SOCIETY FOR IMPERIAL CULTURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18901, 28 October 1929, Page 12

SOCIETY FOR IMPERIAL CULTURE.

ADDRESS BY PROFESSOR SHELLEY. Mr A. K. Anderson presided over k large attendance of members of the Society for Imperial Culture at the Chamber of Commerce on Saturday evening. Japanese maples and a. variety of flowering shrubs, artistically arranged, including olearias and mauve abutillons, and masses of orange marigolds in low bowls against a background of brown and gold broom and laburnum, decorated the hall. The chairman referred to the death of the late Dr Chilton, and proposed that a letter expressing sincere sympathy be sent to Mrs Chilton, from the society. Dr Chilton’s wide knowledge and attainments, his intellectual massiveness, and his example as a citizen had marked him as one of the foremost men of New Zealand. As usual, music and singing enlivened the programme, Miss Althea Slack playing “ Rhapsodie in B Minor ” (Brahms), and two solos by modem English composers, “ Carillon ” (Norman O’Neill) and “Noel” (Balfour Gardiner). Miss Edna Donaldson sang “ The Song of the Lotus Lily ” (Woodforde Finden) and “Pale Moon,*’ an Indian love song (Logan). Professor Shelley lectured on " The Evolution of Handwriting and Illumination.” Lantern slides, representing some of the earliest known specimens of hieroglyphics and illuminated missals made the subject even more interesting. Professor Shelley said that although changes were very gradual in the evolution of writing, a small change might completely wipe out. an old culture: a . slight atmospheric change might wipe out life itself. Old cultures had gone, and the origin of letters and script was a matter of conjecture, dating as far back as the Hittites, certainly to a source older than the Cuniform characters of Peru, Babylonia and the hieroglyphics of Egypt. The development of writing had been influenced by materials and tools. Clay indentations made with a stick were used in Babylon 3000 BC. Fibrous leaves and a stilus were the mode in Egypt, and the Grecians of Pergamos affected skins—hence parchment and vellum. Through trade and commerce the art of writing spread from Phoenicia to Greece, Rome, Spain, Italy and France. The influence of Charlemagne, although he could not write himself, brought zest for education and a great advance in many ways. Very interesting were the slides depicting the wonderful penmanship of the Irish monks in the Book of Kells, and of the Celtic .Missals from Winchester and Lindisfarne, dated AT). 700, and of the illuminations on vellum. Air J. Fitzgerald moved a vote of thanks to the musicians, to Professor Shelley, and to Air Hitchcock for the lantern. The motion was seconded by Mr Hutton. Supper was handed round.