Recollections of the Past, Future Nostalgia

Archive collections can spark a wide array of emotions in those who view them, especially when items have a personal connection. On placement at the Borthwick Institute for Archives, second year student Farhan Naqui found a surprising link to a childhood memory in the Rowntree Theatre collection, stirring thoughts on the nostalgic power of archives.

People associate and commemorate particular objects, subjects and life experiences with archives. When observing archives, these fragments connect us to the past. Going through the Joseph Rowntree Theatre collection, I found a poster that joined me with my history. This was a Tweenies event that occurred at the theatre. The poster brought many memories of my childhood and nostalgia. The Tweenies poster felt personal as the theatre archives were fascinating but disconnected from me. However, observing the archive in question made the experience of my placement personalised. I looked at the dates which weren’t on the poster. I had to use my research skills to find the year of this event. I felt a sense of my childhood come back to life as it triggered my fond memories. Archives allow an individual to recollect many past memories which they have forgotten about.

When looking around the Borthwick Institute, there’s a display of the Rowntree collections. The collections are preserved in glass cases within the building and contain old confectionary boxes, posters and archives, which are still in production to this day. When observing the collection, I was well-educated on the Rowntree Foundation. All the information was placed in a chronological order which described the history of the brand. The most exciting archive was an illustration of the Fruit Pastilles. Fruit Pastilles have evolved in a new direction as they are now vegetarian, which they were not before. I found this interesting, as Rowntree is appealing towards more audiences but still keeping the previous clientele happy. Going back to the related theme of nostalgia, I could see comparisons towards the older model to the new model. Many products have either developed from the original design or kept their authenticity. I find it fascinating that people in the current time have the ability to think further ahead of time to preserve history for the future. The reason I completed the placement is to allow future generations to be educated on the Rowntree Theatre as well as learn about the present, which will be their past. One thing I have learnt is the changes archives display within society, economics and industry. It allows businesses like the Rowntree brand to observe significant changes and trends between archives to understand what previous workers did to improve their brand.

Personal Experience and the Weight of Cultural History

Exploring the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Archive while on placement at the Borthwick Institute for Archives proved a transformative experience for second year student, Perry Cooper, as he explains here.

My time at the Borthwick Institute for Archives has been a journey of discovery and personal development. My tasks there consisted of the analysis, documentation and storage of historical data gifted to the archives by the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, which has had archival material since its opening in all the way back to 1935. As a consequence of my time there, I find myself feeling much more confident in my subjectivity, reliability and professionalism, meaning that I feel much more secure in my abilities as both a historian and a person. Moreover, being able to learn from senior archivists there also proved to be a significant boon, as I was able to fully understand what was required to become one, both in terms of qualifications and general roles. I think most important of all to me is that the archives have transformed my perception of a career with history and actually given me the physical evidence of putting it into practice, which is certainly beneficial to me in presenting history as a viable career.

Before my placement began, I had no prior experience of the proper functions of an archive, let alone how to correctly store archival information. All I knew was what an archive was there for. I think everyone, including myself, has taken a rather simplistic view on archives. They collate and catalogue data, yes. But my time at the Borthwick archives have made me realise the value of cultural preservation as I got hands-on experience in being able to document York’s complex and varied history, meaning I have a greater understanding of just how significant culture really is. Furthermore, I also realised that there is a profound sincerity to history, as every playbook and script I sorted through carried with it many tales of its past, from modest tears to coffee stains. Even a humble place like a theatre can be steeped in rich and vibrant history, which is something I’m ultimately going to be much more sensitive to and aware of now because of the opportunities afforded to me by the Borthwick archives.

Overall, the Borthwick Institute for Archives has allowed me to feel more confident in my own personal abilities, as well as given me an empirical experience in the field of archival work, which has immensely helped in my choice of prospective careers. However, as a historian, the archives have also shown me the strong ties between culture and history that demand its preservation, as even the most insignificant cultural artefact contains a veritable wellspring of lived history.

Chocolate, Community and Conflict: Exploring the Rowntree Archive

The history of Rowntrees is famous across York and beyond not just for chocolate and confectionary, but also the work to alleviate poverty and develop community in the early 20^th century.  Second year student, Catherine Gallagher, had the opportunity to delve into the Rowntree archive while on placement at the Borthwick Institute for Archives, focusing particularly on the period of the Second World War. She shares her thoughts here.

The Rowntree company is well known for chocolate and the company’s factories, especially in York. However, the Rowntree family were not ordinary factory owners, as they built an entire community, including housing and even a theatre. The priority of these developments, such as the building of New Earswick, was to create a community with better housing and local facilities. This sense of community continued even throughout the war.

When researching the theatre collection during my placement, one thing that stood out was that plays still took place throughout the war – one of the ways people tried to keep up morale. As well as the theatre, Rowntrees also helped the community with sports clubs for men and women. They often did this for men so that they would be fit for the army, and the image from the archive collection below is an example of a men’s rugby club and the results of the match. 

Results were often published in the Rowntree company newspaper, the Cocoa Works Magazine. This was one of the documents I studied during my placement, while researching the Rowntree company’s involvement in the war and the sense of community the company created. This magazine not only spoke about local sporting events and games but also had letters from soldiers on the front lines talking about their experiences. They would often mention women working in the factories.

An article about a women’s club.

The company also advertised volunteer work or opportunities for the less fortunate. An example of this would be when mothers with young children who needed to work could drop their children off at the newly created day-care, so they could pick up on more wartime work. This further highlights how the Rowntree company acted to create a sense of community during World War II, reporting their work and events through their magazine, again helping to keep morale high and spread awareness of extra support for the less fortunate.

This article is about a practice should there be a bomb raid  during work hours at one of the factories.

I enjoyed the time I spent on this project as I thoroughly enjoyed looking through the sources about the Rowntree theatre and the Rowntree legacy. I especially enjoyed learning about the company’s war effort, as studying the Second World War is one of my favourite subjects.  Overall, thanks to this project, I have learnt so much about York’s part in the Second World War and its community, especially that the Rowntree company played a more significant role than I had expected.

A Community Theatre: Past, Present and Future

For her placement at the Borthwick Archive, second year student Charlotte Pearce explored the collection of the Joseph Rowntree Theatre. Here, she examines the history and importance of the theatre since its foundation in 1935.

For my work placement I helped to process a newly obtained archive from the Joseph Rowntree Theatre. The archive covered all sorts from the opening of the theatre to the present day, including items such as scripts, programmes, letters, posters and newspapers, to name a few.

The Joseph Rowntree Theatre opened 18 November 1935 and was commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Village Trust. It’s a Grade II listed building and is the only Rowntree building left that is still used for its original purpose. Since first opening, the owners have always ensured the theatre was as well-equipped as other theatres. From the early 2000s onwards, many changes have been made to the theatre to ensure that it remains accessible to all. The theatre has undergone multiple renovations, including the refurbishment of the auditorium, upgrading the sound and lighting systems, and the replacement of technical equipment. Whilst adapting it to modern needs, there is always a focus on why it was built and a wish to preserve the best of the past. During these renovations, the community has always come together to help raise the funds needed.

Photograph of the Chocolate Works Magazine from when the theatre opened.

From the beginning, it was decided that the theatre would be in the very heart of the community, as a place of affordable entertainment, and it still is today. The theatre continues to be an integral part of society, providing entertainment and opportunities for volunteers to develop new skills. It is run for the community, by the community.

A 2001 article found in the archive – the theatre ‘continues to epitomise the community spirit so central to Joseph Rowntree’s philosophy’.

The owners believe it is the only standalone community theatre in the country, and perhaps even the world, which was built for the members of the Quaker faith. It presents a variety of shows including local amateur productions, dance, and professional productions. Thirty five groups regularly use the theatre, as well as being used to host different events. The Rowntree Players, a group formed by workers at the chocolate factory, made the theatre their home, and to this day continue to perform there on the same stage their founders did.

A newspaper article on the Rowntree Players.

York actors David Bradley (Harry Potter, Game of Thrones) and Ian Kelsey (Emmerdale, Casualty, Coronation Street) both performed for the Rowntree Youth Theatre, and the pair recently became patrons of the theatre during the 85^th anniversary celebrations. Bradley has spoken about the importance of the theatre, recognising its role as a vital part of the city, and the opportunities it has provided many young people, including himself.

The Rowntree Nestle company pulled out of managing the theatre to focus only on making confectionary. Despite shocking some, the move allowed those who took over freedom to make changes and the theatre is still continuing to thrive over twenty years since this decision.

As a theatre-lover myself, and someone who has performed and volunteered at my own local community theatre, I understand the importance of the opportunities community theatres provide. Seeing how the values of the theatre haven’t changed, despite the changing of the community around it, has been intriguing. It is the only Rowntree building that continues to be used for its original purpose, and it still brings the community together in such a big way.

Memories and Experiences on a Public History Placement

History, Community and Culture module student Harriet Mason got a lot out of her placement at the Rowntree Society that went far beyond the classroom. 

During my time on work placement as a part of the History, Community and Culture module, I worked with the Rowntree Society along with my placement partner Emily, helping to document aspects of oral history and preserve stories from people living around the village of New Earswick. The Rowntree Society works along with various other charities, such as the Joseph Rowntree Housing Foundation, to increase public knowledge of the Rowntree family and their work to improve upon social injustices in their area. Along with my placement partner Emily, my task was to spend time in the village of New Earswick; our goal was to document the experiences of those living within the village, their ‘favourite Rowntree memory’, and why living there had such a positive impact upon them. The village of New Earswick was created by Joseph Rowntree for his chocolate factory workers in 1902; he wished to create a village to improve the living conditions of the working class after witnessing the conditions in which many of his workers lived in York at the time. Rowntree’s Quaker beliefs also shaped this.

While on this placement, I had the opportunity to work with somebody on my course; I enjoyed this immensely and found it incredibly valuable for two people who work well together to be able to tackle the same task simultaneously. This also allowed us to cover more ground in speaking to people and documenting the stories of those who live in the village, compared to what I could have accomplished if I had gone into the experience alone. We decided to meet people in the middle of the village, the New Earswick Folk Hall, which holds multiple social events throughout the week; it seemed like an appropriate place to meet new people. We spoke about what people remembered from living in the village and what they liked most; these memories were then written onto postcards intended to decorate the Folk Hall and preserve the experiences.

One thing I particularly enjoyed during the placement was speaking with a man in the Folk Hall who had come from one of the original families to move into the village. He could remember playing on church walls, buying fish and chips at the local shops, and enjoying what the village had to offer him. We spoke for a long time, and stories as individual as his made the experience more personal. One woman was particularly pleased to hear I came from County Durham, and spent hours telling me she came from Sunderland and was now happily settled in the village. Talking to people in this manner made the entire experience something personal and unique, and something that will not be replicated if it is repeated.

 

Postcards and real lives: an oral history project with the Rowntree Society

In the first of a two blogs about work experience with the Rowntree Society, Emily Ward, a second-year History, Community and Culture module student, writes about her experiences with their public history initiative. 

My role within the Rowntree Society has been to visit the model village of New Earswick that was built by the Rowntree family and discover what people remember of the village, what their favourite memories are, and what they enjoy so much about living there. New Earswick was built by the Rowntree family, specifically Joseph Rowntree, starting in 1902, who wanted to establish a community both for the workers of his chocolate factory in the city but also for any working class people who wished to live there. This was in comparison to the slum conditions that were developing within the city of York at the same time in which many factory workers lived and was based on previous model villages built by other chocolate families such as the Cadbury family.

Nineteenth-century-esque postcards to be filled in, recording public memories, and introductory pieces from Emily and Harriet.

All of the work that I have done while on this placement has been done while working with my partner Harriet, which I have enjoyed because two heads are better than one and it means that more people get to experience the stories that we have been told first-hand. We have been talking to people within the New Earswick Folk Hall, the main meeting place within the village about what they remember and what they enjoy most about living there, and writing these thoughts on postcards that are intended to be hung in the Folk Hall in order to share these memories with the public and keep them alive.

While it could be slow at times if there were no clubs or meetings, for example, we often found the staff happy to talk to us about why they worked there and what they enjoyed about it, or we otherwise took advantage of the cakes that were daily made on the premises! Talking to the people within the Folk Hall itself was a fascinating experience; one woman had seen the swimming pool built in 1967 and still used it to that day, while another told us her whole life story from growing up in Sunderland to how she came to be living in the care home just down the road. Once you get people talking you often find out the most wondrous things about their lives which therefore made the whole placement worthwhile.

Struggle and Squalor in Nineteenth-Century York

In the second of our History, Community and Cultures blog posts, second-year student Samantha Hallwood talks about fascinating social history in the York Archives with York Explore, and the relevance such work has in the modern day. 

Within the depths of the York Archives there are a vast number of volumes that focus on the poor citizens of York and how their lives were organised financially in the 19^th century. These volumes are the Report and Application Books, which were put in place by the York city council to provide aid and welfare to those who needed it most.

Laura Yeoman, the coordinator of this social history project, invited a small group of York St John students into a world of struggle and squalor, something which drew me in the moment I entered the Reading Room. Our goal was to collect all the information from the 96 volumes and index them onto a spreadsheet to make the documents more accessible to the public.

On day one of placement, I faced a challenge which took me time and patience to finally conquer – the terrible writing (I thought mine was bad)! One thing I have definitely taken away from this placement is the skill to decipher nineteenth-century writing which will definitely help for future records. Once I was able to understanding the writing, it was quite an easy and enjoyable process to go through. Though some may think it was repetitive, as many records are very similar, I believed it was intriguing. There was always a new story on the next page.

Though we had to be careful about what we could put in the spreadsheets, due to the sensitive nature of their poor relief claims, we also saw some surprises. Going through the Application Records you do wonder how some people actually received the relief they sought – especially one guy, who applied for it due to having an itch…! However, at the same time, you are introduced into a world of struggle which was so close to home to many of the inhabitants of York in the nineteenth century. Poverty was high, as was attendance at the workhouse. In one of the records I was assigned, a whole ward was dedicated to those who were sent to the workhouse, with around 50-60 people in this specific area.

This experience has provided a though-provoking insight into a world which was not so long ago and not that different to our own. The rates of poverty are rising in the twenty-first century and it is unbelievable how these methods that were underwent in the Victorian period could be visible in our own world in a similar way. The time and effort that went into these records are clearly seen in the sheer amount that were produced and how so many people’s lives were improved by a slight or great amount, thanks to these officers that would evaluate their financial situation. If you were a single mother, widow or even if you had an itch, you could apply for relief to support not just yourself, but your dependents in order to escape the streets.

More Questions than Answers about Historic Rowntree Library?

Did you know the York chocolate works on Haxby Road had their own library? Harriet Bartle, a second-year History and English Literature student at York St John University, offers some insight into the exciting research she has been conducting into this library for the Rowntree Society this term. This work is part of a placement for our employability module History, Community and Culture.

My placement for the History, Community and Culture module has been with the Rowntree Society, a York-based charity organisation that seeks to preserve and increase public knowledge about the Rowntree family. My role has been to establish the preliminary research into the Joseph Rowntree Memorial Library, which operated on Haxby Road from 1927 through most of the twentieth century. Proposed in 1925 after the death of the founder of Rowntree’s, Joseph Rowntree, the library was to be used by all the workers of the factory, as well as their families; a philanthropic endeavour for a man who believed in creating much more than a job for his many employees. Much of this work has been done in quiet (and typically cold) rooms, all whilst alone; I have enjoyed this aspect of the research as the independence of being the sole researcher has increased my flexibility to fit in the voluntary work during a busy semester.

I have been exploring the published news of the York factory site in two major publications, the Cocoa Works Magazine and the Rowntree Mackintosh News, as pictured above. The aim of this research was to find if, and if so where, the library was mentioned – I also noted what the mention was aiming to do, where it could be found in the magazine or paper and if there were any emergent patterns in the articles about the library.

The work was both fascinating and laborious; in total I processed 404 magazines and newspapers from 1925-1990, which took much longer than the twenty hours I had planned – in total, this took around forty-five hours of work. I would begin by gathering a few years’ worth of the publications to work where they were held – a collection of the Cocoa Works Magazine is held at the Borthwick Institute at the University of York, whilst the Rowntree Mackintosh Newspaper was held at Clements Hall – before beginning to quickly read through the papers. I would then input the result of each issue into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, detailing what I had found and where.

There were a few patterns that emerged, as well as comical mentions of stock that have resulted in more questions than answers.

1. The borrowers of books were monitored and if young boys fell behind young girls (or vice versa) the article in the following magazine would be moved closer to the Boys’ Pages or Girls’ Pages respectively. From this I understood that the editors of the Cocoa Works Magazine were actively influencing readers that borrowed from the library by strategically placing the article each issue. Who were the editors of the Cocoa Works Magazine?
2. The library had retained librarians for an astounding length of time. One head librarian appears to have worked there for over twenty-five years – then disappears without a mention in retirements, obituaries or otherwise. Where did she go?
3. The library had over 15,000 books at one count in the nineteen eighties. There is not yet evidence as to what happened to them when the library closed.
4. In the nineteen fifties, jazz records were the most popular music borrowed from the library – by April 1985, it was Meatloaf…
5. The library stocked the most popular books of the day; its stock was hugely varied, with the notable exception of an astounding quantity of western novels.
6. After the Rowntree Mackintosh merger, the newspaper did not mention the library for decades. Only when the paper became regionalised did mentions return. What happened in those intervening years? What records were being borrowed? Did westerns finally drop out of style?

Pictured – a paltry three years’ worth of the Rowntree Mackintosh papers.

As previously mentioned, this research ultimately created more questions than it answered any pre-existing ones. This, however, was the desired outcome; if I had found little or no interesting information about the Joseph Rowntree Memorial Library, then this research may well have ended with me. However, as I have found some intriguing glimpses into the collection and how it functioned and am in the process of potentially finding even more, these initial findings have proven to be more than capable of opening avenues for future research.