Woof - Be my Valentine!

Being a student brings many possibilities, not least of which is meeting new people, making new and friends, and perhaps a partner. The undergraduate experience is an intense one, and memories are still very strong many years later, as our oral history interviews can testify.

And so we have Valentine's day - the day of the year when we can celebrate, perhaps commiserate, but at the very least, consider love in its many forms.

Whereas today we seem to emphasise the love between people - partners, couples, or potential conquests perhaps, it seems that other times and other places have a different view.

Mary Dawson c 1940

Here at the archive we have a rather intriguing collection of Valentines which belonged to Miss Mary Dawson, the first Principal of Newton Park College (from its founding in 1946 until her retirement in 1968). Miss Dawson forms a major part of my own PhD research, and is an intriguing character. She was seen by many of her contemporaries as a visionary and inspiring leader, whose personal commitment to the college underpinned the development of an establishment which began in the era of postwar shortages and deprivations. She sowed the seeds of what would eventually grow into Bath Spa University.

Miss Dawson and Clover

Born at the beginning of the 20th century, Mary Dawson was one of those post First World War women who committed themselves to their work, and recognised herself as one of a particular generation who chose, by intention or by circumstances, to remain unmarried. In a speech given in the 1960s, she commented that demographic change meant that women like herself were becoming rarer, and that new options for women were making such a choice unnecessary. However for Miss Dawson and many women like her, choosing to pursue a career ran contrary to patterns of marriage, even if the men you knew had survived the war. Miss Dawson remembered many of her own friends and acquaintances who died. 

But Mary Dawson had another loving companion during her years at Newton Park, and that was Clover, her dog. Clover featured in the college photograph every year, nestled in amongst the students, and walked around the grounds of Newton Park with his mistress several times a day.

Clover was immortalised in art too, and in a scrapbook in the archive, we have a delightful collection of hand painted Valentine's cards, given to Miss Dawson, 'from Clover'. It seems that the students or staff made these cards, and they are obviously made with care and affection. 

Here are a selection from the 1950s

Happy Valentine's Day, to you and those you love!

Kate James

Timeless magic: the black and white photograph.

Recently at the Archive we have received two boxes of materials from the depths of the Bath Spa Library containing all manner of interesting documents, objects and images. This week's box provided us with a rich collection of beautiful black and white photographs which we have fallen in love with, and our favourites have been shared below. The photographs show Newton Park students looking effortlessly glamourous when taking part in sports activities, science and art classes and agricultural studies. This has led to a discussion here at the office about the cyclical nature of fashion and how a simple lack of colour can aid to creating an air of class.

As we are now a wholly female team, our conversations can often drift towards what clothes we've seen recently and almost always leads to one of us finding the item online to get the approval of the others. Whilst this used to be confined to lunchtime chit-chat, the introduction of more materials provides us with new and interesting photographs to look through, and it seems that now our conversations about clothes are inspired by a particularly nice jumper, skirt or pair of shoes that a student is wearing in the images we're studying. In light of this recent discovery, I believe that the time we spend each week comparing items online, planning outfits and reminiscing about how similar things were in fashion when we were children all count as historical research! 

Despite how similar our tastes may be with our 1950s' counterparts, one can't help but feel that when comparing photographs from my own university life with the ones we get to enjoy at the Archive, mine will appear much less glamourous. This could be due to the magic of the black and white photograph, or perhaps we live in a less glamourous time! Nevertheless, that we covet the A-line skirts and gingham dresses of our former students shows yet again that we are not so different from our past generations after all, an important lesson that we are reminded of each week when we come to the Archive and delve into our collective past. 

Racing on the lake: students enjoying the lake at Newton Park

Biology class: students taking measurements for tree shapes.

Art class: two students sketching the impressive Main House.

Agricultural studies: a student working in the walled garden.

Guest Blog by third year Historian, Hayley Crymble