Every year we create a calendar to celebrate our customers. We showcase 12 objects from collections around the world and send the calendars to all our staff and customers.
We're delighted to have finalised our 2018 calendar!
2. alm.axiell.com/events
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
LOCH KATRINE
Sir John Lavery, 1913
National Galleries of Scotland, Scotland| Mimsy XG
JANUARY
alm.axiell.com/events
3. | The number 1 in collections management systems | alm.axiell.com | @axiellalm
John Lavery’s determination to paint led him from
his native Ireland to Glasgow where he tinted photo-
graphs to finance his art classes. He went on to study
in London and Paris, returning to Glasgow in 1885
and befriending the artists known as the Glasgow
Boys, with whom he shared an interest in subjects
from modern life. Lavery rose to prominence as
a painter of society portraits and contemporary
scenes in 1888 when commissioned to paint the
state visit of Queen Victoria to the Glasgow Inter-
national Exhibition. He enjoyed great success after
his move to London in 1896, combining his talents as
a portrait painter with an interest in contemporary
events. He was knighted in 1918.
Inspired by the example of J.M.W. Whistler, Lavery’s
painting style underwent a transformation when
he turned from the broken, square brushwork of his
early pictures to a smoother and more fluid appli-
cation of paint. The subject of this painting, Loch
Katrine, had become a major tourist attraction fol-
lowing the publication of Sir Walter Scott’s poem
The Lady of the Lake in the early 19th
century. Lavery
acknowledges this and gives human scale to the
idyllic natural setting with his inclusion of the tiny
foreground figure sketching the view.
Other works by Lavery owned by the National Galleries
of Scotland include The Dutch Cocoa House at
the Glasgow International Exhibition of 1888; and
portraits of Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1860 - 1937.
Author, and James Maxton, 1885 - 1946. Labour
politician.
The National Galleries of Scotland comprises three
galleries in Edinburgh and two partner galleries. It
cares for, develops, researches and displays the
national collection of Scottish and international art,
and aims to engage, inform and inspire the broadest
possible public.
The collection of fine art is amongst the best in
the world and includes masterpieces by Botticelli,
Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Constable,
Turner, Monet, Van Gogh and Gauguin. The most
comprehensive part of the collection covers the
history of Scottish painting; all the major names are
represented, including Ramsay, Raeburn, Wilkie
and McTaggart.
LOCH KATRINE
Sir John Lavery (1856 – 1941), 1913 | Oil on canvas
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Loch Katrine by Sir John Lavery (1856 – 1941),
Scottish National Gallery collection.
Mimsy XG user since 2005
4. alm.axiell.com/events
COPPER AXE
Unknown, 3300-3100 BC
South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, Italy| Adlib
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28
FEBRUARY
5. | The number 1 in collections management systems | alm.axiell.com | @axiellalm
The warm summer of 1991 saw glacial ice in the Ötztal
Alps shrink, exposing the mummy of a man who
had lain there for over 5,000 years. The body of the
Iceman, or “Ötzi”, and many items of clothing and
equipment were extraordinarily well-preserved and
tell us a great deal about life in the Copper Age.
The Iceman was mortally wounded by an arrow in
his left shoulder and bled to death on the glacier.
Could this be a murder mystery?
The Iceman’s axe was preserved intact and is the
only one of its kind in the world. The blade is 99.7%
pure copper and is trapezoidal in shape. The knee
haft is made from yew and is approximately 60
cm long. The copper blade is fixed into the forked
shaft of the haft with birch tar and is bound with
leather straps to hold it firmly in place. The blade
(9.5 cm long) was cast in a mould, cooled and then
compressed by hammering. Signs of wear show that
the axe had been frequently used and sharpened.
The copper used in the blade does not derive from
the Alpine region but from Central Italy.
Copper was the first metal to be used to make
weapons and tools. Mining and smelting skills
spread from Asia Minor to Central Europe 4000
years BC. Around 3000 BC, high-ranking men owned
a copper axe, which was often buried with them.
A copper axe was used not only for woodworking
and felling trees but was also a powerful close-combat
weapon. Was the Iceman a tribal leader? It remains
a mystery why the killer did not take this valuable
copper axe. Would possession of it have exposed
the attacker as a murderer?
Ötzi and his equipment have been on display in the
South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy
since 1998. The museum documents the whole story
of discovery, recovery, excavations and medical
examinations, and shows a life-like reconstruction
of the man from the Copper Age.
The mummy is stored in a specially devised cold
cell and can be viewed through a small window.
The mummy is laid out on precision scales and con-
served at a temperature of -6°C and 99% air humidity.
COPPER AXE
Unknown, 3300-3100 BC | Wood, copper, leather, birch tar
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Iceman’s Copper axe, trapezoidal shape
with raised margins,Tisenjoch/Giogo di Tisa,
South Tyrol, Italy, 3300-3100 BC.
Adlib user since 2008
6. alm.axiell.com/events
EURASIAN LYNX
2016
Muséum d’Auxerre, France | Mobydoc
Axiell Middle Eastern User Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE
21-22 March
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31
MARCH
7. | The number 1 in collections management systems | alm.axiell.com | @axiellalm
The small population of French Eurasian lynx is
classified as endangered and is closely monitored,
with accidental deaths documented. This lynx was
hit and killed by a car. Following a post mortem it
became part of the Auxerre Museum of Natural
History’s collection of more than 160,000 specimens
across four disciplines: palaeontology, zoology, ge-
ology, and botany. The collections of palaeontology
and zoology bear witness to past and present bio-
diversity from Cenozoic marine fossils (said to give
local Chablis wine its unique taste!) to cave bears
from Arcy’s prehistoric dwellings. The museum also
keeps the scientific library and papers of local scien-
tist and politician Paul Bert (1833-1886).
Muséum d’Auxerre still acquires new specimens to
document modern biodiversity, as was the case
with this Eurasian lynx collected along with a female
lynx and two grey wolves. These two wolves stand
in contrast to another item in the collection, the
last wolf killed in the district of Yonne. This male wolf
was killed on 8 January 1887 in Santigny (Yonne,
France). Wolf hunters were appointed by mayors
and received a reward for every wolf they killed.
While this wolf was killed by hunters in 1887 and
mounted as a trophy in a zoologically incorrect
position, the new specimens document the natural
return of wolves to France in the 1990s.
EURASIAN LYNX
2016
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Eurasian Lynx (Lynx Lynx)
Credit for photo: Muséum - Ville d’Auxerre.
Grey wolf (Canis Lupus)
Taxidermy / Credit for photo: Josette Laliaux
- Ville d’Auxerre.
Mobydoc user since 2000
8. alm.axiell.com/events
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30
APRIL
O MAN, O VROUW
Rudolf Belling, c. 1929
Nationaal Cooperatie Museum Schiedam, Netherlands| Adlib
Axiell East Coast Roadshow, New York, United States
19 April
9. | The number 1 in collections management systems | alm.axiell.com | @axiellalm
O Man, O Vrouw, a bronze, silver-plated sculpture
of 1.55 metres, was made by German sculptor Rudolf
Belling (1886 – 1972) in approximately 1929. The
combination of bronze and silver in this unique item
is seldom seen. In the centre are two stylised heads,
one male, one female, both in Art Deco style.
Around the edge is text in Dutch by the Dutch poet
Henriëtte Roland Holst, which translates as: “Oh
man, Oh woman, don’t say more I, say WE. I knots
the chain, WE makes free”.
The object is currently part of an exhibition in Berlin
of the remaining works of Rudolf Belling. Much of his
work was destroyed by the Nazis during WWII as it
was considered “Entartete Kunst” or “Degenerate
Art”.
The sculpture was a gift from the staff of the “Coop-
erative” to the headquarters of the organisation in
1929. When the organisation went bankrupt in the
1970s the sculpture was tossed on the scrap heap
but was fortunately saved.
The Nationaal Coöperatie Museum documents the
establishment and history of Consumer Coöperation
“COOP” worldwide, with a focus on the Netherlands.
The museum collects items from the shops, offices
and warehouses of the “Cooperative”. Many ob-
jects and photos are offered by former customers
and employees.
O MAN, O VROUW
Rudolf Belling (1886 – 1972), c. 1929 | Bronze and silver
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Nationaal Coöperatie Museum, Netherlands.
Adlib user since 2007
10. alm.axiell.com/events
POSTCARD
Stanley F. Tuner, c. 1930s
TIFF Film Reference Library, Canada| Mimsy XG
Axiell European User Conference, Glasgow, UK
23-24 April
Axiell France User Conference, Bordeaux, France
29 April
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31
MAY
11. | The number 1 in collections management systems | alm.axiell.com | @axiellalm
This postcard belongs to the Rob Brooks Mary
Pickford Collection, which includes personal effects,
photographs, publications, and advertisements
relating to the career of Mary Pickford (pictured),
silent-movie star and co-founder of United Artists.
This artefact is a colour lithograph depicting Mary
Pickford’s house in Toronto, Ontario, where she lived
during her formative years. Pickford remained a
proud Canadian all her life, never claiming American
citizenship. She became one of the most powerful
women in Hollywood and one of the first “celeb-
rities” as we understand the term today, endorsing
products, influencing fashion, and inspiring global
adoration. This mass-produced object demonstrates
her enduring popularity in the city of her birth and
was used by Simpsons Department Store as part of a
promotional opportunity.
The Rob Brooks Mary Pickford Collection is just one
of the 80+ Special Collections held by TIFF’s Film
Reference Library. These collections illuminate the
history of Canadian cinema and preserve groups of
original archival records that represent many notable
Canadian actors and directors. In addition, the Film
Reference Library holds a vast general reference
collection comprising books, scripts, audio-visual
materials, research files, journals, images, posters,
and soundtracks.
A charitable cultural organisation, TIFF’s mission is
to transform the way people see the world through
film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF offers
year-round screenings, lectures, discussions, festi-
vals, workshops, industry support, and the annual
Toronto International Film Festival in September.
MARY PICKFORD HOUSE, 211 UNIVERSITY AVE. TORONTO
Stanley F. Tuner, c. 1930s
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Rob Brooks Mary Pickford Collection,
TIFF Film Reference Library.
Mimsy XG user since 2014
12. alm.axiell.com/events
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30
JUNE
SUMERIAN WORSHIPPERS
Unknown, 2900–2350 BC
Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, USA | EMu
Axiell West Coast Roadshow, Los Angeles, USA
21 June
13. | The number 1 in collections management systems | alm.axiell.com | @axiellalm
These stone statues were recovered by the Iraq
Expedition of the Oriental Institute during excavations
in the Diyala region east of Baghdad in the 1930s.
Some 600 temple statues dating to the Early Dynastic
period (2900-2350 BC) of Mesopotamia have survived.
Dedicated to gods, they served as surrogate
images of the men and women who donated
them. The majority of temple statues were carved
from gypsum and had large, inlaid eyes; they wear
garments, probably of fleece, and their clasped
hands express an attentive quality.
According to ancient texts, temple statues were
the recipients of offerings and other ritual activities.
When no longer maintained through such activities,
they were discarded through hoarding and other
methods of disposal.
The majority of the Diyala temple statues are part
of the Iraq Museum collection in Baghdad. The
Oriental Institute Museum provides a rare opportunity
to view these statues in the western hemisphere. As
is the case with these statues, most of the 300,000
objects in the Oriental Institute Museum were scien-
tifically excavated. The exact provenance of these
objects, including the stratigraphic layer of the ar-
chaeological site from which they were recovered
and the other objects with which they were associated,
is well documented. As a result, the Oriental Institute
Museum collections provide a valuable resource for
scholarly research on the origins and development
of ancient Near Eastern civilisations.
SUMERIAN WORSHIPPERS
Unknown, 2900–2350 BC | Gypsum or limestone
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Photos courtesy of the Oriental Institute of the
University of Chicago: FRONT Sumerian Worshippers.
The Oriental Institute Museum (Photo D. 27518).
BACK Hoard of Statues from Tell Asmar, Iraq,
Excavated in 1933–1934 (Field Negative As. 1152).
EMu user since 2010
14. alm.axiell.com/events
MANDATE IN FAVOUR OF WILLIAM,
PRIOR OF CARTMEL
John Till, 1418
Lancashire Archives, UK| Calm
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31
JULY
15. | The number 1 in collections management systems | alm.axiell.com | @axiellalm
This medieval document was issued by John Till,
Prior Provincial of the Order of Dominicans in England,
and was likely created by members of that Order.
Beautifully illuminated in gold, blue and red and
featuring a miniature of the Resurrection, the document
promises prayers for William, Prior of Cartmel on his
deathbed and, on his death, prayers for his soul by
the whole of the Dominican Order.
This may be one of the few surviving medieval
documents from Cartmel Priory.
The document is now part of the Hulton Archive, a
collection of documents that had been at risk of
sale by its owner to a private collector. Fundraising
and a number of generous donations saved the
archive however, enabling Lancashire Archives to
catalogue and repackage the entire Hulton family
estate collection. The Hulton Archive contains
thousands of pieces of Lancashire’s history, a
reflection of the family’s influence as landowners,
industrialists and politicians. Documents within the
collection range in date from 1190 to the 1990s and
include:
• Deeds, rentals and account books which record
the management of the Hulton estate.
• Personal correspondence of William Jessop,
clerk to Oliver Cromwell’s Council of State.
• Papers of George Stephenson relating to the
design of the Bolton and Leigh Railway, the
first to operate in Lancashire.
• Correspondence which records the state
response to the tragic events at Peterloo in
1819.
• Papers which record the Second World War
experiences of Geoffrey Hulton, who survived
the sinking of the HMS Repulse before becoming
a Japanese POW on the Burma Railway.
Lancashire Archives was founded in 1940 and holds
over eight miles of documents dating from 1115 to
the present day. The Archives document the county’s
diverse history and include the archives of people,
organisations, local authorities and businesses in
Lancashire, revealing the changing landscape,
communities and economy over nine centuries.
Many of the collections are of national and inter-
national importance as well as regional and local
significance.
MANDATE IN FAVOUR OF WILLIAM, PRIOR OF CARTMEL
John Till, 1418
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
With kind permission of Lancashire Archives,
Lancashire County Council.
Calm user since 2004
16. alm.axiell.com/events
JEUNE PRINCESSE LAOTIENNE
Évariste Jonchère, c. 1933-1935
Conseil départemental de la Haute-Savoie, France| Mobydoc
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31
AUGUST
18. alm.axiell.com/events
BIPEDAL WALKER
Richard Greenhill, David Buckley and
the Shadow Robot Project Group, 1987-1997
Science Museum Group, UK| Mimsy XG
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
SEPTEMBER
19. | The number 1 in collections management systems | alm.axiell.com | @axiellalm
This biped robot was one of the first robots outside
of Japan to wobble forward on two legs. It was built
in a London attic by a visionary group of amateur
roboticists who wanted to build a robot that could
walk by falling forward and catching itself, just like
a human. Though it only took a few small steps, the
Bipedal Walker could keep its balance by using
information from its sensors to tense or relax the 28
artificial muscles in its legs.
The robot is part of the Science Museum’s Human
Robotics collection, which brings together robots
from across the museum’s collections and from
around the world to explore how robots have
developed and how they might evolve.
The Science Museum Group’s world-class collection
forms an enduring record of scientific, technological
and medical achievements from across the globe.
It is the world’s leading alliance of science museums,
welcoming over five million visitors each year to five
sites: the Science Museum in London; the National
Railway Museum in York; the Museum of Science
and Industry in Manchester; the National Science
and Media Museum in Bradford; and Locomotion
in Shildon.
The Science Museum Group shares stories of
innovations which shaped our world and which
are transforming our future. Standout objects
amongst the diverse collection of 7.3 million items
include the record-breaking locomotive Flying
Scotsman, Richard Arkwright’s textile machinery,
Alan Turing’s Pilot ACE computer, and the equip-
ment used by John Logie Baird to transmit the first
ever television pictures.
The mission of the Science Museum Group is to inspire
futures, igniting curiosity among people of all ages
and backgrounds. Each year the museums attract
more than 600,000 visits by education groups, while
the touring exhibition programme and websites
bring the Group’s creativity and scholarship to
audiences across the globe.
BIPEDAL WALKER
Richard Greenhill, David Buckley and the Shadow Robot Project Group, 1987-1997
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Science Museum Group.
Mimsy XG user since 1995
22. alm.axiell.com/events
BAIRD STREET - CHILDREN ROUND ARC LIGHTS
Glasgow Public Health Department, May 1926
Glasgow City Archive, Scotland| Calm
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30
NOVEMBER
23. | The number 1 in collections management systems | alm.axiell.com | @axiellalm
The Public Health Department started using ultra
violet treatment in May 1925. The treatment was
seen as beneficial for a number of conditions such
as skin inflammations, tuberculosis and rickets, and
is still in common usage today for conditions such as
psoriasis. In 1926, when this photograph was taken,
194 children were treated.
The photograph was taken by the Public Health
Department to illustrate the work done in its clin-
ics. This image, and many other glass negatives
created by the Department, had been part of the
Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board Archives
but was transferred to Glasgow City Archives in
March 2016.
The Wellcome Trust has funded a project to
catalogue the records relating to public health in
Glasgow. This includes records of the Public Health
Department, the Police Commissioners and the
burghs surrounding Glasgow. These photographs
come from the main Public Health Department
collection.
Glasgow City Archives is the official archive of
Glasgow City and its predecessor authorities. It
aims to manage the records of the City and make
them available for the information, education and
enjoyment of the public. The public search room
is based in the Mitchell Library and is open six days
a week.
BAIRD STREET - CHILDREN ROUND ARC LIGHTS
Glasgow Public Health Department, May 1926
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
FRONT Children receiving ultra violet treatment at
a Glasgow clinic, May 1926 (ref: D-HE/7/2/1/6).
BACK Children resting at the clinic after undergoing
ultra violet treatment, May 1926 (ref: D-HE/7/2/1/3).
Calm user since 2015
25. | The number 1 in collections management systems | alm.axiell.com | @axiellalm
No expense was spared when fitting out the SS City
of Launceston. This dining table of American pine
and mahogany was a high-quality addition to a
sumptuous first-class saloon on the vessel, which
sank in Port Phillip Bay in 1865. The survival of a large
organic object like this one is rare, and it allows us
to explore the varying experiences of passengers
aboard 19th
century ships. The wreck of the SS City
of Launceston has been assessed as one of Victoria’s
most significant shipwrecks.
The artefacts at this dinner party, including the table
itself, are part of the maritime archaeological
collection held by Heritage Victoria, in Melbourne,
Australia. Heritage Victoria is custodian of the
Victorian State Archaeological Collection, which
comprises artefacts from both land and maritime
excavations across Victoria. This is unique and
significant as Victoria is the only state in Australia
that maintains a state historic archaeological
collection.
SALOON DINING TABLE
Unknown, c. 1865 | American pine and mahogany
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Photographs by Martin Zweep, courtesy of Heritage
Victoria, Department of Environment, Land, Water
and Planning.
EMu user since 2009