Panoramic epistles
Given the Gazette’s refusal (well, okay, they’ve just ignored) to print my latest epistle, here it is. In response to the latest attempt to sell the ‘Panorama Stones are modern inventions’ line.
Gavin Edwards has once again used your columns to promote his pet theory
of the Victorian embellishment of the Panorama STone(s). The latest
account (23 Nov) seems to provide no more evidence than the previous story
(carried in July 2004). In the meantime, an exhibition at the Manor
House has also promoted the theory. Are we to take it that this is now
the official view of the Bradford Museums Service, and therefore is an
explanation for the wilful neglect of these important carvings?
Mr. Edwards’ case rests on two pieces of evidence. Drawings given to the
museum in 1880, and a lecture given in 1913. As yet, he has proved no
date of completion for the drawings, so we are unable to say when they
were done. What we do have, however, is the drawing of J. Romilly Allen
accompanying his article of 1879 (‘The Prehistoric Rock Sculptures of
Ilkley’), and we also have Allen’s and Dr. Call’s account of the rocks.
All of these point to the ladder motif being present. Allen was a fairly
scrupulous draughtsman and was more prone to leaving elements out than
including extra (see his drawing of the Badger Stone for instance).
As to the lecture, he is taking as evidence the talk given by Gill in
1913, at which point Gill is 63, and talking of events forty years
earlier. Against this we have the research and accounts of Allen, Dr.
Call, J.H. Turner, and Dr. Little. All were researching and writing in
the 1880s, all believe in the ladder motif and none mention any rumours
or suspicion surrounding the markings.
Indeed, Little worked with the Ilkley Local Board to relocate the stones
at considerable expense and effort in 1890. Are we to assume that none
of these people ever had a local wander up to them and mention that ‘old
Ambrose done those markings.’? Or is Mr. Edwards implying a massive conspiracy?
Simply put, there is little evidence that these markings were added in
late Victorian times. There is ample that the ladder motif was present
in the 1870s. English Heritage continues to refer to the stone(s) as
being, “one of the finest examples of rock art in the north of England,
if not in the British Isles.” So why does Mr. Edwards continue to press
his line? Why the not-so-subtle campaign to downgrade the importance of
the stones?
Can it be anything to do with their wilful neglect, and the
unwillingness (whatever they say) of anyone to move the stones to the
Manor House? What has happened to the Dr. Little Heritage Group, and why
have they not been quoted over this story?
These might be rather more worthy of coverage than repetition of an
interesting though completely unproved theory.