The Welsh Experience of the First World War

Image courtesy of Dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

2014 marks the 100^th anniversary of the start of World War One and to acknowledge this significant occasion a unique digital archive has been launched in Wales. ‘The Welsh Experience of the First World War’ was developed as a collaborative initiative, led by the National Library of Wales, in partnership with the Archives and Special Collections of Wales. Its aim was to digitize and provide access (free of charge) to a virtual collection of primary sources relating to the First World War and its impact on Welsh life, language and culture.

The resources include newspaper articles, archives and manuscripts, photographs, journals and sound recordings, many of which were previously inaccessible to the general public. Bringing all these materials together into one searchable online database provides an invaluable resource for teachers, students, researchers and family historians alike. 

The archive is available in both English and Welsh, so why not take a look at this fantastic resource which marks one of the most important periods in British history.

Silly old Bear

It’s Winnie the Pooh’s birthday today! Well, sort of. Winnie the Pooh was first published on the 14^th October 1926 and told of the adventures of A. A. Milne’s son, Christopher Robin, and his toys: Pooh Bear, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga, Roo and of course Owl, Rabbit and all of Rabbit’s friends and relations. The book and its sequel, The House at Pooh Corner, are still firm favourites with children and adults alike and have even received the Disney seal of approval with various cartoon adaptations. The original books are surely the best, though, and E. H. Shepherd’s beautiful drawings are hard to beat.

You'd have to take a trip to the New York Public Library to see Christopher Robin's original toys (minus Roo, who is still missing in action in the real-life Hundred Acre Wood!), but the books are available for all to enjoy. You won’t be surprised to learn that both titles are available in Townhill Library’s Teaching Practice collection, as are Milne’s poetry books When we were very young and Now we are six. Well worth another read as they are just as engaging for adults as for children! You might also like to take a look at The Pooh perplex in Townhill Library at shelf mark 823.912 MIL. It’s an irreverent look at literary theory and criticism with some help from our astute and useful bear. Very funny!

150th anniversary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

It is 150 years since Lewis Carroll first told the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. A quick search on Oxford Reference Online, one of the databases available via the Swansea Met library web pages, reveals that Carroll, real name Charles Dodgson, wrote the tale for young Alice Liddell ("Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"  The Oxford Companion to English Literature. Edited by Dinah Birch. Oxford University Press Inc. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.  Swansea Metropolitan University.  5 July 2012  http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t113.e146). There is a Welsh connection to all this as the Liddell family had a holiday home in Llandudno, though Carroll befriended them in Oxford.

Whether you consider Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and her further adventures Through the Looking Glass, as delightful nonsense tales or darker, complex satires of Victorian society, they’ve certainly stood the test of time. We have a number of copies of the Alice books in Townhill Library and in Griffith Library at Dynevor, all beautifully illustrated. If you borrow one this summer, you won’t need to bring it back until the 4^th October. Remember, though, we’re not open in the evenings or at weekends during vacation time, so don’t do a White Rabbit and turn up late!

A century after the Titanic’s doomed maiden voyage, let’s remember the people on board

Sunday sees the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, which went down in the early morning of the 15th April 1912 with the loss of over 1500 lives. The story of the “unsinkable” Titanic has fascinated us ever since and many books, TV series, films and documentaries have been produced about the ship and those on board over the last century. Search for Titanic on our catalogue to find out what’s available from your SMU library. You might also like to read our blog post from last year.

Many fictionalised accounts of the voyage have been written (including James Cameron’s epic film, which is available from Griffith Library in Dynevor), but it’s the stories of the real people that seem most captivating. You can find out about the crew and passengers on the Titanic from the new National Archives web page which has been launched to commemorate the anniversary: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/titanic/. The 20 stories they’ve chosen from witnesses, victims and survivors make for interesting and often very poignant reading.

You can also view a timeline from the ship’s construction to the death of the last survivor in 2009, as well as videos and podcasts from various experts. Teachers can follow links to online lessons. This website is packed with information and can become quite addictive, though it may also bring a tear to your eye!

Titanic Anniversary

Image: Willy Stöwer / Wikimedia Commons

On this day 99 years ago the RMS Titanic sank off the New Foundland coast with the loss of more than 1,500 lives. Billed as the world's first and only unsinkable ship, she met a tragic end when she struck an iceberg during her maiden voyage on April 15th 1912 and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. As one of the most luxurious and infamous liners in history her final resting place became the subject of much debate, and was finally discovered in 1985 by American oceanographer and underwater archaeologist Dr Robert Ballard. Many subsequent expeditions to the wreck of the Titanic have yielded numerous treasures, some of which can now be viewed at the Titanic Exhibition, touring worldwide and currently located at London's O2 Arena. I was lucky enough to go this exhibition last weekend and it didn't disappoint! Amongst the artefacts on display were; the crow's nest bell, jewellery, crockery, even perfume and champagne bottles with their contents still intact!

If you can't make it to the exhibition in London why not borrow a copy of James Cameron's film version of Titanic from Dynevor Library (791.4372/TIT), or borrow one of the many books we have on the subject, such as, Titanic: End of a dream (Townhill Library 910.91634/TIT) or Titanic Legacy: Disaster as media event and myth (Owen Library 363.34/HEY). You can even view old newsreels relating to the Titanic on our Newsfilm Online database. Why not bring some history to life with the help of your SMU libraries!