Dunbar’s John Muir Association

Friends of John Muir’s

Birthplace
Newsletter No. 8, December 2008
Dear friends,
Welcome to the latest issue of the Friends newsletter. Much has
happened since our last issue including some very interesting talks,
details of which are within. The AGM was held in October. I gave a
resume of the year’s activities, Will presented the accounts and your
council was re-elected, there being no other nominations. The meeting
concluded with David Anderson’s most interesting story of the history
of the building which we know as The John Muir Birthplace from the
time it was built to the present day. At the AGM, I had the honour of
presenting David with a life membership of Friends as a thank you for
re-writing ‘John Muir’s Dunbar – A Town Trail’. This little volume
not only takes one on a guided tour of the places known to Muir but
also gives an insight into Victorian Dunbar.
However, the most wonderful news was the decision of the John
Muir Association in the United States to give the 2008 John Muir
Conservation Award for a Non-profit Organisation to the Birthplace.
The Birthplace had been nominated by Will Collin, supported by
myself and Stephen Bunyan, Friends member and Chairman of
Dunbar Community Council. Manager Jo Moulin went over to
California to accept the award on 15th November. Councillor David
Berry, leader of East Lothian Council happened to be in California on
a private visit and took the opportunity to support Jo at the award
ceremony.
Finally, if you are looking for that little special something to put
in a Christmas stocking, do not forget the gifts available from the
Birthplace shop, particularly the Friends four books.
A Happy Christmas to you and yours, and a peaceful and
prosperous 2009.
Jim Thompson
 John Muir’s Dunbar – Another New Book Launch
John Muir’s Dunbar has been a steady seller since it was published in 1998.
Indeed there were less than 200 copies left of the original 2500 when Friends’
council took the decision to prepare a new edition a little over a year ago. And
who better to ask to write it than David Anderson, who was heavily involved
in the preparation of the first edition.

David has been responsible for considerable research into John Muir’s family
in Dunbar and elsewhere, and Dunbar history in general. So much new
information was available. Nonetheless it was still a major undertaking and
therefore a considerable commitment. However, fortunately, David agreed
and set to work.

There was the question of funding to be resolved and Friends’ council was
delighted when Honorary Member Winifred Sillitto offered to fund the
printing costs, by far the major outlay. With grants totalling 50% of the design
costs coming from East Lothian Leader + and Dunbar Community Council, it
was’ all systems go’.

It was clear that David’s text would far exceed the 24 pages of the old edition
and a limit of 56 pages was agreed. Even then, some reluctant trimming had to
be done. A search for suitable photographs was conducted. Emma Westwater
of Source Graphic design was again approached to provide the technical input
and ensure the ‘in house’ style was maintained.

The result was revealed at a small launch party in the Birthplace on 22

October. The unanimous opinion was that the new John Muir’s Dunbar was
an excellent addition to Friends’ small but growing book list and convener Jim
Thompson thanked all those involved, particularly David and Winifred.

John Muir’s Dunbar is available from the Birthplace price £3.50. UK

members wishing to obtain copies by mail should send cheques for £3.50 per
copy to Will Collin, 2 Rosebery Place, Dunbar EH42 1AQ. Friends will bear
the cost of postage until 31 December 2008.
 Yosemite Artists and Photographers
John Muir and Yosemite Valley are closely linked in many people’s minds. A
visit to the exhibition of Ansel Adams’ stunning photographs at Edinburgh’s
City Arts Centre in February prompted Will Collin to delve into the history of
Yosemite art and he presented the result to Friends at their November meeting.

One may be forgiven for thinking that the white man’s involvement with
Yosemite Valley began around the time of Muir’s first visit in 1868 but the
first artist to visit, Thomas Ayres, made the first drawing in 1855; the first
photographs were taken by Charles Weed in 1859; and the first major painting
by Albert Bierstadt in 1863. Since then, scarcely a year has passed without
leading US landscape painters and photographers visiting the Valley.

Will’s talk focussed on a few of the earliest – painters Thomas Hill and
William Keith as well as Bierstadt; photographers Carleton Watkins,
Eadweard Muybridge and George Fiske. Time allowed no more. The images
which were the key part of the presentation showed El Capitan, Yosemite
Falls, Half Dome and the rest in all their glory.

If you missed Will’s presentation and can visit the Birthplace, ask to see
Yosemite: Art of an American Icon by Amy Scott. It was presented to Jim
Thompson by the Yosemite School at the end of their visit in June and is
available from the front desk.

John Muir Association Conservation Awards

Martinez, CA, 15th November 2008

In September, Friends and Dunbar Community Council nominated the John

Muir’s Birthplace team for a John Muir Association Conservation Award. The
team were successful and with less than three weeks notice managed to secure
funding, book flights and accommodation to enable Jo Moulin (Manager, John
Muir’s Birthplace) to attend the award ceremony. Arrangements were also
made to make the most of the opportunity to promote the work of John Muir’s
Birthplace and the events planned for Homecoming 2009.

Campbell Theatre, Martinez, offered a cabaret style venue for the evening with
sponsorship from Muir-Hanna Vineyards and Shell Oil’s Martinez Refinery.
The programme included feature speaker John Muir Laws (no relation) on
Finding Connection in Nature and gave Jo a chance to meet with Muir
descendents Bill Hanna and Michael Muir. Awards were presented under 4
categories: Business Conservation, Non-profit Conservation (the category
won by John Muir’s Birthplace), Environmental Education Conservation
and Conservationist of the Year.

Jo delivered a brief presentation about the variety of education resources,

activities, events and exhibitions developed and delivered by the team at John
Muir’s Birthplace. Jo also encouraged everyone to visit Dunbar in 2009 as part
of the Homecoming Scotland celebrations - www.homecomingeastlothian.org.
There was a lot of interest in the work of the team and positive responses to the
plans for Homecoming Scotland with some definite “we want to come next
year” responses including a complete stranger that Jo got talking to while out
for a saunter on Mount Wanda. Messages of friendship were also read out from
John Muir Birthplace Trust, Dunbar Community Council and East Lothian
Council whose leader David Berry was on a private visit to the area and
attended the event.

While in California Jo spent a day in San Francisco visiting the Exploratorium

(a hands on science museum) and the Golden Gate National Parks habitat
restoration efforts at Crissy Fields. Out in Martinez the 20oC plus temperatures
provided perfect weather for exploring the John Muir National Historic Site and
neighbouring Mount Wanda (named after one of Muir’s daughters) on ground
that use to be part of the Muir fruit ranch.

The John Muir Association generously took Jo out to dinner the night before
the awards as an opportunity for some networking with board members and
NPS Ranger Cheryl Abel and husband Alan who visited Dunbar in 2007. Jo
also caught up with Yosemite Valley School contacts Laurie Smith and her
family at their home in Martinez prior to attending the award ceremony. Laurie
and her daughter Rachel have taken part in three of the four Yosemite Valley
School visits to Scotland and son Zach in one.

After the award ceremony Martha Lee, Superintendent for John Muir National
Historic site and three other near by National Park sites, hosted Jo for 24 hours.
They joined a regional National Parks meeting on a site visit to Alcatraz led by
Golden Gate National Parks (GGNP) Superintendent Brian O’Neill then visited
other GGNP sites at Bay Area Discovery Museum (a fantastic hands on
museum for children www.badm.org), Fort Baker, Marin Headlands and passed
through Lands End and Ocean Beach on the way to the Airport.
 Whose house is it anyway!

Staff and volunteers at the John Muir National Historic Site.

Photographed by Jo Moulin during her visit to Martinez.

Star Awards
Another award ceremony held
in November was the East
Lothian Council Star Awards.

The photograph is of the

Museum Service Team with
their Star Award Certificate
that was presented at the Star
Awards evening on 6th
November.
 Whose House Is It Anyway?
At the AGM in October David Anderson gave Friends a most interesting talk
about the history of the house that is now John Muir’s Birthplace at 126 High
Street, Dunbar. Having just finished researching and revising the new John
Muir’s Dunbar, the information was close at hand!

David swept through over 200 years of owners, tenants, businesses, changes
and restoration. The house was originally built to provide rental income for an
18th century heiress and was probably divided into three individual flats from
the start. Its ownership descended to Charles Whiteman, the Muir’s landlord,
who sold it in 1846. Since then the ground floor shop has had many uses
including Dunbar Post Office, a watchmaker’s, a draper’s, a grocer’s … a dry
cleaner’s and more recently a photographer’s studio. Many will remember the
small museum dedicated to John Muir on the top floor following restoration in
the late 1970’s. David finished with an image of the building today, which
opened in Aug 2003 as John Muir’s Birthplace.

David was thanked for the research he carried out to enable revision of John
Muir’s Dunbar and providing us with more remarkable background
information on the town of Dunbar as John Muir knew it, David was then
presented with honorary life membership for his contribution to the work and
ideals of Friends of John Muir’s Birthplace.

Jim Thompson
presenting David
Anderson (left)
with his honorary
life membership.
 “Be An Artist” Workshop

Budding artists taking

part in the Birthplace’s
“Be An Artist” workshop,
held to coincide with the
month-long exhibition by
local artist Gordon
Jenkinson.

John Muir Birthplace Trust AGM

In her 2008 report at the Birthplace Trust AGM on 3 November, chairman Liz
McLean outlined another busy year of activity which saw the Birthplace firmly
established as a major resource for education, exhibition and events as well as
a visitor centre, open to the public and free of charge.

The trustees were delighted to welcome HRH Prince Edward to the Birthplace
in February and several groups who were doing John Muir Awards – from
Dunbar Primary School, from Dunbar Grammar School, and from Tynebank
Resource Centre in Haddington – had a chance to speak with the Prince and
tell him about their projects. In June, another successful visit of Yosemite
Valley School took place and parents, staff and children were guided around
Muir’s homecoming journey of Scotland. Their visit coincided with Civic
Week and they also participated in activities at the Primary School.

For schools, the Birthplace is now firmly established as a valuable resource

with regular school talks and visits. The assessors for the Green Tourism
Business Scheme noted ‘the very strong educational materials and
interpretation on and off site’ and congratulations are due to the Birthplace
team for achieving the Gold Award.
Fundraising continues to be an important activity for the Trust to enable it to
continue to develop the activities and refresh the exhibition, ensuring that it is
kept up to date and reaching as many people as possible. Thanks are due to a
number of grant donors and the funds will be used to enable the Birthplace to
keep abreast of the fast changing developments in environmental issues. The
Trust is particularly grateful to East Lothian Council for its Community
Services Revenue grant of £10,000 specifically for building maintenance, etc.
Redecoration, draught proofing, renewal of the external signage and building
insurance are just some of the areas in which this will be used.

Liz thanked all those who had supported the Birthplace over the year,
particularly donors and volunteers, and gave a special mention to Friends and
our secretary Susan Panton. She finished by congratulating the staff for their
ongoing work which had won the Birthplace the Non-proftmaking
Organisation Conservation Award presented by the John Muir Association in
Martinez. (See separate report.) [The full version of Liz’s report to the
Birthplace Trust AGM will be posted on the Birthplace website
www.jmbt.org.uk]

Victor Lough
Dunbar Community Council annual present their Community Council Award
to the person who is considered to have made a significant difference to the
town. This usually is for a contribution over an extended period but few if any
can have given a period of service as long as this year’s recipient.

Victor Lough began as a Countryside Ranger, the county’s second, in 1975,

having already been a woodsman for the Duke of Roxburgh and a blacksmith
with Blue Circle. He was a pioneer in his new profession for his appointment
came the year after the John Muir Country Park was established and Victor
was one of less than 30 Rangers throughout Scotland.

However, he has made an indelible mark with his dedicated and unique
approach. He is a born storyteller and no one who has listened to him -
describing the wonders of a rock pool, explaining the types of fossils at Barns
Ness or telling of the history of the natural world to groups young or old – can
forget his enthusiasm and special brand of humour.

Friends congratulate Victor on receiving the Community Council Award – it is

well deserved – and wish him a long and happy retirement.
 Walks and Talks programme – Feb - June 2009
Come and join us on the first Wednesday of each month (excl. January).
Meetings will be in John Muir’s Birthplace at 7.30pm, unless noted otherwise.
There will also be the occasional daytime activities such as conservation
volunteering. We plan to let you know about these events in good time, but
please feel free to wander into the Birthplace and look at Friends section on the
new notice board. You will also find out what other local environmental
groups are doing.
Wed 4th Feb SOS Puffin. Find out more about the Scottish Seabird Centre
project to manage tree mallow and conserve the puffins on Fidra
and Craigleith with leader John Hunt.
Wed 4th Mar Border Search and Rescue. Stuart Fuller-Shapcott fills us in on
the life saving work of the Unit.
Wed 1st Apr To be announced
Wed 6th May Geowalk. Find out about the geology of the Clifftop Trail with
Angus Miller. Places are limited. Booking essential. Small
charge.
Wed 3rd June Be Green Dunbar Administrator Sheila Kerr will talk to us about
the project which is based in Dunbar’s West Port. It aims to
provide clear and accessible information on reducing energy
wastage, increasing energy efficiency, micro-renewables, and
available grants and assistance.

FRIENDS CONTACTS
Official address: Friends of John Muir’s Birthplace, John Muir’s Birthplace,
126 High Street, Dunbar EH42 1JJ: tel: 01368 865899
Friends Website: www.muirbirthplacefriends.org.uk
Birthplace Email: info@jmbt.org.uk Website: www.jmbt.org.uk
Convener: Jim Thompson, Secretary: Susan Panton, Membership Sec: Duncan
Smeed, Treasurer: Will Collin. All can be contacted through the Birthplace.
 GIFTS at the BIRTHPLACE
!!!!! 10% OFF for Friends !!!!!
Friends Publications
John Muir’s Dunbar – A Town Trail NEW! £3.50
John Muir Clifftop Trail £2.50
Still Walking the World (Muir quotes) £3.50
John Muir: Close to Nature’s Beating Heart £3.50

Handcrafted Gifts
Locally crafted John Muir Mug £12.95
Isle of Skye Soap £3.00
Seton Mother-of Pearl Jewellery from £5.99

Recycled Goods
Pencil cases £4.00
Pencils £0.35
Crayons £3.50
Mouse mats £4.00
Notebooks various
Coasters £1.75
Keyrings £1.35
Bookmarks £1.75

Cards and Calendars

ELC Heritage Calendar £4.50
John Muir Trust 2009 Calendar £10.00
JMT Diary 2009 £13.50
JMT Christmas cards x 10 £3 - £4
Gordon Jenkinson Prints from £8.00
Gordon Jenkinson Chistmas Cards x 5 £6.00

Other
Dunbar Calico Bag £3.50
Celtic connection CD Vol 7 £6.99
 BIRTHPLACE BOOKS
Call Him Father Nature NEW! £9.99
Cockburnspath £24.95
DAM! £17.95
Dunbar in Living Memory £2.95
East Lothian 1945-2000 Stat Acc Vol 1 £19.95
East Lothian 1945-2000 Dunbar Vol 6 £16.95
East Lothian images £19.95
Historic Dunbar £9.50
JM 8 Wilderness Discovery Books £25.00
JM His Life and Letters £20.00
John Muir’s Last Journey £11.99
Kindred and Related Spirits £10.99
Meditations of Emerson £7.99
Meditations of John Muir £7.99
Meditations of Thoreau £7.99
My First Summer in the Sierra £6.99
My Life With Nature £6.99
On the Trail of John Muir £7.99
Sacred Summits £6.99
Scots Who Made America £7.99
Scottish Farmers’ Cookbook £6.99
Son of the Wilderness £13.99
Stickeen £6.99
Swords Loaves and Fishes £28.00
The Story of My Boyhood and Youth £6.99
Two Bear Cubs £10.99
Yearning For the Land £8.99
Wild Muir 22 Greatest Adventures £6.99