Admiral Cochrane - The Real Master and Commander

[anteros_lmc]

Today saw the opening of a new exhibition on Admiral Thomas Cochrane,10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão. esteven posted a note about this to anything_aos the other day, but it's worth repeating :)

Admiral Cochrane - The Real Master and Commander is the first exhibition to open at the newly refurbished National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. It's also, to my knowledge, the first major exhibition dedicated to Cochrane in his home country, where he is woefully unknown.

The exhibition tells the story of the many and varied highs and lows of Cochrane's life and career through letters, artefacts and portraits held in the collections of the National Museum and the National Records of Scotland. In addition to the exhibition there is also a programme of events scheduled, including a series of films at the Edinburgh Playhouse, and a lecture by David Cordingly, author of Cochrane the Dauntless which will explore the way that Cochrane has been brought to life through contemporary sources and naval adventure novels.

Even more excitingly, the opening of the exhibition coincides with nodbear's arrival in Glasgow next week :D and we hope to get through to Edinburgh to see the exhibition at the weekend. And as if that wasn't enough we also plan to meet up with esteven earlier in the week. How cool is that?! :)

The exhibition runs until the 19th February 2012. For more info follow the links below:

• Admiral Cochrane - The Real Master and Commander at the National Museum


• Admiral Cochrane Events at the National Museum


• Admiral Cochrane artefacts go on display for first time, BBC News Report

Comments

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Oh, you will have so much fun!

I like the painting here. He is certainly movie star handsome. I am going to read all your links tomorrow, I am a little stupefied tonight.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I'm sure we will have fun! Although we also have to try and be good and do some work, or at least try and make sense of the work we've already done!

I am a little stupefied tonight.
Awww *hugs*. Long week?

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Very long week. Over now. I will brain tomorrow.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Go rest now, and I will do likewise. More tomorrow :)

[esteven]

He does look very dashing not only in that portrait, I must admit. Even though it says that it was painted after his nose had been shattered in an action. Stephen Maturin James Guthrie must have done a very good job. There is also a lovely portrait of him as a young boy. So very pretty!

Hope you are feeling better.

[vespican.livejournal.com]

I had known that Patrick O'Brian had based a lot of the Jack Aubrey charactor on Cochrane. Still I wonder if he didn't take steps to disguise the simularities. Primarily, I'm talking about appearance. Cochrane seems rather tall and slender, while Aubrey comes across as having a more hefty build. I also find it interesting that P.O. sometimes rearranged history a bit to fit his stories in with what really happened.
Dave

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I think Cochrane was a pretty big bloke himself but I couldn't possibly comment on whether he was a hefty as Jack ;) I haven't read O'Brian but from what I have gathered, Cochrane and Aubrey's characters were quite different too. I'd be interested to know what characteristics they shared and how they differed.

[vespican.livejournal.com]

From the pics I've seen of Cochrane it is difficult to judge his overall size. Yet I get the impression of one who is a bit more lankey than Aubrey. I wonder if P. O. did that on purpose, even if he did base the fictional character on the real individual. Speaking from a bit of experience on my part, I'm sure he did. While I didn't base Edward Pierce on any real individual, he was certainly influenced by the character and persona of Horatio Hornblower. Yet I found myself purposely making changes in the character of Pierce so he would not be a carbon copy of HH. For one, Pierce is not tone deaf and enjoys a good tune. Nor is he an enthusiastic amateur musican comparable with Jack Aubrey. While Hornblower seems to take a great deal of pleasure in mathematics, Pierce has driven himself to be profficient in their use. His understanding is based more on practical application, rather than the purity of the science.

By the way, today would be Pierce's Birthday. When he first came into my mind, the Beatles were BIG, and I selected John Lennon's Birthday as that of Edward Pierce.
Dave

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Many Happy Returns to Mr Piece! Discretion forbids me from asking exactly how old he is ;)

Fascinating to hear how you developed your character :)

[vespican.livejournal.com]

I won't tell you Pierce's age, but I can tell you he was born the same year as HH, and is thus about three months younger. Funny thing, I've never thought about birth dates or year of birth for any of the other characters, even those that are quite prominent.
Dave

[esteven]

I guess in earlier life Cochrane must have been 12-13 stone what with his 6'3". In later life he became a bit more bulky, so O'BRian may well have given Jack some of Cochrane's built. There is a photo of the old Admiral and he has become quite bulky, something I feel may have happened to Aubrey too.

Still, Cochrane never wore his hair long and clubbed like Aubrey. His was always short.

[vespican.livejournal.com]

It's very likely that Cochrane bulked up in his later years. It seems to happen to so many, even today. From reading the Aubrey stories, I get the impression that Jack always was a little on the hefty side.

On the other hand, CSF seems to mention that Hornblower was almost fanatical in not wanting to gain girth and weight as he aged.
Dave

[esteven]

Indeed, Jack Aubrey was always a bit on the hefty side, but he started out with about 12 stones in his early career.

On the other hand, CSF seems to mention that Hornblower was almost fanatical in not wanting to gain girth and weight as he aged So maybe CSF made Hornblower different from Cochrane here? The wonderful exhibition at the National Museum has a photo of Cochrane in his later years and he went definitely bulky in old age. Will you be able to see the exhibition? It is worth it, even if it is a bit on the small side.

[nodbear.livejournal.com]

Yes - we are having fun - yestedray I got to talk age of sail all day, and meet a plethora of Glaswegian gas engineers
today I am thinking of sallying forth into Glasgow where, for a wonder, it is raining :)
Actaully having a magnificnet time as it is impossible not to chez Anteros, partner and toots:) but we are also getting some work done - and have not watched any gratuitous Archie - yet !

[esteven]

The exhibition is only small, and if you are pouring over each exhibit it will take you about an hour. *g* I loved the short five minutes intro film in which they acknowledge Master and Commander, Hornblower and Marriat with excerpts from movies. I was touched to see that the Chilean Navy holds a memorial service at Westminster Abbey every May in honour of their first Vice Admiral.

There are a lot of paintings, and woman, does that man look dashing. (He also knows how to strike a pose ;D). I guess in earlier life he must have been 12-13 stone what with his 6'3". In later life he became a bit more bulky, so O'BRian may well have given Jack some of Cochrane's built.

I would have wished for more "paper" instead of paintings. They had the logbook of Speedy. Why did they not have it open? There were many books and pamphlets which I would have enjoyed reading, but...no chance...

*g*