A warm welcome to my blog, which I have set up as a place of musings, chatter and general notes-to-self about my ongoing research topic: the material culture of the English Romani gypsies.
The colour, spirit and warmth of gypsy art has always attracted me, but my fascination was really inspired by a book I found in a charity shop in 2009. Enchanted by the title - The Moon in my Pocket - and the lovely wrapper illustrations, I handed over the slightly breathtaking sum of £25 (which I have since learnt is not expensive). This purchase introduced me to the writings of Rupert Croft-Cooke, a friend of the gypsies in the 1940s. It is to him that I dedicate this blog.
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| Rupert Croft-Cooke, The Moon in my Pocket: Life with the Romanies (London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co, 1948). The front and spine illustrations are by the British artist Laurence Scarfe (1914-93), who worked in many visual disciplines, including illustration, graphic design, fine art, mural painting and ceramic decoration, at the Royal College of Art, Central School of Art, Brighton Polytechnic and elsewhere. His papers from 1935-83 are held by the Victoria and Albert Museum's Archive of Art and Design. Incidentally, the chimney of the caravan (vardo) is in the wrong place, which must have irritated Croft-Cooke no end. (In a later book, he mentions losing respect for illustrators who fail to place the chimney to the immediate left of the front door. More on this later!) |
hi myself and my Husband have been trying to track a copy of this for many years. the family the richard croft-cooke stayed and published the pictures of are my Husbands Grandparents. we have tried to even get a photo copy of this as it is a much talked about book in the family and the pictures would loved to be seen by many members of the family. do you still own this book and if so would a copy be possible
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The Coster Family
pleae contact me at cleo1267@hotmail.com
Lovely to read your comment! I would be delighted to help you. Unfortunately your email address didn't work for me so please could you contact me again?
DeleteI would love to know more about your husband's grandparents. Were they Ted and Lily Scamp?
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Good wishes Charlote sorry for such a late reply please feel free to email more on refresha1267@hotmail.com
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The Coster family
Charlotte, I should love to have pockets deep enough to afford a copy of this book, but alas that will never be. I have seen a photograph from it, however, captioned 'George Lock and Nipton'. It shows a chap playing the fiddle (Geo Lock?) and a boy (Nipton?). I wondered whether the text might say anything about them: where the picture was taken and whom they were related to. The Lock(e)s were long celebrated as 'boshamengros', which is where my interest lies [pipheath@aol.com]
ReplyDeleteHi Philip Georg Lock & Nipton Royles are part of my family they were brother in laws also cousins.
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