The Power of Advertising

1940s vintage advertisement

An online resource for fully digitised visual advertisements, ranging from the 1790’s to the 21^st century is being run by Phillip Lenssen and contains over 120,000 images. Vintage Ad Browser (http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/about) is an incredible resource that allows anyone with an interest in the history of advertising or who would simply like to browse and wonder in humour and sometimes disbelief what in the past passed for valid advertising – political correctness be damned!  The categories of advertisements range from alcohol, cigarettes, military/propaganda, travel, shaving, toys, guns, sweets, drinks and many others. A selection of advertisements are printed below. Please note some are offensive and are printed purely to provide historical context. All images are courtesy of Vintage Ad Browser.

For a selection of images from Vintage Ad Browser, see Staged Reaction’s Flickr page at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/56519887@N08/

 

Follow an Archive!

 

Follow an Archive

 

 

Embracing the world of archives and research is getting easier and easier thanks to the online presence and social media presence of archive and library services. Today’s “Follow an Archive Day” is a world-wide initiative that allows readers and users of archives of all levels, disciplines and interests to engage with local, national or international repositories.

For all you tweeters, go online and look up your Irish repositories on Twitter and drop them a line with any thoughts, ideas and let them know you’re out there!! For all you archivists put #followanarchive in your tweets!

For more information on Irish archives and links to Irish and international repositories visit http://www.learnaboutarchives.ie

http://followanarchive.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

A visual teaser of the Gaiety School of Acting archive

The Gaiety School of Acting donated its archive to the Irish Theatre Archive based at Dublin City Libraries and Archives. The collection of papers covers the administration, buildings, productions and students of the Gaiety School from its inception in 1985 by school founder Joe Dowling. The archive traces the creativity of its thousands of students over the years and is a unique research point in the study of theatre and education in Ireland. The following video was screened during the event to mark the handover of the Gaiety School archive to Dublin City Library and Archives last year. The video is a fantastic piece and was edited by former Gaiety School student Simon Stewart. The soundtrack is “The Racing Rats” by British band The Editors. Enjoy!!

 

Round up of news and events: 9 November 2010

• Purpleheart theatre company, in association with the Focus theatre present the European premiere of Men of Tortuga at the Pembroke Street based Focus theatre. Written by Jason Wells. “Highly original and blisteringly relevant, Men of Tortuga exposes the barbarism encoded in corporate bureaucracy and is tailor-made for the age of terrorism, surveillance and corrupt global organizations”.

http://www.focustheatre.ie/?page_id=480 http://tiny.cc/vk1z7

 

• Limerick’s refurbished Belltable theatre will reopen to the public with a performance of Anything but Love, written by Mary Coll. The play opens on 29 November. The winter and Spring season at the Belltable has many highlights including children’s Christmas tale The Fourth Wise Man presented by Johnny Hanrahan, Rabbit Hole written by David Lindsay-Abaire and presented by the Quarry Players and The Mai written by Marina Carr and presented by Changing Times theatre company. Download the new programme of upcoming events at the Belltable here.                        www.belltable.ie http://www.quarryplayers.ie/ http://www.changingtimestheatre.ie/

 

• Following on from the success of Follow a Museum Day and Follow a Library Day on Twitter, November 12^th is the next day to mark on your Twitter event calendar. Follow an Archive Day will be a useful imitative for archive services to promote their on line presence and forge links and relationships with new users and other organisations. For all you need to know on Follow an Archive Day go to http://www.archivesnext.com/?p=1699

 

• Dublin’s Smock Alley theatre will host the new production by the young and interesting Company D theatre company.
  

  Company D's "Oedipus" at Smock Alley

  Their production of Oedipus at the stone walled and winding Boys School space at Smock Alley should be one to catch. With David Scott at the helm this company is always worth catching.   http://www.companyd.ie/ http://www.smockalley.com/theatre/

 

• This past Saturday saw the “1916 and After” symposium held at the Moore Institute at NUI Galway and in conjunction with Trinity College, Dublin and Queens University, Belfast. A host of guest speakers include Brian O Conchubhair (University of Notre Dame) Mary Daly (University College Dublin) Nicholas Allen (NUI Galway) and Catriona Crowe of the National Archives of Ireland made the event a hugely engaging and successful commentary and assessment of the legacy of 1916, its causes and effects.
  

  1916 and After

  Two more symposiums will take place on Saturdays of 13^th and 20^th of November at Trinity College Dublin and Queens University Belfast respectively. Be sure not to miss.http://www.nuigalway.ie/mooreinstitute/site/view/773/

 

• In Cork, a programme of Civic Events to Commemorate the 90^TH Anniversary of the Deaths of Former Lord Mayors MacCurtain and McSwiney and of the Burning of Cork. For a programme of events see: http://corkheritage.ie/?page_id=348

• Today sees the Theatre Forum Ireland-organised Open Space event hosted at NUI Galway Bailey Allen Hall. Theatre professionals from all over Ireland will meet to discuss the future for the performing arts. Though unfortunately could not make the event, Staged Reaction is anxiously awaiting feedback and will keep you posted. For more information see:   http://tiny.cc/b8l85

 

• As Bank of Ireland’s sale of key works from Ireland’s artist heritage continues to stir controversy and comment, one of the featured artists, the modernist Louis le Brocquy will be paid homage at Dun Laoighre’s Pavillion theatre. Cold Dream Colour celebrates the life and work of this masterful artist in an evening of dance inspired
  by his paintings. Artistic Director, Morleigh Steinberg, brings together an international company of dancers and choreographers, including Liz Roche and Oguri, to create this new  production on the occasion of le Brocquy’s birthday. Original music by The Edge of U2 and Feltlike with Paul Chavez has been composed especially for the event. For more information see: http://tiny.cc/zqq86
• 

  John Boyne

  Ireland Literature Exchange in association with Culture Ireland, UNESCO City of Literature and the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon present a talk by novelist John Boyne as part of the ‘In Other Words’ series, which discusses translated Irish Literature in Irish libraries. Dublin City Public Library, ILAC Centre, D1.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25 Cultural Tourism Technology projects to be funded

Mary Hanafin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport yesterday (1st November 2010) announced funding of in excess of €1 million towards Cultural Tourism Technology projects.

The projects to be funded are those which were successful under the Cultural Technology Grant Scheme – an initiative aimed at using technology to promote Irish arts and culture announced by Minister Hanafin in July of this year.

The aim of the initiative is to use a variety of the best emerging and existing technology information and communications methods to deliver a promotional, educational or information product to promote the Irish arts, culture and creative sectors and the successful projects each fulfils this aim.

The level of interest in the grant available greatly surpassed all expectations and Minister Hanafin said that “the extent and calibre of the applications received is clear evidence of our national spirit of innovation and creativity and demonstrates the vital role which the arts, culture and creative sectors can play in our economic recovery. Ireland is already well placed as a destination for the cultural tourist and the projects being funded under this initiative will further develop and support the cultural tourism product on offer in Ireland.”

The scope of the successful projects is far reaching and diverse, ranging from apps for iPhones and Smartphones, to mobile websites and tours of some of our cultural tourism highlights, to online interactive games, to even a hologram show.

When complete, the projects will allow self guided tours and walks of the National Botanic Gardens; virtual and 3D tours of the extensive collections of some of our National Cultural Institutions and a number of web based digital programmes aimed specifically at children, including a dedicated children’s Art Website where the creative work of children will go on display, a Digital Creativity Platform for children and an interactive online Viking game.

The high regard and widespread popularity of both our traditional and popular music will be further promoted and developed under the initiative, as will Dublin’s public art; the best of Irish theatre and opera; the ecclesiastical treasures of Co. Clare and the life and poetry of Patrick Kavanagh, to mention but a view of the successful projects.

Minister Hanafin added that “great ideas and innovations in technology are developing all the time and this initiative has allowed us to marry our innovative and creative thinking to our rich and developing cultural offering, thereby allowing us to showcase the best of our Irish art, music, culture and heritage in the most exciting, innovative and dynamic ways. This is the application of smart technology to culture, heritage and tradition.”

For a full list of recipients of funding and description of projects see the following table:

Cultural Technology Grant Scheme 2010 projects

For more on this story see:

http://tiny.cc/embgd

http://tiny.cc/axskj

 

 

The Memory Palace at Galway’s Theatre Festival

'Memory Palace' at Nuns Island theatre

Blue Patch productions staged their work-in-progress piece, The Memory Palace, as part of the third annual Galway Theatre Festival. Using characters and stories from Greek mythology, the playwright Jane Madden strives to explore the realms of our memory, our identity and the uncharted regions of our psyche. When we die we cross into the Underworld and are given a choice; to drink from the river Lethe and forget all our pain or to drink from the river Mnemsoyne and remember everything. Lottie chooses to remember but at what cost?

The black-box setting of Nuns Island theatre aptly mimics the purgatorial scene between memory and between realities. Aoife Connolly, who plays Lottie, the woman who is lost in time and place, is still and frozen, like a seated sphinx. “You are here”, she half acknowledges, half questions Mimi. “I was always here, since before” This exchange places the emphasis on what has already transpired, past actions that are beyond recollection by Lottie.

As she drinks the water of the river Mnemsoyne and memory becomes reticent, there is purpose to the goading of Andy Crowe’s Mimi, in forcing Lottie to remember, regardless of the pain this will bring. The past and thoughts, the working of Lottie’s mind are relayed on the screen projected behind the character, a blurred sequence of images that hint at what transpired. The imagery of the clothes force the realization of a ruined wedding, a distorted union; “My dress, his suit, his tie, that he wore for me”.

Aisling Quinn’s beautiful vocals and the staggered entrance on-stage of Andrea Scott forces a flashback like effect which presents a separate possibility; that the happy ending and wedding of Lottie is not her memory at all, but that of Scott’s character, Faye, who married the love and groom of Lottie. These overlapping lives and concentric stories blur the narrative and question who in fact owns the story.

Bluepatch’s production is extremely interesting and current. It has traces of works that trace the female reawakening to a lost and broken past, as Olwen Fouere hauntingly did is Sodome My Love and it also has parallels with works with other exciting groups such as The Company who explore the identity and memory of the modern form.

It is ironic that as a memory play, what Madden chooses to leave out and chooses to forget provides more of the story than we actually see.

www.bluepatchproductions.com