The Bewick Society produced this documentary that looks at the life and work of engraver Thomas Bewick from his boyhood through to his death. The film visits the Cherryburn Workshop where resident craftsmen shows John Grundy how Bewick did his wood carvings and printing. Title: The Bewick Society Presents A young boy in period clothing runs through a forest. John Grundy appears in the same forest on camera and introduces the artist engraver Thomas Bewick, a native of the Tyne Valley born...

The Bewick Society produced this documentary that looks at the life and work of engraver Thomas Bewick from his boyhood through to his death. The film visits the Cherryburn Workshop where resident craftsmen shows John Grundy how Bewick did his wood carvings and printing. Title: The Bewick Society Presents A young boy in period clothing runs through a forest. John Grundy appears in the same forest on camera and introduces the artist engraver Thomas Bewick, a native of the Tyne Valley born in 1753 and dying in 1828. The young Thomas runs through the wood as John Grundy states that most of Thomas’s working life was spent between Cherryburn where he lived and Newcastle. From his pocket John shows a carved boxwood block black with the stain of ink, displaying one of Thomas’s intricate engravings. With views of the young Thomas racing along woodland paths John describes more about the adult Thomas and his work. The most famous items being his books on natural history one about British quadrupeds and the other, British birds. Title: Thomas Bewick with John Grundy John is now at Cherryburn the farmstead where Thomas Bewick was born. On camera John describes the house and its location. An engraving shows the house as Thomas would have known it with a thatched roof. John walks by the house describing the construction and the materials that when into its building. John describes the work the young Thomas did on the farm. Some engravings shown on the film show aspects of life with animals in the snow and stone pens where they sought shelter. Views follow of a landscape not much changed since Thomas’s time the film shows engravings he made of the locality. A view follows of the young Thomas crossing a field to go exploring. More engravings show children at play in the countryside. The young Thomas sails a model boat in the river, then continues to explore as John off camera describes the aspects of nature which attracted the young man. John continues Thomas’s story from the kitchen at Cherryburn. A school playground at Mickley, the village where Thomas went to school which was probably a house rather than a purpose-built school. John tells of Thomas running from the school to avoid a beating from the teacher. After a period playing truant, Thomas went to Ovingham to be taught by vicar Christopher Gregson in the vicarage. John Grundy appears outside the attractive stone building as he explains how the vicar succeeded in altering Thomas’s wild behaviour. John enters the vicarage and walks into the room where Thomas was taught, which is still a study. John then talks about Thomas’s views on teaching some of which sound quite modern, for example he questions the efficacy of corporal punishment. The film shows St Mary’s Church near the vicarage where Thomas spent the whole night as punishment for some bad behaviour. John Grundy goes on to say that Thomas insisted on drawing on just about every available surface which also got him into trouble. John Grundy gives examples of where Thomas’s drawings appeared. At 14 Thomas entered the employment of the Beilby brothers, an engraving business in Newcastle. An engraving of Thomas’s work shows some familiar landmarks in Newcastle. The film then shows a busy modern city centre, and some landmarks Thomas would have known, including St Nicholas’s cathedral and Bessie Surtees house. John walks the city streets as he continues Thomas’s story working with Ralph Bielby. The film shows the location of the engraving workshop in a corner of St Nicholas’s churchyard. The film shows the Black Boy Inn where Thomas may have found refreshment. John enters the pub and continues the story, noting that Thomas preferred milk to alcohol. John outlines the topics that Thomas had strong feelings about when in conversation with friends at the pub. Paintings appear in the film showing America which Thomas admired as a ‘wise nation’ and France where he thought the aristocracy was oppressive, similarly he treated the British aristocracy with similar disdain. The film shows engravings showing poor people at home or at work and some sleeping rough or destitute. Back at Cherryburn John talks about items on display which shows the kind of work Thomas Bewick would be called upon to do as an engraver. Thomas’s specialism was engraving on wood blocks. John enters the press room where two men are busy with their work. John asks Bob who is engraving on box wood about this work in relation to Thomas Bewick. The craftsman demonstrates the tools and techniques Thomas Bewick would have used to produce an image of, in this case a goldfinch. John leaves Bob to continue his work and then talks to Stewart who looks after the printing press. Stewart demonstrates the working of the press which will produce prints from the wood engravings which would be as Thomas Bewick made them. He starts by applying ink to a woodblock, then he takes a proof image onto a piece of paper placed on the block, then it is put through the press to transfer the image to the paper. John moves to the main room at Cherryburn where he looks at some of some of Thomas Bewick’s books. He holds a copy of the History of Quadrupeds published in 1790. He also picks up two volumes of the History of British Birds one published in 1797 and the other in 1804 after seven years work. The film shows an engraving of a bird known as a Water Rail demonstrating that these books were the first accurate portrayals of wildlife. Several images show different species of bird. Where quality source material wasn’t available Thomas Bewick would interpret what he thought how the animal should look with varying accuracy, but overall his work created a new standard in wildlife observation. John Grundy expresses a preference for the small local views of people and places Thomas Bewick incorporated into his books as tailpieces, small vignettes at the end of a chapter, several views of them follow. John follows on with more biographical information about Thomas Bewick. He left a son and daughter after his death. A painted portrait of Thomas’s son Robert follows.he was also a skilled engraver and a musician, playing the Northumbrian small pipes. Shortly before Thomas’s death he was visited by the famous American painter of birds John James Audubon. John reads a tribute that Audubon wrote about Thomas. The film shows a bust of Thomas’s head and later an oil painting, while John reads. John walks across the fields from Cherryburn and approaches the camera. A small engraving of Cherryburn ends the programme. Credit: Written and Presented by John Grundy Title: Supported by The Heritage Lottery Fund Title: With thanks to The Bewick Society, The National Trust at Cherryburn, Thomas Bewick’s Birthplace, Newcastle Upon Tyne Central Library, The Woodland Trust (The UK’s leading woodland conservation charity which cares for Whittle Denewood) Title: And to Dr Frank Atkinson and the Bewick in Newcastle Trust, Dr Ian Bain, Mickley First School, Mr & Mrs Harrison of Eltringham, Diane Legg, Carolyn and Richmal Paxton Credit: Young Thomas: Jonathan Legg In Cherryburn Workshop: Bob Browell, Stewart Thirkell Northumbrian Pipes: Christopher Ormston Costume: Barbara Burgess Graphic Designer: Tony Bannister Location Sound: Graham Smith Director and Editor: Paul Paxton Producer and Camera: Roger Burgess Title: Finis End title: Heritage Lottery Fund, Roger Burgess Video, The Bewick Society © 2003