Les Botanistes au Sommet

Exhibition by the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle de Nice

in the Bibliotheque Louis Nocera in Nice, Sept-Oct 2018

29 October 2018 Visit report by Marcus Bicknell

Olivier Gerriet showed me round on a Monday which is normally closed, which was kind. The exhibition has had good reactions from visitors and quite good numbers. We met an assistant director of the library who was sad it was closing so soon but there has to be an exhibition about the end of WWI still this year.There is interest from other local museums to show the exhibition; Gerriet is coordinating that with the Parc de Mercantour. I have told him they can keep the CB items; only the pocket sketch books are of any intrinsic value, i.e. irreplaceable. Gerriet did not confirm that they would keep them.

Each botanist has an individual roll-up poster display (Clarence’s pictured right) which Susie and I saw early in the process. We contributed to and corrected CB’s text. Much of the CB material we provided is displayed in a glass-topped cabinet, image, left; 2 pocket sketch books; 2 print proof pages from Flowering Ferns; wooden box of watercolour paints and brushes; 2 landscapes reproduced on framed canvas; photo prints of CB in the mountains; 3 reports of Fitzwilliam symmetrical patterns. A copy of Flowering Ferns of their own is displayed.

 
The period photo (left) of the Cime Bicknell is not immediately identifiable as the same as the photo we know; it’s a wide range, of which one is Bicknell 2600m, alongside Paracuerta (2385m) and Santa Maria (2739m)... the Massif du Gelas, photo taken from le Mont Claminejas (2919m) by Victor de Cessole in 1908.

Having visited the Bodini Museum in Parma a few weeks ago I was interested in some original botanical books as early as the 17th century and an early edition of one of Linneaus’s Species Plantarum of 1799. One of the original lithograph stones, 80 mm thick, from which Barca’s book of drawings was printed is displayed alongside the print that comes from it.

The organisers’ description of the items in the exhibition are on the next pages.

We thank Olivier Gerriet and Jean-Félix Gandioli warmly for their work in favour of informing people about Clarence Bicknell and for the excellent exhibition.

You can download a copy of this article, with additional material such as the organisers' description of the contents of the exhibition here

The Meli Lupi Loop

Would Clarence Bicknell have been a rock guitarist?

How have rock music, a modern day Italian marquis, an 18th century typographer and the Victorian polymath become entwined in a rich flurry of culture in Parma this week?

The story starts in the Charlie Chaplin film lot in Hollywood, California, in February 1977... that was the head-quarters of one of the most dynamic private record labels of the 70s and 80s, A&M Records, master-minded by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss. A&M’s underground rock band Supertramp is about to burst onto the international stage with Even in the Quietest Moments released in April 1977. Band members are around the offices meeting record company executives and promoting the new LP.

Fresh-faced Marcus Bicknell, 29 years old, was appointed to the new post of CEO, A&M Records Europe, in January 1977 and was spending induction time on the lot with the A&Mers to understand the company’s business ethics and to prepare the establishment of their new office in Paris. John Helliwell, Supertramp’s ingenious and characterful sax-player and front man, struck up a conversation with Marcus which has continued for nearly 42 years. As Supertramp’s massive hits rolled out across Europe, John was most frequently the Supertramper who travelled round the continent to promote upcoming records and concerts to the radio stations and journalists, Marcus pulling the strings. Their friendship and extra-mural activities flourished; in 1982 John and his wife Christine joined Marcus and his wife Susie on 1000cc Honda motorcycles in a tour of France, the four of them sporting white leathers provided by Patrice Blanc-Francard’s France Inter radio station and in-helmet CB radio walk-in-talkies.

Years later, as John’s music career develops into jazz with his Creme Anglaise and on tour round Germany with Excalibur he accepts the invitation from Italian guitarist Raimondo Meli Lupi to play in Parma. For October 2018, Raimondo has also invited Chris Thompson, the voice on Manfred Mann’s Blinded by the Light, to play both rock classics (including a couple of Supertramp’s hits from Quietest Moments) and some mellifluous jazz-influenced tunes.

John and Marcus get talking about the 2018 Clarence Bicknell centenary, which is already packed with 40 events - film projection, book launches and talks - in 5 countries. Hmm... John mentions his friend Raimondo who is at the core of Parma’s cultural firmament, involved not just in music but in the Meli Lupi Foundation, charities and sports promotion. What about a Clarence Bicknell event in Parma. Raimondo seizes the opportunity, contacts his friend Professor Marcello Tomaselli of the School of Botany at the Università degli Studi di Parma. A date is set for 10th October for the projection of the film about Clarence Bicknell, a botanist above all the elements of his career, and presentations by Gisella Merello, Giuseppe Bessone of Bordighera and me, Marcus Bicknell, always credited as Clarence’s nephew. Oh, and on the 12th and 13th October, John Helliwell, Chris Thompson, Raimondo Meli Lupi and his musician friends will play the concerts in Parma... we will all get to experience the music too.

This plan is too much for Valerie Lester back in Boston. The biographer of Clarence Bicknell is also the biographer of Parma’s greatest son, Giambattista Bodoni, the prince of typographers, a man who as printer to the royal court was the Rupert Murdoch and the Mark Zuckerberg of middle Italy in the 18th century, the man through whose printing presses all communication flowed. Valerie had spent many months on 5 visits to Parma’s archives between 2008 and 2013 and had fallen in love with the place. Her Bodoni was published in 2016. She was not able to travel to Bordighera and Tende for the July 2018 Clarence Bicknell celebrations so she booked the flights to Parma. We added her to the list of speakers and Parma cocked an ear.

By a remarkable alignment of the planets, Helliwell, Meli Lupi, Bicknell and Lester are united this week in Parma. As I write, we are revelling in the acclaim for the Clarence Bicknell film and seminar on Wednesday; our ears are still buzzing with the roof-raising music of the Friday night concert.

The City of Parma enjoyed the Bicknell event; the dynamic council member fo the Environment and Culture, Tiziana Benassi, came to the event and welcomed us all from the podium... “we have an obligation to preserve and promote culture”. In the meantime Il Marchese Raimondo Meli Lupi di Soragna (for, yes, it is he) has been spoiling us rotten with elegant dining at his country home (indeed, Parma ham) plus visits to Parmesan cheese factories and art galleries. Valerie took us to the Bodoni Museum where she spent so much time studying and where we saw the collection of type matrices and fonts, press, printing equipment and print samples, normally closed to the public. Next door, the Teatro Farnese is the world’s biggest theatre made entirely from wood, a mind-blowing space.

No, Clarence was never a rock guitarist. But the culture of the 21st century is as vibrant as that of the 19th century. We can look back on this week, as on Clarence’s life’s work, with pleasure and pride.

We also learn (thank you John Helliwell, Raimondo Meli Lupi, Professor Marcello Tomaselli, Tiziana Benassi, Giuseppe Bessone, Gisela Merello Folli and Valerie Lester) that one of the greatest privileges of life is the willingness to say “Yes”.

Marcus Bicknell 12 October 2018, Parma

Was Clarence a spiritualist in later life? It was so fashionable in Victorian parlours, was it not?  When he gave up his activities in the Anglican Church in 1879, on arrival in Bordighera, he continued to be passionate about religion in general; he had even preached about his eucumenical principles and the need to respect those who worship a different god. I quote from Valerie Lester's biography of Clarence... MARVELS... below.

Now a notebook written by Clarence in 1907 has come to light in the Bicknell collection. The motivation to publish it has come from my cousin Renchi Bicknell who feels many personal links with Clarence and is preparing to talk in Glastonbury on 15th November about Clarence's "other" beliefs. Did his interest in other beliefs extend to spiritualism, the supernatural and to "the other side". Well yes... Giovanni Russo of the Museo Bicknell in Bordighera, expert on Clarence's books, has noted several titles written by others, but on these very subjects. The complete list is on this web site (click on The Man, then on Bibliography) and I have listed a few of the more interesting ones below.

In the meantime I have scanned the notebook and am hoping that Renchi will transcribe it so that we can read it more easily on the internet. For the time being you can download the scan in pdf and have a look. Just 17 pages, in pencil; it looks like a notebook he would use when he could not think of anywhere else to write his experiences.

Download Clarence Bicknell Folklore in pdf here

Excerpt from Valerie Lester's MARVELS: The Life of Clarence Bicknell, page 48, on the moment when Clarence antagonised his congregation with talk of other faiths

"In May, Bordighera was in a frenzy of excitement over the celebration of St Ampelio’s day. (Clarence’s spelling of Ampelio/Ampeglio varies.) A week before the actual anniversary on the 14th, Clarence attended a service in the parish church where the parishioners ‘were keeping a Novena for S. Ampeglio, his arm bone being on the altar in a [case], surrounded by candles . . . a litany sung & hymns & then the kneeling congregation . . . were blessed by the relic . . . I thought it all very horrible & was glad to be out again.’ This revulsion did not dim Clarence’s enthusiasm for the saint. On the Sunday before the anniversary, he gave notice of the feast of S. Ampelio to the congregation of All Saints, ‘to the astonishment of Protestants & Anglicans who are so anti-Roman or so insular that they cannot understand how we can love to rejoice with them that do rejoice, & confess the unity of all without holding to strict doctrines of one kind or another.’

"On 14 May itself, a crucial day in Clarence’s religious journey, he wrote in his diary, ‘S. Ampelio – Hermit of the Thebaid, blacksmith by trade, wafted in his westward wanderings to the Italian shore, to Bordighera where in a cave on the shore he is said to have lived & taught & died – We had our Chapel decorated & H.C. at 8. when I said a few words about the festival & why we sd. keep it right joyously, in order to rejoice with those who rejoiced.’ The celebration of St Ampelio did not sit well with the conservative faction at All Saints."

Copyright © 2018 Valerie Lester. ISBN 978 1 7890 1494 5 hardback

Some books which belonged to Clarence Bicknell and which are now in the Biblioteca Civica Internazionale in Bordighera. With thanks to Giovanni Russo of the Museo Bicknell for his research and the list:

Rêve blanc / Henri Ardel. – Paris : Plon, 1895. – 281 p. ; 18 cm                                Coll. ARD., BIB 32807. C. Bicknell

The devil in Britain and America / by John Ashton. – York : Ward and Downey, 1896. – x, 363 p. ; 23 cm              Coll. 235 ASH, BIL 6809, 13639 barrato. C. Bicknell

The Hebrew prophet / by Loring W. Batten. – London : Methuen & co., 1905. – x, 351 p. ; 20 cm             Coll. 296 BAT, BIL 6880, 13734 barrato. C Bicknell 1907

A buddhist catechism : an outline of the doctrine of the Buddha Gotama in the form of question and answer / by Subhadra Bhikshu. – London : Redway, 1890. – 92 p. ; 18 cm                     Coll. 294 BHI, BIL 6952, 13766. C. Bicknell

Complications sentimentales / Paul Bourget. – Paris : Lemerre, 1898. – 358 p. ; 18 cm.                   Coll. F. BOU, 32791. C. Bicknell

The manners, customs and condition of the North American indians / by George Catlin. – London : published by the author, 1841. – 2 v. : ill. ; 26 cm                      572.9 CAT, BIL 1881-1881, 13747-13748 barrato. C. Bicknell

The supernatural : its origin, nature, and evolution / by John H. King. – London : Williams and Norgate ; New York : Putnam’s sons, 1892. – 2 v. : ill. ; 22 cm.                    Coll 133 KIN, BIL 6997-6998, barrato 13773-13774. – C Bicknell       Photo of the cover embedded in this article

Apparitions and thought-transference: an examination of the evidence for telepathy / by Frank Podmore. – London : Scott, 1894. – xiv, 395 p. ; 18 cm. – The contemporary science series ; 26                Coll. 133 POD, Bil 6869, 13724 barrato. C. Bicknell

Modern spiritualism : a history and criticism / by Frank Podmore. – London : Methuen & co., 1902. – 2 v. ; 23 cm                        Coll. 133 POD, BIL 1555-1556, 13614-13615 barrato. C. Bicknell 1907

Delighted to say that Valerie Lester's MARVELS: the Life of Clarence Bicknell has had a review in another useful publication, VENUE magazine, Arts for the East of England based in Cambridge. The review will come out in their autumn edition. There are some really nice compliments in the revue.

For a pdf print copy of this image please click here.

By the way, I have professionally-printed copies of the A4 flyer for MARVELS with the revue in Country Life (August 15, 2018) on the back. If anyone would like a stock of these flyers for display or giving to friends then please let me know and I will mail them. I attach this flyer for your info, in two files, recto and verso.

The USA launch of MARVELS, as previewed in the Hingham Journal, took place in the Hingham Public Library on Wednesday 12th September.

Valerie Lester, the author, addressed her home crowd about the 5 year research and writing of MARVELS and introduced the film The Marvels of Clarence Bicknell. Susie and Marcus Bicknell then presented on Clarence's art. The question and answer session was particularly lively as several VIPs were there including Bruce Kennett (author, scholar on arts and crafts design especially W.A. Dwiggins), David Godine (owner and publisher, David Godine) and Sue Ramin who works for him.

Marcus Bicknell, the editor of this website and chairman of the Clarence Bicknell Association was moved to verse in honour of Valerie's triumph there. Download the Ode to Clarence and Valerie at Hingham in pdf here.

There will be three talks in the International Civic Library (Biblioteca Civica Internazionale) of Bordighera as part of the 2018 Clarence Bicknell Centenary:

6 October at 16:30. Clarence Bicknell Centenary Talk by Fulvio Cervini: Photographing the Ideal Landscape; Ezio Benigni's Liguria

13 October at 16:30. Clarence Bicknell Centenary Talk by Giovanni Russo: His personal collection at the Civic Library; the books of Clarence Bicknell

18 October at 16:30. Clarence Bicknell Centenary Talk by Gisella Merello: Clarence Bicknell's first encounter with Bordighera

Opening in Ventimiglia, Italy, this Saturday, an exhibition of drawings by Andrea Guerzoni inspired by the memory of Clarence Bicknell, in the splendid Museo Civico Archeologico "Girolamo Rossi" which runs till the end of September. See the flyer to the right for opening times.

Andrea Guerzoni's artwork and his exhibition at the Museo Civico Archeologico Girolamo Rossi, Ventimiglia, in September 2018 are a great tribute to Clarence Bicknell whose centenary has been celebrated round Europe in 2018. We find this a creative and exciting way to bring Clarence's botanical drawings and Andrea's work to life. We find it fascinating and we are grateful for the tribute he pays to Clarence.  The Bicknell family congratulates Andrea and our association is proud to be working together in any way.

We have translated the comments Andrea wrote about the exhibition and you can download it here

With thanks to Dssa. Daniela Gandolfi and the staff of the Museo Rossi for their efforts for the Clarence Bicknell 2018 Centenary.

We are very pleased with the article Les Merveilles de Clarence Bicknell by Jean-Loup Fontana in the monthly magazine Revue L’Alpe numéro 81 of July 2018. You can see the whole magazine at https://www.lalpe.com/lalpe-81-plein-sud-des-ecrins-a-la-mediterranee/

As the text is difficult to read online (they would like you to buy copies of the magazine) we are making available a pdf of this article alone, which you can download here:

Les Merveilles de Clarence Bicknell in pdf

This pdf version is not available to the public so please do not share it widely.

You might want to provide information about Valerie Lester's Marvels: The Life of Clarence Bicknell, Botanist, Archaeologist, Artist to a friend or contact. Here are two versions which you can download, forward as a link or print out:

One page info, pdf

Details, 5 pages, pdf

To copy the web link using your PC, right click on the link above and select "Copy Link Location"

Nice to see that our talks about Clarence and projections of the film leave a permanent trace in the world wide web. Here is a permanent web presence of our visit to the British Institute of Florence in May 2017. Even the film itself can be played from their web site...

https://www.britishinstitute.it/en/news-events/events/cultural-programme/122/the-marvels-of-clarence-bicknell

Clck on this link to see the news video from Riviera Time:
https://www.rivieratime.news/a-bordighera-bicknell-inedito-per-il-centenario-dalla-scomparsa/

A Bordighera Bicknell inedito per il centenario dalla scomparsa
Di Sara Alessandri - 2 agosto 2018

We propose to publish occasional excerpts from Valerie Lester's wonderful biography of Clarence Bicknell. This will serve to increase Clarence's presence and "searchability" on the internet, and will give exposure to the book. Because of my recent contacts with the Peradeniya Garden in Kandy, Sri Lanka, the first such excerpt is about Clarence's trip with Luigi Pollini there in early 1908.

Click here to download the complete excerpt in pdf.

"Like everyone arriving in Ceylon, he was immediately struck by the magnificence and omnipresence of palm trees, commenting to Burnat that the Cocos nucifera everywhere were truly superb. After a week spent in Colombo and along the east coast of the island, Clarence and Luigi took the train to Kandy. In the first part of the journey, they travelled past paddy-fields, banana groves, palm forests and acres of waterlilies and lotus before beginning the climb up terraced hills, followed by ridge after ridge into the hill country. At last, the train entered a narrow gorge before it reached the final pass, and then, after all the uphill chugging and puffing, it ran merrily down into Kandy. From the station, Clarence and Luigi ascended a steep 100 feet to the town, where they had their first view of its lake and the famous Queen’s Hotel nestled on its shore. He expressed his delight to Burnat: ‘How wonderful it is to see Convolvulus and Thunbergia everywhere, and an infinity of plants that I know only in our greenhouses, and then ferns and Nymphaea [water lilies] . . . After a week we hope to climb the Pic d’Adam, visit the high, cold [hill station] Newera Ellya [Nuwara Eliya] and after that the ruins of ancient cities.’

"The Peradeniya Garden is vast, and fulfilled Clarence’s dreams of tropical vegetation: acres of towering bamboos, palms and yet more palms, banyans, spices, cataracts of allamandass and bignonias flowing down from the tallest trees, and wisteria winding their way up. The scientist in Clarence appreciated the research facilities and the experimental station and its leaf insect breeding programme.viii The director (and author), J.C. Willis, made every facility available to visiting men of science, including the herbarium with its competent curators and the library of botanical books and periodicals."

Click here to download the complete excerpt in pdf.

Clarence's exhibitions in Cambridge continue until late September. Catch them while you can.

In the latest newsletter of the Independent Turner Society, from Selby Whittingham..."Margaret Burr continues to expand her invaluable turnerintottenham site devoted to Turner's important patron B.G.Windus. Another important purchaser of late Turners was Elhanan Bicknell, a neighbour of the Ruskins and one of whose sons married a daughter of David Roberts RA. Peter Bicknell (to whom our late Vice-President Stanley Warburton wrote a warm tribute in Turner Society News in 1996) with Helen Guiterman published Roberts' very revealing memories of Turner's last years (still not fully absorbed by the Turner biographers). Another son, A. Sidney Bicknell, poured cold water on the idea of preserving Turner's Chelsea cottage (see my Mrs Booth of Margate).

"A third son of Elhanan was Clarence Bicknell, whose biography, Marvels, by Valerie Lester had its launch, which I attended, at the Fitzwilliam Museum on 20 June. This impressive and well-illustrated work has been instigated by the Clarence Bicknell Association masterminded by the nephew of Peter Bicknell, Marcus. Clarence was attracted to the Oxford Movement and ordained, but, for various reasons including the developments in biology and geology of the time, which had similar effects on John Ruskin and maybe also his friend William Kingsley, abandoned the church, though he remained of a more benign Christian disposition than exhibited by his brother Sidney. His legacy lies in the Museo Bicknell at Bordighera and the delightful watercolours he made of wild flowers, some of which are exhibited at the Fitzwilliam and his alma mater, Trinity College Cambridge till September 2018."