In 1649 ….
… William Gray wrote the ‘The Chorographia’ a history of Newcastle upon Tyne. This was an historical account of the city from an observational point of view. But the presentation was more of a city guide than a history book.
Gray references the commerce and industry, architecture and people of the town, and with great insight and knowledge. ‘East again is Pilgrim Street, the longest and fairest street in the towne. In it is a market for wheat and rye every Tuesday and Saterday. Likewise a house called the Pilgrim’s Inn, where pilgrims lodged that came to visit the shrine in Jesmond which occasioned to call this street Pilgrim Street’. At the time of writing this account, there was great upheaval in the country and indeed in Newcastle there was a trial of 30 ordinary people accused of being witches.
Each one was pricked with a pin to prove their guilt. England belonged to kings and yet this history was written very much about the people of the Town. Later, in 1883, the Chorographia was republished by Joseph Crawhall and illustrated within his quirky woodcut illustrations. It is this verson of the Chorographia, where this early history became a true city guide, illustrating the subjects with fun and novel illustratons. Joseph Crawhall was born at West House, Newcastle.
He developed a fascination with the past, which led to an interest in reproducing the kind of woodcuts and engravings associated with locally produced chap books and ballad sheets. ‘Let those who always love now love the more’. It is the bringing together of these two approaches to the history of Newcastle upon Tyne that we want to represent in the ‘Figures of Tyne’. Figures of Tyne will present and represent the people of Newcastle, both ordinary and famous. Their characters will come to life in a storyboard along the length of the John Dobson Street side of the building.
LUXURIOUS ARTISTRY
The Newcastle “Paramount,” the North’s most elaborate cinema, was officially opened on Monday. No verbal description can do justice to this truly magnificent theatre which, at every turn, presents some fresh evidence of luxurious artistry and careful forethought on the part of the architect and his co-elaborators. There is an open-handed sumptuousness about its appointments which must make it a landmark in the northern cinema world, and will set fresh standards in the whole entertainment industry. The house is one which impresses its originality at every turn, but in no detail is this originality secured by flouting recognised standards of beauty and good taste. The whole scheme is harmonious and perfectly co-ordinated; it arrests attention by its inherent beauty and not by any ostentatious effort to shock and challenge.
This building was the inspiration behind our “Luxurious Artistry” theme and sets the tone for the artwork. We will take lost icons and existing architectural detailing and weave this into a landmark artwork that will create a visual narrative about Newcastle.
Engaging Architecture
This is a look at the architectural gems of Newcastle. There is a lot of hidden iconography above doorways, high up on tall buildings and above windows. There is also some quirky features inside and outside buildings - the Black Rabbit/hare at Cathedral Buidlings for instance. One of the fantastic things about a lof of these older buildings is that you can just walk in and have a look - Milburn House for instance.
We have a series of workshops and art sessions looking at the architectural gems of the city and exploring the storylines behind them.
The imagery will then feed into the ornate steel work of the artwork. Reflecting Newcastle’s Tapestry by Steve Pardue. Our goal is to involve local artists in discovering, understanding, and creating artworks inspired by the rich history, social dynamics, and physical aspects of Newcastle upon Tyne. This will culminate in a public exhibition featuring collaborative artworks displayed on convex mirrors.
Explore the Luxurious Artistry of Newcastle
There is no substitute for exploring our city in person - look up and around and you can’t help but admire the beautiful craftsmanship and storylines that sit behind the glorious buildings at the centre of town. Below are just some of the building details you will find and I am sure you will many more yourself.
