Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, Spring 2008 Newsletter
[ ←back ]
Centenary Exhibitions: The First One Hundred
In February 1908, Sir John Sinclair, Secretary of State of Scotland appointed the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. To mark our centenary, RCAHMS invites you to John Sinclair House to see The First One Hundred. Come and view the exhibition on display in the foyer and public search room that tells the story of the Commission and its work over the past century.
Our humble beginnings saw Alexander Ormiston Curle (Secretary 1908-13) carrying out all fieldwork single-handedly, while a clerk in Edinburgh wrote the monument descriptions. One hundred years on, RCAHMS has grown to house an archive of over 4.5 million items and employs over 100 people. The First One Hundred looks back at life in the Commission through old correspondence, photographs, sketches and excerpts from logbooks and journals.
Exhibition highlights include a photograph of the CBA Scottish Summer School in 1953 and photographs of survey work carried out in the 1960s and 70s (where you may spot a few familiar faces!). Some interesting facts are also revealed. Did you know that it was in 1933 that the Commission first used an aerial photograph to record an archaeological site? Perhaps even more curious is the Cupar Sheriff Court charge sheet on display — it tells us that in 1915 Dr Thomas Ross (Commissioner 1908-30) was arrested as a spy while sketching Rossend Castle!
Whether it be trying to source vehicles and fuel for our fieldwork after the Second World War or being enlisted with the mammoth task of digitizing the archive, the Commission continues to thrive and bring Scotland's built heritage to life. Our survey methods may have changed a great deal but our purpose remains the same. We look forward to seeing what the next 100 years will bring.
CBA Scottish Summer School, visiting excavations at Carronbridge, Dumfriesshire, 1953. The theme of the fieldtrip was 'Roman and Native in North Britain'. SC1096824
Survey of Coll, Argyll, 1967. Car ferries to some islands had not yet been introduced, so the Commission had to make other arrangements! SC1098516
G P Stell, D Peat and A J Leith surveying in the roof at Glasgow Cathedral, 1973. SC1098626