or botany, or biology, they won fresh honours. It was nothing novel and nothing strange for them to recognise those honours with all the respect which was due to the services rendered by the Dobie family to science—yes, and with a great deal of warmth and personal affection and gratitude, for he (the speaker) was perhaps not the only man in that room who owed to the family a debt which he could never repay. (Applause.) But Dr. Harry Dobie bad won his victory in that field of science which had given to that society and to that Museum probably its most attractive feature. He had written a very interesting monograph upon the birds which were to be found in the district in which their, society worked, in this part of Cheshire, in Flintshire, and in Denbighshire. They might read his work in the fourth volume of the proceedings of the society, where he had set out more than one thousand separate observa- tions. He had not only written, but he had observed, and the collections which they saw upstairs were most beautiful as well as interesting. (Applause.) Mr. A. O. WALKER proposed, and Dr. STOLTERFOTH seconded, a cordial vote of thanks to the President, who had travelled all the way from Bournemouth in order to be present, and the compliment was accorded with enthusiasm. In acknowledging the honour which the society had conferred upon him, Dr. HENRY DOBIE said if he had been able to do any little work in connection with one small department of natural history, to which he had all his life been devoted, it was really the society which he had to thank for the encouragement it offered him to do work which he should certainly otherwise never have attempted, and he must say it was Mr. Newstead who had turned any specimens of science which he obtained into works of art in that museum. The election of 25 new members concluded the proceedings, but the company remained in their seats to witness Mr. Siddall's animated photographs. Praise should be given to the energetic hon. general secretaries, Messrs. G. P. Miln and W. F. J. Shepheard, and the assistant secretary, Mr. T. Higginson, for the efficiency with which all the arrangements were carried out.

[No title]

ISAAC GORDON AGAIN. 0

CESTRIAN AMATEUR MINSTREL…

MR. T. ELLIS, M.P., ON THE…

SAD TERMINATION TO A HOLIDAY.…

Advertising

A CHESTER WOMAN'S MYSTERIOUSI…

INTERESTING PRESENTATION.…

R PARLIAMENTARY DEBATING SOCIETY.

Advertising

DARING ROBBERY AT CHESTER.…

THE HON. MAUD GROSVENOR'S…

CHESTER INFIRMARY. 4

Advertising

THE BISHOP OF CHESTER ON 'CHRISTIAN…

Advertising