FROM THE ARCHIVES
Overall, then, the Archive’s activity this year has been extraordinary, in its participation in both internal and external events. By increasing publicity for the Archive and its resources, I hope that, in the years to come, more people will flock to view and use the wonderful materials that are on offer, right in the heart of the College. I hope in the near future, the Archive will become even more an intrinsic part of academic learning across the school. ◎
Finally, the Archive has loaned its copy of William Shake- speare’s First Folio to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, as this year marks the 400th anniversary of its printing; the Folio is part of the Dulwich College Folio (held by the Archive), which contains Shakespeare’s Histo- ries and Comedies. It was left to the College by William Cartwright in c.1686 – he performed with the King’s Company in, amongst others, Othello . Thanks to this col- laboration, the Folio is now available to the wider public across the capital (as well as tourists), while complement- ing the Museum’s ‘Shakespeare and the Sea Conference’, and the exhibition itself, ‘The Tempest and the Thames’.
This academic year has seen a continuation of intense activity in the College Archives, with exhibitions, tours and external collaborations, writes Gilbert Edwards (Year 13), Senior Prefect for the Wodehouse Library
T he Archive is one of the biggest in South London, and contains a plentiful hoard of wonders, ap- plicable to all subjects and tastes. It is a valuable resource that should be used for more than the Year 9 History project (centred around an Old Alleynian who fought in the Great War). I have been keen to expand the appeal of the Archive, to get more societies using it for talks and discussions centred around its material, and to make people from all year groups more aware of it. To ex- ploit its utility is important, not only for personal interests (for example EPQs) but also for furthering one’s reading, on and off syllabus, and to see the value of the material that sits just above the library. The Archive is one of the biggest in South London, and contains a plentiful hoard of wonders, applicable to all subjects and tastes The main exhibition for the Lent term has been the Roman and Greek Archaeology exhibition, a two-year project, where a conglomeration of archaeological artefacts from 17 boxes have been organised and catalogued. Boys from different year groups, including Niccoló Robertson (Year 13), have helped curate the exhibition, and others have created their own display cases, with Nicolas Adamides (Year 10) curating a case of stones and bones. Special mention should go to Nicolas, who has painstakingly organised and sorted these 17 boxes over the past two years. I curated one case displaying household objects related to depictions of mortal and divine forms. In addition, the exhibition showcases finds from the 1960s Medieval Dulwich project and the old Archaeology Society (said to be the oldest one in the country).
Not only has the Archive been used as a staple of Year 9 History, but also for the Old Alleynian First World War project and during Eco Week for Year 7. In Black History Month, Upper School boys grouped together with archi- vists to create a presentation on forgotten, black OAs. On top of this, it has been used for societies, such as Geogra- phy, History and Classics, and the weekly meetings of the Dilettantes Society, with Mr Weaver. Externally, the Archive has been involved in a wide range of projects and exhibitions. It has been working with the Box Office Bears project, using our own documen- tary evidence and brown bear skull to recreate activity in early modern England. The Box Office Bears project analyses and collates information regarding the contact between humans and animals during Shakespeare’s time; radio-carbon dating of the skull has already taken place – we are awaiting the isotope analysis for its origin and diet. In addition, the Dulwich Society has been working in collaboration with the Archive to transcribe and translate the Court Rolls relating to the Dulwich Manor, stretching back to 1323. This work means that the Rolls are now accessible on the Dulwich Society website, where one can find out why people were getting into trouble; sometimes, it was for not brewing the correct strength of beer, or not practising one’s archery skills! The James Caird tours have also opened up the Archive to other schools and continue to enjoy much success; over 1000 children have already participated this aca- demic year alone. Further away from the College, the Archive has lent Shackleton’s Nimrod sledge to Winches- ter College for an exhibition marking the centenary of the publication of The Worst Journey in the World .
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THE ALLEYNIAN 711
COLLEGE COMMUNITY
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