THE OSCHOLARS
___________
Vol. IV No. 3
issue no 34: March 2007
The society page
Reports on specialist societies divided into Hero Societies and Subject Societies.
New Societies are added each month. Last month we added Henry James, Stephen Crane, the Irish Association of Art Historians and the Scottish Society for Art History. This month we add John Ruskin and Emile Zola; next month J.-K. Huysmans.
From June 2007, news of Theatre Societies will be transferred to a new page called
ìUPSTAGEë
News of Wilde Societies is in our main pages under the heading
‘Never Speaking Disrespectfully’.
News of Shaw Societies is in our Shavings
supplement, reached by clicking the cornet
French Societies will appear here from
time to time, but in general are more likely to be found in the webpages of the
rue des beaux arts under Links or Liaisons.
To Table of Contents | To hub page |To THE
OSCHOLARS home page .
Click 
for the main pages of this issue of THE OSCHOLARS.
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Hero Societies |
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1.
The Louis Couperus Society |
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2.
The Stephen Crane Society |
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11. The Octave Mirbeau
Society |
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3.
The Ford Madox Ford Society |
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12.
The William Morris Society |
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4.
The A.E. Housman Society |
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13.
The William Morris Society of Canada |
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5. The Ibsen Society of America |
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14.
The William Morris Society of the U.S.A |
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6. The Irving
Society |
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15. The John Ruskin
Society |
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7.
The Henry James Society |
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16.
The Robert Louis Stevenson Club |
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8.
The Arthur Machen Society |
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17. The Edith Wharton
Society |
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9.
The George MacDonald Society |
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18. The Emile Zola
Society |
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17.
The Association of Literary Societies |
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Subject Societies |
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1. The Society for the Protection
of Ancient Buildings |
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2.
The Irish Association of Art Historians |
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9. The Association of Historians
of Nineteenth Century Art |
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3.
The Scottish Society for Art History |
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10. The Irish Society for Theatre Research |
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11. The Pre-Raphaelite
Society |
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5.
The Bedford Park Society |
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12. The Association for Theatre in Higher Education |
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6. The Decorative
Arts Society |
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13. The Society for Theatre
Research |
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7. The Eighteen-Nineties
Society |
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14. The Victorian
Society |
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15. The
Victorian Society in America |
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We would very much like to
receive news of similar Societies from anywhere in the world.
We will gladly publish the names
of relevant articles from the Table of Contents of any of these Societies'
journals if sent us as e-mail attachments (not.pdf).
I. HERO SOCIETIES
1.
The Louis Couperus society
(Louis Couperus Genootschap)
The Louis Couperus Genootschap is the biggest literary society in The
Netherlands.
Couperus, who firmly believed in reincarnation, was convinced he had
been an ancient Roman in a previous life. His best work in this respect, The
Mountain of Light, on the rise and fall of the deified emperor
Heliogabalus, became very popular in Germany. On the whole one can say that his
psychological novels had more success in England and the USA, whereas his
historical works were more appreciated by the German speaking public. Only a
few of his books have been translated into French; a new English translation by
Paul Vincent of Inevitable has recently been published by Pushkin Press. 320pp.
ISBN 1 90128 559 6. £8.99.
The Society’s website has recently been extended.
Arabesken
Number 28
The 28th issue of The Society’s journal, Arabesken, was published in November 2006. The Table of Contents was published in our issue for February 2007:
Louis Couperus
[Eva Thienpont]
2.
The Stephen Crane Society
Founded by Crane scholar Paul Sorrentino
in 1990, the Stephen Crane Society is devoted to research on and discussion
about the author. The society grew out of a Crane conference sponsored by
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and held in
Blacksburg in 1989. The society is officially associated with the American
Literature Association (ALA) and holds its annual meeting, sponsors
panels, and elects its officers at the ALA conference in late May/early June of
each year. Its international membership includes specialists and
nonspecialists.
The society sponsors Stephen
Crane Studies, a journal of notes, queries, bibiographical
material, and reviews. The journal is published semi-annually in the spring and
fall; the most recent issue with its Table of Contents on line is Volume 15, Number 1 (Spring 2006). Since 1992 it has been
published at by the Department of English, Virginia Tech. Manuscripts should follow the MLA Style
Manual. Annual subscriptions are $10 for individuals and $20 for
institutions; foreign subscriptions are $12 and $22. Checks should be
made payable to the Stephen Crane Society.
Address all correspondence regarding
subscriptions and manuscript submission to Paul Sorrentino, Editor, Stephen
Crane Studies, Department of English, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
24061-0112. psorrent@vt.edu
The Society’s website, which contains much material devoted to Crane,
can be reached by clicking the banner.
3.
The Ford Madox Ford Society
This international society was founded in
1997 to promote knowledge of and interest in Ford Madox Ford's works and
life. Ford, who disliked Wilde, is the
link between Wilde and Violet Hunt.
The Society aims to organise at least two
events each year, and to publish one or two Newsletters. The latest (14th January 2007) is Newsletter
no. 12 (26 June 2006) and is published on-line. The Society’s latest conference, on 'Ford
Madox Ford: Literary Networks and Cultural Transitions' was held at the
Birmingham and Midlands Institute, Birmingham, 14th-15th September, 2006; the
previous one, ‘Ford Madox Ford, Englishness, and Modernism’, was held on the
17th and 18th December 2004, in the Friends Meeting House, Mount St,
Manchester.
For further information, either contact
Sara Haslam (Treasurer) at English
Department, Chester College, Parkgate Road, Chester CH1 4BJ or e-mail the
Chairman, Max Saunders at max.saunders@kcl.ac.uk. The Secretary is Ashley Chantler. Honorary Members include Julian Barnes, Bernard Bergonzi, A. S. Byatt, Hans
Magnus Enzensberger, Samuel Hynes, Alan Judd, Sir Frank Kermode, John Lamb,
Sylvère Monod, Sergio Perosa, Ruth Rendell, Michael Schmidt, The Hon. Oliver
Soskice, John Sutherland, Gore Vidal.
The Society’s very informative website
can be reached by clicking on their banner below. A further hyperlink
will bring up the Society’s Newsletter its back issues. The most recent issue was No. 13, February
2007.
o
o
We also refer readers to the
Ford pages at the University of Birmingham:
http://www.english.bham.ac.uk/fordmadoxford2006/literarycontacts.htm
4.
The Housman Society
This was founded in 1973 and exists to
promote knowledge and appreciation of the lives and works of A.E. Housman and
other members of his family. The Society also promotes the causes of
literature and poetry in general. It produces an annual Journal
(index on line – click their logotype below), organises discussions, visits and
poetry readings. Commemorations are held in Bromsgrove on 26th
March (A.E. Housman's birthday) and in Ludlow on the last Saturday in April. It
sponsors an annual lecture under the title 'The Name and Nature of Poetry' at
the Hay Festival of Literature in May/June each year. This was given in 2006 by Professor Lisa
Jardine, Professor of English and Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Queen Mary and
Westfield College, University of London.
Further information about the Society and the above books and
merchandise is available from The Housman Society at 80 New Road, Bromsgrove,
Worcs B60 2LA, England. Email: info@housman-society.co.uk.
The programme announced so far for 2007
is as follows:
Wednesday 7th March 2007 7.30 p.m.
80 New Road, Bromsgrove
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING followed by Elizabeth Oakley talking about her current research into Clemence Housman.
Wine and Refreshments.
Monday 26th March 12.30 p.m.
The Statue, High Street, Bromsgrove
A.E.H. BIRTHDAY COMMEMORATION
Followed by a Buffet Lunch (by kind invitation of the Chairman of Bromsgrove District Council).
Monday 30th April 2007 12.00 noon
Ludlow – by the plaque on the North Wall of St Laurence’s
A.E.H. COMMEMORATION
There will be a ceremony by the tablet on the north wall of St Laurence’s and this will be will be followed by lunch at a venue to be confirmed. The ceremony this year will be taking place on the actual day that A.E.H. died.
Tuesday 29th May 2007
Hay-on-Wye
THE HOUSMAN LECTURE at The Hay Festival of Literature
The Name and Nature of Poetry
Dr Archie Burnett is Co-Director of the Editorial Institute at Boston University and his edition of A.E. Housman’s Letters will be published in March 2007.
Friday 26th to Sunday 28th October 2007
Housman Hall, Bromsgrove
SOCIETY WEEKEND
The opportunity to hold this weekend in Housman Hall, the Housman family home, will make it special. The programme is yet to be finalised but there will be tours of Housman Places in the area and a stimulating programme of talks, readings and discussion. It will include a concert (in conjunction with Bromsgrove Concerts) of Housman settings. Accommodation will be in The Ladybird Lodge, which is a recently built high quality hotel within a few hundred yards of the railway station.
Further
details from info@housman-society.co.uk
5.
The Ibsen Society of America
To live is - to war with trolls
In the holds of the heart and
mind.
The Ibsen Society of America (ISA) was
founded in 1978 at the close of the Ibsen Sesquicentennial Symposium held in
New York City to mark the 150th anniversary of Henrik Ibsen's birth. The late Ibsen translator and critic Rolf
Fjelde, Professor of Literature at Pratt Institute and the chief organizer of
the Symposium, was elected Founding President. In December, 1979, the ISA was
certified as a non-profit corporation under the laws of the State of New York.
The purpose of the Ibsen Society of America, as set out in its
Bylaws, is to foster through lectures, readings, performances, conferences, and
publications an understanding of Ibsen's works as they are interpreted in texts
and produced on stage and in film and other media. The Society is The Ibsen
Society of America by virtue of its location and the citizenship of most of its
members, but it is concerned with Ibsen activities throughout the world. Membership in The Ibsen Society of America is
open to anyone with an interest in Ibsen.
The ISA publishes an annual journal, Ibsen News and Comment, distributed free to all members, which reports on Ibsen activities within the ISA and throughout the world. It reviews productions of Ibsen's plays and recent books and articles on Ibsen. Every issue features the only existing critical annotated bibliography of current articles on Ibsen.
The journal is edited by
Joan Templeton, The Ibsen Society of America, Department of English, Long Island University–Brooklyn Campus, One University Plaza, Brooklyn, New York 11201. E-mail: joan.templeton@liu.edu or joantmp@aol.com (but e-mail communication is difficult).
If you click the masthead, you will arrive at a page (last updated 3rd March 2006) with a link that enables you to download as .pdf further information about the journal’s articles but the last journal published as .pdf is dated 2005:
The Society’s meetings for 2007 are announced on their website (click
the image below). For a somewhat random
selection of current Ibsen productions, see our listings under Going Wilde §
II: Beyond the Wilderness.
6.
The Irving Society
The Irving Society was founded in 1996 to explore the life and times
of Sir Henry Irving, the first actor to be knighted and the figure who,
more than any other, raised the theatre to the status of a fine art. The
complexity of his character, his mesmeric personality, his personal integrity
and messianic intensity still fascinate us nearly a century after his
death. The late Sir John Gielgud was a Founder Patron, and Sir Henry's
great-grandson, John H.B. Irving, is a current Patron. Frances Hughes has
succeeded Michael Kilgarriff in the chair.
The Society organises functions, trips, lectures, and meetings of various kinds five times a year, besides publishing a quarterly newsletter, The Irvingite, and a half-yearly journal, First Knight. The latest issue of The Irvingite (No 38 January 2007) is now published and can be downloaded as a .pdf file from their website.
The annual subscriptions (including
publications) are Single - £20.00; Couples - £34.00; Overseas - £24.00 and can
be sent (STERLING ONLY) to the Honorary Treasurer, Sylvia
Starshine, THE IRVING SOCIETY, Flat 7, 23 Stanhope Road, London N6 5AW,
England.
He enxt events announced are
Wednesday 23rd May: Tour of Garrick Club, 15 Garrick Street, London WC2. 10.15 – Noon. Guide: Frances Hughes, Chair of the Irving Society. Cost: £15 including light refreshments. Maximum number: 30. Luncheon available afterwards at Henry's, Henrietta Street.
Tuesday 30th October : Concert Artistes' Association, 20 Bedford Street, London WC2, Annual Dinner 6.15pm for 7.00pm. £35 including a pre-prandial drink. Guest of Honour: Andrew Sachs.
For more details see the Society’s website (click on the logo).
7.
The Henry
James Society
From their website:
Our mission is to offer Henry James scholars and other interested persons an opportunity to share in the study and appreciation of the life and works of the author. A non-profit educational organization, the Henry James Society provides a medium of communication for Henry James scholars and expands the possibilities for Henry James studies through annual meetings, special symposiums, and The Henry James Review.
The officers for 2007 are Tamara Follini,
President (University of Cambridge);
Eric Savory, Secretary/Treasurer (Université de Montréal); Julie Rivkin, Vice President (Connecticut College); Greg Zacharias,
Executive Director (Creighton University);
Susan M. Griffin, Editor The Henry James Review (University of
Louisville). The Society’s website,
which is curiously lacking in complexity, can be found by clicking the picture
of Henry James (the Society has no device of its own). For Henry James studies on the web, the
reader is referred to the far more elaborate http://www2.newpaltz.edu/~hathaway/
8.
The Arthur Machen
Society
‘…Machen’s dismissal from the London Evening News in 1921 was not solely due to the libelling of Lord Alfred Douglas in the premature obituary: the malaise, said Machen, had set in some time before. Machen told John Gawsworth why he believed he was not invited to contribute to The Yellow Book, the famous Nineties periodical: he had expressed enthusiasm for the Sherlock Holmes stories to the editor Henry Harland and felt this counted against him…’
‘The Friends Of Arthur Machen is a fellowship which exists to foster
interest in Machen and his work, to aid research, and for the pleasure of its
members. The Friends of Arthur Machen grew out of the remains of the British
Arthur Machen Society, which was originally formed in the 1980s. The current
membership of the Friends is very diverse, reflecting the very diverse currents
which have drawn it together. Interest in mysticism, in the occult, in both
paganism and Christianity, in the decadence of the 1890s, in the landscapes of
Gwent, not to mention love of good reading and good living, are all very
variously represented: in fact all that really unites the membership is
admiration for a writer who has qualities not found elsewhere.’
The Society publishes Faunus, the literary journal of the Friends, which has appeared twice yearly since the inauguration of The Friends and is now on issue 8. Contents are both articles of interest to admirers of Machen and examples of his work, often articles and pieces not easily available in any other form. Machenalia, the Friends' newsletter, is more informal, less literary in tone and style. It deals with items of topical interest, about Machen, and about the Friends. It too appears twice yearly.
Subscription: £20 or $36 (US).
Send to:-
Jeremy Cantwell, Treasurer, 78, Greenwich South Street, Greenwich,
London SE10 8UN. e-mail: jrc@amarantus.ndo.co.uk
The Annual General Meeting and Dinner
will be held at the Three Salmons Hotel in Usk, Monmouthshire, Wales on Saturday 3rd
March. Details from here.
The website can also be reached by clicking the banner:
9.
The
George MacDonald Society
From their website:
George MacDonald (1824-1905) was one of the
most original of nineteenth century thinkers. His writing and lecturing brought
him wide recognition in his own day, and into the company of many of the
leading Victorians of the time.
MacDonald's writing has an outstanding imaginative power, largely influenced by the German and English Romantics. It is in the realms of fantasy and children's literature, along with his visionary theology, that has made his greatest contribution.
The importance of George MacDonald's work is being rediscovered and the Society works to further this interest. Formed in 1981, it publishes an annual journal, North Wind which carries articles related to his life and work, reviews of new books, and other publications relevant to MacDonald Studies. For back copies of North Wind, please write to Mrs. Rachel Johnson, 18 Tappenhall Road, Fernhill Heath, Worcester, WR3 7TR, England – see our Publications page for news of new issues.
v A quarterly newsletter, Orts is also produced to provide news of events, meetings, lectures, or visits and any other information of interest to members: we do not know when the last one appeared.
v A research collection of works on and by MacDonald has been established at King's College, London, where he taught at one time, and is available to anyone wishing to use it.
Membership of the Society is open to all who are interested.
That there are affinities here with Oscar
Wilde is apparent; if they have ever been explored, we have yet to learn of
it. The home page (last updated as long
ago as 4th September 2005) can be reached by clicking on the colophon.
10. The Charles
Rennie Mackintosh Society
The Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society is an independent, non-profit
making charity, established in 1973 to promote and encourage awareness of the
Scottish architect and designer, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The Society has
over 1600 members across the world with active groups in Glasgow, Bath, London and the SE, North of England and
Japan, and an associate group in Port Vendres. The Director is Stuart Robertson.
In 1999, the Society became owner and long-term custodian of the
Mackintosh Church at Queen's Cross. Membership of the Society provides a unique
opportunity to support the only church built to Charles Rennie Mackintosh's
design.
A Mackintosh Festival was held in Glasgow in September 2006 and a
Conference in Novem.
The CRM Society, Queen's Cross Church, 870 Garscube Road, Glasgow G20 7EL. Tel:-(44) 0141-946-6600. Fax:-(44) 0141-945-2321. info@crmsociety.com.
The website (click below) has been redesigned. Its News & Events section can be accessed
directly at http://www.crmsociety.com/eventlist.aspx,
and one can now subscribe to an e-newsletter.
11. Société
Octave Mirbeau
Founded in Angers on 28th
November 1993 and chaired by Dr Pierre Michel, Mirbeau’s editor and biographer,
the aim of the Octave Mirbeau Society is to contribute by all the means at its
disposal to the knowledge of the life, struggles and work of this great Norman
writer (1848-1917). Its principal
publication is the annual Cahiers Octave
Mirbeau, of which twelve numbers appeared between May 1994 and
March 2005, with a total of more than 4,300 pages. Mirbeau both defended Wilde,
and satirised him in the Journal d’une femme de chambre.
Website
with all membership details and much information about Mirbeau
http://membres.lycos.fr/octavemirbeau/
For an early call for papers for an international Conference
on Mirbeau, see Being Talked About.
Cahier 13, 2006 has been published, and with Dr
Michel’s kind permission, we published the Table of Contents of its 352 pages
in our issue for December
2006.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulletin à retourner à la Société Octave Mirbeau - 10 bis rue André
Gautier, 49000 - ANGERS
Je
soussigné(e) : ___________________________________________
Courriel :__________________________
Adresse :___________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________
souhaite adhérer à la Société Octave Mirbeau pour l’année 2006, ce qui me donne
droit à la livraison annuelle des Cahiers Octave Mirbeau : 31 € par an (étudiants et chômeurs : 15,50 €). Correspondants
étrangers : 38 €.
souhaite recevoir le tome I de la Correspondance
générale de Mirbeau : 35 € (+ 4) :
souhaite recevoir le tome II de la Correspondance
générale de Mirbeau : 40 € (+ 4) :
Signature
: Ci-joint un chèque de :
12. the William Morris Society
Founded in London in 1955, the Society aims to make the life and work
of Morris and his associates better known. Its programmes–which involve
affiliated groups in Canada and the United States–include lectures,
conferences, tours, museum visits, and social gatherings. A Newsletter is
published quarterly (two issues with U.S. supplements) and there is a biannual
Journal: both free to members. The Society publishes an array of books and
pamphlets dealing with Morris. One of
the Morris Society's next big projects will be the Morris Online Edition.
It is hoped to reproduce and create scholarly editions of nearly all of
Morris's writings and make them available to the public for free. Watch http://www.morrisedition.org/ for new
developments. This is still in the planning phases.
The website has the following pages:
v
New in the
William Morris Society: Conferences, exhibitions, lectures, and
social gatherings in the UK, US, and Canada related to William Morris and his
circle.
v
Current
US Newsletter: get involved
with your Society!
v
About
the William Morris Society: Society bylaws, history, and membership
directory.
v
The
Journal of William Morris Studies: The scholarly organ of the
Society since 1961.
v
The
Life and Work of William Morris: Examples of and links to Morris's
writings, poetry, and designs.
v
The
Worldwide Morris: Morris in English, Español, Català, Português,
Россия, Magyar, Dutch, Dansk, Polska,
Česky, Svenska, Deutsch, & Français.
v
Society
Archive: Worldwide announcements (1996 - present) and US newsletters
(1988 - present).
v
Links to Related Sites: Arts
& Crafts · Printing & book arts · Products
& services · Victorian
links
The Journal of William Morris Studies (formerly
the Journal of the William Morris Society) is edited by Dr. Rosie Miles,
Editor JWMS, Kelmscott House, 26 Upper Mall, Hammersmith, London, W6 9TA,
England. Inquiries welcome: the e-mail address can be activated by clicking on
the image below. The Journal (ISSN: 0084-0254) invites contributions on
all subjects relating to William Morris's life and works and his varied circles
of influence.
Between 1st January 1996 and 1st January
2006, the Society’s web site had 2,450,396 visitors. On the web site are announced items of
interest to scholars, researchers, and everyone interested in William Morris,
his circle, and the Pre-Raphaelite movement, such as:
* News of Morris Society events in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and worldwide.
* Events and exhibitions related to the life and works of Morris and his associates.
* Calls for papers and essays for conferences and book collections.
* Biographical information and examples of Morris's works in many media.
* Books by and about William Morris.
* Products and services dealing with William Morris and his circle.
* Links to related web resources.
The 2007 programme is as follows
(updated 30th December 2006)
24th March 2007: Morris's Birthday
Celebration, speaker TBA.
24th April 2007: Visit to a Pottery
and to Standen.
12th May 2007: Gardens of the Arts
& Crafts Movement, lecture by Judith Tankard of the Landscape
Institute, Harvard University.
19th May 2007: 52nd Annual General Meeting
at the Geffrye Museum, London.
9th June 2007: Garden Party at
Kelmscott House.
30th June 2007: A Collection of
Designer Bookbindings to Celebrate Socialism, lecture and exhibition by our
member Lord Tom Sawyer of Darlington.
24th November 2007: A Lecture (title
TBA) by Florence Boos, president of the William Morris Society in the
United States.
13. the William Morris Society of Canada
87 Government Road, Toronto, Ontario, M8X
1W4. Tel. 416-233-7686. E-mail: info@wmsc.ca
The Society’s most recent event was
‘Shaw's Debt to Morris’, a Lecture by
Ivan Wise on 23rd August 2006 at the Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto, Ontario. Ivan Wise is publisher of ‘The Shavian’, the
Journal of the Shaw Society. His current speaking engagements on Shaw, and
other literary figures include The International Comedy Conference, Oscar Wilde
Society AGM, and the Shaw Festival, Niagara-on-the-Lake , Ontario.
Future events are announced on their
website, last updated on 28th February, and these and other information about
the Society can be found by clicking the banner. At the moment of compilation of this month’s
Society Page, events are listed as
~ March 2007 ~
The WMSC Symposium
~
April 2007 ~
"Voyages to 'Nowhere': the Politics
of Pastoral and the Perils of the Utopian Form"
~ May 2007 ~
Arts and Crafts Gardens of California
~ June 2007 ~
SOLD OUT:
Arts and
Crafts Tour:
Northern
England and Scotland
~ July 2007 ~
Tour of Historic 1840 Tollkeeper's
Cottage
14. the William Morris Society of the
United States
This Society is not currently maintaining
its own website. The website of the (English) William Morris Society
carries a link to the U.S. Society's Newsletter (July 2006).
The Editor extends an invitation for anyone with Morris-related news, in the
broadest possible interpretation, to contact her for inclusion in the next
issue. "Morris-related" includes the Pre-Raphaelites, Arts and
Crafts, History of the Book, Medievalism, Eco-Socialism, etc.
Also welcome are books for review, news
of conferences, book sales, calls for papers, and news of tours.
Events are listed as follows:
5th October 2006 – 27th March 2007: Events for the Nineteenth Century Reproductions conference, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
20th March 2007 DEADLINE: topics for the Morris Society sessions at the 2007 Modern Language Association conference.
through July 2007: Follow the U.S. tour of the Waking Dreams exhibition of Pre-Raphaelite art from the Delaware Art Museum's collections.
More from Shannon L. Rogers, Newsletter
Editor, William Morris Society in the United States.
![[Picture of William Morris]](The_Society_Page_files/image030.jpg)
William Morris and the Hammersmith Socialist
League
15. The Ruskin Societies
v
Given the influence of John
Ruskin on Oscar Wilde at Oxford we had hoped to present this as a major
feature ; we therefore apologise for the paucity of the information so far
collected.
The Ruskin Foundation
The Ruskin Foundation is a charitable trust, founded in 1995, for the care, conservation and promotion of the legacy of John Ruskin. Its aim is to make Ruskin’s ideas and achievements as widely influential in the world as possible. Through the Ruskin Library and Brantwood it enables the greatest possible number of scholars and general public alike to access the world’s largest and most important collection of Ruskin material. It also promotes the continuing relevance of Ruskin’s ideas through our own special projects and a wide range of partnership activities. It is based at Bowland College, Lancaster University, Lancaster, England LA1 4YT.
The Ruskin Society of London
The Ruskin Society of London serves to promote interest in the life and works of John Ruskin and his contemporaries.
This maintains no website, but can be contacted, appropriately if paradoxically at
351 Woodstock Road
Oxford OX2 7NX
England
Telephone: 01865 310 987; Fax: 01865 310 987
The New Ruskin Society of Birmingham
This is recorded in the Oxford World Classics Magazine list of literary associations, but at time of publishing this edition of THE OSCHOLARS we have been unable to discover any details.
16. The Robert Louis Stevenson CLUB
The RLS Club was formed in 1920 by those
who had known Stevenson and who wanted to care for his memory.
The Club's main objective is ‘to foster interest in Stevenson's life and works’. Over the years this has been met by the organisation of exhibitions, lectures and readings, the presentation of prizes for literary competitions, and the maintenance of the first Edinburgh museum dedicated to RLS at his birthplace at 8 Howard Place. The fine collection of memorabilia originally displayed there has been transferred to the City of Edinburgh's Writers' Museum in the Lawnmarket.
The Club, which has members all over the world, has close links with the RLS Club of Monterey, California, and is twinned with L’Association sur le Chemin de RLS in the Cévennes, France.
The Club badge is based on the palm tree device used on the famous ‘Tusitala’ edition of RLS’s works in 35 volumes published by Heinemann in 1923-4
The RLS Club is a registered charity in
Scotland: SC016582.
v
The RLS Club is not to be
confused with the (American) Robert Louis Stevenson Society, of which more in a
future issue.
17. The Edith Wharton Society
Firmly grounded in academe, the Edith Wharton Society offers Wharton
scholars and other interested persons an opportunity to share in the study and
appreciation of the life and works of this author. Through annual
meetings, sessions, special conferences, and its journal, The Edith Wharton Review,
the Society provides a forum for Wharton studies. The current President (2005-2007) is Donna
Campbell of Washington State University; the current Secretary (2005-2007) is
Edie Thornton, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Their website is well-stocked with
information about the Society, Wharton and Wharton studies.
18. The Emile Zola Society
Based at the French Institute in London :
Institut français - Centre Culturel
17
Queensberry Place, London SW7 2DT
Tel.: 0207 073 1350
The programme for 2007 includes
Friday 20th
April, 7.30 p.m.
"Avec Zola à
table" : Annual dinner of the Emile Zola Society
Sunday 1st
July
Outing to Henley
or Crystal Palace
(to be confirmed)
Friday 19th
to Sunday 21th October
‘Visages de la Provence: Zola, Cézanne, ...’ : International Conference in Aix-en-Provence.
Friday 14th December
AGM followed by a talk 'Flowers
in the work of Emile Zola' by Dr Danielle Kent (University of Plymouth)
19. The Alliance of Literary Societies
The Alliance of Literary Societies was formed in 1973 as a
result of a correspondence in The Times related to a threatened building
with Dickens associations. Mrs. Kathleen Adams, Secretary of the George Eliot
Fellowship, suggested that through a close co-operative literary society,
societies could provide a more powerful voice in defence of the British
literary heritage.
The Alliance now has a membership (list last updated 4th
January 2007) of more than
100 societies and is thus able to provide support and advice on a variety of
subjects as well as promoting co-operation between member societies in the
preparation of their programmes. Their
website lists these. The Alliance is very much British rooted.
A journal is produced annually. Articles are
welcomed by the editor, though she should be contacted before writing the
article. The co-editors are Linda Curry,
linda.curry1@virgin.net,
and Robin Healey, robin@pitmaston.freeserve.co.uk. A Newsletter is also produced twice a year.
To contact the Alliance of Literary Societies, please write or phone: The Secretary (Rosemary Culley) 22 Belmont Grove, Havant, Hants. PO9 3PU. Tel: 023 92 475855, fax: 0870056 0330 or rosemary@sndc.demon.co.uk.
II. SUBJECT SOCIETIES
20. The Society for the Protection of Ancient
Buildings.
Founded by William Morris in 1877 to counteract the highly
destructive 'restoration' of mediæval buildings being practised by many
Victorian architects. Today it is the largest, oldest and most technically
expert national pressure group fighting to save old buildings from decay,
demolition and damage.
The Society's events calendar formerly found at http://www.spab.org.uk/noticeboard_events.html
is now reached by a link from their home page (click their colophon).
37
Spital Square, London E1 6DY. tel 020 7377 1644 fax 020 7247 5296. info@spab.org.uk
21. The Irish Association of Art Historians
Since its foundation, the IAAH has
maintained a programme of lectures, events, seminars and tours to significant
sites in Ireland and abroad. The range of lecture subjects has been broad and
varied. Visits are also arranged to important collections and exhibitions at
home and abroad.
Financial assistance is given from time to
time for research, publications and restoration projects and the IAAH funds an
essay prize for History of Art undergraduates.
The IAAH is also the representative
association for art historians in Ireland and is responsible for the election
of the Irish National Committee of the Comité International d'Histoire de l'Art
(CIHA).
v
Although the site promises
quarterly updates on its news and events, the last event announced was for
September 2004. Our attempt to contact
them at the address given on the website (iaah@ireland.com) brought the reply ‘User
unknown’.
22. The Scottish Society for Art History
The SSAH was founded in 1984 to promote
Art History in Scotland. It is open to everyone interested in art, from people
with a general interest to specialist scholars, and from students to
teachers, museum curators, collectors and dealers. The Society aims to be
relevant to all fields of art, including applied art, architecture and design,
as well as fine art. It also embraces the art of all periods and countries,
though of course it has a strong commitment to Scottish art. The Society publishes both a Newsletter and a
Journal. THE
OSCHOLARS on our Publications page will note articles
covering our concerns that appear in the latter.
23. the Arts & Crafts Society of New
YorK
The Arts and Crafts Society of Central New York is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of the Arts and Crafts Movement through a schedule of lectures, symposia, tours and other educational programs for the purpose of increasing awareness of this rich cultural heritage and stimulating interest in its preservation.
The objectives are:
• To preserve, document, and understand the artifacts and ideals of the Arts & Crafts Movement.
• To accomplish these objectives, the society encourages study groups in such areas as architecture, ceramics, glass, furniture, books, and other topics.
• Support conferences, seminars,
publications and exhibitions relating to the Arts & Crafts Movement.
• Sponsor research and publication of Arts and Crafts material.
• To Work toward the establishment of an Arts & Crafts research center to serve as a place of study, exhibitions, meeting, and collection.
The Society's website maintains a number of fora dedicated to
different aspects of Arts and Crafts, and its latest newsletter (Volume 8 Number 2
) can be downloaded as a .pdf.
24. The Bedford Park Society
The Bedford Park Society (a registered charity) was founded in 1963
to protect the amenities of Bedford Park and has been successful in saving the
work of Norman Shaw, Godwin, Wilson, May and others.
No events are ordinarily planned. The Society seeks to protect the amenities of the garden suburb and is therefore primarily interested in matters concerning the buildings, their setting, their maintenance and appropriate development sympathetic to their architectural and historic importance. The Society is not a residents’ association but is nevertheless keenly interested in community matters affecting the amenities of the suburb. The suburb has many buildings designed by Arts and Crafts Architects, including Voysey, Godwin and Norman Shaw.
The Bedford Park Society, 31 Priory
Avenue, Bedford Park, London W4 1TZ, England.
25. The Decorative Arts Society
Founded in 1975, The Decorative Arts
Society encourages the study and appreciation of the applied arts, architecture
and interior design on an international basis throughout Europe and America
from 1850 to the present.
In its activities and publications the Society embraces all the
different media – furniture, ceramics, glass, metalwork, textiles, jewellery
and fashion as well as industrial design, stage and film design and the graphic
arts.
Membership is international and is open to
all who are interested in any aspect of this vast field. No specialist
knowledge is required. Existing members
comprise collectors, dealers, libraries, museum curators, teachers, students,
artists and designers, as well as those from other walks of life, all of whom
wish to share their enthusiasm with others.
The DAS has an international reputation for its scholarship on the
decorative arts which is disseminated world-wide through the annual journal,
sent free of charge to all members. This
illustrated publication contains authoritative articles based on original
research usually collected around a particular theme or topic. With at least 100 pages and over 100
illustrations, many in colour, the Journal is of permanent scholarly value to
both institutions and collectors. There is a full cumulative index of
past Journals, most of which are still available. The current issue is number 30, and its Table
of Contents was published in our Society pages in February
2007.
Back numbers are available through Richard
Dennis Publications, The Old Chapel, Shepton Beauchamp, Ilminster, Somerset
TA19 OLE, England. Tel +44 (0) 1460 240044.
books@richarddennispublications.com.
For membership details contact The Membership Secretary, Decorative Arts Society, PO BOX 136, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1TG, England. The Society maintains a website which can be reached by clicking its monogram.
26. The Eighteen Nineties Society
This last candle of the Nineteenth
Century has regrettably been extinguished.
The old web address of www.1890s.org
now brings up a page with the message ‘This page is parked free, courtesy of GoDaddy.com’. The Victorian Society (q.v.)
has a link to the Eighteen-Nineties Society, www.1890s.com,
but this brings up a page of advertisements for Victoriana. Similarly www.1890s.co.uk
is the page of ‘a web development consultancy who specialise in the use of
quality generic domain names. We also offer hosting for private clients that
use our various business services’, which sounds less than fin-de-siècle.
We very much hope that www.oscholars.com will help fill the gap.
For a bibliography of the Society’s publications, click here.
27. The Furniture History Society
1 Mercedes Cottages, St John's Road,
Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 4EH, England.
furniturehistorysociety@hotmail.com.
The small, and rather reticent, webpage
that used to be at http://www.iserv.net/~plucas/fhsoc.htm
no longer exists. For a while, a much
grander site could be found at www.furniturehistorysociety.com
(see below). Among the information given
on its various pages we cite the following:
Furniture History,the journal of the Furniture History Society, is an
extensively illustrated scholarly journal issued annually to members only. It
is the only journal devoted to the history of furniture from all parts of the
world and is internationally recognized as authoritative. Subjects range from
the work of individual makers and designers to aspects of interior decoration,
domestic economy and trade practice. Contributions have been made by the foremost
scholars in the field, including Edward Joy on the overseas trade, Robert C.
Smith on Portuguese furniture, Helena Hayward on the designs of John Linnell,
Georg Himmelheber on nineteenth century German furniture, Geoffrey de Bellaigue
on the patronage of George IV, Svend Eriksen on neo-classical furniture,
Morrison H. Hecksher on Philadelphia Chippendale, and Pierre Verlet on Parisian
upholsterers.
From time to time, single issues devoted to individual subjects or notable articles published in special editions for sale to the public. One used to be able to recah Special Publications for a list of available back issues, but this link no longer functions.
The Furniture History Society’s illustrated Newsletter, published four times a year, comprises about 24 pages of notices of
the Society’s activities, news items and short articles on current matters of
interest, such as recent discoveries, research topics or museum acquisitions.
The Newsletter also reports on past visits, lectures and study tours at home and
abroad and includes numerous book reviews.
v
January 2007: The Society’s
website, once reachable by clicking the banner no longer leads to the Society,
only to a list of recommended links.
v
February:
This has not changed. The links have
little or nothing to do with Furniture History.
v
March:
This is unchanged.
28. The Association of Historians of
Nineteenth-Century Art
Founded in 1993, the Association of
Historians of Nineteenth-Century Art currently has more than three hundred
members. AHNCA's goal is to foster dialogue and communication among those who
have a special interest in the field of nineteenth-century art and culture.
Nineteenth-century art is broadly defined as all art that was produced between
the American Revolution and the Paris International Exposition of 1900,
regardless of geographic boundaries.
Current members in good standing receive two newsletters annually and a directory of association members. All memberships run from January to December of the calendar year in which you join or renew.
The Association’s journal, Nineteenth Century Art Worldwide, has long been featured in the Publications section of THE OSCHOLARS.
The Association’s
website (last updated 3rd March 2007) cane be found by clicking the banner.
29. The Irish Society for Theatre Research
The Inaugural Symposium of The Irish
Society for Theatre Research / Cumann Taighde
Amharclannaíochta na hÉireann will be held from Friday 13th April to
Sunday 15th April 2007 at Queens University Belfast. A call for papers
and working group submissions will follow shortly. The opening keynote lecture
will be given by Professor Janelle Reinelt, University of Warwick, President of
the International Federation of Theatre Research.
The field of Irish Theatre Studies is being transformed by new approaches to
the rich history of Irish theatre and by the remarkable diversity of
contemporary theatrical practice. The Irish Society for Theatre Research (ISTR)
is being founded in order to develop and promote new and challenging ways of
thinking about Irish theatre which engage with diverse contemporary
historiographical, theoretical, cultural and performance frameworks.
ISTR aims to facilitate research on Irish theatre in its national and
international contexts in terms of an engagement with the broad spectrum of
Irish theatre from page to stage. ISTR will have a range of working groups
which currently include: Performance Studies; Theatre History and
Historiography; Cultural Identities; and Textual Practices. The current ISTR
Steering Group will be replaced in due course by an elected Executive
Committee.
The process of
establishing ISTR began with an open discussion at the International
Association for the Study of Irish Literatures (IASIL) conference at Charles
University, Prague, during July 2005. Since then the Steering Group of ISTR has met
regularly in order to build the necessary structures required to launch ISTR as
a viable research society. The Steering
Group of ISTR includes:
Dr Patrick Burke, St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra
Dr Ros Dixon, National University of Ireland, Galway
Dr Lisa Fitzpatrick, University of Ulster
Dr Eamonn Jordan, University College Dublin
Dr Cathy Leeney, University College Dublin
Dr Tom Maguire, University of Ulster
Prof. Anna McMullan, Queen’s University Belfast
Dr Paul Murphy, Queen’s University Belfast (Chair)
Dr Lionel Pilkington, National University of Ireland, Galway
Prof. Shaun Richards, Staffordshire University
Prof. Brian Singleton, Trinity College Dublin
Dr Bernadette Sweeney, University College Cork
Further information is available on the
ISTR website: www.qub.ac.uk/istr. Please forward any enquires regarding ISTR
to: istr@qub.ac.uk.
30. The Pre-Raphaelite Society
‘The Pre-Raphaelite Society is dedicated to the celebration of the
mood and style of art which Ruskin recognised and preserved by his writings,
and to the observation of its wide-ranging influence. In co-operation with societies of similar
aims world-wide, it seeks to commemorate Pre-Raphaelite ideals by means of
meetings, conferences, discussions, publications and correspondence, and to
draw attention to significant scholastic work in this field. First and foremost, however, it is a society
in which individuals can come together to enjoy the images and explore the
personalities of the Pre-Raphaelites and their followers through the medium of
fine art, the appreciation of good design and the excellence of the traditional
arts.’ (Written for the Society by the late Anthony Hobson – author of J W
Waterhouse.)
|
Membership enquiries: Michael Wollaston 18 Floyd Grove Balsall Common Coventry CV7 7RP England |
General enquiries: Barry Johnson 37 Larchmere Drive Hall Green Birmingham B28 8JB England |
The Society
organises a varied programme of lectures and visits to exhibitions and places
of interest each year.
.
The Review of the PRS
First issued in the Spring of 1993, The
Review has appeared three times a year (except in 1998, 2000 and
2003), when special issues on Burne-Jones, Ruskin and Millais each represented
two numbers. Many of the issues are
available for sale. Please contact for
an order form. Tables of Contents of The
Review of the PRS are published on the website, from Vol.1, No.1, Spring
1993 to the current issue, with reproductions of the covers. The series
summarised on line has reached Vol.
XIV, No. 3, Autumn 2006 and we
published its Table of Contents in our February
issue.
31. The Association for Theatre in
Higher Education
The Association for Theatre in Higher Education is an American organization of
individuals and institutions that provides vision and leadership for the
profession and promotes excellence in theatre education. ATHE actively supports
scholarship through teaching, research and practice and serves as a collective
voice for its mission through its publications, conferences,
advocacy, projects, and through collaborative efforts with other organizations.
ATHE's 1,800 members include
post-secondary faculty in theatre and related fields, graduate students, and
theatre and performance artists in universities, commercial venues, and
community-based and alternative theatres. Organizational
members include theatre departments at colleges and
universities, training conservatories, and many theatres.
Members receive a variety of benefits
including subscriptions to publications, reduced rates at the national
conference, a listing in the ATHE directory, a
members-only e-mail list, and a chance to participate in specific
interest groups.
The website currently includes
information on the 2007
Conference in New Orleans and the December 19 issue of ATHENews,
ATHE’s e Online Newsletter.
32. The Society for Theatre Research
Six or more evening meetings are held
monthly in London during the winter for members, their guests, and the general
public, at which lectures (given by invited speakers) are followed by
discussion and refreshments. A special Annual address is given, usually in May,
following the Society's Annual General Meeting. Last year the Annual Address was ‘Deceptive
Masks and Honest Faces?: The Representation of the Actress in mid-19th Century
Drama’ by Jan McDonald, MA, FRSE, FRSAMD, Emerita Professor of Drama in the
department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies of the University of
Glasgow. The lecture considered 19th century drama as a source for the theatre
historian, focussing particularly on Masks and Faces by Charles Reade
and Tom Taylor, both experienced men of the theatre as well as authors.
A very useful register of members’
research interests is on the Society’s website.
The Society promotes further ad hoc activities for members and
their guests. These have included Saturday ‘Study-days’, open to the public,
when a topic is explored in depth by a series of speakers; day-trips to places
of theatrical interest; and commemorative celebrations. 2007 programme has not yet (14th January)
been published, but the Society’s website can be checked by clicking on their
colophon.
The Society also
* Distributes Theatre Notebook, an illustrated journal devoted to the history and technique of the British theatre, worldwide to members.
* Holds an annual Festival in memory of William Poel in which students from leading drama schools perform.
* Acts as an advisory body on theatrical matters and puts on occasional Study Days on particular aspects of theatre.
* Awards research grants to encourage work on theatrical subjects, especially those connected with live theatre.
·
Awards an annual
Theatre Book Prize for original research into any aspect of the history and
technique of the British theatre.
This site is regularly updated.
33. The Victorian Society
The Victorian Society is the national society responsible for the
study and protection of Victorian and Edwardian architecture and other arts. It
was founded in 1958 to fight the then widespread ignorance of nineteenth and
early twentieth century architecture. Among its thirty founder members were
John Betjeman and Nikolaus Pevsner.
The programme is published.
For details of the Society’s programme, click the banner.
34. The Victorian Society in America
The VSA National Office, 205 South Camac
Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215-545-8340; Fax: 215-545-8379
With its newly designed banner and website, the VSA (‘The only national non-profit organization committed to historic preservation, protection, understanding, education, and enjoyment of our nineteenth century heritage’) seems to be well placed to increase interest in the period with a programme of events that can be found on its site. The Society publishes a scholarly magazine (19th Century; Editor: William Ayres), a printed newsletter (The Victorian; Editor: Edward Gordon), and a monthly email newsletter (Editor: John Cooper). Click the banner.
TM
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