Quote of the Day

"It is only when you sketch a thing, be it a mountain or a cathedral or a native hut that you really take in its details and appreciate it fully. To my mind, the artist is the most skilled observer there is, and to observe with care is the duty of every geographer."

Frank Debenham, 1952

1927: SPC: the Secondary Phase Committee

Between 2004 and 2019, I served on the GA's Secondary Phase Committee (SPC), latterly as Secretary.
During that time, the Committee saw a number of different chairs, including Alan Kinder.
The committee was founded in 1927, at the same time as the Primary committee, and just after the HE Teaching committee.
The first Chair was Mr. C. B. Thurston.



More to come on the SPC as the blog develops.

References
“Secondary School Notes.” Geography, vol. 14, no. 4, 1928, pp. 328–329. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40558275.

Quote of the Day

"Geography deals with the whole Earth, and with all human relations, an infinite network."

Albert Perry Brigham, 1930

1926: Rt. Hon. William George Arthur Ormsby Gore (later Lord Harlech)

Updated November 2020

The 4th Baron Harlech was a Conservative politician: another President during this period who didn't have an obvious connection with either geography or education.

He obviously had influence in other areas, and could perhaps 'speak up' for geography at a time when this was needed (which is pretty much always it seems...)

He was a Conservative politician, and during his political career, held the office of Secretary of State for the Colonies (making him another GA President with a colonial background) and also an MP.

He served in Egypt during World War 1, and worked as a liaison officer in Palestine.

In 1936 he was appointed colonial secretary, a post he resigned two years later because of his elevation to the peerage (on the death of his father, the 3rd Baron Harlech) and because of his outspoken criticism of Nazi Germany.

He promoted educational policies in keeping with the needs of the region. He also championed scientific research to aid in solving the medical and agricultural problems afflicting the underdeveloped portions of the British Empire. 

In line with his interest in and commitment to education, he served as prochancellor of the University of Wales from 1945 to 1957.

He seems to have made some very reasonable choices during his Political career.

I perhaps need to start keeping count of the various Presidents who were MPs and establish the general political leaning of GA Presidents. I wonder also whether that has changed over the years...

His Presidential Address was on the theme of 'The Economic Geography of the British Empire'.
It was mentioned by the previous President: Linton Myres in his 'Wayside Geography' piece in the same issue of the journal as the Address was published.




He starts by setting out the size of the Empire at the time, which in this time of Brexit puts our current status on the world stage into even sharper relief.



There was little that I could find about his further involvement with the GA on reading through all the journals at the time. He wrote about various parts of the country with respect to the Ancient Monuments that could be found there, so could perhaps be described as a geographer that way.

I am unsure as to which stories relate specifically to him, as he had other family members.

References

Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Ormsby-Gore,_4th_Baron_Harlech
Source of image.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-George-Arthur-Ormsby-Gore-4th-Baron-Harlech

Papers (which may have further information on his time at the GA)
https://archives.library.wales/index.php/papers-of-william-george-arthur-ormsby-gore

https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/1392688

I edited this page to include the fact that he was the President of the GA, as usual.

Gore, W. G. A. Ormsby. “THE ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE.” The Geographical Teacher, vol. 13, no. 4, 1926, pp. 268–275. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40556127.

If you know anything further about this President, and what he did during his time in office let me know. This is one of the briefest entries on the blog so far.

For example, was this him?

He looks similar and of the right age.

#royal #flashback "Queen Elizabeth II talks with William Ormsby-Gore, Lord Harlech, Constable of Caernarfon Castle, followed by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (behind, right), as they tour the castle during her Coronation visit of Wales, July 10th 1953. pic.twitter.com/mHloJ4SQao

— Mace (@RoyaleVision) July 10, 2020

1925: The Touring Branch (continued)

“Front Matter.” The Geographical Teacher, vol. 13, no. 2, 1925. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40554984 

Imagine going back in time to attend one of these tours.

Here's the UK Tours for 1925.

This started in Bradford, where E.G. Lupton the Organising Secretary lived, and also via Bournemouth.

I'd like to have been on the Fenland Tour day particularly to see how the landscape has changed.

The Exhibition in London was presumably the Great Exhibition?
Wonder what 'First Class Hotels' they stayed in.

Here are a few more itineraries:

A Whit Week tour of the UK

And a Swiss Tour

Sadly for the Touring Branch, it had to be closed during this time, as the fact that it was charging for tours conflicted with the Association's Charitable status, as the tax authorities considered that this was a business. 

1906: A case for Imagination

One of the educators I read lots when training as a teacher was the late Ted Wragg. He used to have a column in the TES of the day (which used to weigh about ten pounds when it was peak jobs time)
One of the quotes I still use came from Ted. It's from 2003.

It's worth repeating in full, because I've based my philosophy of teaching on it in many ways:

It is a pity that the notion of "creativity" in education has to be fought for or reclaimed, as it should be a central feature of teaching and learning. It is the crucial element in each generation's renewal and enhancement of itself. Without it society would not even stand still - it would gradually and inevitably roll backwards. Merely repeating approved orthodoxy is bound to lose something along the way, so life becomes more impoverished. Human imagination and spirit are what drive civilisation forward.

No less a figure than Chris Woodhead (and there is no less a figure) once wrote that it was "dangerous" for teachers to think up their own ideas.

Dangerous? 

Setting fire to your own pants, or swallowing a cup of razor blades is what I call dangerous. 

But thinking up fresh ideas is what teachers are paid for.

This article from 1906 isn't necessarily about the notions of creativity and imagination which we think of today, but more about the way that we think about geography, and having some flexibility about the approach to teaching it.

There are some good quotes, and I referred to some of these in the planning of the TM GeographyIcons session that I did in June this year. It considers how Geography is divided as well, into human and physical.

It considers how students should be introduced to geography.

"The fairy tale... should be the first geography lesson, and geography teaching throughout all its course should never quite eliminate the element of imagination. We can hear the practical man protesting as hecalls for "facts" and  not vain imaginings but we remind him that trade is said to follow the flag, and it is the explorer or the missionary, the man of imagination or the man of faith, who carries the flag."

He suggests that every aid should be used to allow children to "rise on the wings of imagination", starting with the "physically nearest".

"The neighbouring river and hill, the native glen and mountain peak should be utilised as food for the imagination..."

"It is one of the evils in edication that the means frequently tend to obscure the end and thereby become a hindrance rather than a help"

"For geography teaching it [the schoolroom map] might almost be regarded as an invention of the evil one, for there is hardly anything in school apparatus to be compared to the map for its soul-destroying power"

"What a poor apology is the usual map for the rich variety colouring the landscape and what a poor substitute a black dot for a busy town."

Reference
Those who subscribe to 'Geography' can read this article here on JSTOR.

Quote of the Day

"The identification of patterns in the landscape and the seeking of explanations for such patterns have long been the tasks of the geographer."

W.V. Tidswell. 1973

Visual instruction / the visual method

This is an area which the development of the GA was linked with from the beginning.

I have previously blogged about Emily Haye's article and PhD thesis on the lantern slide, and its link with the work of the RGS and the support of teachers.
Halford Mackinder was a proponent of the visual method, and used visuals in his many lectures.
In his entry, I wrote about a speech he delivered called "On the scope and purpose of Geography".

The Diagram Company was set up to loan, and then sell, copies of lantern slides and accompanying notes.
In turn, these would become the film strips which I remember from my own schooling, which then became the VHS cassettes and the TV in the cage.

Here's one that was in my department when I first started teaching in the 1980s, from a company called 'Pictorial Charts'. There were also the 'Common Ground' filmstrips.

I'll share some more images of these film strips later in the blog, when we get to the era where they started to be used in more detail and appearing in books written by GA Presidents.


Image credit: Alan Parkinson, shared under CC license
TV image: https://www.weareteachers.com/old-school-classroom/

References
Emily Hayes
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/147447409400100203?journalCode=cgja

Some pictures of mine: https://www.flickr.com/photos/geographypages/albums/72157623495566973/with/4433343010/

MACKINDER, H. J. “THE TEACHING OF GEOGRAPHY FROM AN IMPERIAL POINT OF VIEW, AND THE USE WHICH COULD AND SHOULD BE MADE OF VISUAL INSTRUCTION.” The Geographical Teacher, vol. 6, no. 2, 1911, pp. 79–86. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40554112.

1926: 'The Geographical Teacher' name change occurs

1926 saw a change in name of the journal: "The Geographical Teacher" to just "Geography"

The Spring 1927 issue was the first to bear the new name.

Note the address of Aberystwyth, where H J Fleure was back then.

The journal is still called 'Geography'.
Two years later, the Journal became quarterly, before going back to three issues.

James Fairgrieve (who later became President) generously offered to guarantee any losses during the period following the name change.

The first article in the newly named journal was by Charles Close: the President for 1926, shown below.


References

“Front Matter.” Geography, vol. 14, no. 1, 1927. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40557855.

1925: Professor John Nowell Linton Myres OBE FBA (later Sir)

Last updated August 2023

Professor John Linton Myres was an archaeologist and historical geographer, and was linked to the University of Oxford, as were many GA Presidents during the early decades of the 20th Century.

Several other presidents have also had a strong connection with both Archaeology and Historical geography.

Myres was connected with the Pitt-Rivers Museum in Oxford, one of my favourite museums for its eclectic mix of artefacts all over the world, and the overwhelming view you get when you first walk in. 

This is a wonderful place for a geographer to lose themselves.

In 1926, Myres was also President of the Folklore Society.

From one description of him:

Myres will perhaps be best known to posterity for his many contributions to the history of the ancient Greeks, their origins, distribution and culture. But the keynote of all his studies and writings was his broad outlook and versatility, his grasp of studies other than his own speciality, and his power to fit in all the many elements that make up a finished picture. ... Myres brought his knowledge of many subjects, both in the arts and sciences, to bear on his main problem -- the Greeks, ... and he was always seeking from others some item he might have overlooked, it was this sense that he might have missed some factor that kept him always so free of dogmatism and finality. [K.M., 1954: 541]

He had been involved with the Association for some time before becoming a President, and was involved with it for some time afterwards.
In 1920, he sent a number of lantern slides to the Association for their collection, which was growing rapidly at this time.

In 1925, he also featured in 'The Geographical Teacher' talking about 'Wayside Geography'. This is described as a 'broadcast address' as it was played on the BBC - I wonder if a copy exists anywhere. 

He says in this piece:

"like any other science.... geography is simply a convenient name for a particular way of observing what goes on in [the] world"

He also finds opportunity in the every day:


In 1926, a longer version of this piece appeared in 'The Geographical Teacher', developing his ideas further, and worth a read if you have a subscription to 'Geography' and can access the archive via JSTOR.

In this expanded version, he mentions more examples of geography's power to describe and explain the world.

His Presidential Address was on the theme of Ethnology.



In 1926, he was thanked for a gift to the Association of over 700 slides, with notes.
“EDITORIAL.” The Geographical Teacher, vol. 13, no. 2, 1925, pp. 87–89. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40554985.

He was knighted in 1943.


Image credit:
Sir John Linton Myres
by Walter Stoneman
bromide print, 1923
NPG x162242© National Portrait Gallery, London

National Dictionary of Biography entry reads...

He founded no school. In his lifetime he saw classical archaeology grow from a dilettante study to a discipline which has much to contribute to all departments of classical scholarship. 
His part in this development was to show how historian, archaeologist, anthropologist, and geographer should combine their skills in the study of antiquity.

His obituary, written by H. J. Fleure, was published in 'Geography' in 1954, and outlined his contributions to the subject in a long and varied career.


References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Myres

I have edited this entry to add the fact that Myres was the President of the GA, as I have done with each President as I have come to them.

http://england.prm.ox.ac.uk/englishness-John-Linton-Myres.html - Pitt Rivers Museum connections
https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/applied-and-social-sciences-magazines/myres-john-linton
Myres, J. Linton. “Geography and the Classics.” The Geographical Teacher, vol. 10, no. 5, 1920, pp. 236–238. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40555132.

Myres, John L. 1925 'Presidential Address: The methods of magic and science' Folklore, Vol. 36, No. 1 (Mar. 31, 1925), pp. 15-47

Myres, John L. 1926 'Presidential Address: Folkmemory' Folklore, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Mar. 31, 1926), pp. 12-34

Myres, J. L. “WAYSIDE GEOGRAPHY.” The Geographical Teacher, vol. 13, no. 1, 1925, pp. 65–66. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40556448.

Myres, J. L. “WAYSIDE GEOGRAPHY.” The Geographical Teacher, vol. 13, no. 4, 1926, pp. 285–295. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40556130.

Myres, John L. “A GEOGRAPHICAL VIEW OF THE HISTORICAL METHOD IN ETHNOLOGY.” The Geographical Teacher, vol. 13, no. 1, 1925, pp. 9–29. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40556436

Fleure, H. J. “OBITUARY: Sir John Linton Myres.” Geography, vol. 39, no. 2, 1954, pp. 128–128. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40564578

If you know anything about him, please get in touch.

Here's a picture of mine of part of the Pitt Rivers Museum.

'The Pitt Rivers is packed beautifully, and practically to the ceiling with the most wonderful array of ethnographic objects, all soothingly lit and artistically arranged.'

Bill Bryson, The Road to Little Dribbling

Image: Alan Parkinson, shared under CC license.

Update - late July 2019

Myres' continuing support of the Association was mentioned in the 1928 Annual Report.

It is described as "long continued, intimate and unsparing help... especially valuable in some past times of some difficulty"

In 1928, he was elected as the President of the Royal Anthropological Institute and the Presidency of Section E. (Geography) of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.

Fleure, H. J. “ANNUAL REPORT.” Geography, vol. 14, no. 4, 1928, pp. 338–341. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40558279

Update - early August 2019

Found a reference to his work and photography in this blog. It also said that he had a brother with an almost identical name, but doesn't say what that was. From the Oxford Archaeology blog.
Myres is shown here in his white hat that he apparently wore, in a lantern slide, which is relevant of course...



A nice piece by Alice Jaspars.

Image from Facebook of Myres wearing his white hat...


Update October 2019
Visited the museum as part of a visit which also involved meeting the Halford Mackinder Professor of Geography: Danny Dorling.


It remains an astonishing mix of objects, artefacts and scholarship.
Some of them were donated by Linton Myres

Myres' English collections given to the Pitt Rivers Museum
Myres' donation of English objects were few:
1934.37.1-3 3 Percussion Tower muskets, dated 1856, 1858 and 1862. ENGLISH.
1942.1.422-3 2 tallies, records of vegetables planted delivered by donor’s gardeners, Richard Smith, at the Copse, Hinksey Hill. V. File.

In the museum files there is a letter from John Linton Myres to Henry Balfour dated 27 August, 1935:

 'The enclosed records were made about five years ago by my gardener at the Copse-Hinksey Hill, for vegetables delivered to the kitchen. His name is Richard Smith; he was about 75 years of age then; practically illiterate, though he recognized & distinguished unfailingly any packets of seed with printed labels that I gave him. He was very shy about these lists, and usually destroyed them; but these two we secured. They were always in this long tally-like form. The different arrangements of dots stood for different vegetables, but we only ascertained the meaning of a few (marked in ink) by comparing with the supplies received on each occasion. I see that I have put a note, at the time of collection, on the back of them.'

 
1946.10.55 Box containing experimental flakes of glass to illustrate the flaking-angle of 'eoliths' - made by Walter Charles Brice in 1941

 
[Bequest after his death] 1959.4.4-9 A set of six groups of Chinese scenes hand-painted in glass. These are an early form of lantern slide, and belonged to the late Sir J.L. Myres.

Updated July 2022

A holiday photo with his wife in Greece

Mrs Myres at the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, 1905. Photograph by Sir John Linton Myres (1869-1954). #Greece pic.twitter.com/xKddRMUKUl

— A Melville (@alphamelville) July 26, 2016

Professor John Linton Myres drew this #lanternslide to teach his students about types of chambered tombs in #AncientGreece. Tag yourself: we’re ‘indecipherable squiggle tumulus’ 😊

HEIR 59498 #TombTuesday pic.twitter.com/oRvIj5EayD

— HEIR Oxford (@HeirOxford) May 3, 2022

Described as a 'father of Cypriot archaeology' and also a Freemason.

 

Love the display on John Linton Myres, one of the many fathers of Cypriot archaeology @AshmoleanMuseum pic.twitter.com/yepuZvo89g

— Dr Anna Reeve (@cypriotartleeds) August 19, 2019

In 1941, he read a paper at the GA Conference on Greece.

Updated August 2023

Some small tweaks and changes.

#Museum30 Day 27: Plan. Plans of tombs in Cyprus from the notebooks of John Linton Myres (1869-1954), one of the many 'fathers' of Cypriot archaeology, who made a considerable contribution to understanding the island's distant past https://t.co/ytMCeEiEaV pic.twitter.com/9nGhn0fXgK

— Dr Anna Reeve (@cypriotartleeds) November 27, 2022

BLOG: Learn about Oxford archaeologists John Linton Myres @Pitt_Rivers and work undertaken at Lapithos, Cyprus, in 1913 @UCYOfficial @latrobe https://t.co/P8EyKo4Aec pic.twitter.com/Ah3lVQnR55

— Pitt Rivers Museum (@Pitt_Rivers) December 11, 2019

GA Member Benefits

Members of the GA can access a number of benefits currently. These change from time to time and have fluctuated over the years. One early benefit was reduced prices on Ordnance Survey maps, at a time when they were expensive to purchase.

In 1926, they also started to appear in the GA's journals, with an example shown opposite, taken from 'Geography' at the time.

There are many reasons to become a member of the GA, which are outlined on the GA website. Discounts on CPD events and publications are important benefits.

In addition to this, GA members can access a whole range of discounts on different items, including flowers, clothing (from companies such as Cotswold Outdoors, Snow and Rock and Paramo), cottage holidays from several companies, maps from Cosmographics, a few months free trial access to Discovery Education, and discounts on SplashMaps. The full list is available on the GA website.

Membership of the GA provides:

access to member-only practical teaching resources
termly journals packed with practical teaching ideas and professional advice - view free journal samples here
the latest news about geography and geography teaching in GA Magazine
expert advice and guidance to raise achievement in geography in your school
discounts on GA training courses, conferences, publications and consultancy services
opportunities to collaborate and share the latest teaching ideas with others by joining a GA curriculum project, presenting at Conference or writing for our journals, GA Magazine or website.
recognition of your achievements through the Geography Quality Mark and GA Awards 
funding opportunities from the GA for fieldwork, Study Tours and international linking.

Download a member benefits leaflet here (PDF)

Join here.
Source:
“Front Matter.” Geography, vol. 14, no. 1, 1927. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40557855.

Presidential Quote of the Day

'... it is a grand world we live in, full of beauty, interest and pleasing prospects. Who would not be a geographer with this whole, wide, vivid panorama as his field, places and peoples and occupations, and all the sights and sounds and smells that combine into an atmosphere peculiar to each part?... The aim of the Geographer is to see clearly and to see whole; to climb the peak for the whole view, not to dally in the pleasant valleys below'.

Frank Debenham: 'The Use of Geography' (1950)

GA President 1952

Turned into an image using Adobe Spark... I shall be doing this with other content over time.

1925: Learning Geography by Drawing

A nice little article was contributed by Miss Medway

It describes her experiences of using drawing as a way of getting young people to explore landscape features, by drawing them.

I love this paragraph, I hope that M. (aged four) said, "it's what superheroes wear" when asked what a cape was....



Reference
Medway, W. B. “LEARNING GEOGRAPHY BY DRAWING.” The Geographical Teacher, vol. 13, no. 1, 1925, pp. 57–58. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40556443.

1924: Professor Sir Richard Arman Gregory - (1st Baronet)

Updated August 2023

The surname Gregory has cropped up a few times in the Presidential ranks.

Sir Richard Arman Gregory became the GA President in 1924.
He had a background as an astronomer and scientist rather than a geographer.

He was also editor of 'Nature' during the time of his Presidency, and helped secure the reputation of the journal as a learned source.

He had an inauspicious start, as the son of a cobbler. He started out working as an apprentice in a boot and shoe factory, before moving into a laboratory as an assistant. He was also a Science demonstrator at HM Dockyard School in Portsmouth (an intriguing title).
He eventually became assistant to Sir Norman Lockyer (editor of 'Nature', and later became his assistant on 'Nature', before eventually becoming editor himself from 1919-1939, when the journal was growing in prominence.

He published a book in 1894 called:
The Planet Earth: An Astronomical Introduction To Geography which sounds useful.

According to his biography:

After 1919 (when he was knighted) Gregory became more and more a public figure. With his boundless energy and curiosity and his optimism about new causes, he was a member of some seventy organisations and served as president of twenty-five.

He was a serial President it seems, as were quite a few GA Presidents.

He was a member of over seventy different organizations, and of these he became Vice-President of twelve and President of twenty-five. 

1924, when Gregory was in office, was described in 'The Geographical Teacher' as being "one of the most difficult and depressing in the educational world", which threw up a bit of a mystery as to why. I looked back through other issues, but couldn't find out why, other than perhaps some prominent deaths amongst GA officers, and the growing sense of financial issues that would result in the depression of the 1930s...

The article also welcomes Gregory, and thanks Sir John Russell for his time in office.


Gregory's Presidential Address was on the theme of British Climate through history.

It starts with a curious phrase for me: that he had feelings of 'diffidence and satisfaction'. I feel proud and excited...
Firstly he says that he "offered himself for election", so we have now moved from Council deciding, to some sort of election or choice (although not yet amongst all the membership I don't think...)
The topic of his lecture would certainly have been of interest to one of my lecturers at Huddersfield Polytechnic back in the early 1980s: Lance Tufnell, who spent many years reconstructing past climates, and wrote widely on the topic.



He goes on to talk about the Association's great work in supporting school geography, and moving from "a voice crying in the wilderness" to "the established centre of geographical progress in instruction in school, college or university".

It also mentions an early connection with the GA back in 1908, when he gave a lecture as part of a GA organised series.




In 1925, he was thanked by the Association for his support, and also served on the Executive for the year after his Presidency.

Apart from that, I couldn't find further mentions of what Gregory might have done during his time as President. Would be interested to find out more.

The University of Sussex keeps an archive of his letters and correspondence in an archive called the Gregory Papers, should anyone want to delve deeper than I intend to do for this blog post.

In particular he was the moving spirit of the British Science Guild until its merger with the British Association for the Advancement of Science - to which he also had a very close attachment, serving as president throughout the Second World War.

He was created a baronet in 1931, and elected, for 'conspicuous services to the cause of science', a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1933

In 1924, when Gregory was the President, the GA was in a strong position, with a membership, according to the Annual Report, of 4,610 (up 100 on the previous year). The GA has a library of over 500 Lantern Slides and an active library loan system. This year also saw the death of Grenville Cole (President in 1919). There was also mention of Frank Debenham (another future President) for assisting with the delivery of the Herbertson Memorial lecture in that year.

Gregory sadly died in 1952 after a short illness.

His obituary by the Royal Society stated: 

"Gregory was always very interested in the international contacts of science, and in the columns of Nature he always gave generous space to accounts of the activities of the International Scientific Unions."

Image credit:
Sir Richard Arman Gregory, 1st Bt
by Lafayette
whole-plate nitrate negative, 16 March 1928
NPG x49604
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Image sourced from National Portrait Gallery, and shared under CC license
https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/use-this-image.php?mkey=mw177784

References

More details of the University of Sussex's collection of papers is here: http://www.thekeep.info/collections/getrecord/GB181_SxMs14
Images: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp01900/sir-richard-arman-gregory-1st-bt

Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Richard_Gregory,_1st_Baronet

I edited this entry to add the fact that he was the GA President.

Books
Discovery: https://archive.org/details/discoveryorspiri00greguoft/page/n8
https://www.amazon.com/Sir-Richard-Gregory-life-work/dp/B0007KFICI

Presidential Address: Gregory, Richard. “BRITISH CLIMATE IN HISTORIC TIMES.” The Geographical Teacher, vol. 12, no. 4, 1924, pp. 248–258. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40556482.

As always, if anyone knows anything more about Professor Gregory, and his connections to the GA, please get in touch.

"Science - ranked with arts and religion as the guide and expression of man's fearless quest for truth."

Richard Arman Gregory

Updated August 2023

Not sure how I missed this Royal Society biography first time round.

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsbm.1953.0007

It includes a picture of Gregory later in life, and a signature.

It has a great deal of information about his life and exploits.

Following details and image opposite from that document:

Other offices held:

Presidency of the Ethical Union and his Vice-Presidency of the Rationalist Press Association; but that his interest in religion had been maintained is clear from his membership of the National Unitarian Fellowship and his Vice-Presidency of the World Congress of Faiths, the body founded by Sir Francis Younghusband.

In 1889 Gregory returned to South Kensington to work under the Solar Physics Committee as a computer and as assistant to J. N. (later Sir Norman) Lockyer. During the three years that he spent at South Kensington Gregory was engaged for the first and only time in his life in active scientific work, but it was mainly of a routine nature: measurement of the positions and areas of sunspots, examination of the spectra of spots and prominences, study of the direct heating effect of solar radiation, comparison of the solar spectrum with those of various elements, photography of the flame spectra of elements —these would be the lines upon which he was working. 

For twenty-one years (1897-1918) he was Professor of Astronomy at Queen’s College, Harley Street, London. 

He also lectured in 1918 to troops in France and Belgium, under the auspices of the Y.M.C.A., becoming Chairman of its Education Committee and later, for many years, Vice-Chairman of its National Council

It has been said that Gregory made Nature a journal of science, published for men of science and written by men of science. In his farewell message on his retirement from the editorial chair {Nature, 7 January 1939), he wrote: ‘Throughout its existence Nature has had the active support of leading workers in scientific fields in many parts of the world. The aim has always been to record results of research of wide interest or particular importance, wherever it has been carried out and to present authoritative thought and opinion upon progressive scientific developments and their influence . . . My particular mission has been to make men of science conscious of their power and influence in shaping civilized life.’

He was knighted in 1919 after organizing for the British Science Guild a successful Exhibition of British Scientific Products; he became a Baronet in 1931. He was an honorary doctor of the Universities of Leeds, Bristol and St Andrews. He was elected to the Athenaeum under Rule II. Perhaps the honour which pleased him most was his election to a Fellowship of the Royal Society in 1933 under section 12 of Chapter I of the Statutes for ‘conspicuous service to the cause of science’.

I wonder whether I can find a cheap copy of this book:

Sad news about a former President

The president for 1999 was Professor Michael Bradford. 

This sad news appeared on social media earlier today. Michael was an inspirational teacher and great supporter of the GA, particularly the Manchester Branch, and a great lover of the city itself. Michael was very supportive of other GA Presidents, as well as the association. A great many tributes have been coming in via social media.
Condolences to friends and family of Michael.

Many students of the time, like me, will have used Bradford and Kent as one of their main 'A' level textbooks - a proper textbook full of scholarship and depth and passion for the subject it covers.

Update

An obituary of Michael, by another former GA President, Derek Spooner, published in the Guardian.

It was Michael’s love of teaching that was the hallmark of his career. His skill as a teacher and role in the enhancement of teaching quality were its defining elements, both within the University of Manchester and beyond. Unlike many academics, he retained an involvement with the teaching of geography in schools, emphasised by his presidency of the Geographical Association in 1999-2000. His outstanding abilities as a teacher were recognised by awards from the University of Manchester and the Royal Geographical Society, and a national teaching fellowship.

It also mentioned this video performance of YMCA, which had passed me by.

1924: Statutes and Standing Orders

1924 saw the publishing of new statutes and standing orders, worked on by Council members. The development and updating of documents like this are part of the work that goes on behind the scenes, involving both council members / committee members and volunteers / members.

References

“STATUTES AND STANDING ORDERS OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION.” The Geographical Teacher, vol. 12, no. 4, 1924, pp. 244–247. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40556481.

1924: A Geography Classroom

Looks good to me... 

Although what about those who say that too many things on display in a classroom distract students and stop them learning?

Source: “A GEOGRAPHY CLASS ROOM.” The Geographical Teacher, vol. 12, no. 6, 1924. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40555157.

1923: Sir (Edward) John Russell DSc, FRS

Last updated September 2023

Sir John Russell was an agronomist, who worked in the field of agriculture and crop science at the Rothamsted ExperimentalStation. 


He was the Director of the Rothamsted Experimental Station for over 30 years, between 1912 and 1943. He was the son of a Vicar, and born in Gloucestershire in 1872.

He spent a lot of time exploring issues relating to crop science, and agriculture. He had previously given an address at the GA Annual Meeting in 1921, so was known to the Association, and this was perhaps why he was in their thoughts when they needed to choose a new President. He published a great many books in his area of expertise.

It appears that he was not originally going to be the GA President. Lord Robert Cecil originally accepted the post. Sir George Adam Smith also accepted for 1923. I have added entries on these people also.

In Autumn 2021, this announcement went into 'The Geographical Teacher'

Source: “Editorial.” The Geographical Teacher, vol. 11, no. 3, 1921, pp. 131–135. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40555625. Accessed 11 Apr. 2021.

In his Presidential Address, he considered the Influence of Geographical Factors in the Agricultural Activities of a Population"

This included agricultural land of course.




The article describes how soil types influence the people who live in an area, and the changes that took place in agriculture from the start of the 19th century. He explores the various regions of the UK, looking at how farmers specialise to maximise production.
He visits an area I know well, where I used to live.

I like this connection. A spot of research also shows that current generations of George Thompson's family are still active as a potato farmer, perhaps still being "chipped and fried for the northern operative" (we have a lot chips up north). Some areas are still important for the same crops over 100 years later.
The report concludes with some very helpful images:


His address ends with a few important and relevant lines:

"Historians, I gather are coming to the conclusion that man is master of his destiny; geographers can safely say that he is rapidly becoming master of his environment."

The work of Rothamsted was very important as this article extract explains.
Source: http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/plantphysiol/19/3/391.full.pdf (PDF download)




He had a long career working in the field of soil science.


He died in 1965, aged 92 - another President to live to a ripe old age.

An obituary was published in 'Geography' in 1965, in an issue of the journal celebrating the centenary of A. J. Herbertson. It was written by H J Fleure and L Dudley Stamp (a great pair themselves).


It describes his work for the Association briefly.



He was described, in a small piece in 'Geography' as:

"A warm friend of the Association through many years"

At a time when food production and the food of the future is such an issue for the planet, it's good to know that GA Presidents have been at the forefront of work in this area for many decades.

Image credit from the top of the blog post - a good one).
Sir (Edward) John Russell
by Bassano Ltd
bromide print, 18 July 1936
NPG x84654
© National Portrait Gallery, London

References

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._John_Russell - a dapper chap in his youth...
Source of the image above

I edited this entry to add the fact that he had been the President of the GA, as I have with all the Presidents on this blog.

Fleure, H. J. “SIR E. JOHN RUSSELL, F.R.S. (1872-1965).” Geography, vol. 50, no. 4, 1965, pp. 380–381. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40565967. Accessed 12 Apr. 2020.
http://www.harpenden-history.org.uk/page_id__203.aspx
http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/plantphysiol/19/3/391.full.pdf

Books
Soil conditions and plant growth (1912, 1915, 1917, 1921)
Lessons on soil (1912)
The Fertility of the Soil (1913)
A student's book on soils and manures (1921)
The micro-organisms of the soil (1923)
Manuring for higher crop production (1916)

As always, if anyone has further information relating to this President, please get in touch. This is a relatively short entry.

Update

A good few additional elements from some recent discoveries.

His work in Nature:

https://www.nature.com/articles/150732a0

He increased the contacts of Rothamsted with agriculturists and farmers' organizations until the objects and work of the Station became as well known in the countryside as among men of science. Striking proof of this was given in 1934, when the experimental fields were threatened with building developments: a public appeal was issued for funds to purchase the farm, and the amount required, £35,000, was over-subscribed in less than two months.

This site has some very useful information.

A great image of Sir John. See half way down the post....

Russell was part of the renewed activity of Rothamsted - and was director for 31 years!

He had funds for a new building and library which he oversaw.

There is a link with World War I (as with much of the GA's work at this time...)

Many of Russell’s newly appointed staff had volunteered for the war, and some were killed in action. But the war underlined the need for improvements in British agriculture, and from 1918 funds became available for the expansion of the institute, with new departments and staff.

By the time Russell retired in 1943 there were 12 distinguished scientists who were Fellows of the Royal Society. Russell himself was a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Meanwhile Russell encouraged Edwin Gray, Field Superintendent, to record his reminiscences of life as an assistant worker over a long career at Rothamsted (Personal Reminiscences of Rothamsted Experimental Station, 1872-1922).

There is also some work that Russell carried out in the tropics which furthered his geographical credentials at the time.

Russell was also interested in improving agriculture in the colonies, and led the project to develop the Gezira area in Sudan for cotton and tropical crops. He travelled widely and funded overseas workers to come to Rothamsted. 

Much of his autobiography, “The Land Called Me” (Allen and Unwin, 1956) is devoted to his extension work overseas, from Africa and Palestine to India and Australia.

This is interesting to hear that he had an autobiography. I wonder whether it features any mention of his links with the Geographical Association?

In 1943 Rothamsted celebrated the centenary of the first experiments, and Sir John now 70, retired and handed over to William Gammie Ogg. The Russells retired to Oxford, but lived an active life until Sir John’s death in 1965.

The links with Section E of the British Association, and his Presidency are also significant.

I think he may also have been the President of the Le Play Society in 1960, based on an article linked to below:

Pre-publication version of Richard Clarke and Marija Anteric (2011) ‘Fanny Copeland and the Geographical Imagination’ Scottish Geographical Journal  Vol 127 No 3 pp 163 – 192 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14702541.2011.628451