White gloves…

[moehat]

I’ve just been watching David Dimbleby’s 7 Ages of Britain and, yet again I don’t understand why sometimes in these programmes presenters wear white cotton gloves when touching books and artefacts, but then at other times they don’t. Tonight he showed us two items made of gold; with one he wore the gloves and with the other he didn’t. This is something that has puzzled me for years, ever since Michael Wood did his ‘In Search of’ series. Thoroughly enjoyed tonights programme even though it was a shock to be told that the Tower of London is not only made by the French and designed by the French, but made out of French stone. However, the Bayeux Tapestry was made in England. Quote of the programme ‘it’s not much fun being conquered……’ Great stuff…

[Drone]

Had the same thought. As far as I’m aware white gloves are worn to prevent the skin’s natural acidity from damaging objects prone to harm. Considering gold is immutable it did seem strange he donned the gloves to handle artefacts made from it which had happily lain unchanged in the soil for centuries. Whereas that fragile ancient bible and other documents were touched bare-handed, and handled a little roughly it seemed to my inexpert eye

Nice programme though and Dimbleby does a good job, though I’m not keen on his pink shirt

That bangle thingummy from King Alfred’s reign was just exquisite. The period ‘twixt Romans and Normans may be dismissed as a ‘dark age’ but the Saxons et al were anything but base uncouth cultures. Just a case that we know comparitively little about them. But it’s becoming increasingly evident that they were capable of producing sumptuous arts-and-crafts, the complexity of which are the equal of any

Ya boo sucks to William B’Stard says I

[moehat]

Mental picture of old geezer carting said bloomin heavy bible all the the way from England only to collapse from exhaustion underneath the Ponte Vecchio, with the Pope sitting on his throne going ‘where’s me bible got to?’

[graysonscolumn]

I struggle to watch any programme involving the (over-)delicate handling of historical artefacts nowadays without being reminded of…

http://www.armstrongandmiller.co.uk/vid … _park.html

gc

Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.

[Drone]

VG thanks GC

[Grasshopper]

Class…nice one, J.

[Author]

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