Thursday 31 January 2019

A place that exists only in moonlight: Katie Paterson & J. M. W. Turner at Turner Contemporary and other Margate diversions.

Inevitably our arrival at the exhibition was late,


we had bought books in Herne Bay and Margate. I had very little time to view the exhibition and really just went through it taking a few photos.

Here is the link to them

The last gallery of "A place that exists only in moonlight: Katie Paterson & J. M. W. Turner" is a tad disorientating a sort of son et lumiere made from what returns from space. I would have preferred to have been able to see the piano strings and hammers, but otherwise ten out of ten.

Turning Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata into morse code, bouncing it off the moon and playing what comes back. well I am still thinking about that one. Particularly about how morse code would transcribe. Would it be the letters of the notes? What about the sharps and flats? Rhythm?

I have an interest in both art and science and for what of a better phrase. The way scientists communicate what is going on in science to non scientists.

The whole business of the relationship between art and science is well worth exploring. I think it lends itself to the installation exhibition.

There is a whole raft of both contemporary art and contemporary science that falls into areas of communication that doesn't work in a conventional way.

Not sure what the effect will be on the gallery attendants, I can see a danger of unintentional hypnosis.


Hopefully I will get back there soon with a bit more time. Perhaps even write something a bit more coherent about it.

I went off to the cafe and did a pen sketch over PG Tips and a chocolate wosisname
Ok on to Margate and time. The reason for the rush in Margate is that everything seems to close so early. The bookshops, the kitchen at Turner Contemporary Cafe, I suppose I am used to doing Canterbury at the end of my winter out and about days.

I think Turner must have had a lot more time to sketch Margate than I had today

This sketch of his from 1830 (not in the current exhibition) appeals to me.

Old photos next
 The only Margate scout one I can find
 Troops departing from Margate Station
Update from the comments.
I think that the troops are actually French "poilu" who have just arrived!
Replies
  1. I think you are right having given the photo a second look, so WW1.
Another update from Michael Cates The French soldiers are evacuees from Dunkerque in 1940 - it's a standard press shot in all thecontemporary publications on the subject. Ironically although the French troops brought to England accounted for c.120,000 of the 338,000 soldiers rescued, almost all of them returned to France within a couple of weeks.

and of course painting in Margate

A few Ramsgate ones











Here is the link to the books we put out yesterday



Wednesday 30 January 2019

Scouting for Boys in Ramsgate and stuff

 Interesting transitional picture of Ramsgate here as you can see I think it probably dates the 1880s, the English Heritage listing seems to lump the arcade of shops in with Royal Parade, 'ROYAL PARADE Terraced road with arcading and balustrading and parade of shops at a higher level. 1893-95, W.A. Mcintosh Valon, Engineer. Red brick and terracotta with Pulhamite terraces and cast iron gas standards. Base arcading (backing Military Road) with moulded and keyed surrounds to arcading with boarded doors, set at 2 levels to larger arches,'

The next lot of pictures are from 2009








 Boy Scouts next

 November 13th 1921 scouts mayors day church parade St George's Church
 October 14th 1923 scouts outside the Royal Temple Yacht Club
 scouts mayors parade 1947, car park Elms Avenue Queen Street?
 mayors parade 1947 High Street Goulden and Wind's picture house
 Back to 2009 and the big patch to the dodgy bit in the middle of the Pleasurama cliff wall, it begs the question. 'Would you like to live in a flat next to it?'
Next fly tipping back in the good old days, I would guess slag from the gasworks, something to consider swimming in.

Next the new Kate Baker Exhibition at Nice Things in Harbour Street
I am not entirely happy with the pictures I took of this, so will go back and have another go.

I did get a short paint at the Pav aka Spoons

Mostly little people who will mostly be painted over with railings.
The sunset kept on dragging me away

Here is the link to the rest of the photos I took today

The pontoons have gone but
The sign is either still there or has come back.

Just managed to find
The whole picture, with the date on it


Tuesday 29 January 2019

Thanet local history stuff mostly

Here in Ramsgate I have been working away in Michael's Bookshop, one task I have on is
producing a facsimile of this 1947 booklet.


Reading this page makes me wonder what went wrong with our council.



As you can see Ramsgate bounced back after WW2

My main focus is still on 1966 and preparing the tourist guide for that year for reprint, having got the OK from the council.

So a bit of 1966 ephemera






I remember going on these "no passport" excursions, however I think after BREXIT relations may be a little strained.

If things go on like they are we will soon reach a point where the vote was to remain exceeds the vote to leave, because of the voters who voted leave dying. If you don't understand this one here is the link

It's a bit hard to read the BREXIT consensus in the bookshop most customers seem to be Remain and I haven't spoken to anyone who seems to favour the deal Theresa May has negotiated or no deal.

Back to the world of work, this is the link to the pictures of the books we put out today


My background task at the moment - something I expect to take months, is checking the book prices on the shelves compete with the prices on the internet.

 I'm somewhere in the woodwork books at the moment
 The only way to do this is to take a pile of about ten books of the shelf.
 Put them on my desk.
 Look them all up on Amazon and Ebay
 Re-price the ones that time has made too expensive.
I don't bother to put up any that have gone up in price.

What I am finding is that it's a lot harder to find the cheapest price on Amazon. Last time I did this a book listed there at 1p meant it would cost £2.81 including postage, now it can mean anything.

An eclectic batch of photos from the Mick Twyman collection today. Presumably all Margate area






















If I get time I will go through and label what I can

Next the Ramsgate ones