Portrait of EH-A by Kay Vaughan
Portrait of EH-A by Kay Vaughan

News and Events 2013


January

The Society's Opusculum No.XVIII was published entitled, 'Edward Heron-Allen and the Violin' edited by Peter Horton. The Opusculum featured articles, including 'Edward Heron-Allen's Visit to Downside, 1886' by Timothy J. McCann' 'Edward Heron-Allen as a Music Critic', by Peter Horton and 'The Resurrection of the Edward Heron-Allen Violin No.2, modelled after the Joseph Guarnerius de Gesu 1734, Ex 'Sainton', by John P. and Barbara P. Mahoney. These articles were delivered as talks at the Society's 11th Annual Heron-Allen Symposium held at the Royal College of Music in London in June 2011.

March

The annual Heron-Allen Lecture and Reception at the Simpkins Theatre, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford was held on the 1st March at 5.15. The speaker was Professor Marian Dawkins of the Department of Zoology, Oxford and the title was "Do Animals Matter?"

May

The Society's Newsletter no.22 (Spring 2013) was published and distributed. As well as the programme and details of the 13th. Annual symposium which was held at the British Museum on Saturday 29 June, the Newsletter included articles by John and Barbara Mahoney on 'An Appendix with a tale to it: "How we died"'; Joan Navarre on 'Edward Heron-Allen in America: Rare Documents at Harvard University'; Chuck Backus, 'Edward Heron-Allen: Circus Rider'; and John P. and Barbara P. Mahoney, 'Postscript: The Clouds of Discontent at the Sette of Odd Volumes: Those pesky missing Edward Heron-Allen Papers'.

The Society's trip to Corsica to commemorate the visit of Edward Heron-Allen in 1921 took place from 19 to 26 May. Eight members stayed at Ajaccio and Bastia, and visited Corte. We visited the Grand Hotel, where Heron-Allen stayed and the Isles Sanguinaires, where Heron-Allen collected samples of foraminifera, travelled across the island by train and were richly entertained by Francis Beretti and his wife in Bastia.

June

The Society's Opusculum No.XIX was published, entitled 'Edward Heron-Allen and some Women of his acquaintance', edited by Timothy McCann and John Whittaker. The Opusculum included the following articles; '"Nocturns, Novels and Necromancy": Blanche Roosevelt, Edward Downey and Edward Heron-Allen' by Timothy J. McCann; 'The Queen of Bohemia and the Poems and Passions of the Boy, Omar, Selina Dolaro and Edward Heron-Allen's Mes Amoures' by Barbara P. Mahoney and John P. Mahoney; 'Helene Bargmann - "The Last Lady"' by John E. Whittaker, and 'Reminiscences of my Great-Aunt, Helene Elizabeth Bargmann - Ph.D, F.L.S., F.Z.S., A.T.S (1896-1987), Biologist' by Jan Bargmann. These articles were delivered as talks at the Society's 12th. Annual Symposium held at the Allen Room in Soho in June 2012.

The Society's Thirteenth Annual Symposium was held at the British Museum on Saturday 29 June. The theme was 'Edward Heron-Allen and his Collections'. Papers delivered included 'Doctor Christopher Blayre, Scientific and Literary Accomplishments' by John P. and Barbara P. Mahoney; 'Edward Heron-Allen and the Discovery of the Selsey Mammoth, 1909' by Simon Parfitt; 'Edward Heron-Allen's French Banknotes in the British Museum' by Thomas Hockenhull; 'Edward Heron-Allen's Donations to the British Museum' by Pam Thompson and 'Edward Heron-Allen's Watch' by David Thompson. After the Annual General Meeting, members moved to Il Castelletto Italian restaurant for an excellent lunch.

September

The History of Geology Group of the Geological Society are holding a week-end meeting entitled 'In the footsteps of Heron-Allen, geologist and polymath of Selsey, West Sussex' from 6 to 8 September, at Selsey Town Hall, with a programme of talks, walks and field trips. Members who are giving talks include Anne and David Bone, Tim McCann and John Whittaker. For further details see http://historyofgeologygroup.co.uk/?page_id=12&event_id=10

October

On 4 October Nada Bezik from the Library of the Croatian Music Institute in Zagreb will broadcast a programme of words and music on the subject of Edward Heron-Allen and his book 'The Violin as it was and is'. The broadcast will be on Croatian Radio at 16.35 (until 18:00) Croatian time. The announcement is already on the web site of the Croatian Radio (http://raspored.hrt.hr/?raspored=4&mreza=18&datum=2013-10-04). You can listen to it on http://www.hrt.hr/index.php?id=hrt-uzivo, just click "Treci program". For a transcript of the programme in English, click here.

December

The Society's Newsletter no.23 (Autumn 2013) was published and distributed. As well as carrying reports on the 13th. Annual Symposium at the British Museum by Pamela Thompson and the Society's third international visit, this time to Corica, by Gerald Blunden, the Newsletter included articles by Timothy J. McCann on 'Edward Heron-Allen, Magda Heinemann and the Heinemann Divorce Case' and by John P. Mahoney and Barbara P. Mahoney on 'Fiddling around with the Heron-Allen Collection with no fatal consequences'. The Newsletter contained a report by Pamela Thompson on 'Edward Heron-Allen - Music Miscellanea in the Royal College of Music Library' and an obituary of Celia Clarke.