Ballyscunnion
"Ballyscunnion" was an imaginary village located in Ireland and created by the artist William St. John Glenn, who documented the day-to-day activities of the village's occupants in pictorial form. St John Glenn's work was published on a monthly basis in the Dublin Opinion magazine, a humorous, pictorial magazine which appeared monthly as "light relief" from the turbulent period following the birth of the nation. The work was produced on a scraperboard, a type of board with a clay surface that is painted with black ink - the ink is eventually scratched off with a blade for the creation of the illustrations' details. The long-lasting series commenced in the 1930s and ceased only in the 1960s with the closure of the magazine.[1]
History
William St. John Glenn, informally known as Bill Glenn, was born in 1904 in the Northern Irish capital of Belfast.[2] Glenn has been noted as an artist of warmth and gentle humour, attributes that were considered to be ever-present in "Ballyscunnion" as the village's residents came to terms with a changing world. The publication of the "Ballyscunnion" images spanned over 30 years and the series has been considered a unique pictorial history of social changes in rural Ireland due to the accuracy of the artist's observations.
The first ever reference to "Ballyscunnion" can be traced to a "wash" drawing that appeared in a 1937 edition of the Dublin Opinion. "Ballyscunnion" then subsequently appeared in the magazine's pages in scraperboard form from late-1938 until 1969. The illustrations ceased to appear on only one occasion when Glenn was forced to take a break from mid-1940 until 1946 due to illness and the war.[1]
After Dublin Opinion
In total there were 285 "Ballyscunnions" produced, with some editions reappearing when the Dublin Opinion re-released a selection of drawings in booklet form. The drawings were to then appear again when the magazine released a series of three books, entitled Fifteen Years of Dublin Opinion, Thirty Years of Dublin Opinion and Forty Years of Dublin Opinion.[3]
An exhibition of "Ballyscunnion" drawings was held at the Irish Club in Central London's Eaton Square in 1970.[4] The exhibition was opened by Sir Charles Petrie, a military historian and the former editor of the Dublin Opinion, whilst cartoonist Charles E. Kelly flew to the event from Ireland. Kelly suggested that the "Ballyscunnion" collection should be relocated to the National Gallery in Dublin, stating that "I am sure the likes of this will not be seen again."[5]
William St John Glenn died in the western London district of Chelsea in 1974.[2][6]
References
- 1 2 "Ballyscunnion" (Web page). ballyscunnion.com. ballyscunnion.com. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
- 1 2 The Irish Times June 12, 1974 "William St. John Glenn RUA" an article by Rowel Friers.
- ↑ The Evening Press, Friday Sept 23rd 1970. "Ballyscunnion, The Village That's All In The Mind." Illustrated interview with Mr Glenn by Dermot Mac Dara.
- ↑ The Chelsea News March 20th 1970. Photo of the Opening of the Ballyscunnion Exhibition.
- ↑ The Irish Times March 17, 1970. "Ballyscunnion in London", article within "An Irishman's Diary".
- ↑ Chelsea News June 14, 1974, "William St. John Glenn, An Appreciation."