‘A Very Pretty Little Christmas Carol’ #ChristmasCountdown Door no. 24

'A Very Pretty Little Christmas Carol' from A Garland of Christmas Carols (Chapbooks 821.89 GAR)

‘A Very Pretty Little Christmas Carol’ from A Garland of Christmas Carols (Chapbooks 821.89 GAR)

Chistmas day is growing near so here’s a little carol to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

This carol is from A Garland of Christmas Carols chapbook, which consists of many other Christmas Carols. A Chapbook is an early type of popular literature. They were produced cheaply, were commonly small paper-covered booklets that were usually printed on a single sheet and folded into books with 8, 12, 16 and 24 pages.

The Fig Tree #ChristmasCountdown Door no. 17

The Fig Tree

‘The Fig Tree’ illustration from Elizabeth Blackwell’s Herbal Vol. 1

Plate 125. The Fig Tree. Ficus.

It seldome grows to be a Tree of any great Bigness in England; the Leaves are a grass Green and the Fruit when ripe of a brownish Green; it beareth no visible Flowers, which makes it believed they are hid in the Fruit.

Its Native soils are Turky, Spain and Portugal; and its time of Bearing is in Spring and Autumn; the Figs are cured by dipping them in scalding hot Lye, made of ye Ashes of the Guttings of the Tree, and afterwards they dry them carefully in the Sun.

Figs are esteem’d cooling and moistning, good for coughs, shortness of Breath, and all Diseases of the Breast; as also the Stone and Gravel, – and the small Pox and Measels, which they drive out. – Outwardly they are dissolving and ripening, good for Imposthumations and Swellings; and pestilential buboes.

Latin, Ficus. Spanish, Igos. Italian, Fichi: French, Figues. German, Fengen. Dutch Uygen.

Spiral Nebula in the Snow – #ChristmasCountdown Door no. 15

Here’s a snowy and wintery image from our University Archives.

Photograph of Geoffrey Clarke’s sculpture, in the snow, in front of Sir Basil Spence’s Herschel Building at Newcastle University, for the Department of Physics, taken 1963.

‘Spiral Nebula’ (also known as ‘Swirling Nebula’) was designed by noted post-war sculptor Geoffrey Clarke in 1962. It is a leading example of post-war public art. It is one of the few from this period that is situated in Newcastle.

It was commissioned by the architect Basil Spence as part of the design of the Herschel Building for the Physics Department of Kings College, University of Durham (which later in 1963 became Newcastle University). It reflects the scientific advances being made at this time,  such as Britain’s first satellite, ‘Ariel 1’, which was launched in 1963 (the same year as the building was opened and sculpture unveiled).

Read more about the sculpture’s history and its revival here.

‘Spiral Nebula’ was one of five pieces of post-war public art in the North East to be given listed status at Grade II by Historic England in August 2016 (announced by Historic England September 2016). Read more here.

This photograph is part of the photographic section of the University Archives. To see more images of ‘Spiral Nebula’ in situ and being constructed, visit CollectionsCaptured.

‘Out in the Cold’ from PUNCH #ChristmasCountdown Door no. 13

Image from PUNCH Magazine

“Go Away! Go Away! I’ve got nothing for you.”Image from Punch Volume 119  (1900) – ‘Punch, or the London Charivari’, December 26th 1900

PUNCH, also named The London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 1850s, when it helped to coin the term “cartoon” in its modern sense as a humorous illustration. After the 1940s, when its circulation peaked, it went into a long decline, closing in 1992. It was revived in 1996, but closed again in 2002.

Newcastle Beer – #ChristmasCountdown Door no. 12

'Newcastle Beer' from Newcassel Sangs (Crawhall 12)

‘Newcastle Beer’ from A Beauk o’ Newcassel Sangs (Joseph Crawhall II Collection, Crawhall 12)

“When fame brought the news of Great Britain’s success,
And told at Olympus each Gallic defeat,
Glad Mars sent to Mercury orders express,
To summon the Deities was plac’d
To guide the gay feast,
And freely declar’d there was choice of good cheer;
Yet vow’d to his thinking,
For exquisite drinking,
Their Nectar was nothing to Newcastle Beer.”

Joseph Crawhall II was born in Newcastle in 1821 and was the son of Joseph Crawhall I, who was a sheriff of Newcastle. As well as running the family ropery business with his brothers, he also spent his time illustrating, making woodcuts and producing books.

Professor Duff’s 25th December 1942 Diary Entry #ChristmasCountdown Door no.11

25th December 1942

25th December 1942 diary extract from Professor Duff

Extract from Professor Duff’s 1942 diary entry. Professor Duff explains what he did on Christmas day and of the assassination of admiral Darlan during World War II.

FRIDAY 25           Christmas Day – Bank Holiday in U.K.

“Sunday” bells allowed to ring for Christmas everywhere. We exchanged presents and greetings. Damp most of the day. Another considerable mail came to us. At a short Xmas service Dr. Bacon addressed his congregation on the significance of the shepherds going to Bethlehem, Luke 2.15

Christmas midday dinner at the grand Hotel. 2-3 Wireless greetings to and from allies all over the world & “peeps” into Christmas parties. 3pm. The King spoke urging brotherhood. He was much less hesitating than usual. We made an early black-out, & by 3.45 we all four were at the Anderstones for tea. Home again n time for 6 o’clock news – chief item this morning at 9 a.m. was the assassination in Algiers of admiral Darlan who came over recently to the allied side though had unfairly at an earlier time slandered Britain as hostile to them the “generous” Hitler!!

‘The Night Before Christmas’ #ChritmasCountdown Door no.10

Page from 'The Night Before Christmas' (821.91 MOO)

Page from ‘The Night Before Christmas‘, 1903 (821.91 MOO)

“The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave the lustre of midday to objects below – 
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.”

The above image and extract are from ‘The Night Before Christmas’,  Dean’s Rag Books Co. Ltd.

‘The Night Before Christmas’ (1903) contains colourful illustrations printed on fabric (also known as rag books) and is sewn up the spine using thread.

Dean’s Rag Books Co. Ltd, was founded in 1903, by Henry Samuel Dean. The company was originally set up to make rag books but soon diversed into rag sheets and soft toys, including teddy bears. During the 1920s and 1930s Dean’s were at the forefront of British bear manufacturing.

Trevelyan Rounton Xmas 1919 – #ChristmasCountdown Door no. 7

'Rounton Xmas 1919'

Page showing ‘Rounton Xmas 1919’ from Trevelyan photo album, Volume 9 (Charles Philips Trevelyan Archives, CPT-PA-8)

Page 14 from the Trevelyan photo album, Volume 8, ‘Rounton Xmas 1919’.

The Trevelyan family were a  wealthy and important family who lived at Wallington Hall (a large country house) in Northumberland during the 19th and early 20th centuries. They played an important role in politics, culture and education.

Included in the photographs above:

Sir Charles Philips Trevelyan was a was a Liberal and then Labour M.P. and a wealthy landowner. He donated Wallington Hall to the National Trust in 1942, which is now open to the public.

Molly Trevelyan was the wife of Charles Trevelyan. She was the half sister to Gertrude Bell, who was an English writer, traveller, political officer and explorer.

Charles and Molly had six children; Kitty, Geoffrey, Patricia, Marjorie, Pauline and George.

Photograph annotations from top left to right:

  • Two top photographs annotated ‘K’, ‘P’, ‘Alisa?’, ‘MFR’, ‘HWR’, ‘MLB’, ‘GLT’, ‘Val’, followed by ‘BHR’, ‘Elsa’, ‘HB’, ‘FB’, ‘Molly’, ‘Marjorie’, ‘Bill’, ‘FPT’. The photographs show a large grouP of people posing outside for photographs. There are several generations of both Trevelyans and Bells represented.
  • Photograph annotated ‘a party of ragamuffins’, ‘F.P.T.’, ‘Killy’, ‘Marjorie’, ‘Biddy’, ‘George’. The photograph shows some of the children standing outside posing for the photograph, with a football at George’s feet.
  • Photograph annotated ‘B’, ‘P’, ‘K.B.’, ‘M’, ‘G’, ‘M’, ‘V’, ‘F’, showing the children sitting on one of the steps outside the house, posing for the photograph.
  • Photograph annotated ‘a roar of grandchildren’, ‘F’, ‘M’, ‘V’, ‘B.B.’, ‘M’, ‘K, ‘G’, ‘P’. The children have arranged themselves in height order, from smallest to tallest, against one of the walls outside the house.
  • Photograph annotated ‘Charles after a hot game of hockey’ , showing Charles sitting in his study.

22nd December – ‘Making the perfect Christmas dinner’ from the Courier

#ChristmasCountdown

Making the perfect Christmas dinner

‘Making the perfect Christmas dinner’ from the Courier, 2011

Looks yummy doesn’t it? What will you be having for dinner on Christmas day? Will you use these ‘coping’ mechanisims to ‘survive’ Christmas?

Page taken from a Christmas special of the Courier, dated 12th December 2011.

Editorial from the Courier:
“Coping with Christmas
Sometimes it isn’t always all carolling out in the snow. Here’s what to do when festive spirit runs low, reality takes a bite and there isn’t a treble close at hand…”

The Courier is Newcastle University’s student newspaper and has always been a voice for students to express their news, views, and opinions relating to campus life and the operation of the University. Its first issue was released in 1948, when the University was still known as King’s College (Kings College later split into Newcastle Universtiy and the University of Durham in 1963). The Courier is still being published today.

To find out more about the history of the Courier, visit here.

Click here to view this December 2011 article in full. The Courier archive has also been digitised and is available online here.

20th December – Buchanan’s Scotch Whiskies

#Christmascountdown

Buchanan's Scotch Whiskies

‘Buchanan’s Scotch Whiskies’ advertisement from Illustrated London News, 1913

Page from Illustrated London News, Vol. 143, 1913 (030 ILL), dated 20th December 1913

Illustrated London News contained lots of advertisements. This page is advertising scotch whisky and states that it is ‘suitable for Christmas Presents’ and uses an image of Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present, from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Illustrated London News was the world’s first illustrated weekly news magazine. It was founded by Herbert Ingram. Its inaugural issue appeared in 1842. The magazine was published weekly until 1971 and then less frequently after that. The company continues today as Illustrated London News Ltd., a publishing and digital agency in London, England.

Illustrated London News is part of our 20th Century Collection. You can find this volume and other Illustrated London News here.