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'The Glorious Dead' by Geoff Archer

 
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Adam Brown
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 2:17 pm    Post subject: 'The Glorious Dead' by Geoff Archer Reply with quote

There is a reference on Jim McGinlay's Carrick website Guestbook from a Rochard Barnes about this book which reads like it has been published. I can find no reference to it anywhere else though.

"The Glorious Dead - Figurative Sculpture of British First World War Memorials" by Geoff Archer published by Frontier Publishing

I believe he has been in contact with Jim about Carrick and he is aware of this forum. It will be interesting to see what information there is about Scottish sculptures in his book. I'm sure this forum has made it a lot easier for him anyway.

Adam
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geoffarcher



Joined: 29 Jan 2009
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 10:55 am    Post subject: The Glorious Dead Reply with quote

Hi

As the author of 'The Glorious Dead' perhaps I can provide a bit more info regarding the book - & my apologies for not posting something before. Although I became a member a while back, this is my first posting. I will try to do more in future - including, I hope, posting some of the pictures I have taken over the years.

The book will be published in November 2009. It is a study (the first from an art historical perspective) of the figurative sculpture of British First World War memorials & therefore naturally includes numerous examples from Scotland - & yes, I made considerable use of this excellent website. (Many thanks to all contributers.) The book has its origins in an Art History M.A. dissertation from some 10 or 12 years ago - but don't let that put you off!

My aim is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the sculpture in what I hope is a very readable form. The book follows the course of the war, with images of enthusiastic & patriotic enlistment and of Britannia & St George, through the realities of war (injury, shell shock, death) to the return home (celebratory soldiers, winged Victories, figures of Peace etc.). There are chapters on the roles of women (& changing attitudes to gender), on religious imagery & the attitude of the church, both during & after the war, on narrative, mourning & so on. Naturally I also discuss the whole process of commissioning, decision-making, siting, sculptural practice and so on.

The book has over 400 pages & more than 260 illustrations, almost all my own photos taken in all parts of the UK from Dingwall to Derry, Edinburgh to Exeter. (I've been photographing memorials around Britain for the past 15 years). Additional, relevant imagery (posters, cartoons, paintings etc.) are also used to place the sculpture in its historical & cultural context. At the end there are 2 appendices, one listing locations & imagery of all known regimental & municipal figurative memorials in Britain, the other, the work of individual sculptors.

As I suggest in the intro, war memorial sculpture has long been ignored or disparaged; it is the aim of this book to redress the balance & to return some excellent & interesting sculptors to what I consider is there rightful place as significant contributers to the history of 20th century British sculpture - & to answer some of the questions about how, why & for whom memorials were built. From the Scottish perspective, illustrations (& discussions) include memorials at Fettes, Troon, Paisley, Grantown, Buckie, the Scottish-American memorial in Edinburgh, Dingwall, the Cameronians in Glasgow, Kirkcudbright, the SNWM, Alloa, Lockerbie, Maxwelltown, Oban, Fraserburgh, Glasgow - plus references to a fair few more. Sculptors discussed include Carrick (of course) but also Birnie Rhind, Kellock Brown, Meredith-Williams, Pilkington Jackson & others.

I would hope that readers of this website - & contributers - will find the book of considerable interest. (If you don't, I don't know who will!) So my advice is order your copy now!

Hope that's of some interest & if you want to know more, let me know.

Geoff Archer
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Adam Brown
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
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Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 10:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Geoff

Sorry I haven't posted a reply before now. Thanks for all the updates on the memorials which have used the same design, it's very interesting and very useful to get information on memorials outside Scotland which are similar to ones in Scotland.

With a November publication date it looks like I know what one of my Christmas presents will be this year!

Cheers

Adam
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geoffarcher



Joined: 29 Jan 2009
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 2:23 pm    Post subject: the glorious dead Reply with quote

Thought I would just let people know that I have just got myself a website - www.geoffarcher.co.uk Although it is primarily about my artwork (my main interest apart from war memorials) there is a section about my book 'The Glorious Dead', with photos & more information, if anyone is interested.
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DerekR
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Joined: 19 Dec 2006
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Location: Hawick, Scotland

PostPosted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Geoff,
Lovely pics.

Where do we order a copy?
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