Loooong drawing of pillar at Castle Howard Mausoleum |
The sketch was not very detailed and we believe this was because the architect may have been attempting to get a better idea of the height of the column.
The collection also included sketches of the
Mausoleum on the grounds, originally designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor. These
photos are copies of the original plans by Hawksmoor. These were interesting in
that they included a stamp and address of where they were kept as well as,
presumably, a signature from the person who kept or collected these plans. With
these copies we were able to see the differences and similarities between older
and more modern plans. Here, we observed likenesses in handwriting between
eighteenth-century architects and twentieth-century architects. Most
interesting was the stamp from National Buildings Record Office in Swindon.
This was interesting as we discovered that the office in Swindon housed records
and archives from various collections that were thought to be at risk from
bombing during the Second World War.
Some details the drawings for of Hawksmoor's mausoleum at Castle Howard |
The plans for Newcastle Cathedral also included
sketches for a stolen noticeboard which was replaced in 1999. It was
interesting to watch the progression of designs from the original board to the
creation of a new board. This included many revisions which allowed us to
experience the evolution of something that is seemingly insignificant.
A Canadian in England!
Detail of the Canadian inscription |
This week has been particularly useful and full of surprises. Not only were we given the opportunity to handle and catalogue archival materials but also learned how to clean these sketches (rolls from the Atkinson Brierley drawings). We were given the opportunity to view and handle doodles, names and scribbles within the margins of these plans giving us insight into the personality of the architect and the day-to-day management of a major architectural firm.
One of our volunteers in action! |
This post was written by students from the University of York on a work experience placement.
You can read more about the experience of earlier students on the work experience programme at Keeping Pace