|
15 September 2005
|
"THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CYCLE - RE-CYCLING TECHNOLOGY"
Re-Cycling Technology will examine the technological and social impact cycling has had on our industry, technology and society. This talk by STUART WARBURTON, a museum curator and collector of veteran cycles, will cover the origins of cycling and the principle cycling developments from 1817 to the beginning of the 20th century. Interspersed with the development of the cycle will be an insight into how these early machines, such as the 'Ordinary' (Penny Farthing) were ridden and the fashions and changes in social attitudes that early cycling created.
|
|
20 October 2005
|
"CINEMA ARCHITECTURE - FROM MAGIC-LANTERN TO MULTIPLEX"
From magic-lantern to multiplex - the talk will highlight important examples of cinema architecture in Britain, Europe and the USA, from its late 19th century inception, through development before World War 1 to the 'movie palaces' of the 1920s and 1930s, ending with the multiplex boom of recent years. RICHARD GRAY, Chair of the Cinema Theatre Association and formerly Inspector of Historic Buildings in English Heritage is author of 'Cinemas in Britain - One Hundred Years of Cinema Architecture'.
The Lecture will be followed by the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
|
|
17 November 2005
|
"MORRO VELHO - A CORNISH MINING COMMUNITY IN 19TH CENTURY BRAZIL"
The life of Cornish miners and their families in 19th century Brazil was very different from the life they left behind in Cornwall. It was also very different from the lives we live today. In this account, DR JONES will draw on the experiences of his own family, as well as those of visitors to Morro Velho.
|
|
15 December 2005
|
"WINDMILLS AND WATERMILLS" and our SOCIAL EVENING
ROBIN WEBB of the Hertfordshire Building Preservation Trust covers the history, construction and working of these remarkable machines. For 1700 years until the Industrial Revolution they were at the cutting edge of technology, and were mans' sources of power for corn milling, drainage, papermaking, weaving, etc. Robin is actively involved with Cromer Windmill, which is owned by the Trust and is the last remaining windmill in Hertfordshire. The talk will be followed by our annual informal get-together when we partake of food and drink and let our hair down.
|
|
19 January 2006
|
"FLAGS, FEATHERS AND FURTHER COMMUNICATION METHODS"
Man has always found the need to communicate with others at a distance, but communication doesn't always involve speech. In the early days, to communicate over large distances using visual methods or animals involved the use of multiple relays. VICTOR LUDLOW tells how technological advances in more modern times have allowed operation of systems at ever increasing distance, but relaying may still be needed in certain circumstances. Coding has frequently been used with messages for reasons either of secrecy or of operational convenience.
|
|
16 February 2006
|
"THE ZEPPELIN"
During the 1920s and 1930s the Zeppelin phenomenon held out the promise of fast and very comfortable travel around the world by air, although like Concorde, it could only ever have been viable for a relatively small number of people. RICHARD DAVIES will be recounting his personal journey from Patagonia to Germany in 1937, the year in which the Hindenburg disaster occurred, which event ended the use of all such airships for passenger transport.
|
|
16 March 2006
|
"FOR THOSE THAT GO DOWN TO THE SEA IN SHIPS"
From his archive collection this year, ALAN WILLMOTT will be showing a number of films about the sea - Lighthouses, the RNLI, Deep Sea Fishing, Sail Training Ships, etc. I have no doubt that this will be yet another excellent evening of vintage films.
|