Hi.
Our charity holds useful 2D publications and 3D references relating to the nature of water, its function, and careful re-use, but we are running out of wall and cupboard space to store and display them all.
"I've browsed many book collections as a Volunteer librarian but never found one like this - so full of unexpected delights" (R.C. WOW HelpX Volunteer 2012)
Our plans for a new centre to house our references have been part sketched. Here’s the very first sketch by Tim Griffiths (WOW Trustee and Urban Sketcher extraordinaire).
At present, (at our Field Centre) our storage looks like this:
Ideally it will look like this eventually: https://www.onionlab.com/works/wow-concept-store/ where physical artifacts come together through spacial computing with digitally stored records, incorporating realtime interactive links that monitor water outreach projects, globally, and one day, beyond.
Where will it be?
Somewhere like the new Wentworth Building planned for the International Water Awareness Centre. Somewhere we can create full access to the collections for the first time – creating something pretty cool and we’d love your help.
Read on …
Our Appeal
Our plan is to have a building – a place where water comes to life – part museum, part interactive experience, and part research hub. A new breed of Reference Centre where collections of water-related exhibits and publications become truly dynamic – useful in both education and research.
Here’s where you come in: Do you have any books, artworks, or other materials about water use and waterlife that might help? We’re looking for everything from texts to articles, whether scientific, artistic – from books to historical documents. If you do. please check out our Collections Policy first for details.
Your contributions could support this amazing interactive resource for students, researchers, and water lovers of all kinds.
So, if you’ve got something water-related gathering dust in a box or on a loft shelf, let’s make an international feature of it.
If you are interested in this opportunity to help, drop us a line and let’s chat about how your donation. loan or gift could become part of this exciting project.
(Click for Use of Collections)
Together, we can create a far more connected, friendly and wonderful World of Water!
Day by day work in progress: volunteers at our field centre continue to catalogue artifacts and publications …
‘Getting Food from Water‘ by Gene Logsdon [ Pub.Rodale Press 1978. ISBN: 0-87857-232-5]
‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner‘ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge [ Illus. and typography by Eric Saxton. Prod. at the College of Technology, School of Art, Oxford. 1958. Donated to World of Water by Eva Jesse, Manager, Newman Mobray Books, Oxford ]
and
‘The Rime of the Modern Mariner‘ by Nick Hayes (Donated to our library by the publisher, Jonathan Cape and presented to us during the Coleridge in Wales Tour by Richard Parry)
‘The Land of Britain – its use and misuse‘ [ 3rd Edn.] by L. Dudley Stamp [ Pub. Longmans, Green & Co Ltd. 1962 ]
‘Jazzways‘ Edited by George S. Rosenthal & Frank Zachary [Pub. Musicians Press Ltd. London. 1947 ]
‘Sexism in Children’s Books‘ Edited by the Children’s Rights Workshop. Pub.by Writers and Readers Publishing Cooperative. 1976. pp60. Paperback.
‘Hydroponics – Food without Soil‘ ( A Journal of Experiments 1938 to 1940) by C. Isabel Hilyer [ Pub. Penguin Books Ltd. 1940 ]
‘Modern Sacred Art And The Church Of Assy‘ by William S. Rubin [ Pub. Columbia University Press 1961 ]
‘The Development of the Theatre‘ by Allardyce Nicoll [ 3rd Edn. ] [ Pub. George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd. 1948 ]
‘The Water We Use‘ by Brian & Mary Holmes [Pub. Methuen & Co Ltd. 1966 ]
‘Storyquest‘ Project by Kate Norgate. An ‘Arts & Kids Creation’ (Book on loan from Chris Glynn.
‘Nursery Rhymes Parodied’ (Pub. Samuel French). Written by Mel. B. Spurr & Wm. M. Mayne. Recited by Mel. B. Spurr at the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, London pre-1905; later issued in print by Butler & Tanner Ltd., for Samuel French Ltd.
Example of “Jack and Jill” parody in Alfred Tennyson’s manner by Spurr:
“Hasn’t tha heeard aboot Jack! Not ‘im as wos sweet upo’ Jill! Brokken ‘is ‘ead, ‘e ‘as. a-tumblin’ doon by the ‘ill. Went for to fetch some watter, ‘e did, an’ ‘e taakes the lass : ‘E’s craazed ov’er, sartin sewer— an’ I cannot but think ‘e’s an ass!”
And now, AI is doing it too …
Over a hundred years later and we asked claude.ai to do this very same adaptation and here’s what it generated:
“Jack and Jill ascended slow
The tedded slope with measured pace,
A pallid pail betwixt them glowed
‘Neath twilight’s melancholy grace.
But he that bore the brimming weight
Slipped on the treacherous, dewy stair,
And tumbled, with his burden, down
Into the vale of deep despair.
The lass, with cry half-mournful, half
Indignant, followed in his track,
And sought the vinegared draught to heal
The crown that cracked with hollow crack.
Have you read our ‘Jack and Jill went up Elf Hill’ yet?
