Seeing is believing part 1

Les Hospices de Beaune

The model in the photo is a replica of Les Hospices de Beaune, founded in 1433 by the Chancellor of Burgundy - Nicolas Rolin - as a hospital for the poor. It's now a museum and generally regarded as one of the finest examples of French fifteenth century architecture. We visited it at least twenty years ago, while on holiday with some friends. A fascinating place, with a striking and very beautiful polychrome glazed-tile roof - the symbol of Burgundy. We saw this model in Tours and were so impressed with quality of the detail. If you look up Les Hospices de Beaune on the internet there are loads of photographs, which provide a testament to the quality of the skills involved in building this replica. Made by George Bouché, it took 800 hours to complete. The only other things about it I should tell you are that the model is actually a cake and it won first prize at Les Olympiades de la cuisine - Frankfurt, in 1976.

We were in Tours ostensibly for a photographic exhibition, but as that didn't open till the afternoon, and as we were wanting to spend the day over there, Mike researched what else was on and found Le musée du Compagnonnage - the history of the guilds for the building/construction trades. But there were obviously many other organisations affiliated to guild membership as the presence of the cake indicates. The museum's website has  English translation facility, but just briefly. . .

 Le musée du Compagnonnage showcases the collection of master carpenter Pierre François Guillon (1848-1923), who was a member of a guild known as The Duty of Freedom. The guilds are regarded as the precursors to unions (les syndicats), with some masonic tendencies thrown in. Pierre François Guillon founded a school for the construction of design arts in 1871, where he taught carpentry, joinery and stonework to apprentices from all over France and abroad for fifty-two years. After his death, his son donated his father's papers, models and student's materials for a museum which was built originally in 1928. In 1994 the building was renovated, and new rooms added. The original collection has been greatly expanded through bequests and acquisitions to present a comprehensive social history of the guild system. For us it was an excellent introduction to the range of skilled craftsmen that operated in our region. Up until this point, we were mainly aware of stone masonry - an ongoing and much needed profession with all the the chateaux here in the Indre et Loire.  There are still traditional boat makers, clog makers and black smiths. But  Le musée du Compagnonnage provides a much wider context with models, that were themselves masterpieces, as well as the different 'uniforms' that members of each guild wore to distinguish themselves.

Barrel makers, carpenters, roofers, shoe makers, chefs de patisserie, blacksmiths and

farriers, rope makers - such an interesting collection of professions. One in particular was of relevance to my own family through my father.  My father was born in Henley-on-Thames on 10 May 1911. He was the youngest of three, all were too young fortunately, so missed WW1. He was apprenticed to a wheelwright as a young man, somewhere near to Henley. The details including how old he was when this happened are now in storage. Amongst the documents is his deed of apprenticeship. Very official and elaborate in appearance, the handwriting is of it's time, full of swirls and curls, with seal and ribbon attached.  Working with wood was something he loved all his life, even though his abilities took him into a completely different profession in London.  The wardrobes and cupboards in our family home were made by him with such care and skill, in his workspace in the garage. I still have his tools, which are now of an age. I ought to find a proper home for them. Amongst the few family photos I have of him from that time, is one where he's sitting in the foreground with his three workmates in the company backyard, having a break, in hobnailed boots, dark overalls with his sleeves rolled up and arms folded.  There's a look of contentment on his face. The tools might go, but not the photo.