Napoleon. Revolution to Empire

I found the crown of France in the gutter, and I picked it up.

– Napoleon

At last I went to "Napoleon. Revolution to Empire" at the National Gallery of Victoria during the week. I must say I wasn't quite in the mood, but it was then or never so along I trotted.

Once inside, however, the exhibition stood up to the accolades it has been receiving. It was bigger than I thought it would be, with many more objects on display than previous "blockbuster" exhibitions which I generally find beautiful, but the content thinned out.  Not so here.

The layout and flow is good and I was able to move around easily, see the objects and works on display for either a short or longer time as suited me. The audio tour was detailed and did not repeat the information given on the text panels so the viewer got more information and diverse contexts and facts. Often I find an audio tour is a slightly more detailed version of the text panel and isn't really worth it.  It was also very easy to use, didn't jam or die and I could flit around it easily finding what I was looking for. I got tangled up in the wires and straps and would have preferred to download it to my own device which I later realised I could have done, here.


The balance of artworks and objects was wonderful. Porcelain pieces, maps, portraits, furniture, personal items, official documents, statues and armoury are just some of the media on display. This is an exhibition of historic objects and works giving a 3 dimensional comprehensive picture of Napoleon and the context of his times, his personal and professional life and the places he lived, conquered, fought and visited.

The large section on the french exploration of the pacific and the Australian coast all of a sudden gives the french history an immediacy and local connection.  It was the French publication by Charles de Brosses in 1756 that gave rise to European interest in exploring the area and fuelled French policy to explore "terre Australie" focussing on charting the coastline and scientific study.

Of course La Peruse had arrived in Botany Bay on 26th January 1788 only just after Arthur Philip and the First Fleet. He spent six weeks there, sailed on to New Caledonia and disappeared; although his maps had been sent back and survive. The exhibition also touches on the efforts of Bourganville, Dufresney and the famous race between Flinders and Louis de Freycinet in the early 1800's.

The maps of de Freycinet were the first complete maps of Australia published in 1811.  During that voyage french names had been given to much of the coast and the exhibition concentrates on the Victorian coastline, named "Terre Napoleon".  Had things turned out only slightly differently we might be speaking french like the New Caledonians and meet under the clocks at Freycinet Station.

Not leaving this chapter in isolation, the Australian theme is extended through the efforts of Josephine and her expertise and interest in exotic botany and animals. I didn't know that there were kangaroos on her estate and the beautiful botanical sketches are of plants in my back yard. I'm used to looking at Celia Rossers Banksias but not sketches of our native plants from the seventeenth century.

There is a lot to explore in the Napoleon exhibition. I suggest you read the excellent website, download the tour and get yourself to the NGV.  I think I'll be going again, perhaps in the wee small hours next weekend.

Now at the NGV St Kilda Rd
Closes October 7th
Adult: $26 / Concession: $22.50 / Child (5–15 yrs): $10
Family (2 adults + 3 children): $65
NGV Member Adult: $21 / NGV Member Family: $50 or in person at NGV International

Meeting The Bell Boys

Hand Bells

On a sunny August afternoon, filled with anticipation, I wandered into the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, finally visiting after years of wanting to.  It has been one of those things in the back of my mind. "Go to the Whitechapel Foundry".

Walking into the workshop is a step back in time to the world of pre-mechinisaiton. 
A return to the world of the blacksmiths, ironworks, and master craftsmanship where things were hand made, individually item by item. In this case, the making and repair of bells. The foundry was established in 1570, however bell making in the area goes back further still to 1420.  Their history is worth reading here. Now, they're one of only two bell foundries remaining within the UK.

On the "tour" I simply wandered through the foundry from one worker to the next.  They each paused at their work and told me me what they did, the context of their task within the whole process of a particular job and just had a general chat.  It was on a very personal and individual level and the love and enthusiasm these men have for their job and the foundry is inspiring. Everyone does everything. It's not a factory line where people only do one thing.

The introductory DVD (aimed at kids and well explained) had covered the "how to make a bell 101" at the beginning, so on meeting everyone the conversations could go deeper and I was tuned in to the environment. It's a good introduction to set the scene, given not many people will have been in a foundry before.

The first thing I should say is that they're very busy. There are thousands of bells around the UK still in use, needing repairing and adjusting, and then there is the commission of new bells; the jubilee bells and olympic bell (cast in holland as a bigger factory area was required) are just two they've done of late.    I get the feeling this year has been particularly hectic.

Casting

The Whitechapel Bell foundries most famous bell is of course Big Ben, then the runner up to that the  Liberty bell in the USA.   What they are lesser known for is the sets of handbells, and tower bells, other commissions and quiet day to day work that has kept people employed there for hundreds of years.




The moulds for the bells are still made the good old medieval way, from clay, cow dung and horse hair, mixed to make "moulding loam". The moulding and casting process is quickly explained here, but go to the foundry and see it all there, is my recommendation.

Carillon in the Rain

The lovely Scotsman there told me that he never signs his work, but when they made the Olympic bell he did sign it underneath because he wanted to say he was in the olympics! I thought it was a shame the bells aren't signed.  "So historians will never know who made all but one of your bells. Your oeuvre will be a single bell. Sign your work!" He paused and said quietly "Never thought of that".


Tower bells, hand bells, small bells, enormous bells, carillons, full sets, sub sets, casts, rigging, pulleys, timber frames and stands litter the workshop. One worker (sorry, I didn't get names..!)  who showed me the handbells he was working on said he recognised them when they came in. He'd made them. They were in for repair where the leather attaches. Not the bell itself he hastily added. That (naturally) needed no repair. It was fine and will last for centuries.

Tuning a Bell by Laser

Here, a bell is being tuned by honing annular rings on the inside.  5 notes are tuned within the bell to produce the desired strike note, its tone and quality as well as pitch. Within the bell each note can be individually struck by demonstration but in its ringing lifetime, once in the bell tower, unseen and rarely handled, it's the strikenote that will sound.

Despite the fancy electronic tuning equipment, I asked "So ultimately, at the end of the day, what do you tune to?" Given the longevity of the craft, the answer was predictable and instant. "At the end of he day I tune manually. It has to sound right to the ear" And it did.

Back in the day, tuning was done by chipping off the edge of the bell rather than honing. I'm told you can flatten a little bit but there's not too much scope for error. It needs to be accurate.

Set of Tower Bells from Ecclesfield

To the left you can see the chipping on the edge of the bell from tuning hundreds of years ago. This set of bells from High Wycombe date from 1633.


It was a privallage to listen to these men speak so passionatley  about their bells, their work, the echoes of their work through the centuries - quite literally- and the pure pleasure and pride they take. News items are updated on their website and you can read about a number of their activities and events, including making the Jubilee Bells, 150th anniversary of Big Ben and the "All the Bells" project for the olympics, here. Time for some noise? An interactive from The Guardian.  Talking to the workers at the foundry, one is also a piano tuner, another a maker of bagpipes. I came away with the feeling that these men are both blacksmiths and musical engineers.



Bells have long rung in births, deaths, marriages, war, celebration, worship, liberty, and simple art of  telling the time for centuries. Bells are the voice of a community to call them together or express warning,  joy or sorrow.  May the whitechapel bell boys ring on.

The Bell Boys