Celebrating 175 years of illustrating Wales’s past in the pages of Archaeologia Cambrensis
Llangollen, 22nd – 24th October.
From its foundation in 1846 the Cambrian Archaeological Association has published a
Journal in which illustration of antiquities by means of accurate drawings and measured
plans were promoted as an essential part of record and analysis. A large collection of blocks
and plates from the earliest years through to the final days of letterpress printing are at
present in the keeping of our secretary Heather James being catalogued for deposition at
the National Museum of Wales. Many of these, especially the fine woodblocks will be on
display at the Conference together with accompanying volumes of Arch Camb. We intend to
publish an illustrated booklet to be launched at the Conference on this subject. The
Conference will combine lectures on various aspects of illustration with a field afternoon
first to visit Valle Crucis Abbey – subject of the frontispiece and article in Vol 1 (1846) and
then other sites and monuments in the area to see and discuss evolving methods of how to
present our Heritage in visual interpretation.
Hotel: The Conference will be based at The Wild Pheasant Hotel , Berwyn Road, Llangollen,
LL20 8AD, 01978 860629, where we will have our own conference suite for our exhibition
and lectures. There are other accommodation possibilities in the town and the immediate
area and the conference is open to non residents as well. Please book directly with the
hotel before the end of May, but please register your interest in attending this conference
as soon as you are confident to do so, by returning the booking form to Heather James.
Rates at The Wild Pheasant are: double occupancy £175 per night, DB&B; single occupancy
£115 per night, DB&B. 30 rooms will be held until May 31st and a £50 non-refundable
deposit is required. Please mention the Cambrians when booking.
PROGRAMME
Friday 22nd October
Arrive by late afternoon – registration will open at 3 pm and the exhibition materials and
displays will be available for viewing.
6 pm Lecture by Professor Huw Pryce on Harry Longueville Jones, founder, with the Revd
John Williams, of the Cambrian Archaeological Association and first editors of Arch Camb.
7.30 pm Dinner (available for non residents by prior booking with Heather James)
£25.95 (3 course) or £21.95 (2 course)
Saturday 23rd October
9.15 – 10.00: Lecture by Professor Nancy Edwards on the history of recording and
illustration of the Early Christian Monuments
10 – 10.30 Coffee
10.30 -11.15: Lecture by Frances Lynch on the value of archaeological illustration.
11.15 – 12.00 : Lecture by Ian Wright on the history of archaeological photography.
12.00-12.15 : questions and discussion.
m . Buffet Lunch (£14.95)
1.00– 5.30. Excursion by coach to Valle Crucis Abbey and other sites in the area, including
tea at Plas Newydd .
6.00 – 6.45 drinks reception and launch of the 175th Anniversary booklet, by the President
Dr Eurwyn Wiliam.
6.45-7.30 Lecture by Heather James on the printing history and development of illustration
in Arch Camb , 1846-2021. ‘From woodblock to laser scan’.
7.30 -Dinner (exhibition will be available for viewing after dinner.)
Sunday 24th October
9.15 – 12.15 with a break for coffee the future of archaeological recording and illustration:
‘Digital Past’ with three talks to be presented by Dr Toby Driver, Christopher Jones-Jenkins,
and Sue Fielding.
12.15-12.45 Closing discussion.
(optional lunch)