̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - Churchill College

Churchill Papers added to UNESCO’s list of the world’s greatest cultural treasures

sjr81 — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 01:00:01 +0000

Held at Cambridge ̽��ֱ��’s Churchill College, the Churchill Papers contain a priceless collection of more than one million documents written by or belonging to the former British Prime Minister, who was born 141 years ago today.

̽��ֱ��Churchill Papers now joins treasures such as the UK’s Magna Carta, France’s Bayeux Tapestry and Iran’s Persian epic poem, the Shahnameh in being added to the Memory of the World Register.

̽��ֱ��Memory of the World Project is an international initiative to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity against collective amnesia, neglect, the ravages of time and climatic conditions, and wilful and deliberate destruction. It calls for the preservation of valuable archive, library and private collections all over the world, as well as the reconstitution of dispersed or displaced documentary heritage, and the increased accessibility to and dissemination of these items.

Sir Winston Churchill has become a global icon and his stand against fascism in 1940 is widely seen as a critical moment in 20th century history. ̽��ֱ��archive in Cambridge contains a wealth of unique drafts, letters and papers that are not duplicated elsewhere.

Allen Packwood, Director of the Churchill Archives Centre, said: “ ̽��ֱ��archive of Sir Winston Churchill is unique and irreplaceable. It is the evidence that underpins the story of one of the most remarkable leaders of the modern era, whose stand against fascism in 1940 helped shape the world of today.

“It includes his original annotated notes for his famous international broadcasts and correspondence with the great politicians, military leaders, authors, scientists and thinkers of his age.”

Churchill’s post-1945 papers were passed to Churchill College in 1969 by his widow Clementine Churchill. ̽��ֱ��college built and opened the Churchill Archives Centre in 1973 and Sir Winston’s pre-1945 papers were transferred to the Centre from Oxford’s Bodleian Library in 1974-75.

̽��ֱ��archive allows unrivalled access into the life, times and mind of Churchill; from his early correspondence with his family, right through to letters from the 1950s where he called for a summit with the Soviet Union.

But it is the material related to his stand against Hitler and fascism that represents the heart of the collection. Among the notes and drafts for his many great speeches are his annotated copies of his ‘finest hour’ speech in June 1940.

Packwood said: “ ̽��ֱ��page is covered with his handwritten annotations in red and blue ink. It highlights how much care and attention Churchill put into this speech. He knew how much was riding on this. ̽��ֱ��country was facing a huge national crisis. France had capitulated and Britain was facing the prospect of attack and invasion.

“As you move from first draft to finished speaking notes the speech undergoes a transformation. ̽��ֱ��final note is set out in a blank verse format, set out like the Book of Psalms. It looks like poetry, it brings it to life, it gives him, I think, the rhythm, it enables that great Churchill oratory. Nowhere is that more evident in this speech than in the very final page, that great crescendo.”

All images are reproduced with the permission of the Sir Winston Churchill Archive Trust. Images of the speech and childhood letter are also copyright of the Estate of Winston S Churchill courtesy of Curtis Brown, London.

Other treasures of the archive include his speeches on the rise of Nazism and Munich in 1938, his opposition of communist domination of Eastern Europe in 1946 – including the speech where he coined the term ‘iron curtain’ – and letters where he wrestled with the destructive power of the hydrogen bomb.

̽��ֱ��Churchill Papers also contain material relating to political reform and social change in Britain, British policy in India, the shaping of the Middle East and Europe and the rise of the United States as a global power.

As well as his letters to US Presidents Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower, the archive holds letters to Charles De Gaulle, Stalin, six British Prime Ministers, Gandhi, Nehru and writers, painters and actors such as HG Wells, Walter Sickert and Laurence Olivier.

Dr Alice Prochaska, Chair of the Sir Winston Churchill Archive Trust, which owns the papers for the nation, said: “It is a fantastic privilege and a very great pleasure to see the Sir Winston Churchill Archive inscribed at as part of the Memory of the World. This amazing documentary resource brings benefit to scholars, schools and citizens: a legacy to future generations from one of the world’s greatest leaders; and a source of endless fascination and inspiration for students and citizens in every nation.”

Winston Churchill’s vast archive – including his wartime speeches, letters to Stalin and three US Presidents – has been added to UNESCO’s International Memory of the World Register.

̽��ֱ��archive of Sir Winston Churchill is unique and irreplaceable.

Allen Packwood

reproduced with the permission of the Sir Winston Churchill Archive Trust

Sir Winston Churchill, 1945

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

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Churchill Archives Centre celebrates 40th year with UNESCO award

amb94 — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 14:30:37 +0000

̽��ֱ��Churchill Archive, the personal papers of Sir Winston Churchill, which contains over one million items, including originals of his best-known phrases and speeches, has been recognised by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), as part of its Memory of the World Programme.

̽��ֱ��collection will now appear on the UK National Register, highlighting its particular importance to the heritage of Britain. Churchill is joined this year by ten other British collections of note, including Hitchcock's Silent Movies and ̽��ֱ��Domesday Book.

“Churchill's words continue to resonate.” said Sir David Wallace, Master of Churchill College, home to the Churchill Archives Centre and the collection. “ ̽��ֱ��notes for his great speeches, the drafts for his many books, and his rich correspondence are the raw material for the study and understanding of his legacy. It has to be right that they are now included on the National Register of our Documentary Heritage.”

UNESCO’s UK Register follows the larger, International Register of Documentary Heritage established in 1997. This list contains many types of globally important documentary, from ancient clay inscriptions and writings on papyrus, to modern digital sound recordings. UK entries to the list include the 1916 film, ̽��ֱ��Battle of ̽��ֱ��Somme and ̽��ֱ��Magna Carta.

A special ceremony will take place on July 9 at the Council Chamber of Tamworth Town Hall where staff from the Churchill Archives will be presented with the award.

“We hope [the] announcement will encourage people to discover these items and collections, as well as some of the other great documentary heritage near them.” said David Dawson, Chair of the UK Memory of the World Committee.

For further information on accessing the archives go to: http://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/archives

̽��ֱ��Cambridge archives which hold the papers of Sir Winston Churchill and Lady Thatcher is celebrating the inclusion of its core collection on the UK National Register of Documentary Heritage, a standard linked to the United Nations Cultural arm.

̽��ֱ��Churchill Archives

Sir Winston Churchill

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Cambridge in Concrete: the boom years of Brutalism

bjb42 — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:00:39 +0000

Every year, thousands of tourists flock to Cambridge to marvel at the stunning architecture of ̽��ֱ�� and college buildings. So it won’t be surprising to learn that some of these buildings are studied by students and scholars of architecture the world over – but not the famous medieval spires that you might expect.

In fact, from an architectural perspective, some of Cambridge’s most fascinating buildings are to be found in dingy corners of the city. They are considered eye-sores by many people, especially when compared to centuries-old chapels and courts. But they come from a time when post-war architecture peaked in a wave of euphoric gusto, as maverick architects experimented with shape and materials to create their visions of the ̽��ֱ�� of the Future.

In a period from the late 1950s to early 1970s, Cambridge experienced a boom in what is now known as brutalist architecture. Buildings such as the ̽��ֱ�� Centre, Churchill College and the Faculty of History were attempts to mirror the innovation and hope of that era through dramatic, expressive shapes and exposed use of raw material. ̽��ֱ��term ‘brutalist’ derives from the French word brut, meaning rough or uncut like raw diamond, which some of these buildings resemble in their spikey angularity.

“This style embodies the laboratory of the future, a deliberate attempt to reflect the revolutionary ideas generated at the ̽��ֱ�� by creating a rupture from the past,” says Dr Marco Iuliano from the Department of Architecture, who has curated an exhibition of architectural photographs shot in the 50s and 60s of many of Cambridge’s brutalist buildings.

“ ̽��ֱ��use of shape and materials, the raw concrete, as well as steel and brick, was a real punch in the face. You had a public that was used to Georgian terraces and so on, and this style arrives as if alien buildings have descended from space and landed in Cambridge.”

According to Dr Iuliano, these buildings have experienced what he describes as a damnatio memoriae – a suppression of memory in the public consciousness of the important heritage and rebellious attitude they represent – because they don’t fit in to the traditional view of postcard Cambridge.

For Dr Iuliano, there aren’t any other buildings that better symbolise the challenging spirit of one of the world’s leading academic communities, although the Utopian aim and experimental nature of these building’s stark and angular appearance is in danger of being lost – something he considers vital to the story of the city and ̽��ֱ��.

“These fantastic buildings have been banished from the narrative of the ̽��ֱ�� in the course of promoting a reassuring model of English tradition,” he says.

“ ̽��ֱ��classic view of the Backs forms a noble depiction of the stereotype of the Arcadian and scholarly – but the innovation, freedom of thought and experimentation, which is the beating heart of any leading educational institution, can be seen clearly in the architecture of buildings such as Churchill and the History Faculty.”

Dr Iuliano’s exhibition, which opens today and runs until 25 May, sets out to revise some of the negative views of these buildings by displaying photos of them taken by some of the best architectural photographers of the day.

̽��ֱ��photographs are from the archives of the Royal Institute of British Architects, and will be on display at the ̽��ֱ��’s Department of Architecture, which celebrates its centenary this year.

̽��ֱ��catalyst for the flourishing of radical architecture in Cambridge was the arrival at the ̽��ֱ�� of Sir Leslie Martin, who became Head of the Architecture Department in 1956. Martin was an influential British architect who had already led the design team behind the Royal Festival Hall.

“He had the capacity to get excellent minds to invest in a vision, and he became the driving force behind up-and-coming architects receiving commissions in Cambridge,” says Dr Iuliano.

̽��ֱ��first major building of this era that Martin was involved in was the 1959 extension to his own department at Scroope Terrace, where the exhibition will be held. Over the next decade this kick-started a surge of avant-garde architecture at the ̽��ֱ��, and the exhibition features a total of 16 buildings from this period.

Among the most recognisable for staff is the ̽��ֱ�� Centre, a divisive building that – love it or hate it – is not easily dismissed. In his notes for the exhibition, Dr Felipe Hernández from the Architecture Department describes the façade as “brutalist heavy”, but contrasts this with the “pleasant lightness” of the interior. “ ̽��ֱ��incidence of natural light in the main dining hall conveys a sense of comfort,” he writes.

Dr Hernández, one of the exhibition’s many contributing academics, highlights the interesting spatial relationships between the floors, and the connectivity that the different levels and balconies allow, with “multiple public activities permanently integrated, giving a sense of liveliness without crowdedness”.

Another of Cambridge’s key brutalist buildings is Churchill College. Caroline Maniaque from the ENSA de Paris-Malaquais comments on the distinction between structure (rough concrete beams), enclosure (panels of bricks) and the wooden framed windows, describing this as “true to Modernist thinking” – with its exaggeration of structural elements and emphasis on functionality.

Perhaps the jewel in Cambridge’s brutalist crown is the Faculty of History building, which fills pages of architecture textbooks studied in the UK and beyond. “ ̽��ֱ��History Faculty was ground-breaking, a complete schism from traditional construction,” says Dr Iuliano. “Every piece has an exact role in the fabric of the building’s composition, with the stunning glass roof creating a waterfall of light.”

̽��ֱ��roof, described in the exhibition as a “floating cloud of glass” by Professor Claire Zimmerman from the ̽��ֱ�� of Michigan, was designed by the architect James Stirling to face north, so as to catch the light in a certain way, although this was never realised as during construction the building was rotated when the owner of an adjacent property refused to sell. One of the inventors of ‘new brutalism’, James Stirling is now considered among the most important architects of the 20th century.

There is a growing awareness of how important this architecture is viewed, but its legacy is controversial. “Many of the buildings are now Grade II listed, but one suspects that not everybody in the colleges and ̽��ֱ�� is enamoured with their modernist heritage,” says Dr François Penz, who co-edited the catalogue accompanying the exhibition. “In fact, the ̽��ֱ�� considered demolishing the Faculty of History in 1985.”

̽��ֱ��ambition and invention of post-war British architecture that these buildings embody has arguably faded and, for many architects, this was a golden period.

“At the time, modern architecture exemplified the adventurous, forward-looking qualities of universities,” says Dr Nick Bullock, a former Reader at the Department of Architecture. “Today, there isn’t such a clear idea of direction in architecture – these buildings stand as testament to the strength of the vision these architects had.”

‘Cambridge in Concrete: Images from the RIBA British Architectural Library Photographs Collection’ is at the Department of Architecture until 25 May. It is open from 10am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. For more information on this and the Department’s centenary, visit www.arct.cam.ac.uk

Inset images: ̽��ֱ�� Centre and Churchill College by Sir Cam

A new exhibition at the Department of Architecture aims to expose the forgotten history of the ̽��ֱ��’s experimental post-war architecture: the ‘other’ Cambridge of raw, angular buildings and the ambition and innovation they embody.

̽��ֱ��use of shape and materials, the raw concrete, as well as steel and brick, was a real punch in the face.

Dr Marco Iuliano

Henk Snoek / RIBA Library Photographs Collection

Cripps Building, St John’s College

Research in Architecture and Photography

Iuliano partly attributes the dilution of clarity in contemporary architecture to an increased obsession with stylish imagery, and visualisations over the consideration of creating a ‘lived-in’ environment.

“Society is reflected in its architecture, and today we live in a screen age - saturated with images - and architecture has come to rely too heavily on eye-catching visuals over engagement with space and materials.”

̽��ֱ��research that Iuliano is currently conducting focuses on this issue, and he is convening a conference at CRASSH, looking at the impact that photography has had on modern architecture - from movements such as brutalism, to the problems arising today as schools and practices lean ever more towards glossy imagery.

“In the screen age we have tools that can act as sources of creative imagination and spatial knowledge - but it is important that we explore approaches to architecture with all five of our senses, without surrogating physical experience for two dimensions.”

See the CRASSH website for more information.

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Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller (1913 – 2012)

th288 — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:48:38 +0000

̽��ֱ��Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller Centre for Continuing Education was built with a gift of approximately £10 million to Churchill College.

̽��ֱ��money was donated by the A.P. Møller & Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation, a Danish institution set up in 1953 by shipping magnate A. P. Møller. ̽��ֱ��Foundation makes contributions to good causes, especially those involving national heritage, shipping, industry and science.

Mr Møller felt that Denmark's safety during the Second World War and prosperity afterwards had depended on Churchill's personal involvement.

When war broke out, Maersk ships were turned over to the British authorities to assist in the War effort, and Churchill was swift to ensure the company was paid compensation at the end of the war.

Over the years the Foundation has funded many projects in the name of Churchill.

Mr Møller proposed the concept of a 'Centre for Excellence' that would include meeting rooms and bedrooms, and bring together commerce and education.

He believed that with access to the full educational and research resources of Cambridge ̽��ֱ��, the Centre would be able to offer the highest standard of continuing education to international businesses wishing to develop their managerial, executive, research and development staff.

Mr. Møller was one of the most respected industrialists in Denmark, and was admired by many, including Gillian Secrett, CEO of ̽��ֱ��Møller Centre, who said: “I was greatly inspired by Mr Møller’s commitment and values, which he shared with me when I first joined the Centre in 1998.

“His watch words of ‘constant care’ have been with me throughout my career at ̽��ֱ��Møller Centre and are the basis upon which the success of the Centre has grown.

“Stuart Websdale [General Manager] and the Møller team share my feelings about the inspirational influence he has had on our working lives, and we all feel privileged to have known Mr Møller.”

̽��ֱ��Møller Centre was formally opened by Her Majesty Queen Ingrid of Denmark on Friday, 2nd October, 1992.

Churchill College reported the death on 16 April 2012 of Mr Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller, the Danish shipowner, Honorary Fellow since 1991 and Benefactor to the College, at the age of 98.

His watch words of ‘constant care’ have been with me throughout my career at ̽��ֱ��Møller Centre and are the basis upon which the success of the Centre has grown.

Gillian Secrett

Maersk Moller

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