New Exhibition Opens
Our new exhibition, The Nijūichidaishū – Japan’s Imperial Waka Poetry Anthology, has opened in the Verey Gallery. The exhibition, which runs until April 2023, centres around a wooden lacquer box gifted to Eton by The Emperor of Japan in 1925, containing the Nijūichidaishū, Collections of 21 Reigns.
The Private View featured speeches by the Provost, Sir David Verey and curator Dr Monika Hinkel, and was attended by representatives of the Japanese Embassy, experts in Waka poetry and several prominent figures in the Anglo-Japanese cultural scene.
100 Years of The Waste Land
On 25 November College Library hosted an event with the English department to celebrate the centenary of T.S. Eliot’s modernist poem The Waste Land, first published in autumn 1922. Materials on display included first editions of the poem, and a wide range sources and inspirations including a medieval manuscript of the Confessions of St Augustine, an early illustrated edition of Dante’s Divine Comedy, the first edition of Milton’s Paradise Lost, the Third Folio of Shakespeare, and The Antarctic Book signed by E.H. Shackleton and members of the shore party. Over 120 people attended including Eton boys and students from Holyport, Marlborough, and St Paul’s Boys, and there was a surprising buzz considering the competition from a World Cup football match!
A Group Visit from London Academy of Excellence
A group of pupils from Eton’s partner school, the London Academy of Excellence made a visit to College Library. They had a great time engaging with some of our books and manuscripts, which had been selected according to STEM-related subjects such as astronomy, medicine, mechanics, architecture, and mathematics. It became an occasion to reflect on issues of value and preservation whilst also using their knowledge of subjects they study in school.
A fresh display for the Museum of Eton Life
Eton Speeches is a long-standing oral tradition performed several times a year, dating back to the seventeenth century. Created by former Archives Assistant, Alexander Taylor, this temporary display looks at the history of Speeches, the sartorial and visual elements of these performances, and Speeches at modern Eton. It is available to view in the Museum of Eton Life until summer 2023.
Archivist talks at home and abroad
In partnership with Eton Action, Archivist Georgina Robinson, gave a talk on the archives of Eton College to members of Parkinson’s UK (Slough, Windsor, and Maidenhead branch). The talk was followed by a lively discussion about the history of Eton and the collections.
Georgina also spoke at an online symposium organised by the International Council on Archives and the National Archives of Singapore. The event coincided with COP27 and as chair of the UK and Ireland’s Archives and Records Association Environmental Sustainability Group, Georgina presented solutions to minimise the impact of archival work on the environment.
A new view of an old manuscript
One of Eton’s manuscripts has been to the British Library for a very special kind of photography. MS 9, which contains a thirteenth-century commentary on the Psalms, was given a full multispectral assessment that revealed some inscriptions that are no longer visible to the naked eye. A description of the results will appear in the Collections Journal in Lent 2023.
Christmas Blog
Please visit our website to read the latest Blog post about this wintery image from the Fine & Decorative Art Collection. To view our advent calendar, through which we share a daily seasonal image of an object or artwork from the collections, follow Eton College Museums and Galleries on Instagram.
