quarto...quarto 12 13 te 2020 eton object in focus this year, lakeland arts was thrilled to announce...

QQUARTOUARTO

Lakeland Arts

Contributors Stephen Beresf0rd

naomi Gariff Caroline Gilbert

Ella luoSophie Terret t

Editor Kerri Offord

designCaroline Robinson

ContentsContents

Letter from the Chief Executive Letter from the Chief Executive 44

An engine for race-boat Jane An engine for race-boat Jane 66

Object inObject in focus: focus: In the GoldIn the Golden en Mist of AutumnMist of Autumn 1212

Fundraising in the pandemic era Fundraising in the pandemic era 1414

The MEND project The MEND project 1616

Collection Care at Blackwell Collection Care at Blackwell 1818

Story in focus: The Mournful Marriage Story in focus: The Mournful Marriage 2020

Cover Image:Aiguilles des Drus by Emma Stibbon

2018, Ink, carbon and watercolour on papercourtesy of the Artist and Cristea Roberts Gallery

image right:joseph hardman, John chapman skiing at kirkstone

photograph taken 10 march 1981

Dear all,

I hope you and your loved ones are safe and well in these strange times.

I’d like to express my deep personal thanks to you all for your ongoing support of Lakeland Arts. We are very fortunate to have such a loyal group of Benefactors, Patrons and Friends and in this extraordinary time, your support means more than ever.

I’m delighted to be sharing another edition of QUARTO with you – produced exclusively for our Members. Inside you’ll find articles about an exciting new acquisition, caring for and conserving the collection, and our future programme.

Looking to the new year ahead we will be opening the House of the Setting Sun programme at Blackwell, which celebrates the enduring legacy of artistic exchange between Britain and Japan.

Set within the stunning interiors of Blackwell, the exhibition will explore the interchange of influence between Japanese design and the British Arts & Crafts Movement. Visitors will experience our breath-taking and rarely seen collection of traditional Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints, including works from the great masters Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Toyokoni III. On display will also be our collection of nineteenth and twentieth century Japanese and British ceramics, including works by Nao Matsunaga and the father of British Studio pottery, Bernard Leach.

We have also commissioned Inko, a Brighton based manga artist, to create a family-friendly trail around the house. Visitors can discover supernatural yokai monsters which

have been hidden around the house, bringing luck and mischief as they go.

At Windermere Jetty Museum we also look forward to launching the Shipwrecked! programme, where visitors can enjoy an immersive experience as they explore the history and future of

Windermere’s sunken secrets. Created in collaboration with Cumbrian theatre company The Knotted Project, virtual reality and the Lakeland Arts collection are combined to tell stories of what lies at the bottom of the lake.

We are incredibly grateful to you for your support during this challenging time.

By continuing to be a member of Lakeland Arts, you are helping us to look after our collections and buildings and support the local community in this difficult time through arts, culture and heritage. An enormous THANK YOU.

We miss you and look forward to welcoming you back to our venues when we can. In the meantime, we hope you keep well and stay in touch.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and all the best for a happy, healthy 2021.

rhian harrisChief Executive

4 5QUARTO WINTER 2020 EDITON

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by stephen beresfordsenior boat conservation manager

for race-boat

for race-boat

Jane

Jane

An engine An engine



I recently had the privilege of explaining Windermere’s association with racing boats to a well-known BBC TV presenter. Part of the filming involved starting up the engine of ‘Jane’, a Chris Craft raceboat, built in the USA in 1937, and for many people it’s a favourite of the

collection. Jane’s throaty roar combined with the deep burbling note of the cooling water from the exhaust, are an evocative cocktail, illustrating the sound of speed on

Windermere in the 1930s.

Seeing the presenters smile at the sound reminded me of the people involved and huge effort put into bringing Jane’s engine back to life.

Why ‘Operational’ Conservation?All the boats in the Lakeland Arts collection have a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) and this is the guiding document for how a boat will be conserved. It crucially highlights the significance of the vessel, that is, ‘why it matters’, and it is this significance we try to retain. In Jane’s case the significance is less about fabric conservation, though we will always do our best to retain it, and more about its story. It was Motorboat of the year at the London Boat Show of 1938. It saw active service with the Windermere Home Guard during WWII, and it was part of the Windermere Motorboat Racing Scene of the 1940s and 1950s. Bringing these stories to life, gives people access to experience and learn from them, both now and in the future.

The CMP also includes a decision point called the ‘conservation gateway’, where we decide whether a vessel should be conserved for its fabric, the

its appreciation of future generations. However, boats more commonplace may be considered for operational conservation.

There are a significant number of Chris Craft Special Race 16s, like Jane, still in existence, each having a six-cylinder, 3.7 litre, Chris Craft K series engine. The ‘K’ was based on an engine block manufactured by the Hercules company and modified by Chris Craft for use in boats. Hercules engines were used extensively in agriculture, industry, and military applications. There are many ‘K’ engines still in operation today, and spares are still available from suppliers in the States. When replacement big end bearings arrived at the museum in 2016, they were still wrapped in 1940s military waxed coatings!

wood, metals, and textiles that comprise it, or for its operation. Fabric conservation preserves the materials of an object. Operational conservation conserves the experiences that evoke feelings and emotions of a bygone age.

A boat may be better appreciated on the water, but operational conservation also illustrates associated sounds, smells and feelings as well as preserving the skills, knowledge and experience involved in restoring, maintaining, and operating. Fundamentally, operational conservation brings the stories associated with an object to life, like a time machine it adds power to the interpretation. Of course, all decisions involve loss. In general, if a boat is the last of its type and is significant for its fabric, it will go into a gallery and not be operated, securing

Race-boat Jane ready for launch

It is a story, worth the telling, which started for me in 2015 when I broke open a yellow crate to reveal an engine in pieces, without a plan to get it running again.

Jane’s K series engine before conservation


How to conserve the engine? One of the key decisions needed was whether to replace the engine or do something with the parts in the crate. To make a good decision we needed to know what would be involved in rebuilding the original and how much it would cost. That is when a good friend of mine, Henry Arnett, made a kind offer. Henry is now retired but spent his career reconditioning engines from his workshop in Doncaster. One of Henry’s specialisms is historic engines, and he offered to clean, measure, and report on Janes Engine parts.

In May 2016 Henry’s comprehensive survey of Jane’s engine components was complete and we now had an in-depth appreciation of their condition. The survey and report allowed us to examine the benefits of using the original engine versus the risks to the long-term preservation of its parts.

Henry was signed-up as a Lakeland Arts volunteer, and throughout 2016 he worked on the engine, fitting new main bearings and line-boring these to make them fit the crankshaft, honing the cylinder bores and hand scraping imperfections from the cylinder walls, making a

set of replacement valves, pressure testing the engine block and cylinder head for cracks, assembling, test running and repainting in original Chris Craft blue.

Throughout 2017, the conservation team refitted the engine to the boat and dealt with several issues with ancillary components including a leaky carburetor, an alternator that wouldn’t charge the battery, a starter motor that didn’t turn the engine over and a gearbox that kept losing drive.

In 2018, the conservation was completed, and the sea trials began. Since then, Jane has been exhibited in the boathouse and used periodically for museum events, for TV and marketing PR, and for demonstrations to funders.

In summary, the engine was reconditioned for the cost of the parts and runs beautifully. Of course, we were delighted and most grateful to Henry for his input. The delight however comes back every time I hear Jane’s engine run and see the smile on appreciative faces, such as that of our TV presenter in autumn this year.

“The engine has undoubtedly been re-build at some time in the past.

The cylinders and pistons are oversize (0.030”) and for an engine of 70 plus years old the cylinders are in too good condition to be that size originally (for extra capacity for example).

The crankshaft bearings are all in reasonable condition and are date marked 1965 and 1970.The crankshaft itself is very good and I wonder if it has been replaced at some time.

And finally, I am confident that this engine can be re-assembled to run successfully, using all the major parts with very little to do to them other than cleaning and checking.”

Extract from the engine survey

Henry ArnettHistoric Engine Specialist

Stephen BeresfordSenior Conservation Boat Builder


Object in FocusThis year, Lakeland Arts was thrilled to announce our

latest acquisition, In the Golden Mists of Autumn by the renowned landscape artist John Atkinson Grimshaw

(1836-1893).

Its acquisition was made possible through the British government’s Acceptance in Lieu Scheme, in which art works and objects of cultural significance are designated to museums and galleries, so that they may be preserved and displayed for generations to come.

Born in Headingly, Leeds, Grimshaw was a self-taught artist, who was praised for his ability to capture the way that light would glow through the city smog. His atmospheric street scenes broke with popular traditions in landscape art, that for centuries had favoured the beauty of the natural world; from the pastoral masterpieces of Claude Lorain, to the sublime seascapes of J M W Turner. His

intimate depictions of bustling streets and docklands challenged public perceptions of beauty within art, showcasing the urban landscape in a new and poetic light.

In the Golden Mists of Autumn is one a series of paintings that Grimshaw made of the view leading to Knostrop Hall, his home on the outskirts of Leeds. Grimshaw would paint this scene multiple times throughout his career, each at a different time of year and within different conditions of light. Here, he captures Knostrop Hall in the throes of autumn, as fallen auburn leaves litter the ground. The sky of the painting is enveloped in an almost ethereal glow, as sunlight refracts through to thick, misty air, cascading upon the house and the street’s sole inhabitant..

John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893)In the Golden Mists of Autumn

Oil on canvas1884

Accepted by HM Government in lieu of tax from the collection of Garth and Alison Doubleday and presented to Lakeland Arts Trust in 2019.

Naomi GarriffProgramme curator

When Blackwell reopened to the public in October 2020, In the Golden Mists of Autumn formed the centrepiece of one of our new displays. Showcased alongside works by John Ruskin, J M W Turner and Emma Stibbon, the display explores how generations of artists have

sought to capture our ever-changing landscapes and reflects on the power of art to reveal the effects of climate change.

If you’d like more information, please contact our Head of Development, Caroline Gilbert, by emailing [email protected] or phone 01539 637940


As an independent charity, Lakeland Arts is fortunate to be able to raise money in the form of grants and donations to help deliver our charitable objectives. This year we have needed to rely more than usual on “fundraised” income as being closed in the two national lockdowns has reduced our opportunities to “earn” money through sales of museum admissions, food and drink in our cafes or products from our shops.

In this extraordinary year that has brought challenges for everyone, your continued support as a Member of Lakeland Arts has been vital to enabling us to look after our museums and collections, and to continue to work with people in our local communities. Your support is a tremendous boost to all of us at Lakeland Arts. From each one of us, thank you.

Emergency fundingTo date this year we’ve raised £1.18m in emergency and core funding to mitigate the loss of trading income that we

sustained by closing Blackwell and Windermere Jetty Museum during the lockdowns. Funders include Arts Council England Emergency Fund, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Cultural Recovery Fund, National Lottery Heritage Fund Emergency Fund, trusts including The Wolfson Foundation, The Headley Trust and The Granada Foundation, and private donors. These funds have supported our operational costs – our core work to care for Lakeland Arts’ collections and buildings, and our work with local communities. We have also been able to make critical adaptations to our museums and sites, making

them Covid-secure and enabling us to reopen safely to visitors.

Looking aheadWe believe that culture and museums have an important role to play in societal recovery from Covid-19. Coupled with annual core funding that we receive as a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England, the emergency funds we’ve raised have given us the stability to be able to look afresh at everything we do. We’d like to understand what people want and need from Lakeland Arts in this pandemic era, so we’re re-examining how people want to interact with our museum galleries, cafés, and shops. We are also re-examining how we run our school and community programmes when many of our participants cannot visit us at the moment.

We were delighted to be awarded funding from the Art Fund’s heavily oversubscribed Respond and Reimagine programme in September this year to support MEND – a collaborative making project led by our participation and learning team, taking place in

communities around Cumbria. Through the sharing of making and mending skills and practices, inspired by objects from Lakeland Arts’ collection, we are reconnecting with communities through shared experiences. We believe the project will help set the direction for how we engage with audiences in the future as we adapt together to the changing world. To learn more about the MEND project you can read Ella Luo’s article on page 18.As statutory funders and grant-giving charitable trusts continue to adapt to the changing needs of the culture and heritage sectors, we expect more exciting funding opportunities will arise. We have already submitted applications to request support for our future plans and will continue to seek support for our work.

Fundraising in the pandemic era

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The MEND Project

One of the ways in which the team has coped with furlough, lockdowns and ongoing restrictions is by making and repairing our domestic world; from our objects and clothes to our food and gardens.

We reflected on our collective experiences under the weight of global crises, such as the climate emergency on top of the continuing impact of COVID-19.

When we came back to work, it emerged that we had found the act of being creative essential for our wellbeing.

It ‘mends’ us.

We believe an enormous amount of creativity has happened in people’s homes across the county. We are starting conversations with local groups to reflect on the past year with us through a series of creative workshops. These will involve making something, which is discussed in collaboration with the groups.

The exchanges will bring enjoyment, as an escape from the stress of everyday life. They will be new, whether it’s a new relationship or a new way of working. They will encourage dialogue: groups will learn more about us and Lakeland Arts, and we will hear their stories, their experiences, and their needs as a community. This is the collective process of

Making gives us the opportunity to develop skills, to learn new ones, to ease the mind from stress, and to encourage us to connect, share, and celebrate with each other.

The Participation and Learning team is The Participation and Learning team is undertaking an ambitious project to work undertaking an ambitious project to work with community groups across Cumbria to with community groups across Cumbria to

explore the meaning of making and mending, explore the meaning of making and mending, particularly its impact on mental wellbeing particularly its impact on mental wellbeing

during the pandemic.during the pandemic.

‘MEND’ for the Participation and Learning team, and it has in fact already started!

A new era of collaborative working has emerged. With video calls, virtual conferencing, and social media, we are in some ways more connected to each other than ever before. In summer 2021, we hope that the MEND project will tour around Cumbria to showcase and celebrate what has been made with local groups. We will continue conversations about their experiences during the pandemic, collect people’s stories of making and mending, and people will have the chance to do some making themselves.

We are especially concentrating on providing this experience to people who have missed the opportunity to visit us this year due to

health, mobility, or financial barriers. The team aspires to connect the skills and creativity within Cumbria’s community to our understanding of arts and culture at our sites (both

physical and digital), so that what we celebrate is representative of Cumbria’s heritage, its cultural activity, and its greatest assets: its people.

At Lakeland Arts we believe another new way of working is being created.

Ella LuoLearning and Engagement Officer

Before and After: Renaissance Wax was applied to the metalwork on the original front door. This helped to remove the layers of corrosion that have built up over the years.

We really missed the help of the dedicated curatorial volunteers, but hope they are pleased with what we achieved.


Collectons Careat Blackwell

Sophie TerretCollection curator

During the extended closure period of Blackwell across the summer, the curatorial team took advantage of the chance to undertake some in-depth conservation cleaning.

As the house was closed to visitors for several months, we could do some of the noisier, messier, and trickier tasks that are usually scheduled for the brief winter annual closure.

We cared for the historic wooden windowsills throughout the house by applying a beeswax furniture polish which nourishes the wood and protects it from damage. We also waxed banisters, and areas of the floorboards which are in high-traffic areas of the house.

All windows in the house were cleaned on the inside using specialist glass cleaning cloths, cotton wool and deionised water.

We used telescopic ladders to reach the higher-level windows in the Main Hall, and it took

Tools of the trade: From top to bottom in order of softness, these are brushes made of hog hair, pony hair then goat hair. They are all used for different purposes according to the task at hand.

All action shot: Ben Haigh, Exhibitions and Collections Manager, can be seen applying a protective layer of wax to the floorboards of the White Drawing Room.

over a fortnight to clean every window in the house.

Story in Focus:

The Mournful Marriage


Gazing out of the windows at Windermere Jetty Museum, visitors can see the waters of Windermere in every possible weather. From rainbows to rainshowers, the lake can change from calm to stormy in a matter of minutes. These sudden transformations can lead to tragic consequences, as seen here in Philip James de Loutherbourg’s Belle Isle, Windermere, In a Storm, 1785.

De Loutherbourg found inspiration in an unfortunate event that had taken place 150 years before he began working on this dramatic canvas, but which still lives on in local memory. In 1635, a joyous wedding party were returning from the church in Hawkshead on the Windermere ferry. Their celebrations quickly turned to woe as an unexpected storm swept over the lake and overturned the ferry. At least 47 people and 11 horses lost their lives that evening. The married couple are presumably the two figures embracing each other,

Philip James de Loutherbourg, Belle Isle, Windermere, in a Storm, Oil on canvas, 1785Acquired with the support of the Art Fund, National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Friends of Abbot Hall

“Did any impious one this shipwracke cause,Some high Delinquent to Heav’ns sacred Lawes”

Richard Braithwaite


Richard Brathwaite (1588-1673)by an unknown artist, 19th century copy after a work

made in 1626, oil on canvas. bequeathed by col. g e braithwaite, 1981

as their friends and family battle for their lives.

The tragedy captured the local imagination and was preserved in a poem by Richard Brathwaite. His work, The Fatall Nuptiall: or, Mournefull Marriage was published in 1636. It describes at length the individuals involved in the accident, particularly those he identifies as being of ‘especiall quality’.

The poem explores possible causes of the storm and dismisses the chance it was raised by ‘some hideous Hagge, or late-reprived Witch’ and instead draws the conclusion that it was the will of God. This solemn poem is quite different to Brathwaite’s earlier humorous, satirical work, written at a time when he lived at Burneside Hall and was known locally as Dapper Dick.

Brathwaite’s poem has been described by the scholar Charles Hughes as ‘the earliest picturesque description of the Lake District by more than one hundred years’, so it is fitting that de Loutherbourg sought his inspiration in Brathwaite’s words. The painter had an unusual career, moving from traditional landscape paintings to producing stage sets for London’s Drury Lane theatre, but the Romantic tendency towards picturesque scenes can be seen throughout his life. This dynamic painting exemplifies this style, depicting humans overcome by the power of nature.

De Loutherbourg’s painting will feature in the Shipwrecked! programme, which will take place at Windermere Jetty Museum next year. The immersive experience will explore the topic of Windermere shipwrecks through the lens of stories from both collection and the bed of the lake itself.There is considerable research still to be done into the circumstances of the 1635

shipwreck. There is a passing reference in one record that the marriage had taken place on a Monday, which was at that time market day. Was the ferry overburdened by both the wedding party and travelling traders, rendering an otherwise unremarkable storm so perilous? There is also a reference which deserves further investigation in the

Grasmere Parish Register. The account lists the names of some of the 47 victims but concludes mysteriously: ‘and one that escaped’.

Sophie terretcollection curator

The passengers on board included the families of the bride and groom, as well as well-wishers and local dignitaries.

LAKELAND ARTS IS A REGISTERED CHARITY IN ENGLAND AND WALES NO. 1153001

lakelandarts.org.uk

26QUARTO

quarto...quarto 12 13 te 2020 eton object in focus this year, lakeland arts was thrilled to announce...

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