St Kilda Relieved - A Story in Pictures
7 December 2002 - 25 January 2003
Museum nan Eilean
Sgoil Lionacleit, Benbecula
In July this year, Miss Sheila Taylor from Hull
presented to Museum nan Eilean a fine photographic album that
belonged to her late father, Doctor Charles Taylor. The gift also
included a selection of his personal writings and his cap of St
Kilda tweed. These important donations provided the stimulus for
the forthcoming exhibition 'St Kilda Relieved - A Story in Pictures'
that runs at Museum nan Eilean in Sgoil Lionacleit from Saturday
7 December until 25 January 2003.
The exhibition reveals the story of a 'mercy mission'
to St Kilda mounted by the Daily Mirror in the Spring of 1912,
recorded by Dr Taylor through his observations as attending physician
and includes the commentary made by the Daily Mirror journalist
and photographer that accompanied the relief tug 'Victor' from
Glasgow to St Kilda. The following extract from the newspaper
on 20 May 1912 gives an account of the start of the expedition:
"St Kilda, the lonely home of eighty Scots
in the Outer Hebrides, and the most isolated spot in Great Britain,
has been in danger of starvation. On learning of the plight of
these islanders on Saturday afternoon, The Daily Mirror instantly
decided to organise a relief expedition. And within a few hours
that expedition, despite enormous difficulties, had been organised
and was on its way to the assistance of the 'beleaguered' eighty."
Included in the exhibition are a number of other
significant objects linked to St Kilda that provide and insight
into island life, notably a spinning wheel purchased from one
of the islanders at the time of evacuation in 1930; a selection
of rare postal memorabilia and photographic images; garments made
from St Kilda tweed and yarn and a set of hand cards recently
donated to Museum nan Eilean.
'St Kilda Relieved - A Story in Pictures' is open
Monday & Thursday 9am - 4pm and Tuesday & Friday 9am -
8pm, Wednesday 9am - 12.30pm, Saturday 11am - 1pm, 2pm - 4pm and
has free admission.
Landing supplies at Village Bay, St Kilda, May 1912
Interior of the schoolroom, St Kilda, May 1912
