The ‘Hunterian Insight Talks’ and the Graham Kerr Collection

By rachaelegan on April 23, 2012 • ( 0 )

Every Tuesday lunchtime, the Hunterian Museum hosts a ‘Hunterian Insight Talk’ and this week’s will be:

Zoology, Art and War: Hugh Cott and the development of modern military camouflage, presented by Isla Forsyth (PhD student; Geographic and Earth Sciences).

Last year Isla visited the searchroom here at GUAS to look up the Graham Kerr collection for her thesis research and has used some of the information she found for tomorrow’s talk.

Graham Kerr (DC6/1230/1)

John Graham Kerr (1869-1957) was appointed Regius Professor of Zoology at the University of Glasgow in 1902 and we have a large collection of his papers and correspondence. He was particularly interested in war camouflage, and he corresponded with the Admiralty at great length. His suggestion for the use of obliterative shading and disruption was adopted, and was used extensively during the 1939-1945 World War. He also claimed to have invented dazzle painting of warships in 1914, although the collection of papers reflects the dispute over his claim.

Chinese Tanks showing ‘Dazzle’ (DC6/695)

Isla said that the collection:
“has proved to be the most useful archive consulted in my doctoral research into the history of WWII military camouflage told through the biography of Dr Hugh Cott.”

The talk will take place at 1.00pm in the Hunterian Museum. Admission is free and all are welcome. Please do go along to the talk and you can also visit us and consult the Graham Kerr collection yourself.