Ansel Adams: Celebration of Genius
An exhibition of Adams' landscapes and other images of nature
are at the City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh, from 9th
February to 19th April. This is the most comprehensive collection
of his work ever exhibited in the UK, with 150 photographs
spanning the 1920s to the 1960s. The exhibition is also
accompanied by photographs of Scottish landscapes by Lindsay
Robertson.
San Francisco-born Ansel Adams (1902-1984) was one of
America’s foremost black and white photographers. He and his
wife ran a photographic studio, now the Ansel Adams Gallery, in
Yosemite Valley from 1935 to 1971. His first book, ‘Sierra
Nevada: The John Muir Trail’ which linked his photographs with
passages from John Muir’s writings, played a vital role in
establishing Kings Canyon National Park. Adams had more than
20 books published, a number such as ‘Yosemite and the Sierra
Nevada’ (1948) containing his images paired with Muir’s writing.
We are currently considering the possibility of a Friends visit to
the exhibition. The cost will be £4 (£2.50 concession, £10
season) plus transport. If you are interested please contact JMB
on 01368 865899 or email Susan at spanton@eastlothian.gov.uk
with your preferred day (Mon- Sat).
Winter/Spring Events programme
20th Dec: Christmas Social at 7.30 pm in John Muir’s
Birthplace.
Feb: Liz McLean talks about time spent at the Centre
for Alternative Technology, Wales.
March: Prof Fred Last talks about his long-term study of
flowering times.
Sun 20th April: Celebrate John Muir’s birthday with a
walk along the John Muir Way
May: Boat trip to the Isle of May.
Dunbar’s John Muir Association
Friends of John Muir’s
Birthplace
Newsletter No. 4 Dec 2007
Convener’s Letter
Dear friends,
Our first AGM as Friends of the John Muir Birthplace is
now history and my report is included in this
newsletter. No new members of council were
forthcoming and the office bearers will continue as
before.
There was a good attendance of members and those
who came along were entertained to a first class
illustrated presentation by ‘Friend’ and Birthplace staff
member Pauline Smeed of her experiences on the
staff exchange to the John Muir Historic Site in
Martinez. Pauline’s sister lives quite close to Martinez
and she included a family trip to Yosemite in her
presentation.
Details of our winter programme are on the back page.
Please come along if you can.
Sincerely,
Jim Thompson
 AGM Report 25th October 2007
Convenor Jim Thompson welcomed 19 Friends to the Birthplace
for our AGM. He reported on events and activities that had taken
place during the year including the publication and launch of the
new book of quotations ‘Still Walking the World’ and the showing
of the Al Gore film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’. Friends had also
been involved directly in JMB as volunteers, conducting guided
walks and lecturing on John Muir. Jim looked forward to a new
series of talks and outings during the coming year. He thanked
Friends members for their support and hard work during the
year.
Treasurer Will Collin presented the annual accounts. Members
agreed that membership fees remain as they are except that the
‘concession’ rate for overseas members is removed because of
the increase in foreign postage. Sales of our two books ‘John
Muir’s Dunbar’ and ‘The Clifftop Trail’ remained consistent during
the year and the new ‘Still Walking the World’ has been selling
well. ‘John Muir’s Dunbar’ has almost sold out and a new edition
together with a small book on the life of John Muir is currently
being put together. Sponsorship is being sought for these.
There were no changes to the Council who remain:
President - Dan Cairney Convenor - Jim Thompson
Secretary – Susan Panton Treasurer – Will Collin
Membership Sec. – Duncan Smeed Member – Liz McLean
The AGM passed the following resolution, proposed by Liz
McLean: “Friends of John Muir's Birthplace oppose the
proposed waste incinerator at Oxwellmains as:
1. it does not address the fundamental problem of waste
generation;
2. it treats the symptoms, not the causes; it does not promote a
culture of waste minimisation.
3. waste to energy schemes are more efficient if smaller and
local where the residual heat can be used around the plant.
CHILD’S PLAY?
Exhibition of embroidered samplers visits the Birthplace
A fascinating exhibition of embroidered samplers will be on
display at John Muir’s Birthplace from Wednesday 12th
December to Sunday 27th January. Simply Samplers brings
together some beautiful 19th and 20th century samplers from
museums across the East of Scotland, many on show for the
first time in this touring exhibition.
Often produced by young children, the samplers give a valuable
glimpse into another age. Religious quotes and biblical
characters jostle for space with farmyard animals in the colourful
designs. Most were produced in homes and schools as a way
of learning valuable sewing skills – and keeping their young
makers occupied and quiet!
Helpfully, the young girls who produced the samplers often
signed their work, and added the initials of their immediate
family – using black thread if those shown had died. One
sampler, dating from 1831, records a family so completely that it
was used as evidence by lawyers in New Zealand. They were
sorting out the estate of a descendant of the embroiderer, who
had made a fortune after emigrating there.
There are twenty-four samplers included in the show, many of
which were in storage until Autumn 2006, when volunteers
including Kirkcaldy Museum’s ‘Sewing Circle’ carefully stitched
the samplers onto backings and framed the works so that they
can be unveiled to the public. In some cases this is the first time
they have been displayed in over a hundred and fifty years!
The display also includes a touch screen computer, where you
can have a go at creating your own digital samplers - without
the hours of careful stitching! To find out more about the
samplers, and the exhibition tour, why not take a look at
<www.simplysamplers.org>
SUSTAINING DUNBAR
With an earlier edition of the newsletter, local members received an
insert inviting them to a meeting of environmentally concerned
individuals. The outcome was the creation of ‘Sustaining Dunbar’, an
informal alliance of individuals, groups and businesses from Dunbar,
linked by a common aim. Its activities are directed towards reducing
the use of non-renewable resources and cutting carbon dioxide
emission. ‘Friends’ are well represented with three members of our
Council and a number of other members signed up with the group.
John Muir has much to say to the modern world regarding global
warming, the effects of deforestation and the like. On the first of
these, he wrote in ‘Mountains of California’ in 1894, “Every glacier
in the world is smaller than it once was. All the world is growing
warmer…”.
Climate change and dwindling oil supplies are seen as the principle
threats to the well-being of people worldwide. Sustaining Dunbar
(SD) is part of the Transition Towns Network, a UK wide collection
of communities ranging from Bristol on the Severn, Brixton in
London and Brighton on England’s south coast to Portobello and
Dunbar here in Scotland.
SD currently has five subgroups focussing on Energy, Enterprise,
Food, Transport and Resource use. Local members are invited to join
any or all of them or simply lend your support to Sustaining Dunbar.
Contact Mark James at 01368 863162 or Philip Revell at 01368
863211. Wherever you are, you can take part in the ongoing
discussion at <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sustdunbar> or by
visiting the SD website via the Dunbar Community website which is
at <www.dunbar.org.uk>
John Muir faced up to the environmental problems that he
encountered, taking action that awakened the concern of others. Each
of us should aim to follow in his footsteps, wherever we are.
(AGM cont.) 4. it requires considerable long term financial
commitment which will remove incentive for reduction in
waste or future innovation.”
THE JOHN MUIR WAY
The last link in the John Muir Way has now been
completed and it is now possible to walk the East Lothian
coastline from Fisherrow in the west to Dunglass in the
south.
The John Muir Way forms the East Lothian section of the
Transnational North Sea Trail which links seven countries
around the North Sea (see <www.northseatrail.org>) East
Lothian has a distinct and varied coastline with sandy
beaches, towering cliffs, harbours and castles and its
coast is recognised for wildfowl and waders.
The Way is 74 kilometres (km) long, signposted by green
fingerposts, and is divided into five sections. Starting
from the western end, the first section is from Fisherrow
to Cockenzie and is 10 km. Then follows Cockenzie to
Aberlady, a distance of 8 km, Aberlady to North Berwick, a
total of 15 km and North Berwick to Dunbar, which is the
longest at 24 km. The last section runs from Dunbar to
Dunglass, giving a walk of 15 km. [Each section is
subdivided into shorter walks for those not wishing to
walk the full length.]
East Lothian Council has produced a leaflet for each
section, giving information on points of interest, bird and
animal life and flora that can be seen. There is also
information on the condition of the pathways etc. and
availability of public transport. Copies can be obtained
from John Muir’s Birthplace. Incidentally for those who
still work in old money, to get an approximate mileage,
divide kilometres by 10 and then multiply by 6.
‘See where it all began’
Readers of ‘The Scotsman’ will be aware that the paper runs a
regular pull-out feature entitled ‘Recommends’, where reporters
and readers give lists of the best . . . in Scotland, ranging from
fish and chip shops to castles. On Wednesday 17 October, one
of the lists gave the five top birthplace attractions, headed by
Burns’ Cottage in Alloway. There at number two was our own
John Muir’s Birthplace, wrongly entitled ‘John Muir House’ but
with the accompanying information correct. The others in order
were Hugh Miller’s Cottage, Cromarty; Carlyle’s Birthplace,
Ecclefechan; and the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum,
Dunfermline.
The links among the men – yes! all men – themselves are
interesting. Their lives covered the period from 1759 to 1919
with a number of overlaps. The other four all wrote essays on
Burns (1759-1796), Carlyle’s perhaps the most famous. Indeed,
Hugh Miller (1802-1856) wrote a short novel, ‘Recollections of
Burns’ published as part of his ‘Tales and Sketches’, in which he
recounted imaginary encounters between a sailor Matthew
Lindsay, considered to be based Miller himself, and Burns, at
key points in the poet’s life.
Miller’s widow received a letter of condolence from Thomas
Carlyle (1795-1881), later published in ‘The New York Time’,
following the geologist/writers tragic death. Carnegie (1835-
1919) gifted a library, the Hugh Miller Institute, to the village of
Cromarty. John Muir’s personal library contained 14 volumes
by Miiller and Muir named an Alaskan glacier after him.
Carlyle also featured in Muir’s collection of books, all 34 (!)
volumes of his collected ‘Works’ and a volume of his essays.
But Carlyle’s links with Muir also extend through such as
Emerson and Thoreau for he was the transcendentalists’ ‘guru’.
(cont.)
STRENGTHENING LINKS WITH MARTINEZ
In our spring edition, ‘Friend’ Pauline Smeed, one of the
permanent members of staff at John Muir’s Birthplace, told
us of a month spent with her counterparts at the John Muir
Historic Site in Martinez, California. As a result of Pauline’s
efforts, links with Martinez, Dunbar’s first twinning partner,
have been strengthened and are continuing to grow.
Now ‘Friends of John Muir’s Birthplace’ are in regular contact
with the John Muir Association (JMA) in Martinez. Although
older, JMA is in many ways similar to ‘Friends’. It was
founded in 1956 to preserve John Muir’s former home in
Martinez and assure its transfer to the National Park Service
(NPS). That was achieved in 1964, 50 years after John Muir’s
death, when US President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation
making Muir's former home a National Historic Site. Now
JMS works with NPS to preserve the building and grounds,
and to interpret the life of John Muir.
Friends have extended an open invitation to JMA members to
come to Dunbar if they are visiting the UK. They have been
asked to extend the same invitation to the people of
Martinez generally. Already the steady flow of tourists from
America to Dunbar includes a slow trickle from Martinez.
Most of our American visitors have included Dunbar on their
itinerary because it is the birthplace of John Muir and leave
with a very favourable impression of our town. We hope that
the numbers will further increase.
Travel to and from California has never been easier, quicker
or cheaper and perhaps an exchange visit can be arranged in
the not too distant future.
[JMA’s newsletter is ‘The View’. Do you have a view on what
ours should be called? Ideas, please, to the Birthplace.]
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING AT THE BIRTHPLACE
Enclosed with the UK mailing of this newsletter is a ‘flier’
giving the stock of books and other items on sale at John
Muir’s Birthplace. It may contain some ideas for
Christmas gifts or ‘stocking fillers’ – and there is the
added bonus of a 10% reduction for Friends before the
end of January.
For those of you within easy reach of the Birthplace, pay a
visit to check out what is on offer – remember to take the
flier to qualify for 10% off. For those of you further
afield, you can check out the availability by phone (01368
865899) and arrange to have items put aside for
collection. [It may be possible for items to be posted to
those of you too far off but the full cost of postage would
have to be borne by the purchaser.]
FUTURE ISSUES BY EMAIL?
Friends can arrange to have future issues of our
newsletter delivered by email, thereby making a small
contribution to conserving resources – less paper, fewer
letters, etc. If you would like to be added to the emailing
list, contact Duncan, our membership secretary, at
<duncan.smeed@gmail.com>
FRIENDS WEBSITE
Currently a new Friends website is in the process of being
produced. Although the old DJMA site is still on the web it
is out of date. We apologise for this and will inform you
as soon as our new website is up and running.
(‘See where it all began’ cont.)
Links between Carnegie and Muir were established when the
industrialist visited California in 1910. John Muir was a guest at
a dinner in Carnegie’s honour in Pasadena. However he was
also in a small party that accompanied Carnegie to the Wilson
Observatory to which Carnegie had donated $250,000 and the
following day went with Carnegie to a lunch hosted by the Los
Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
The two Scots-in-exile became occasional correspondents, their
final exchange in 1914. Carnegie, by this time the world’s
foremost philanthropist, sent Muir a copy of his essay on
‘Apprenticeship’ and Muir’s letter of thanks, dated 22 January,
concludes “How strong you must be and happy in doing so much
good, in being able to illustrate so nobly the national character
founded on God's immutable righteousness that makes
Scotland loved at home, revered abroad! Everybody blessed
with a drop of Scotch blood must be proud of you and bid you
Godspeed. Your devoted admirer, John Muir” The phrase in
‘bold’ is from Burns’ ‘The Cotter’s Saturday Night’!
Readers of John Muir’s works will be aware of his enthusiasm for
the poems and songs of Scotland’s bard. Indeed he turned to
Burns following his wife Louie’s death in 1905 and an essay on
the poet on 25 January 1906 was one of the first serious pieces
of writing since his bereavement. (Carnegie also sought
consolation in Burns during periods of depression.)
Less well known perhaps is how the lives of the five men, each a
world figure in his own right, are bound together. As John Muir
wrote in ‘My First Summer in the Sierra’, “When we try to pick out
anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the
universe.”
Left: One of the Right: Some of the
many samplers that participants in the
will be on show in ‘Photo Challenge’
John Muir’s workshop organised
Birthplace during recently by the
December and Birthplace staff.
January

Below: Some of
the children who
Below: One of the
took part in the
many excellent
‘Scoochers’
photographs taken by
workshop proudly
children during the
display their
‘Photo Challenge’
handicraft.

workshop.