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Indian Ragamala painting[Or Ms 114]

NEWSLETTER OF THE FRIENDS OF EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY LIBRARYNUMBER 32 WINTER 2008

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P ,Etched against the light on the sixth floor,the new glass panels have a procession ofimportant dates in the life of the Library.One of these, ‘1962’, marks the birth of theFriends.

Now we have the opportunity foranother new beginning: to establish anexhibition space on the ground floor withmuseum quality cases and curatorial supportto display our Special Collections. Thisspecial space will be a true show case for thetreasures the Friends have funded – a chancefor these many fine acquisitions to be shownto a wider audience. However we needmoney to create this bibliographic crucible.

Already we have an offer of £50,000 froma Friend (who at this time wishes to remainanonymous), the University will contributeanother £50,000, but only if the Friends raisethe final £50,000. This matched funding willsecure this space as a permanent place forthe display of the Friends’-given legacy offine books.

With your financial support we cancreate another significant marker in thehistory of the Friends of EdinburghUniversity Library, one that will enlightenthe future, for, as I’m sure you will agree, ‘A good book is the precious life-blood of a master spiritembalmed and treasured up on purpose . . .’(from ‘Areopagitica’, by John Milton).

If you wish to know more aboutcontributing please email: philippa.sheail@ed.ac.uk or tel: 0131 650 9220.Lady Caplan, President,Friends of Edinburgh University Library

Good Books, the precious life-blood

For many years we have craved, evendreamed about, an exhibition spaceon the ground floor of the MainLibrary which would measure up tothe stature of the collections wehave in our possession. Too often,we have had to pass on great oppor-tunities to promote the collectionsdue to a lack of adequate exhibitionspace and curatorial capacity toprogramme events. The UniversityLibrary has been a regular lender tohigh-profile exhibitions around theworld (New York, Los Angeles,Barcelona, Prague and London)where we have seen our greattreasures alongside the best in theworld. Yet, ironically, we have lackedthe proper facility in the Universityto showcase this material to anaudience at home.

The Main Library ExhibitionRoom project offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to achievethese objectives by providing two

things: state-of-the-art exhibitioncases in a bespoke environment anda three-year post of ProgrammeManager for the exhibitionsworking out of the Centre forResearch Collections (CRC) on thefifth and sixth floors of the Library.Linking the ground floor space tothe CRC will allow us, on occasion,to suite the shows with the exhibi-tions wall in the CRC to create aunique visitor journey in the Library.Once in place, this package offersthe possibility of mounting a rangeof exciting exhibitions, each with anunrivalled scholarly underpinningprovided by our curators, academiccolleagues and students in theUniversity, designed to attract anaudience from both the Universityand the wider public.

Our Friends need hardly bereminded of the vast range of thecollections we hold. Since the 1960s,you have helped us to enrich our

holdings in many areas, includingthe Scottish Enlightenment, 20th-century Scottish poetry, travel andtopography, Africa, manuscripts, fineand rare books. We have beenbuilding our collections since 1580:the range and quality of exhibitionswe could put on is almost limitless.

A ‘Treasures of the Library’ seriescould comprise a programme ofvarious items of early books, illumi-nated manuscripts, and musiccovering key themes. We might alsoinaugurate exchange exhibitionswith University Libraries inScotland, and further afield. A focuson subjects would allow us topursue a rich vein covering vitalareas which are alive in theUniversity’s curriculum. Rhetoricand Belle Lettres, or EnglishLiterature, as it is now known, offersa number of productive avenues toexplore, particularly exposing ourmagnificent holdings in medievaland renaissance literature. Similarly,historical angles could be traversedsuch as the Convenanters,Emigration, and Scotland andEmpire.

Edinburgh University’s rich pastand present in the area of

medicine is a storywaiting to be told using

the deep seams ofarchives, books,

manuscripts and objects inSpecial Collections and the

Lothian Health ServicesArchive. James Hutton’s Theory

of the Earth (1785) presents aconvenient jumping-off point

for a review of the contributionof the University to introducing

the concept of modern geology.

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Making an exhibition of ourselves:the new display spaces in the redeveloped Main Library

Manuscripts in the hand of Robert Burnsincluding his ‘Address to Edinburgh’ [La. III. 586]

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Nor should the study of NaturalHistory be overlooked, with theprospect of a thrilling exhibitionbased on an exploration of theaccumulated material from the timeof Robert Sibbald, appointed in 1685as the first Professor of Medicine atEdinburgh to Aubrey Manning,Professor of Natural Historybetween 1971 and 1997.

It is easy to imagine a number ofpersonality-driven exhibitions onfigures such as Robert Burns(1759–1796), Joseph Black (1728–1799),Hugh Blair (1718–1800), AlexanderMonro primus (1697–1767), andCharles Darwin (1809–1882), thelatter one of our most famousalumni. We can easily see a jostlingqueue of great figures calling for the

attention of an exhibition in thenew space! A growing area ofinterest and scholarly endeavour ison material culture and the historyof the book, which offers endlessopportunities to display our richheritage in book illustration,printing techniques, bindings, andthe move from manuscript to print.

We adore anniversaries andbirthdays, and the gravitational pullof significant dates within oursphere of interest is irresistible. Nextyear it is 250 years since the birth ofRobert Burns, our national poet, and500 years since the publication ofthe Aberdeen Breviary, the firstsubstantial book published inScotland. The Library has a breath-taking collection of poems in Burns’hand and possesses the bestsurviving copy of the AberdeenBreviary. In 2010–11 we may wish tonote that the Scottish Reformationis 450 years old, perhaps bymounting an exhibition on theWode Part-books, a collection ofbeautifully illuminated volumes ofmedieval Scottish music. The factthat 2011 is 300 years since the birthof David Hume (1711–1776), a giant ofthe Scottish Enlightenment, shouldnot go unnoticed. Before slumpingexhausted onto a chaise longue atthe thought of yet anotheranniversary, it may restore the spiritsto finish with a reminder that in 2012we shall surely wish to celebrate 50years of the Friends with a block-buster exhibition and recruitmentdrive.John ScallyDirector of University Collections

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NUMBER 32 WINTER 2008

Right: A 17th-century illuminated manuscript of theQur'an which once belonged to Tippu-Sahib, Sultan ofMysore. Presented to EUL by the Court of Directors ofthe East India Company, 1805 A.D.Below: 4th-century Greek papyrus [No. 1807]

The ‘display wall’ exhibition casesthat flank the entrance doors to theCRC have been designed to allow usto promote some of the iconic itemsin our collections. The first displayshows some 20 facsimiles, producedby our own Digital Imaging Unit, offine Indian Ragamala paintings –visual illustrations of Indian classicalmusical themes (ragas). Thesepaintings are representations ofrather complex concepts in Hinduphilosophy, but can be looselydescribed as the interaction of gods,princes and aristocratic women inan eternal cycle of love, longing andfulfillment.

The origins of the Ragamala canbe traced back to the 15th century.Under the patronage of thearistocracy, the Ragamala art formsoon became a vibrant movement,

making music and dance the subjectof art through colour and mood.Usually in sets of 36 or 42 paintings,the images joined together Indianmusical, artistic and literary traditions. Ragamala paintingreached its peak during the 17th and18th centuries, by which timevarious regional centres ofproduction were operating, eachwith a characteristic style and complex iconography.

On display are facsimiles from two manuscripts: a fine, recently conserved set from the Deccan (probablyHyderabad), produced in the mid to late eighteenth century [Or Ms 114], and two examples from a later set

[Or Ms 437.2]. The latter, includingone of an original that was intendedto be presented as a gift to QueenVictoria, were presented to theUniversity by the brilliant andwealthy Bengali entrepreneurDwarkanath Tagore (1794–1846,grandfather of the poet andphilosopher, Rabrindanath Tagore)who visited Edinburgh in 1842 andwas made a Freeman of the City.Andrew Grout

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‘An eternal cycle of love,longing and fulfillment’

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An example of an Indian Ragamala painting[Or Ms 114]

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‘Display Wall’ andentrance to CRC

The Centre for Research Collections(CRC) is a multi-purpose spacewhich brings together specialmaterials and specialist people. It's adynamic place that is open to all –student, academic, public – tosupport research and teaching usingthe collections.

Q. Why was change needed to Special Collections?J.S. We only need to see the waylibraries have changed in recentyears with the internet and electro-nic information – new changes inpedagogy, the learning experience,the advance of social group learningand evidence-based learning, atvarious levels – to see that thephysical spaces needed to alter.

In recent years we have beeninvolved in a number of enhance-ments to alter the traditional spacesof 1967 to accommodate these newteaching, learning and researchexperiences.

We held conversations withrelevant groups to assess their needs

and when the fabric of the buildingrequired updating we seized thatopportunity to bring to fruitionthe model required to support a21st-century university.

So what is that model?Multi-purpose, interconnecting

spaces were required, withproximity to the Digital

Imaging Unit,Conservation,

SeminarRooms, and toprofessional

curators who could help findpathways into the collections forboth academics and students.

Bringing people together in sucha space was the way forward – fromthe traditionally quiet reading roomto a place where they could meetand discuss matters whileresearching.

Our role was to provide this withthree main sections closely linked: apublic space for multi-purposerequirements, repositories, staffspaces.

There are 11 strong rooms in theCRC constructed to the highestBritish standard (BS5454:2000) andthese contain the most important ofthe University's print, manuscriptand archive collections. For the firsttime, the collections are close to theuser, to the curator, to the digitalcamera operator and conservator.Proximity is the key.

What are the outcomes?We have had very positive feedbackabout these spaces. Glass-walledareas provide a sense of openness, oflight and good sightlines for security.The curators are very happy with therepositories and with the level ofsecurity.

How will this further facilitate and support research?There has been a comeback inevidence-supported teaching and alarge part of that experience is here;the interactive spaces, study area,seminar room, and break-out room,all provide a layered approach. Putsimply, as you progress through yourstudies at Edinburgh University, thefurther up the Library building yougo – from the HUB (high-use bookcollection) to support undergraduatecourses on the ground floor to theCRC at the top of the building. Of

course, any user can use all of thesecollections and spaces at any time.

This is an Edinburgh approach.We have a strong tradition ofhumanities-based teaching and thisspace fits well with that. As thewhole Main Library Redevelopmentprogresses there will be furtherlinkages with the CRC.

How will the CRC be introduced to others?There is a big public engagement-element which is crucial in all ofthis. On the ground floor, near theHub Collection, there will be a spacefor exhibitions, open to the publicand targeted to a wide audiencewhile based on scholarly researchand with curatorial expertise. Thisdoes not come cheap but it is vital toour vision of what a Library shouldbe in the 21st-century. We are all verypleased with the CRC and the plansfor the rest of the building and wehope it draws our Friends and usersto us.

What is the Centre for Research Collections (CRC)?An interview with John Scally

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NUMBER 32 WINTER 2008

The world of Reformation Britainas seen and heard in the Wode Psalter: a new projectThe Reformation of 1560 was amajor event in Scottish history. Itinvolved the approval of a ProtestantConfession of Faith, the repudiationof the Pope’s authority, and theprohibition of the Mass. The newintellectual and cultural climate thatthis event engendered encouragednew ways of thinking and doing, andthe University itself has its roots inthat new environment. Church lifewas transformed, and for the newlypromoted congregational singing ametrical Psalter containing OldTestament Psalms was employed.

These texts were presented inrelatively plain music settings thatwould appeal to, and be understoodby, everyone in the congregation.

The Wode St Andrews Psaltercomprises an important collectionof manuscript musical part books ofthe Psalms. It is named after ThomasWode, vicar of St Andrews, who,under the patronage of JamesStewart, Earl of Moray, copied andcompiled the books between 1562and 1592. And, as can be seen in theaccompanying images, he illustratedthem beautifully. The books also

contain a few additions by otherhands made between 1606 and 1625.

These harmonisations of 106metrical psalms from the Anglo-Genevan Psalm Book and othersongs created the ‘gold standard’ forpost-Reformation worship inScotland, and one set of Parts wasprobably intended for use in theChapel Royal. As well as commiss-ioning and copying much 16th-century music, Wode addednumerous comments to hismanuscripts, resulting in the largestbody of annotations found in any

The five volumes of the Wode Part-books, or ScottishPsalters [DK. S. 14–15]

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Far left. A shawm player [Ms La.III.483.2, facing p.1]

Left. Psalm 137, with musical instrumentsdrawn by Thomas Wode [Ms La.III.483.3, p.97]

Below. detail

early modern British musicalmanuscript. Together theyconstitute an illustrated ‘diary’ forthe second half of the 16th century.

The AHRC has recently awardedthe University £303,000 for a threeyear project: The world of ReformationBritain as seen and heard in the WodePsalter. The project team is led byProfessor Jane Dawson (Divinity),with Dr John Scally, Director ofUniversity Collections, and Dr NoelO’Regan (Music) as co-investigators,Dr Andrew Grout (EUL) managingthe digital images and Dr JessiePaterson (Divinity Computing)responsible for the project website.

The project will co-ordinatemulti-disciplinary research on thePsalter, produce a series of musicalconcerts, and mount an interna-

tional exhibition at the Libraryduring the 2011 EdinburghInternational Festival.

Of the eight extant Wode Part-books, Edinburgh University Libraryis fortunate to possess five, includingthree in the Laing Collection. Theremaining three books are locatedin libraries across the world thatare collaboratingwith us in theproject: TheBritish Library,Trinity College,Dublin, andGeorgetownUniversity,Washington,DC. For the veryfirst time this

exhibition will bring together all theexisting Part books. This will act asthe focus for a wider examination ofpost-Reformation Scotland. Thus, inaddition to music, the exhibitionwill reveal new insights aboutreligious worship and devotion,painting, poetry, patronage andmaterial culture.

Although the exhibition andassociated concerts will betransitory, the exhibition’s legacywill be permanent. A recording ofthe Psalter’s music will be publishedand the project website will makeavailable high-quality digital imagesof the complete contents of thePart-books. In these varied ways theWode Psalter will allow the world ofReformation Scotland to be seenand heard once again.Andrew Grout and Jane Dawson

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The Piper is the newsletter of the Friends of Edinburgh UniversityLibrary, and is published twice a year.

ISSN 0963-4681

Scottish Charity Number SC001518

Articles are copyright © the Friends of EUL and individual contributors.

Managing editor: Fiona Graham

Photography: Forth Photography, Brendan MacNeill andEdinburgh University Library Digital Imaging Unit

Design: Mark Blackadder

Print: Hugh K. Clarkson & Sons Limited, West Calder, Scotland

FRIENDS

OF

EDIN

BURGHUNIVER

SIT

YLI

BRARY

Have you bought your Christmas cards? If not, you are still in time to acquire the FoEUL specially designed card for 2008. Either purchase them at the AGM on 2nd December or contact Sheila Gove (sheila.gove@ed.ac.uk, tel: 0131 650 3381). Do not missthis wonderful opportunity: buy a unique card and support FoEUL. Card and envelope cost 45p.

Forthcoming events2nd December (1pm in St Cecilia’s Hall)AGM; The novelist James Robertson:‘Using libraries to write novels’.

200910th February (1pm in EUL)Rare Books Librarian, Dr Joseph Marshall:‘Buying rare books for EUL’.

14th April (5.30pm)Professor James Laidlaw: ‘Christine de Pizanand the making of Queen Isabeau’s Manuscript(BL, Harley MS 4431)’.

9th JuneVisit to the Royal Botanic Gardens Library

EDINBURGH BOOK HISTORY SEMINAR

12th December (1–2pm)From Travel Narrative to the Printed Page:Robyn Davidson’s Desert Trek (1977)Michelle Smith (CHB/SSHRCPostdoctoral Fellow)

Organised by The Centre for the History of the Bookand Edinburgh University Libraryhttp://www.hss.ed.ac.uk/chb

6th Floor, Edinburgh University Main Library

Laplanders’ (Sami) mode of travelling withchild. From: Johannes Scheffer, Histoire de laLaponie: sa description, l’origine, les mœurs,la maniere de vivre de ses habitants, leurreligion, leur magie, & les choses rares dupaïs (A Paris: Chez la veuve Olivier deVarennes, 1678), plate 14, p. 281. EULSpecial Collections: [E.B.9 (4717) Sch].

Christmas card

You can make a differenceThe University Library has been an essential part of educationand inspiration for many since it was established in 1580 with abequest from Edinburgh advocate, Clement Litill. Since then,many graduates and friends have made both lifetime gifts andprovisions in their wills to support the Library. In this way, theyhave helped to enhance Library collections and facilities forfuture generations. Recently, for example, Dr Henry Adam, afounder of the Friends, bequeathed a substantial part of his estatefor this purpose:

‘Dr Adam’s generous legacy gift will be used over a number of years tosupport our work here at the Library. We have already been able to fund thework of an excellent archivist, who has undertaken important project work inthe University archives that would otherwise just not have been possible. Weare so grateful for such donations; they are of tremendous significance to thehistory, and indeed the future, of this Library.’

Dr John Scally, Director of University Collections

In the 21st century, legacies to the University Library remain anextremely important way of supporting this wonderful resourceat the heart of University life. Not only in caring for theUniversity’s rare books and manuscripts, but also in ensuring thatthe University has access to the very latest research publications,whether in print or online.

If you would like to know more about supporting the Librarywith a legacy gift, please contact Morag Murison, the University’sLegacy Officer, on 0131 651 4404 or at morag.murison@ed.ac.ukfor a confidential discussion.