Wednesday, 29 October 2014

A day in Cambridge, 29 October 2014

Trinity Hall has an exhibition of etchings by Norman Ackroyd, entitled "The Furthest Lands"
It's a series done over a period of about 25 years covering various coastal locations around the British Isles, wonderfully evocative.  We were privileged to have the room to ourselves.




From Trinity Hall we went on to Kettle's Yard, one of our favourite places, where there is a small but exquisite exhibition of woodcuts by Gwen Raverat,  grand-daughter of Charles Darwin and author/illustrator of "Period Piece - a Cambridge Childhood".
Clare College Bridge
(Apologies for the reflection!)

Seated Woman by Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, part of the Kettle's Yard collection

A favourite corner in Kettle's Yard.
A log fire, a cosy chair, plentiful books and through the window a view of St Peter's Church.  What more do you need?


The University's Museums are currently presenting a programme of special exhibitions, events and activities so from Kettle's Yard we went to the Whipple Museum to see Dr Auzoux's papier-mache models of natural bodies
In 19th century France corpses for medical dissection were hard to come by.  Using a special secret papier-mache mixture, Dr Louis Auzoux produced strong dissectible human models.  If you look carefully you can see the hook on the chest enabling the front of the torso to be removed, revealing the organs beneath.


How to make strong papier-mache




The Whipple Museum has an amazing collection of scientific instruments and models dating from the Middles Ages to the present day. 
Part of the display about the Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company.  Reuben was seconded here during WWII as an instrument maker - a bit of a change from the building trade!


Chassis unit from EDSAC 2

The Globe Room - globes ancient...

... and modern!