The Silver Swan automaton in the Bowes Museum England
Kunjoos & Ponnoos Media
The Silver Swan is an automaton dating from the 18th Century and is housed in the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Teesdale, County Durham, England. It was acquired by John Bowes, the museum's founder from a Parisian jeweler in 1872.
Bowes Museum Barnard Castle Teesdale County Durham
Bowes Museum Barnard Castle Teesdale County Durham.
The Bowes Museum is a hidden treasure, a jewel in the heart of beautiful Teesdale. The magnificent building stands proud in the historic market town of Barnard Castle housing internationally significant collections of fine and decorative arts. Purpose built in the 19th century by John and Joséphine Bowes, the Museum has a wonderful story to tell.
John, the son of the 10th Earl of Strathmore, was born at No 13 South Street, Chelsea, London. His mother was a commoner, Mary Millner, who caught the Earl's eye when she worked on his Teesdale estate and ended up living with the Earl to all intents as his wife for many years. The Earl married her just 16 hours before his death in an unsuccessful attempt to secure his son’s succession. Two very long court cases ensued, finally settling the Durham estates on John, but not recognising him as the legitimate heir to the Strathmore title.
John was educated at Eton and became a very successful businessman who profited from the coal reserves on his land. From 1847 he spent his time between France and England exploring his interest in the arts. It was here he bought a theatre and met the Parisian actress Joséphine Coffin-Chevallier.
Joséphine was born in 1825. She was an actress in the Théatre des Variétés, Paris, owned by John Bowes. Joséphine was a talented amateur painter, who shared John’s love of the arts; she was interested in a range of art forms including paintings, ceramics, furniture and textiles. Once the couple married in 1852 they soon began to develop the idea of creating a world-class museum back in John’s ancestral home of Teesdale in order to introduce the wider world of art to the local people.
The prospect was daunting; nothing had matched the scale, grandeur or location of this colossal proposal in their lifetime. Plans were meticulously scrutinised and painstakingly formed in order to give the North East a truly magnificent edifice, a home suitably fitting for all the precious treasures which would be contained within it.
The Bowes’ enthusiasm was immeasurable as Joséphine laid the foundation stone in 1869. She said: ‘I lay the bottom stone, and you, Mr Bowes, will lay the top stone’. As the building grew, so did their collection and an astounding 15,000 objects were purchased between 1862 and 1874.
Suddenly the project was blighted when Joséphine died in 1874. John’s motivation towards their lifelong achievement took an enormous blow and he virtually ceased collecting. Fortunately the building did continue, but John, like his late wife, never saw its completion. He died in 1885 and never did carry out Joséphine’s wish of laying the top stone.
Despite the death of John and Joséphine, momentum for the project had reached such a scale that it continued under the leadership of Trustees and The Bowes Museum was finally opened to the public on 10th June 1892 and attracted nearly 63,000 visitors in its first year.
John and Joséphine ensured that their Museum was filled with treasures; since collecting has continued since the opening, storage and display space comes at a premium. At every turn you can see important and precious works from all over Europe, and each piece has its own story to tell. However, it is the 240 year-old Silver Swan that is the best-loved object in the Museum. The Silver Swan is an English silver automaton, a unique attraction that was bought by the Bowes in 1872. The life size model is still in working order and is operated at the Museum on a daily basis.
The diverse collection spans three floors of the magnificent building and contains items too numerous to list. Whether it is paintings by Canaletto or Goya, porcelain produced at Sèvres, or marquetry attributed to André-Charles Boulle it can all be found at The Bowes Museum, which has received Designated status from the government in recognition of the outstanding collection.
Visitors to The Bowes Museum today can not only learn of John and Joséphine’s wonderful story and marvel at the fascinating collections but can also enjoy an exciting programme of exhibitions. Activities in the park and a popular café and shop add to the visitor offer at the Museum, making it fit for purpose in the 21st century. The magnificent legacy that John and Joséphine left to the people of Teesdale retains its charm and intrigue yet sympathetic developments have made the attraction a popular, vibrant and exciting day out for all.
The Silver Swan in Bowes Museum - Northumberland, England (UK)
The Silver Swan, Bowes Museum.
The Silver Swan is an automaton dating from the 18th Century and is housed in the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Teesdale, County Durham, England. It was acquired by John Bowes, the museum's founder from a Parisian jeweler in 1872
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Silver Swan - Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle
This musical automaton is much loved and over the last century has become the icon of The Bowes Museum. The Silver Swan dates from 1773 and was first recorded in 1774 as a crowd puller in the Mechanical Museum of James Cox, a London showman and dealer. The internal mechanism is by John Joseph Merlin, a famous inventor of the time.
It was one of the many purchases that the Bowes' made from Parisian jeweller M. Briquet, with John paying £200 for it in 1872. John and Joséphine Bowes first saw the swan at the 1867 Paris International Exhibition where jeweller Harry Emanuel exhibited it.
The swan is life-size and is controlled by three separate clockwork mechanisms. The Silver Swan rests on a stream made of twisted glass rods interspersed with silver fish. When the mechanism is wound up, the glass rods rotate, the music begins, and the Swan twists its head to the left and right and appears to preen its back. It then appears to sight a fish in the water below and bends down to catch it, which it then swallows as the music stops and it resumes its upright position. This performance lasts approximately 40 seconds.
John and Joséphine Bowes founded The Bowes Museum. John, the son of the 10th Earl of Strathmore, was born in Teesdale in 1811. His mother was a commoner, Mary Millner, who lived with the Earl to all intents as his wife for many years. The Earl married her just 16 hours before his death in an attempt to save his son's succession. Two very long court cases ensued, finally settling the Durham estates on John, but not recognising him as the legitimate heir to the Strathmore title.
John was educated at Eton and became a very successful business man who invested heavily in the coal reserves on his land and bred four Derby winners. From 1847 he spent his time between France and England.
Joséphine Bowes was born in 1825. She was an actress in the Théatre des Variétés, Paris, which John Bowes owned. She shared John's love of the arts and they married in 1852.
Silver Swan Automaton - Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle
A riverside walk from Barnard Castle to Egglestone Abbey in County Durham in Northern England
Bowes Museum Silver Swan
Bowes Museum is near Barnard Castle in County Durham, England.
Places to see in ( Barnard Castle - UK )
Places to see in ( Barnard Castle - UK )
Barnard Castle is a market town in Teesdale, County Durham, England. Barnard Castle is named after the castle around which it grew up. It is the main settlement in the Teesdale area, and is a popular tourist destination.
The Bowes Museum has the best collection of European fine and decorative arts in the North of England, housed in a magnificent 19th-century French-style chateau. Its most famous exhibit is the 18th-century Silver Swan automaton, though art includes work by Goya and El Greco.
Barnard Castle sits on the north bank of the River Tees, opposite Startforth and 21 miles (34 km) south-west of the county town of Durham. Nearby towns include Bishop Auckland to the north-east, Darlington to the east and Richmond in North Yorkshire to the south-east. Barnard Castle's largest single employer is GlaxoSmithKline which has a manufacturing facility on the outskirts of town.
Barnard Castle is located in a picturesque area of Teesdale and tourism is important to the local economy. Several holiday parks are located nearby including a Camping and Caravanning Club site. Barnard Castle has a number of antique shops and an antique centre which attracts antique buyers from all around the world. The High Street has many independent shops.
Barnard Castle has road connections to Bishop Auckland, Spennymoor and central County Durham via the A688 and Darlington, Stockton-on-Tees, and Middlesbrough by the A67. Barnard Castle is also located 4 miles (6.4 km) from the A66 with access to both the M6 to the west and the A1(M) to the east. The B6278 also connects Barnard Castle with Middleton-in-Teesdale.
Barnard Castle railway station was closed for passenger trains in 1964.
( Barnard Castle - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting the city of Barnard Castle . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Barnard Castle - UK
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Bowes Museum - Barnard Castle - April 2012
The Bowes Museum has a nationally renowned art collection and is situated in the town of Barnard Castle, Teesdale, County Durham, England.
Silver Swan at Bowes Museum uk
The clockwork Silver Swan at the Bowes Museum UK
The 75 & ZT Owners Club @ The Bowes Museum 27.09.15
Arranged by the North East Regional Secretary, members of The Rover 75 & MG ZT Owners Club meet up at The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham on the 27th September 2015.
The Bowes Museum
OK for children and family viewing OK for children and family viewing The Bowes Museum is a beautiful French château-style building opened to the public in 1892 and in 2017, celebrated its 125th Anniversary.
The Bowes Museum is a hidden treasure, a jewel in the heart of beautiful Teesdale, an area of County Durham, built in the 19th century by John and Josephine Bowes. John Bowes was the child of John Lyon-Bowes, 10th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (1769–1820) and his mistress or common-law wife Mary Millner. Josephine was born in 1825 and was an actress in the Theatre des Varieties, Paris, owned by John and they married in 1852. Back in England they created a world-class museum in John’s ancestral home in Teesdale in order to introduce the wider world of art to the local people. As the building grew, so did their collection and an astounding 15,000 objects were purchased between 1862 and 1874.
They never had a family and Josephine was not in good health and at 49 she died in 1874. Her death was a blow to John who virtually ceased collecting but fortunately the building did continue and John died in 1885. Under the leadership of Trustees, The Bowes Museum was finally opened to the public in June 1892.
One of the main attractions is a unique Silver Swan, an English silver automaton that was bought by John and Josephine in 1872 but dates back to 1773. It was made by John Joseph Merlin, a famous inventor of the time. The Silver Swan is life-size and is controlled by three separate clockwork mechanisms. It rests on a stream made of twisted glass rods interspersed with silver fish. When the mechanism is wound up, the glass rods rotate, the music begins, and the Swan twists its head to the left and right and appears to preen its back. It then appears to sight a fish in the water below and bends down to catch it, which it then swallows as the music stops and it resumes its upright position. The model is still in good working order but doesn’t always catch a fish and didn’t appear to on this day!
The Swan is operated at the Museum on a daily basis, every afternoon at 2.00pm but do check before a visit as it only lasts approximately 40 seconds.
Music: “At Rest” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Suitable for Children and Family viewing
The Silver Swan at The Bowes Museum
The Silver Swan at The Bowes Museum.
This musical automaton is much loved and over the last century has become the icon of The Bowes Museum. The Silver Swan dates from 1773 and was first recorded in 1774 as a crowd puller in the Mechanical Museum of James Cox, a London showman and dealer. The internal mechanism is by John Joseph Merlin, a famous inventor of the time.
The American novelist Mark Twain also saw the Silver Swan at the Paris exhibition in 1867 and described it in his book The Innocents Abroad: ‘I watched the Silver Swan, which had a living grace about his movement and a living intelligence in his eyes - watched him swimming about as comfortably and unconcernedly as it he had been born in a morass instead of a jeweller’s shop - watched him seize a silver fish from under the water and hold up his head and go through the customary and elaborate motions of swallowing it...
Barnard Castle & The Bowes Museum - Canon M50 - 13th Nov, 2018
Barnard Castle is a pleasant market town, in County Durham; and is named after the castle around which it grew; it is the main settlement in the Teesdale area, and is a popular tourist destination.
The Bowes Museum has the best collection of European fine and decorative arts in the North of England, housed in a magnificent 19th-century French-style chateau; its most famous exhibit is a 18th-century Silver Swan automaton; and is also currently exhibiting a collection of 20th Century Catwalk Fashions.
Photos = Canon EOS M50 (15-45mm Lens)
Audio = Days Are Long (Silent Partner)
Ian :-)
Silver Swan Automaton, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle.
Bowes Museum is situated just outside Barnard Castle, County Durham. This movie was uploaded via Canon Utilities Movie Uploader for YouTube.
Bowes Museum Christmas Market 2017 in Barnard Castle - County Durham
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Barnard Castle 1: The Town
This may be the nicest town you didn't know existed! It is on the River Tees in Durham County. We planned to stay there for one night after a whirlwind tour of the North but stayed an extra day. Well worth it - and not so full of tourists.
The photographs are in no particular order.
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We stayed at 5A, Market Place, web address: stayinteesdale.co.uk
They are on Airbnb and Tripadviser
Dales Ponies Centenary Parade through Barnard Castle County Durham 30/07/2016
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Bowes castle by drone. Co Durham UK.
Bowes castle, in Teesdale Co Durham. Was occupied from the late 1st century AD to the late 4th century.
King Henry II strengthed the castle which was vital for the defence of the kingdom against a Scottish invasion, which did in fact occur in 1173–4.
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