Overview

An attractive volume featuring almost three hundred illustrations including photos and maps from the Royal Institution of South Wales. The Royal Institution of South Wales (RISW) is a very special organization. It was Wales's first-ever museum from 1841–1990, and one of the few such institutions to survive into the twenty-first century. Today it remains a thriving center of culture. Its original lecture theater, library, and laboratory demonstrate its early involvement in scientific research and education. Swansea's Royal Institution and Wales's First Museum is a substantial and richly illustrated book that sets the story in context—in local, national, and international terms—and presents RISW as a significant contributor to the accumulation and dissemination of knowledge. It covers the growth of RISW, the notable members it attracted, later challenges it faced, and its survival in the world of today. The formation of the museum's many varied collections is described by leading specialists, including the developing sciences: geology, natural history, botany, archaeology, Egyptology and photography, the decorative arts, historical records, coins, maps, and costume.

Full Product Details

Author:   Helen Hallesy ,  Gerald Gabb
Publisher:   University of Wales Press
Imprint:   University of Wales Press
Dimensions:   Width: 18.90cm , Height: 4.20cm , Length: 24.60cm
ISBN:  

9781837720903

ISBN 10:   1837720908
Pages:   728
Publication Date:   08 February 2024
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Out of stock  
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.

Table of Contents

Notes on Contributors Acknowledgements Preface Lyndon Morris Introduction Jenny Sabine PART 1 Chapter 1The Swansea Context Louise Miskell PART 2 Foundations and Early Period Chapter 2 Beginnings 2.1 Origins and Ambitions Karmen Thomas 2.2 The BAAS meeting 1848 John Tucker 2.3 The Role of Women in the RISW Jenny Sabine 2.4 The Lectures Programme Gerald Gabb and Helen Hallesy 2.5 Education 1835-1939 Gerald Gabb Chapter 3 Swansea Museum 3.1 Planning and funding the building Helen Hallesy 3.2 Uses of building and extensions Gerald Gabb PART 3 The Collections Chapter 4 Sciences Introduction Iwan Morus 4.1 Geology Ronald Austin 4.2 Botany Kevin Davies 4.3 Other Natural Sciences Emma Williams 4.4 Photography Katy Williams Chapter 5 Artefacts and Records 5.1 The Archives Andrew Dulley 5.2 The Library Gerald Gabb 5.3 Maps and Charts Phil Treseder 5.4 Local Historians Gerald Gabb 5.5 Art Helen Hallesy 5.6 Ceramics Helen Hallesy 5.7 Archaeology Gerald Gabb 5.8 Egyptology Caroline Graves-Brown 5.9 Numismatics Alan and Noel Cox 5.10 Costume Deborah Griffiths 5.11 Miscellaneous Phil Treseder PART 4 Later developments Chapter 6 Introduction Elizabeth Belcham 6.1 The Museum during WW2 Helen Hallesy 6.2 The transfer to Swansea University Syd Howells 6.3 Swansea University to Swansea City Council Iwan Davies 6.4 Education post 1939 Gerald Gabb Chapter 7 Associated Societies Introduction Gerald Gabb and Helen Hallesy 7.1 Swansea Farmers Club Helen Hallesy 7.2 Musical Groups Gerald Gabb 7.3 Literary and Scientific Society Gerald Gabb 7.4 Swansea Astronomical Society Helen Hallesy 7.5 Swansea Geological Society Helen Hallesy 7.6 Swansea Scientific Society Gerald Gabb 7.7 Field Naturalists Society Gerald Gabb 7.8 Swansea Photographic Association Helen Hallesy 7.9 Welsh Society Gerald Gabb 7.10 Philatelic Society Helen Hallesy 7.11 Shiplovers’ Society Helen Hallesy 7.12 Gower Society Ruth and Malcolm Ridge 7.13 Swansea Little Theatre Eryl Jenkins and Dave Taylor 7.14 Gower Ornithological Society Gerald Gabb List of RISW Presidents 1835-2022 Bibliography List of Subscribers Index

Reviews

Author Information

Helen Hallesy is a science graduate and independent researcher on the history of the south Wales ceramic industries, focusing primarily on Swansea. She is the author of several books and articles on the subject, including, most recently, Swansea Commemorative Pottery. She is a long-standing Council member and Honorary Vice President of RISW. Gerald Gabb taught history before becoming an education officer for the Swansea Museums Service. He is a RISW Council member and editor of the Swansea History Journal Minerva since 2009. He has written extensively on the locality, most recently publishing Swansea and its History, II, The Riverside Town in 2019.

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