Konferensartikel

National Museums in Wales

Visa mer +

Publicerad: 2011-09-30

ISBN:

ISSN: 1650-3686 (tryckt), 1650-3740 (online)

Abstract

This report considers national museums in Wales. Welsh MPs have sat at Westminster since the early sixteenth century; and the country was integrated with England to a greater extent than other nations making up the UK. In addition; there are strong contrasts between the rural centre and north of the country and the industrial south. The country is very mountainous which has affected its development.

Nationalism in Wales reflected this; and is outlined in the Introduction. For a range of reasons; including conquest by the English in the medieval period; and the Tudor incorporation of Welsh leaders into the English elite; together with the country’s shared border with southern England; nationalism in Wales was less strident than that in Scotland and Ireland. For reasons explored below; there was something of a rift between the Anglican Church; which became associated with the English; and ‘Dissenters’ who were associated with Welshness. In the nineteenth century; the mineral reserves of South Wales; especially coal; led to an industrial revolution that provided employment for many Welsh people (and drew in English immigrants). As with other British nations; the experience of the Second World War helped develop a shared unity with the rest of the UK. Nevertheless; Welsh culture; which varied somewhat in different areas; remained distinctive; especially obvious in language and music.

Some of the reasons for the rise of nationalism are explored in the report. Welsh nationalism is complex and is usually defined as a form of cultural and ethnic nationalism that emphasises language; songs; literature and poetry; along with Welsh antiquities and the idea of the Welsh associated with the landscape and territory of Wales. In the nineteenth century this began to take a more political form though always within the notion of Wales remaining within the United Kingdom. It made little headway in the first half of the twentieth century as Britain fought and won two World Wars. In the 1970s it failed to gain enough support to prompt legislation giving more powers to Wales; but in 1997 a referendum resulted in a small majority in favour of devolution. An Act of Parliament implemented this in 1998. Since then; the Welsh Assembly has had direct responsibility for funding and policy for national museums in Wales.

The early history of national museums in Wales can be traced to the activities of learned societies. These had many features in common with similar activities by elite groups elsewhere in Britain; they were formed in Wales and were made up of Welsh people. Elements of Welsh culture – literature; song; poetry; the Welsh language and antiquities – were therefore prominent; as well as scientific subjects; especially those relating to science and industry; which might have more in common with British scholarly activities. Later; museums became implicated in the civic competition between leading towns in the country; where sections of the local elites regarded museums as positive institutions and a mark of civic pride. When the competition for recognition as ‘capital’ of Wales became an issue; civic leaders similarly saw the possession of a major museum as an advantage. In these early years; Welsh nationalism was rarely explicit in the founding of museums. In this Wales resembles; to a certain extent; Scotland; where the idea of a national museum was; for some time; a museum in a capital city.

The gaining of national status (the National Museum of Wales was granted its charter in 1907) was therefore not in itself associated with driving nationalism. Nevertheless; by the time the Museum opened in 1912 ‘[T]he promotional literature of the Museum; the coverage in the local press and even the speech by the British Monarch himself all point towards a a more public acceptance of Welsh distinctiveness’ (Mason 2007a: 134). To what extent the development of a national institution such as the Museum in Cardiff contributed to this increased interest in Welshness and to what extent it reflected it is impossible to say. In the succeeding decades; the National Museum (NMW or in Welsh; ‘Amgueddfa Cymru’) established strong links with regional museums; and incorporated some other museums into its structure. In outline; the National Roman Legion Museum; Caerleon; dated back to the nineteenth century; but was incorporated into the National Museum in 1930; St Fagans; a folk park; was set up as part of the museum; in 1948; the National Woollen Museum was opened as part of the National Museum in 1976; Big Pit; initially a local authority museum created partly in response to the closure of the coal industry; was incorporated into the National Museum of Wales in 2001; and the National Waterfront Museum; previously a local authority industrial museum; was opened in 2005 as a national museum in a new building in Swansea. Whilst these newer museums often addressed a uniquely Welsh past; it is questionable whether nationalism played a significant role in their development. At the same time; there is a sense in some of the works studied for this report; that successive British governments treated Wales as simply another part of England; and (in some official reports into museums) ignored the National Museum of Wales altogether. By contrast the Welsh Assembly has much more interest and more effective control of heritage organisations in Wales. This gives the National Museum a consciously and distinctly Welsh context in which to operate; responding to more coherent government policies. Nevertheless; the different institutions combining to make the National Museum; present very different aspects of Welsh life and culture.

Nyckelord

Inga nyckelord är tillgängliga

Referenser

24 Hour Museum Staff. (2007) St Fagans Museum Opens New Gallery To Explore Welshness. Online. Available HTTP: <http://www.culture24.org.uk/history+%26+heritage/literature+%26+music/art45 728> (accessed 7 September 2010).

Anon. (1927) National Museums of Wales Annual Report; 1926 – 7; Cardiff (cited Williams 1983).

Aaron; J. and Williams; C. (eds) (2005) Postcolonial Wales; Cardiff; University of Wales Press.

Bala; I. (ed.) (1999) Certain Welsh Artists: Custodial Aesthetics in Contemporary Welsh Art; Bridgend: Seren.

Bassett; D.A. (1982) ’The Making of a National Museum’; Part I; Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion: 153-185.

—— (1983) ’The Making of a National Museum’; Part II; Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion: 187-220.

—— (1984) ’The Making of a National Museum’; Part III; Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion: 217-316.

—— (1990) ’The Making of a National Museum’; Part IV; Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion: 193-260.

Campbell; B. (2005) ’The Battle of the Sites: A National Museum for Wales; unpublished thesis; University of Leicester.

Coflein Database (2011) ’National Museum of Wales; Cathays Park’; Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales: Coflein. Online. Available HTTP: <http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/167/details/NATIONAL+MUSEUM+OF+W ALES%2C+CATHAYS+PARK%2C+CARDIFF>.

Department of Education and Science. (1973) Provincial museums & galleries: a report of a Committee appointed by the Paymaster General; London: HMSO.

Dicks; B. (2000) Heritage; Place and Community; Cardiff: University of Wales Press.

Evans; G. (1989) A History of Wales: 1815 – 1906; Cardiff: Cardiff University of Wales Press.

Heath; A. Martin; J. and Elgenius G. (2007) ‘Who do we think we are? The decline of traditional social identities’ in A. Park; J. Curtice; K Thomson; M Phillips; M Johnson (eds) British Social Attitudes 2006-2007; The 23rd Report; London: Sage publications.

Hechter; M. (1975) Internal Colonialism: The Celtic Fringe in British National

Development; 1536 – 1966. Berkley: University of California Press.

Jenkins; G.H. (2007) A Concise History of Wales. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press.

Jope; E.M. (2004) ’Fox; Sir Cyril Fred’; Oxford Dictionary of National Biography;Online Edition; Oxford: Oxford University Press. Online. Available HTTP: <http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/33230> accessed 7 Sept 2010. Lord; P. (1992) The Aesthetics of Relevance; Llandysul: Gomer.

McIntosh; J. (2004) ’Wheeler; Sir (Robert Eric) Mortimer (1890–1976)’; Oxford Dictionary of National Biography;Online Edition; Oxford: Oxford University Press. Online. Available HTTP: <http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31825> (accessed 7 September 2010).

Mason; R. (2007a) Museums; Nations; Identities: Wales and its National Museums; Cardiff: University of Wales Press.

—— (2007b) ‘Representing the Nation’ in J. Osmond; (ed.) Myths; memories and future: the National Library and National Museum in the story of Wales. Cardiff: Institute of Welsh Affairs.

Miller; B. (2010) Outgoing National Museums Wales boss in closing speech; Culture 24. Online. Available HTTP: <http://www.culture24.org.uk/sector+info/art80635> (accessed 24 November 2010).

Miller; W.L. (1984) ’The De-Nationalisation of British Politics: The Re-emergence of the Periphery’ in H. Berrington; Change in British Politics; London: Frank Cass and Company Ltd.

Morgan; K.O. (1971) ’Welsh Nationalism. The Historical Background’; Journal of Contemporary History 6 (1): 153-172.

Morgan; P. (2007) ‘The Creation of the National Museum and National Library’ in J.

Osmond; (ed.) Myths; memories and future: the National Library and National Museum in the story of Wales; Cardiff: Institute of Welsh Affairs.

National Museum of Wales (1946) St Fagan’s Castle: A folk museum for the Welsh nation; Cardiff: National Museum of Wales.

NMW (2010 a) ‘The Evolution of Wales’; National Museum CardiffAmgueddfa Genedlaethol

Caerdydd . Online. Available HTTP: <http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/cardiff/evolution-of-wales> (accessed 23 November 2010).

NMW (2005) Interpretation Strategy for Oriel 1; National Museum Wales. Online. Available HTTP: <http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/981/> (accessed 13 September 2010).

NMW (n.d.) ‘Oriel 1’; St Fagans National History Museum/Sain ffagan Amgueddfa Werin Cymru. Online. Available HTTP: <http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/2242> (accessed 13 September 2010).

Peate; I. C. (1964) Welsh Folk Museum: St Fagans; Cardiff: National Museum of Wales.

Post 16 Education and Training Committtee. (2000) A Culture in Common. Online: Available HTTP: <http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home.htm> (accessed 7 September 2010).

RISW (2004) ‘History of the RISW’; The Royal Institution of South Wales. Online. Available HTTP: <http://www.risw.org.uk/history.html> (accessed 7 September 2010).

Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries. (1979) Framework for a System for Museums. Report by a Working Party. Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries; London: HMSO.

Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries. (1981) Report on museums in Wales.

Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries; London: HMSO.

Stephens; M. (2004) ‘Peate; Iorwerth Cyfeiliog (1901–1982)’; Oxford Dictionary of National Biography;Online Edition; Oxford University Press: Online. Available HTTP: <http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/55462> (accessed 4 Nov 2010).

WAG. (n.d. ) Remit Letter 2010-11. Welsh Assembly Government. Online. Available HTTP: <http://wales.gov.uk/topics/cultureandsport/museumsarchiveslibraries/acnmw/?la ng=en> (accessed 7 September 2010).

WAG. (2002) Creative Future. A Cultural Strategy for Wales; Welsh Assembly Government Publications Centre: Cardiff. Online. Available HTTP: <http://wales.gov.uk/depc/publications/cultureandsport/creativefuture/creativefut uree.pdf?lang=en> (accessed 23 November 2010).

—— (2007a) Spotlight on Museums; Welsh Assembly Government. Online. Available HTTP: <http://cymru.gov.uk/topics/cultureandsport/museumsarchiveslibraries/cymal/res earchandevidence/spotlight/?lang=en> (accessed 13 September 2010).

—— (2007b) One Wales A progressive agenda for the government of Wales; Welsh Assembly Government Publications Centre: Cardiff. Online. Available HTTP: <http://wales.gov.uk/about/programmeforgovernment/strategy/publications/onew ales/?lang=en> (accessed 7 September 2010).

—— (2010) A Museum Strategy for Wales; Welsh Assembly Government Publications Centre: Cardiff. Online. Available HTTP: <http://wales.gov.uk/topics/cultureandsport/museumsarchiveslibraries/cymal/mus eums/strategy/?lang=en> (accessed 7 September 2010).

Williams; C. (2005) ’Problematizing Wales. An exploration in historiography and postcoloniality’ in J. Aaron and C. Williams (eds); Postcolonial Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.

Williams; G. (1983) Wales and the Past: A consort of voices; a 75th anniversary lecture; Cardiff: National Museum of Wales.

Winks; W.E. (1877) ‘Local museums: their purpose and management’ Transactions of the Cardiff Naturalist Society IX (83 ff) (cited Campbell).

Citeringar i Crossref