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Notes On The Voluntary And Municipal Museums; A Short History Of The National Museum Of Wales; And Observations On The Close Association Of The Cardiff Naturalists' Society With Museum Affairs.
By A. H. LEE.
MUSEUMS IN GENERAL.
The name "Museum" goes back many centuries. The first Temple of the Muses was the Museum of Alexandria, but this was not a Museum as we know them to-day, but a College of Scholars, who studied the vast collections got together by Alexander the Great and his successors. These collections, however, were destroyed by fire in the 4th century A.D., and the idea which the word "Museum" implies apparently slipped from the mind of man till the 17th century. Strange as it may seem, none of the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Babylonia, or Assyria nor the very old civilizations of China and India, nor yet of Greece or Rome brought museums into existence, no doubt because these earlier civilizations were interested little, if at all, in past achievements-each generation being content to develop in its own way. (2).
Oxford may claim the honour of possessing the oldest museum in this country. This museum originated in the collections got together by the two John Tradescants, father and son, between the beginning and the middle of the 17th century, which, under the name "Museum Tradescantianum," were exhibited in their house in Lambeth. "Twelve cartloads of rarities" were bequeathed by the younger Tradescant to Elias Ashmole, who in turn presented them, with his own additions, to Oxford University in 1683, and thus was founded the Ashmolean Museum which is now The Old Ashmolean.
A century later, in 1753, Sir Hans Sloane died he had been a great collector and spent enormous sums on specimens and collections of almost all kinds. On his death, Parliament passed a Bill authorising the purchase of this Collection for the nation, and so came into existence the British Museum which was thrown open to the public in 1759.
Great Britain, therefore, led the way in the formation of public museums. They are now to be found all the world over. In the United Kingdom today there are 530 of them, large and small.
EARLY MUSEUM ACTIVITIES IN CARDIFF.
Colonel A. W. Sheen, in the address which he gave upon the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Cardiff Naturalists' Society in 1927, records the existence in 1852 of a museum connected with the Cardiff Athenaeum and Mechanics' Institute, which had premises in High Street. Mr. Clement Waldron, whose presidential address to the same society 50 years ago was entitled "The Museum", did not refer to this museum, but recorded the fact that in 1856 there was a museum in connection with the Cardiff Literary and Philosophical Society which consisted of "an interesting collection of fossils and other curiosities which had been contributed by various donors." Colonel Sheen also referred to this collection, and stated that the Cardiff Literary and Philosophical Society had premises at No. 3 Crockherbtown, but came to an end in 1863, "its property being forfeit to the landlord for non-payment of rent." It will be observed that both these Cardiff Museums belonged to societies.
It was in 1858 that Mr. Peter Price urged through the local press the establishment of a Municipal Free Library and Museum for Cardiff. Two years later (in October, 1860) a meeting of burgesses was held, when a resolution in favour of having a library and museum was passed, but at a meeting held shortly afterwards the proposal to adopt the Libraries Act - which authorised the necessary expenditure out of the rates - was turned down by a single vote.
The supporters of the movement, therefore, determined to proceed without the aid of the Borough Council, and in the following year (1861) a prospectus was printed urging that Cardiff should create a museum and library similar to those already established in Manchester, Liverpool, Rochdale, Bridgewater, Leeds, Newcastle, and Sheffield.
With this object in view, the promoters set out to raise a fund by public subscription to purchase books, periodicals, and newspapers, and to solicit donations of books, antiquities (especially local antiquities), and curiosities the property thus acquired "to be vested in the Cardiff Corporation as a free gift to the town for ever."
The prospectus concluded with the observation:-
The incentives to the acquisition of knowledge are so few and partial in Cardiff that the want of such an institution as is now contemplated, which is free to all and unexclusive in spirit, has long been felt, and its promoters point with confidence to the experience of other towns.
Funds were subscribed and a library and reading room were started in "the Arcade." Mr. Peter Price, the prime mover in the matter, was Honorary Secretary. There does not appear to be any reference to a museum in the Arcade premises, but it can be taken as certain that, as a result of the appeal, museum specimens as well as books must have been presented if so, they were probably stored away and not exhibited for want of space.
In 1862, the Library having justified its existence, the Borough Council adopted the Free Libraries Act and took over the Library and at once found increased accommodation essential. A new building to house the library, a museum, and a science and art school was contemplated, and much time was spent in discussing the relative merits of a site in The Hayes (where the present Free Library [now known as the Old Library] is), and one on the Bulwarks ("in Mr. Stockdale's garden") near the present Fire Station.
Whilst the battle of the sites was still in progress a lease of rooms in the Y.M.C.A. building in St. Mary Street (Plate 1) was arranged at £ 100 per annum, and the records show that "a back room in the top storey" was given over to museum purposes, and £ 50 was expended on glass cases and fittings. This was in 1864.
The occupation of "the third floor back," notwithstanding the new cases and fittings, does not seem to have helped the Museum movement materially. The Librarian at that time, Philip Stewart Robinson - known always as Phil Robinson - being a keen naturalist and the author of popular works on natural history, made an effort to improve matters. It is interesting to note that his salary was £60 per annum, out of which he had to provide labour and material for cleaning the Library rooms, and it is not surprising that he should have had difficulty in getting his Library Committee to expend anything on the Museum, which probably at that time was a closed room. Robinson wished to open it to the public and desired to incur certain expenditure. He therefore conferred with those interested in natural history, and three of them formed a deputation to put forward a case. As a result, on the 7th August, 1867, the Corporation Committee passed the following resolution
Resolved That in the opinion of this Committee the offer made by Messrs. [Phil] Robinson, [James] Bush, and [Robert] Drane to form a local museum be accepted, and that fifty shillings be placed at their disposal to buy apparatus.
It was the bringing together of those interested in natural history, with a view to extracting fifty shillings from an unwilling Borough Council, that led to the meeting in Mr. Robert Drane's premises in 1867, at which the Cardiff Naturalists' Society was formed. Phil Robinson was the first Honorary Secretary of the Society, and it is clear from the following advertisement, which appeared in the Press at the time, that the Society's principal interest was the Museum.
CARDIFF NATURALISTS' SOCIETY.
PRESIDENT WILLIAM ADAMS, ESQ., C.E., F.G.S.
VICE-PRESIDENT: WILLIAM TAYLOR, ESQ., M.D.
The above Society has been formed for the Practical Study of Natural History, and the formation of a Museum in connexion with the Free Library.
Rule 9. Specimens collected by the Society shall be deposited in the Cardiff Museum, and shall become the property of the Corporation of Cardiff.
The Committee of the Society will gladly receive donations, however small, of Curiosities of Natural History.
PHILIP ROBINSON, Hon. Sec. Free Library, November 28, 1867. Details on external site
In 1870 "The Cardiff Museum" was opened, and it was recorded that "the result has been mainly brought about by the exertions and influence of the President of the Cardiff Naturalists' Society, Mr. William Adams." In 1871 the Museum was given the whole of the top story of the Y.M.C.A. building, instead of one room only, still more space was necessary however, and the lease was due to expire in three years' time. The question of taking over the Infirmary building (now the University College buildings in Newport Road) was considered in 1873, and at a later date this proposal was turned down on the ground of expense. So the Y.M.C.A. lease was extended for a period, the rent ultimately reaching £300 per annum. (Plate 1.)
It was not until October, 1878, that a site was settled upon and the older portion of the present Central Library building that abutting on St. John's churchyard was erected. This was occupied in 1882 by the Library, the Museum and the Science and Art Schools. (Plates 3 and 4.)
Duly installed in the top floor of this new building the Museum progressed its collections grew in size and importance, and in five years' time it was found that still further accommodation was necessary. In 1887 the Cardiff Naturalists' Society drew up a petition to the Corporation urging that it should move in the matter. Dr. Charles Tanfield Vachell presented the case (Plate 2), and as a result the Science and Art School was moved to other quarters and the Museum was given some of the rooms which the school had occupied. Thus came into existence the Cardiff Municipal Museums, the collections of which formed the nucleus of the collections of the National Museum of Wales. (Plate 8.)
THE Y.M.C.A. BUILDING, ST. MARY STREET. DR. CHARLES T. VACHELL, WITH MR. JOHN STORRIE, PRESENTING THE CARDIFF NATURALISTS' PETITION TO THE MAYOR OF CARDIFF (SIR MORGAN MORGAN). FROM A CARTOON IN The Figaro.
THE TRINITY STREET MUSEUM
It may prove of interest if short references are made to Curators, both honorary and paid.
On 11th December, 1871, the Borough Council resolved:
That the President of the Naturalists' Society be requested to undertake the office of Curator of the Museum with power to delegate the general supervision and superintendence to whomsoever he may deem capable of undertaking the duties.
In 1874 Mr. John Williams, proprietor of "The Glove and Shears," was appointed Honorary Curator of the Natural History Department. In 1877 the Rev. W. E. Winks appears as Honorary Curator and custodian of the Archaeological Department. In 1879 Mr. E. W. Shackell became an Honorary Curator, and there is a reference associating him with the arrangement of the collection of moths.
Dr. Charles Vachell was associated with museum activities as far back as 1870, and Mr. Clement Waldron in 1881 stated1 "I must not forget to mention the unflagging zeal and interest which Dr. Vachell has always displayed in the advancement of the Museum." He also paid tribute to Mr. Robert Drane, Mr. Franklen Evans, and Captain Bedford.
In 1883 Mr. T. W. Proger became an Honorary Curator, and from that year to this-forty-eight years-has made museum matters one of his chief interests in life. Special mention should also be made of the late Mr. Thomas Henry Thomas. All these Honorary Curators were appointed in the early days, not by the Corporation, but by the Cardiff Naturalists' Society. From the first the Cardiff Municipal Museum had its Honorary Curators, and later they were formed into an Honorary Curators Committee and met regularly. Being appointed for their active and special interests in one or more phases of the museum work, most of them took their responsibilities very seriously, and no one can say how much the Cardiff Museum and the National Museum of Wales today has benefited by their whole-hearted zeal.
Of the members of the Cardiff Corporation who shewed keen interest in museum matters, special mention should be made of Sir Illtyd Thomas, W. H. Renwick, and W. J. Trounce up to the present time Sir Illtyd Thomas has thirty-seven years of museum service to his credit.
To refer to paid officials, John Storrie, a compositor in the Western Mail printing works, was given a part-time appointment as Curator in 1877, and a year later was appointed first whole-time Curator at 9d. an hour, and had to see to it that the Museum was open for 30 hours a week. He resigned six months later. M. H. Cochrane was next appointed at the same salary, but apparently was not a success, and only held the post for a few months. Seven months elapsed, and as no new appointment had been made, it was the Cardiff Naturalists' Society which made representations to the Corporation urging that something should be done in the matter. It was another six months before A. C. Cruttwell was appointed at £ 60 per annum, and ten months later he resigned. He was followed by the reappointment in 1881 of John Storrie, who held office for the next twelve years. Storrie was a remarkable man, and that he rendered good service is borne out by the Press notices at the time of his final resignation in 1893. Next followed the appointment of John Ward, who was Curator until the Municipal Institution was absorbed by the National Museum of Wales. He served the Museum truly and well and will be remembered as a man of wide interests and high attainments.
To return to museum history, in 1893 the Corporation adopted the Museums and Gymnasiums Act, 1891, and the Museum became disassociated from the Library. Years of careful thought were given to the question of erecting a building for Museum purposes only, and in 1894 a piece of ground situate in Park Place (near the Engineers' Institute) was purchased from Lord Bute. The sketch reproduced (Plate 5) shows the building contemplated, which, like the Engineers' Institute, was to be a red brick building. However, in 1898 the Corporation purchased Cathays Park from Lord Bute; and it was decided that the Museum should go there instead and the Park Place site was conveyed back to Lord Bute.
For the Municipal Museum, Mr. Edwin Seward was appointed architect. His plans were apparently ready when it became known that a National Museum of Wales was to be brought into being. His scheme was therefore held up eventually abandoned, and subsequently provided the subject of an action at law. The far-sighted policy of making a special effort to collect material of particular interest to Wales was proceeded with, and in 1901 the name of the Municipal Museum was changed from the Cardiff Museum to "The Welsh Museum of Natural History, Arts and Antiquities," the better to express "the growing national character of the collections."
The NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WALES.
As far as is known, the earliest printed references to a National Museum to serve the whole of the Principality appear in Archaeologia Cambrensis - the Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association. In volume 10 - published in 1879 the following note appears: -
It is contemplated to bring under the consideration of the Association how far it is possible to establish a National Museum of Welsh Antiquities, and to find a site which will be most accessible to all. There are small collections in Swansea, Carnarvon, Welshpool; and one at Tenby is being or has been established
The other reference, printed in the report of the Council of the Cambrian Archaeological Association, for the year 1880, states:-
the Powysland Museum is not only the most valuable in Wales, but in some respects the only one. Wales at present has no Museum of Antiquities, and the Museums at Carnarvon, Swansea, Tenby, and Lampeter College cannot supply what is wanted, viz., a general and Central Museum for Wales.
Arising out of this report it was resolved by the Association that the Powysland Club should make arrangements with the Cambrian Archaeological Association whereby the Museum at Welshpool will become a general Museum for Welsh Antiquities.
It will be seen from what has been written already that there existed a Museum in Cardiff as far back as 1852-in 1879 and again in 1880 the Cardiff Museum was not even mentioned in Archaeologia Cambrensis! Probably the first definite step towards the provision of a National Museum of Wales was the submission of a lengthy printed memorial to the Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1894. Scotland and Ireland had their State Museums why should not the Principality of Wales ?
As nothing came of this effort, the Cardiff Corporation, a few years later, set the ball rolling once again, and decided to get Wales as a whole to adopt the principle and to leave the question of place to be determined at a later date. Every County Council, Borough Council, and Urban District Council in the Principality was approached and invited to affix its Common Seal to a Memorial to the Government to "establish a Welsh National Museum having special regard to the needs of Wales and including a National Library and Art Gallery." These Memorials were adopted by 7 out of the 13 County Councils, 24 out of the 31 Borough Councils, and 63 out of the 67 Urban District Councils, and were sent in due course to The Lord President of the Council on Education. In Parliament the chief supporters of the project were Sir Alfred Thomas (afterwards Lord Pontypridd), Mr. William Jones, M.P., Colonel Pryce-Jones, and Mr. Tom Ellis, together with Mr. (afterwards Sir) J. Herbert Lewis. In March, 1903, Mr. William Jones, Mr. J. Herbert Lewis, and Sir Alfred Thomas spoke to a motion in the House of Commons, and a resolution approving of the scheme was passed-this, undoubtedly, was the first definite step forward. A "scheme" for a National Museum of Wales was now prepared by Sir Isambard Owen - it was known as "Sir Isambard Owen's Scheme" - and formed the basis for schemes which followed.
He made provision for all the Departments which exist today and included a Department of Industries which still exists on paper only. He estimated that an initial sum of £ 50,000 would have to be expended on building. The next step was to get the Chancellor of the Exchequer to provide funds, and accordingly a deputation waited upon him on the 23rd June, 1904. The Chancellor of the Exchequer held out hope of financial help as soon as the question of site had been settled, and the Government, on 10th February, 1905, appointed a special Committee of the Privy Council to decide the matter, the first of the terms of reference being to determine the place at which each of the two Institutions (the National Museum and the National Library) should be established.
Competing towns prepared memorials backed up by particulars in support of their respective claims. Cardiff sought both Institutions, Swansea and Caernarvon claimed the National Museum, whilst Aberystwyth concerned itself only with the National Library. In due course the Privy Council Committee published its findings, awarding Cardiff the National Museum and Aberystwyth the National Library, and ordered that Royal Charters should be obtained for "the permanent organisation and management of the two Institutions severally and respectively."
Eventually the National Museum's Petition, signed by some twenty-four of His Majesty's "liege subjects residing in or connected by diversties with the Principality or Dominion of Wales," was submitted to His Majesty in Council, and with the Petition was sent a draft of the Royal Charter sought. A Charter is a most important document, as it not only defines the object of the Institution, but brings into being and defines the duties and responsibilities of the officers, it defines the constitution and duties of the Court of Governors and of the Council; in short, it is a document which lays down the law as far as policy, government, and administration generally are concerned. Such a document, therefore, needed very careful drafting-many meetings were held, and Sir David Brynmor Jones, K.C., M.P., had much to do with it. On 19th March, 1907, the Royal Charter was granted by King Edward VII. The National Museum of Wales now existed, if on paper only.
Sir Alfred Thomas (afterwards Lord Pontypridd) was the first President, with Lord Mostyn and Sir Ivor Herbert, Bt. (afterwards Lord Treowen), Vice- President and Treasurer respectively. The Court of Governors and the Council were constituted in accordance with the Charter, and the first meeting of the Court, which is the supreme governing body of the Museum, was held on 15th October, 1907. The President, Sir Alfred Thomas, was in the Chair, and at his invitation the proceedings were started by the recitation of the Lord's Prayer. Mr. J. L. Wheatley (Town Clerk of Cardiff) was appointed Honorary Director by the Council. The most important Committee, and the one which met so often, was the Organization Committee, which drew up a lengthy report upon the requirements of the new National Institution. It was felt by this Committee that Sir Isambard Owen had underestimated the financial expenditure which would have to be faced, but even this Committee did no more than to increase the amount from £ 50,000 to £ 85,000.
It seems strange, perhaps, that two years should have been allowed to elapse without appointing a Director, especially as a great deal of very important work had to be seen to. It was not until early in 1909 that Dr. William Evans Hoyle was appointed to this position. On the 15th April, 1910, the Cardiff City Council affixed its Common Seal to the lease of the site in Cathays Park to the National Museum of Wales for a term of 999 years, at a rent of 5/- per annum, and on the 12th October, 1912, handed over the Municipal Collections which, until the Municipal Museum premises were. vacated in 1924, were known as "The Cardiff Collections."
Mr. John Ward and the other Municipal Museum officials joined the National Museum staff. A discussion upon the [appointment of an architect resulted in a decision to organize an open competition. This meant the preparation of detailed instructions to competing architects setting forth requirements. This was one of Dr. Hoyle's first tasks, and, perhaps, one of the most important he was called upon to undertake. He had been in charge of the Victoria University Museum in Manchester for some years. He had travelled widely and knew most of the great museums the world over. He was a very active member and a past president of the Museums Association. He realised that what was wanted was an institution which should be something more than even a great Municipality could provide-it must be an institution appropriate to its National status.
He drew up the conditions for competing architects accordingly, and set out details for a great building scheme. This document was without doubt the first bold bid for a real National Museum, and was approved by the Museum Council it contemplated an expenditure of no less than £ 250,000. It was never intended to build the whole edifice at once, but it was deemed wise to design an institution which could be added to according to a definite plan, as accommodation was needed and as money became available.
In due course 130 designs were received, and the assessors awarded first place to the design of Messrs A. Dunbar Smith and Cecil C. Brewer, of London. The perspective of the design selected is reproduced (Plate 7) it will be apparent that it has been departed from in several particulars it has, however, some resemblance to the building as it is to-day. The first consideration, however, is not outward appearance, but planning, and Messrs. Smith and Brewer's original sketch plans have not been amended in this respect to any great degree.
The outstanding alteration was the opening up of the dome. Lord Pontypridd was responsible for this, and but for his bringing forward the suggestion, the Museum might not have the existing impres- sive Entrance Hall, for it was designed originally to be completely covered over at first floor level. This amendment necessitated the provision of a second floor for the Court Room, the Library, and Administrative Offices, which, in turn, made it necessary to lift the dome considerably, which without doubt greatly improved the main elevation. The working drawings were in due course prepared and a scale model of the completed building made. It was decided to proceed with the Entrance Hall block, the short and square galleries on the west side, and the similar galleries on the east side, together with the long galleries, and the lecture block. The cost of this portion of the Museum building, together with exhibition cases, cabinets, and other furnishings,was estimated at £ 232,000/ one-half of which the Government undertook to provide.
A contract was let for foundations, and then came the laying of the Foundation Stone by King George V., who was accompanied by Queen Mary - this was on the 26th June, 1912 - a real pre-war Royal visit-decorated streets, triumphal arches, troops lining the route, no end of flags, a grand-stand in Cathays Park to accommodate thousands of children, an enormous stand specially erected for 3,000 guests and an enclosure for a choir of some 300 voices. His Majesty was in full dress uniform, as was everybody else who was entitled to wear it. In 1913 the building of the superstructure commenced but, owing to shortage of funds, the Council only contracted for the shell of the South block and of the short and square galleries of the West wing. The necessary funds were coming in slowly but surely - indeed, funds sufficient to foot the bill could be envisaged when the Great War came along. The Council was ready to let a contract for the internal finishings when the Ministry of Munitions ordered building operations to cease. That order had most serious and far- reaching results, and but for it the Entrance Hall and the West wing would have been occupied in 1918.
In 1920 building was allowed to proceed, but building costs had jumped by leaps and bounds-the £ 50,000 available was of comparatively little use, for the estimated cost of completing and equipping the then existing shell was in the neighbourhood of £ 200,000 The Council could]only proceed, therefore, with the Western end of the Entrance Hall, together with the Zoological and Art Galleries on the West side. The completion of this portion alone necessitated an overdraft at the Bank of over £ 21,000 The late Lord Kenyon was now President, the late Lord Aberdare Vice-President, Sir Wm. Reardon Smith, Bt., was Treasurer, and Dr. R. E. Mortimer Wheeler, Director. They, together with the members of the Council and every member of the staff, were becoming depressed and disheartened. No 1 Owing to post-war advanced prices the actual expenditure on this portion of the building has been over £ 420,000 one liked contributing to a fund for the purpose of paying off an overdraft at the Bank; but it was believed that no difficulty would be experienced in obtaining subscribers towards new contracts.
On the 24th November, 1925, one who at that time desired to remain anonymous (Sir William Reardon Smith, Bt.), called upon Dr. Wheeler and the writer and asked to see the Museum Building Fund Pass-book it showed a balance on the wrong side of £ 21,367 4s. 9d. He took out his cheque book and drew a cheque for the exact amount. Sir William and Lady Reardon Smith had already contributed £ 13,000 and gave £ 4,000 later, but the gift just referred to came at so depressing a time, was absolutely unasked for, and was really the means of making the National Museum once again a going concern, that it stands out prominently as the Institution's most public-spirited and generous benefaction. Sir William, as Treasurer, now set to work to collect funds to enable further works to be proceeded with, and it was not long before money was available for the completion of the Entrance Hall and adjacent Galleries. Dr. Wheeler having been appointed Keeper of the London Museum in June, 1926, Dr. Cyril Fox, who had been Keeper of Archaeology since January, 1925, was promoted to the Directorship.
The King and Queen, who had visited Cardiff in 1912 to lay the Foundation Stone, now further honoured the Museum by declaring it open on the 21st April, 1927. The promise of generous annual contributions for a number of years from the late Lord Buckland and Lady Buckland (amounting in all to rather more than £ 33,000), and from the Cardiff Corporation (£ 21,000), provided the nucleus of a fund for additional building. Other generous large and small contributions were also forthcoming, and the time came when the Council thought it might venture to erect the urgently-required additional accommodation, which would be provided by the Eastern Range of Galleries and the Lecture Theatre Block. The new wing was estimated to cost about £ 145,000 to erect and equip, but as Government help had unfortunately been reduced from 50% to 331%, local responsibilities were correspondingly increased. Including the whole of the Government's 331 the building fund fell short of the sum required by approximately £ 14,000. The extensions were carried out in two contracts - the short and square galleries, to which the public was admitted last week, and the long galleries, the Lecture Theatre and the Circular Gallery thereover which are at present in course of erection and which should be ready for opening in October, 1932.
THE NATIONAL CHARACTER OF THE MUSEUM.
If there is one thing all concerned with the National Museum of Wales are jealous of, it is the fact that the Institution is a National one, serving the whole of the Principality of Wales and Monmouthshire. The supreme governing body - the Court of Governors - is constituted by Royal Charter so as to represent all parts of, and all appropriate interests in, the Principality. The Council, a smaller body, which holds monthly meetings, is also made up of representatives from all over Wales. The different Committees are by no means composed of local people only. The function of the Institution has been summed up in a sentence:-
"To teach the world about Wales and the Welsh people about their own fatherland."
Now how is this carried out? It is the policy of the Council to concentrate as far as ever possible on matters Welsh or of Welsh interest - it is to be hoped that visitors realize that all Departments - Geology, Botany, Zoology, Archaeology, and Art - exhibit in their galleries specimens which, for the most part, are of Welsh provenance-or are in some way connected with or are of interest to the Principality. Field work and research are carried out in every County in the Principality. The Museum publications are studies of Welsh subjects Coal and the Coalfields in Wales. The Slates of Wales. Welsh Timber Trees. Wales and the Sea Fisheries. The Brown and the Black Rat in Wales. Welsh Bygones. The Topographical Prints of Wales. Welsh Porcelain. Several publications on Excavations in Wales. 123rd October, 1931. There are several others. These publications find a sale all over the Principality, and indeed travel to the other end of the world. Lecturers go out from the Museum each year to all parts of Wales-last year 75 such lectures were delivered. Local museums in Wales (of reasonable merit) are affiliated to the National Museum of Wales - each is officially visited periodically, and help -- often much help - is given to them in the organization, the naming, and the setting-up of their collections.
The preservation and restoration of specimens of importance is also undertaken for them. Many collections, individual specimens, and pictures are lent to Welsh local museums and schools in Wales. For the past six years the National Museum of Wales has organized a course of instruction for Welsh Museum Curators -after sending representatives to one such course, the Museums Association decided to organize similar courses in London for English Curators. These are a few of the ways in which the National Museum of Wales is endeavouring to make its existence felt throughout the length and breadth of the Principality. The Museum is suffering from growing pains at the present time, and there is a great rush of work within its four walls, but as soon as the extensions are completed and occupied, it is probable that extra-mural work will be increased.
THE CARDIFF NATURALISTS' SOCIETY AND MUSEUM INTERESTS.
From recorded facts referred to at the beginning of this paper, it is clear that when the Cardiff Naturalists' Society was brought into being, it undertook to take a real and practical interest in the development of the Cardiff Museum. In the very early days the President of this Society was responsible personally or by deputy for the Curatorial work-and it was this Society which appointed the Honorary Curators. The constitution of the National Museum of Wales does not provide for Honorary Curators. The Society has, however, direct representation on the Court of Governors, and in addition to your representative, Mr. Howard M. Hallett, a number of naturalists are Governors of the Institution in various capacities.
Members of the Society also serve on the Council and Committees, while the Director, all the Keepers of Departments, and several other members of the Museum staff (not forgetting the Society's reigning President) are naturalists. So the Cardiff Naturalists' Society has at least some say in all matters connected with the National Museum of Wales. But what of the general body of members who, after all, make up the Society. Are they always conscious of the part of Rule 2, which reads as follows "To assist in the development of the National Museum of Wales." In the first place it is urged that members make more use of the Museum. To attend an occasional reception, or to bring a guest to see the Entrance Hall, is not enough. A museum is not an architectural effort - it is a collection of specimens to be studied. Members of the Society are invited to come more often, and it is suggested that visits would prove of much more interest if members came with definite objects in view - let us say, to study a group of exhibits dealing with one or other of the sciences represented in the Collections. It is next urged that you develop the museum habit in young people.
A former President of the Board of Education stated that the value of visual factors in the education of a child cannot be over-estimated-that it has been proved over and over again that our most permanent recollections are of things seen rather than heard or read. Education through the eye is at once more interesting and more lasting. If young people can be gently guided to take a special interest in one or more of the subjects illustrated and explained in our National Collections, they will be helped to live fuller and more interesting lives when they grow up. Members of this Society are invited to take an active interest in one or more of the Departments of the Museum. On the science side, some may specialize and take a personal interest in a particular group and obtain great satisfaction out of adding a new type or species to the already very representative collections illustrating the structure, fauna, or flora of the Principality. Others might take an interest in old Welsh crafts, or, let us say, prints and engravings of Welsh interest. Thus you may individually play your part in the building up of our National Collections.
I am not seizing this opportunity to launch an appeal for money, but many naturalists have helped financially to erect our building, and many naturalists have contributed towards the purchase of collections and works of art I hope others will too from time to time. These are a few ways in which members could help in one of the chief objects of this Society-Uto assist in the development of the National Museum of Wales."
CONCLUSION.
Taking March, 1907 - the date of the granting of the Charter as its birthday - the National Museum of Wales is now 24 years old. It has been a plant of slow growth. During the war and for a couple of years after the war, its growth was almost arrested - it began to show welcome signs of life again in 1920 and 1926 - at present it is sending out a great shoot fronting on Park Place which will double the exhibition space and provide a much-needed Lecture Theatre. Do members appreciate the fact that they have in their midst an institution which is looked upon as the last word in Museum planning - an institution which is looked upon as a model for the display of specimens and the preservation of study and reserve collections. During the last year or eighteen months curators and architects from Japan, Australia, the Sudan, America, and Ireland, and many from the British Isles, have come to study the National Museum of Wales before embarking on new schemes.
The fact that the Director has left this country to report upon the reorganization and development of certain museums in Canada is not only an honour for him, but suggests that the institution of which he is Director is much to the front in all that concerns modern museum requirements and activities. The National Museum of Wales is the realization of a great idea conceived many years ago. It could be wished that many more of those who worked so hard for it in the early days could have lived to see it to-day. It is visited by a quarter of a million people every year; if each visitor takes away but one scrap of new knowledge-if each visitor learns to appreciate, in a measure, what is beautiful in Art-its influence for good is bound to be far reaching as the years pass.
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These pages are part of the Cardiff Naturalists' Society 150th Anniversary celebrations and are about our history and are celebrating the people who developed our Society and helped build the city and the cultural heritage of Cardiff. You can read more about that using the links above
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