Stereoscopy: 3D imagery in the 19th century

The latest item to be added to the online catalogue is a copy of Charles Piazzi Smyth’s  Teneriffe: an astronomer’s experiment; or, specialities of a residence above the clouds, first published in 1858. As Astronomer Royal for Scotland from 1846-1888, the book describes Smyth’s expedition to Tenerife, where, accompanied by his wife, he spent a month undertaking numerous astronomical, meteorological and geological observations.  What is perhaps of particular interest however are the 20 photo-stereographs used to illustrate the volume. This was the first book ever to be illustrated with stereoscopic photographs, which, upon purchase of a book stereoscope, could be viewed in 3-D.

                As the author explains, ‘if we wish to enjoy the effects of solidity or of distance, effects which are the cynosures of all the great painters, we have only to combine the two photographs stereoscopically, and those bewitching qualities are produced’. 

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Letters Conference: Call for Papers

CALL FOR PAPERS

Yours Sincerely: The Rise and Fall of the Letter 

28-29 June 2013

Manchester, United Kingdom     

The tradition of communication through correspondence can be traced far back in the annals of ancient history, but the rise of technology is daily changing the face and format of the letter. This conference will explore forms of correspondence as they have evolved from simple letters between friends and literary personalities and their shared experiences to revelations, through correspondence, of scientists, statesmen and celebrities. It will also look at the language used in the traditional letter, the email, the text message and the tweet as well as the constant change and development in this form of dialogue from the past and into the future, examining related fields and the letter in its historical and literary contexts.

Papers are sought from all disciplines, including but not limited to literature, history, anthropology, psychology, philosophy and other social sciences and arts.

Proposals are sought for 20 minute papers. Possible themes may include (but are not limited to):

· The changing language of digital correspondence

· Victorian women writers

· Challenges of editing letters

· Evidential value for biographers, historians

· 19^th century letter writers

· 20^th century letter writers

· 21st century letter writers

· Use of letters in fiction as a device

· The epistolary novel

· The lasting value of digital correspondence as an archival or primary source

· The future of letter writing

Abstracts of 250-300 words (for a 20 min paper) should be sent via email to librarian@theportico.org.uk or assistant.librarian@theportico.org.uk by 1st April 2013.

Selected papers may be invited for inclusion in an academic collection of essays following the conference.

An exhibition surrounding the theme of the conference will run from 11th June to the 26th of July at The Portico Library and will tie in with Quarry Bank Mill’s ‘Best Wishes’ exhibition which begins in April and extends to the rest of 2013.

Evening for the Portico Prize for Literature and the Portico Poetry Prize.

On the 29th of January the library is holding an evening for our literary prizes the Portico Prize for Literature and the Portico Poetry Prize. As well as readings from Portico Prize winners Sarah Hall (fiction), Jean Sprackland (non-fiction) and Portico Poetry winners Marion Brown (1st), Ian O'Brien (2nd) and Holly Hopkins (3rd) there will be an opportunity for snacking and mingling.

Admission is free. Availability is limited so please state interest ASAP. For more, contact us via e-mail or telephone. You can also book through http://porticopresentation.eventbrite.co.uk/

Spotlight on the collection

“The politician, the lawyer, and the spider, they are all alike, they have the manoevering eye. Beware of these I tell you. Mind your eye. Women is more difficulter still to read than man, because smilin’ comes as natural to them as suction to a snipe.”

-          Haliburton, Thomas Chandler (1844) The Attaché; or, Sam Slick in England. London: Richard Bentley  [Bg 20-1]

Thomas Chandler Haliburton was a 19^th century novelist from Nova Scotia. He is often regarded as Canada’s first international bestselling author, and rose to popularity with his Clockmaker series, detailing the humorous adventures of his hero, the irrepressible Sam Slick. Sam featured in a number of Haliburton’s works, including The Attaché, which follows Mr. Slick’s exploits on a trip to England, detailing in his most distinctive voice his witty and often satirical thoughts and views on English society.

Haliburton is perhaps less well known now in comparison to some of his contemporaries. However his novels constituted popular light reading at the time, and this is reflected in the library’s collection, which along with The Attaché also holds copies of The Clockmaker and The Old Judge.

Portico Poetry Prize Anthologies: Amendments.

The library can now confirm full details of our prizes' anthologies.

There will be two anthologies. One will contain winners and shortlisted poems from the Portico Poetry Prize; the other will publish winning / shortlisted poems from the Portico Young Poetry Prize and winning / highly commended pieces from the Portico Prize for Young Writers.

The anthologies will be available to buy soon.

Portico Prize for Young Writers: Fiction.

The chosen pieces for the fiction strand of the Portico Prize for Young Writers:

Winner:
Ruth Baillie's "Liver Bird"

Runner up:
Rosalind Pearson's "Extreme Duck Feeding"

Highly Commended:
Viktoria Baraneckaja's "Deal with the Devil"
Joshua Chiles' "Untitled"
Jessica Clapson's "The Mess Up"
Rachel Dodd's "Untitled"
Bethany Frost's "Maleficium"
Poppy Graham's "A Place of Dreams"
Corwyn Hall's "The Darkness of the North"
Charlie Harris' "The Case of Mistaken Identity"
Robert Kaye's "A Night Time Wandering"
James Martin's "Winter Shadows"
Charis McKeown's "How Dreary is this Road I Walk"
Jason Neal's "The Last Device"
Vidya Ramesh's "Heights Short-Lived"

Commended:
Ruth Akinradewo's "The Unfailing Helper"
Harry Bowers' "Untitled"
Robyn Carty's "Mrs Potter"
Eleanor Dodds' "The Liver Bird Legend"
Isla Donohoe's "Outside"
Sarah Gilbert's "Untitled"
Miranda Gold's "The Diary of Emmeline Pankhurst"
Tia Harland-Say's "Invisible Threads"
Ella Langley's "The Buxton Line"
Saffron Lowsley's "Have You Seen Rosie?"
Shannon McCormack's "My First, First Day of High School"
Jessica McNamee's "The Boy with Biscuits in His Pocket"
Ella Nixon's "The Crimson Sky"
Daniel Price's "Martyrdom"
Artsiom Ramazanov's "Enex Tame"
Lloyd Williams' "Antonio"
Adam Woolley's "The Event Horizon"

Portico Prize for Young Writers: Poetry.

Here are the chosen pieces for the Portico Prize for Young Writers, an off-shoot of the Portico Prize for Literature.

Winner:
Erin Taylor's "Stockton Heath"

Runner up:
Ellie Price's "True Beauty"

Highly Commended:
Nina Levy's "A View from Across the Mersey"
Annie Simon's "Neighbours"
Georgia Thurston's "Weft and Weave"
Jinan Younis' "Dementia"

Commended:
Katherine Benson's "Hive of Industry"
Ella Friedenthal's "A Selection of Poems"
Hugh Lomas' "Manchester Metro-link Piccadilly to Altrincham at 23:32"
James Selby's "The Labourer's Tale"
Julie Shah's "Journey to the Centre of the Heart"