Flight of Dandelion seeds study in Nature

There's a really great article published in Nature this week about the work of scientists who have worked out how dandelion seeds fly. Until now researchers thought that an unattached vortex would be too unstable to persist in nature, however they have found that the seeds of the dandelion use vortices that materialise just above their surface, lifting the seed into the air. The humble dandelion can still teach us exciting things. Amazing!

Read the full article here:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07084-8

Rustic Oracles ending 7th October

My archive intervention Dandelions: Rustic Oracles at the Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library in Preston finishes on 7th October 2018 - so you only have a few days left to see it.
Within the displays and galleries I have placed dandelion objects, artworks and books for you to find. Ceramics, prints, embroideries and food items are all included in the exhibition and have been selected from the Harris Museum collection, or on loan from my Dandelion Archive.
Here is one of the items on display: a red dress embroidered with dandelions (in red thread) and it's placed in the costume department.

17th & 18th Century Botany Books

Come and handle 17th and 18th century botany books from the Harris Museum collection in a free event open to all. You will get the chance to see some incredibly beautiful botany books up close and books that show dandelions. You will also get the chance to try and discover all the dandelion objects, books and artworks that have been placed within the collection and galleries for you to find.

The event at the Harris Museum, Art Gallery and Library in Preston 
5.30 - 7.30 on Wednesday 26th September 2018 
and is FREE!!

Dandelion Crayola

Look what I got!
I've known for a while that Crayola do a Dandelion crayon, but never managed to get my hands on one. However, I am currently in California and while browsing the stationary section in the supermarket I saw the different Crayola packs and opened a box to see. And what a gorgeous colour it is! It is named 'dandelion, diente de leon, pissenlit' and is in a pack of 24 crayons. 
The pack states " Made with solar power! Starting Spring 2010, solar panels provide enough power to make a BILLION crayons each year!"
When I return home the Dandelion crayon (along with the others) will go into the Dandelion Archive.

The Herball or Generall History of Plantes

One of the books selected for inclusion in my exhibition Dandelions: Rustic Oracles at the Harris Museum, is The Herball or Generall History of Plantes by John Gerard from 1636.  It is from the Dr Shepherd's Library Collection at the museum.

It is a large volume with absolutely beautiful illustrations throughout of different plants. It is currently on display in a cabinet in the reference library at the Harris Museum in Preston, and is of course open on the page listing dandelions.

The Herball will remain on display until the end of the exhibition on 7th October 2018.

Dandelion Tea and Coffee

Here are some more objects from my Dandelion Archive in the exhibition Dandelions: Rustic Oracles at the Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library in Preston.
Shown here are examples of dandelion tea and coffee and also a beautiful cup and saucer from Russia that have been placed in the display about Teetotallism. 
Teetotalism was first started in Preston and is the practice of total abstinence from alcohol. There is a display dedicated to the movement in the Harris Museum, so the dandelion tea, coffee and cup & saucer seemed to fit quite well.
The exhibition runs until 7th October 2018.

Dandelions at the Harris Museum

Here is one of the cabinets in my Dandelions: Rustic Oracles exhibition at the Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library. I spent time looking in their special collection of books in the library and chose a number of really beautiful books to go on display in the exhibition.
Alongside this book I have put a packet of dandelion seeds from China and also a box of weed killer (with an image of dandelions on the box), both from the Dandelion Archive.
What a contradictory relationship we have with this beautiful plant!
The exhibition runs until 7th October 2018

www.harrismuseum.org.uk

Harris Museum Dandelions

My archive intervention at the Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library continues until 7th October 2018, so there is still plenty of time to go and discover all the dandelion related objects within the collection.
I have put dandelion items from my Dandelion Archive alongside items chosen from the Harris collection and also their library too. However, you have to discover them yourself by exploring the museum, as i've not detailed where each item is. You might not find them all...

A leaflet / poster has been produced and is available for free at the Museum. The image about shows the poster side. Go and collect one now!

Dandelions at the Harris Museum and Art Gallery

Dandelions: Rustic Oracles, my archive intervention at the Harris Museum and Art Gallery in Preston starts today!
I have placed objects from my Dandelion Archive within the museum collection. They infiltrate nearly every department in the building, cropping up in sixteen different locations. Just like weeds.

I have also selected objects and books from the museum collection and displayed these too.

We are having a launch TODAY from 2 - 4pm 
Refreshments provided (dandelion and burdock drink, dandelion tea, and normal tea too)
Free!
All welcome

The exhibition runs until 7 October 2018

www.harrismuseum.org.uk

Dandelions: Rustic Oracles

For the past few months I have been putting an exhibition together about dandelions. 

I was invited by the Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library to look in their collection to see if I could find any representation of dandelions. I visited the museum archive a number of times and looked through paintings, prints, ceramics, books, and clothing and found a number of dandelions. How exciting!
I've been so busy recently I haven't had time to update the blog, but will in the next few weeks put details up of the items I found in the collection.
Alongside these items I have chosen objects from my Dandelion Archive to go on show too in the exhibition.

First Dandelion of 2018

Here is an image of the first dandelion i've seen in flower in 2018.

I've been looking out for the first dandelion here in Preston for a while. It's been a cold few months and i've seen a couple of dandelions nearly ready to come out, but not fully. However, yesterday I was walking along the river and saw a few in full flower. Hoorah! They're back.

Dandelion Net Curtain

Staying with textiles (see blog posts below) I also have this net curtain in the Dandelion Archive. It's not the easiest thing to take clear photographs of, but you get the idea. It's got dandelion flower heads in seed and also a few seeds blowing around. There are no leaves, but are in amongst blades of grass.

Dandelion T-Shirt (another one)

The second t-shirt in the Dandelion Archive is this one I bought last year made by Insight, based in Australia. Unlike the t-shirt in the previous post, i haven't worn this one and probably never will as it's gone straight into the Archive. It's really lovely quality cotton.

Dandelion T-Shirt

This t-shirt possibly qualifies as the first object I bought with dandelions on. 
I bought it around 2005 ish from a lovely little shop here in Preston. The shop is no longer around, which is a shame. And the company who made the t-shirt 2Blame Clothing, also seems not to exist anymore. As i didn't have the Archive set up at that time, i didn't note the name of the shop or the date i bought it. 
I wore it lots, but not for a long time now, but it's safe in the Dandelion Archive.