Can you hear that? What is it? Does it sound familiar?
This month’s Hands on History is titled ‘Sounds Familiar’ and in honour of that I would like to showcase a few of our items that we will be sharing with visitors to the Museum on Saturday 18th June. The collection consists of a range of items that make certain sounds including a variety of bells, each with a different purpose and therefore a different sound. We also have some everyday items that make distinct sounds that you may recognize such as jangly keys and tinkley glassware.
Our senses are wonderful things, especially our hearing. One of the most enjoyable things we can do with our ears is listen to music. Music allows us to feel every different emotion possible and it enables us to feel connected. Our Museum has a collection of radios including a Philips 2 Valve radio and a ‘Celestion’ speaker. The first Philips radio was produced in 1927 and within five years Philips had sold one million radios. In the same year (1927) Philips aired its first radio station. Celestion is a British designer and exporter of professional loudspeakers. In 1925 they launched the first housed loudspeaker. This allowed people to listen to their music in their own home with an amplified volume and crisper sound. Do you remember the first song you ever heard on the radio?
Sounds can be a very significant part of religious and spiritual practices. In our collection we have a Pray Ghanti bell. This is a handheld brass bell from Nepal. In Nepal, Hinduism is one of the most widely followed religions. On the bell’s handle is a representation of one of their principal deities. We believe it to be Vishnu, the God of Preservation. Ghanta is the Sanskrit term for the ritual bell used in Hinduism. Hindu temples usually have one metal bell hanging at the entrance and devotees ring the bell when entering the temple. This symbolises the summoning of gods, allowing virtuous and noble forces to enter and forcing out the demonic and evil forces. The handheld bell in our collection may have been used more during prayer as bell ringing is believed to help control the mind from wandering and make it more receptive. A ghanta bell is usually made from five metals – copper, silver, gold, zinc and iron – representing the Pancha Bhoota. This is the five basic physical elements of creation. Our Ghanti bell is made from brass which is an alloy of copper and zinc but could also contain elements of silver, gold and iron.
One of my personal favourite discoveries for the ‘Sounds Familiar’ Hands on History session was this Underwood manual typewriter. The Underwood typewriter company was formed by John T Underwood in 1985 and was based in New York. The typewriter was designed by Franz Wagner. In 1960, the company merged with Olivetti. The way the typewriter sounds when in use is a very satisfying noise! And I’m sure many of you might have memories of hearing a typewriter being used. Let me know in the comments if you do!
For my final item, I would like to talk about an item that is part of the Museum’s ‘sounds’ collection but is unavailable to be part of the Hands on History session. This is because it is in a cased display in the George Eliot gallery which you can view when you visit the Museum. This item is a musical box. What is fascinating about this item is that it belonged to a local Nuneaton man, Mr Johnson, who was the inspiration for Uncle Pullet in ‘Mill on the Floss’ (written by George Eliot). In fact, the music box is mentioned in the book and I would like to share an extract with you;
‘the fact was the day had begun ill with Maggie. The pleasure of having Lucy to look at, and the prospect of the afternoon visit to Garum Firs where she would hear Uncle Pullet’s musical-box had been marred as early as 11 o’clock by the advent of the hair-dresser from St Ogg’s who had spoken in the severest terms of the condition in which he had found her hair, holding up one jagged lock after another and saying, ‘See here! tut-tut-tut!’
However, the reason why I have highlighted it here is because of the type of sound it would have produced. Some children might remember owning a music box or at least seen one from a friend or relative but it is the type of sound one might hear as a child as it is very reminiscent of a lullaby. This particular song appears to be Home Sweet Home with words by John Howard Payne and composed by Sir Henry Bishop. This song was first heard in public at the first performance of a melodrama. A melodrama is a play interspersed with songs and orchestral music accompanying the action. In this case the melodrama performed was either called “Clara” or “The Maid of Milara”. Although it is unclear what the actual title was, it was first performed on the 8th June 1823.
So come join us, if you can, at the Museum on Saturday 18th June. Drop in anytime from 11am – 4pm and find out whether any of these items ‘Sounds Familiar!’
There’s no need to book and it is free to join in.