I based my final piece off of the work done by John Stezaker, a British artist who mostly focused on photomontages. His work often explored the concept of time, which was something I thought about incorporating in my own work. I also found it interesting how he often distorted or covered faces in his work, making it seem somewhat eerie.
For my subject, I talked to a family friend who was born and raised in Jersey, and he agreed to let me photograph him as well as showing me an important item, his wedding ring, and showing me to an important location, which is a place where you can see the boats coming in at the harbour. They each mean different things to him, as the harbour has been a safe place he could visit for years despite the many changes it has undergone, and his wedding ring reminds him of the unending love of his partner.
For my final piece I decided to make a photomontage, hopefully reminiscent of the style of Stezaker. If I were to do this task again I probably would have experimented more with the layout and edited the pictures a bit more.
Hamptonne Country Life Museum gives the visitor a unique insight into the rural life carried on in Jersey for centuries. Dating back to the 15th Century the house and farm are perfect for discovering the rural history of Jersey. Explore the different houses which make up Hamptonne, find out more about Jersey’s history of cider making in the cider barn and wander through the cider apple orchard and meet the Hamptonne calves, lambs, chickens and piglets in the traditional farmstead.
Discover Syvret House, a decorated and furnished farmhouse gives a unique window into 1940s rural life, including; agricultural traditions, day-to-day family life, language, religion and the experience of the German Occupation.
THINGS TO DO AT HAMPTONNE COUNTRY LIFE MUSEUM
1) Explore the cider apple orchard and the beautiful countryside location
2) Meet characters from the past and hear about ancient crafts and stories
THE HAMPTONNE NAME AND ROYAL CONNECTIONS
The Hamptonne farm complex takes its name from Laurens Hamptonne, who purchased it in 1633. The property is also known as ‘La Patente’, as is the name of one of the roads that passes it, after the Grants by Letters Patent received by its owner Richard Langlois in 1445, and by King Charles II to Laurens Hamptonne in 1649.
Royal Patents were awarded to those who had provided a particular service to the monarch or close relative. In Hamptonne’s case, this resulted from his loyalty to the Royalist cause during the English Civil War, when he was Vicomte or executive officer of Jersey’s Royal Court. It was in that role that Hamptonne issued the famous Proclamation in St Helier’s Royal Square on 17 February 1649, declaring Charles II as King after news reached the Island of the execution of Charles I.
Hamptonne’s support of the penniless exiled King Charles II resulted in several grants. One preserved the integrity of the property in perpetuity – it could not be broken up into parts (partages) and split among family members, but would be inherited by the eldest child. Another permitted Hamptonne to rebuild the ruined Colombier (dovecote) originally granted to Richard Langlois. In normal circumstances, such buildings could only be built by Jersey Seigneurs (Lords or holders of a fief.). The Colombier is located to the south-east, slightly beyond the current boundaries of the Museum. This may not have been a source of local popularity for Hamptonne.
THE HOUSES AND COURTYARDS
Overall the site is square in shape. It includes ranges of buildings built in different periods, arranged around two courtyards. While the farm has medieval origins, consecutive owners have made marked improvements to the living accommodation. The main buildings are therefore named after the Langlois, Hamptonne and Syvret families, who lived here between 15th and 19th centuries.
When you exit the shop, you enter the North Courtyard along the side of which runs the Northern Range – a row of 19th century farm buildings constructed to meet the requirements of the agriculture workforce, its vehicles and horses. It include a Labourers Cottage, Coach House, Bake House & Laundry, and Stables. Facing the Stables is a glazed barn in which important farming devices and implements are displayed. There is a walled vegetable and herb garden to the east, beyond which is the Hamptonne Playground and Cider Apple Orchard.
To the south is Langlois House, which comprises stabling and an undercroft on the ground floor, and a parlour and bedroom on the first floor. At the south-west corner is a twin-arched stone gateway providing access to the roadway. To the south of Langlois House are the pigsties and a spring-fed pond.
To the west is the Cider House or pressoir with its granite apple crusher and press; to the southern end of this row is Syvret House which consists of a kitchen, parlour, two bedrooms and a small cabinet. The House is presented as the home of a tenant farmer around 1948.
CIDER APPLE ORCHARD
To the east of the farm complex is the Cider Apple Orchard, which consists of apple trees chosen for their sweet, bitter and sharp flavours to provide a good balance for cider making when mixed together. The footpath through the orchard takes you into a small area of woodland. Wooded areas at the back of farms provided an important source of wood for fuel and building materials, while also supporting a rich variety of plants and wildlife. Follow the footpath down to the grazing Meadow and, if you wish, continue on the public footpath that joins the National Trust for Jersey’s Toad Trail.
VISUAL STORY TO HAMPTONNE
Download our Visual Story for Hamptonne Country Life Museum. This is a helpful guide to what to expect on a visit and has been produced in consultation with Autism Jersey. .
Come and meet the characters at Hamptonne. Living History takes place on selected days throughout the week from 22 March to end of October.
Arrive by coach at 9.30am
Introduction and familiarisation with site (Helen Otterwell)
10.00am – 10.30am document zones of the farm
Divide into small work groups – carousel-15 mins in each area – focus on surrounding and buildings (to continue after Living History Worskhop)
North Courtyard along the side of which runs the Northern Range – a row of 19th century farm buildings constructed to meet the requirements of the agriculture workforce, its vehicles and horses.
Labourers Cottage, Coach House,
Bake House & Laundry
Stables
Glazed barn in which important farming devices and implements are displayed.
Walled vegetable and herb garden to the east,
Cider Apple Orchard.
Langlois House, which comprises stabling and an undercroft on the ground floor, and a parlour and bedroom on the first floor.
At the south-west corner is a twin-arched stone gateway providing access to the roadway.
To the south of Langlois House are the pigsties and a spring-fed pond.
To the west is the Cider House or pressoir with its granite apple crusher and press
Syvret House which consists of a kitchen, parlour, two bedrooms and a small cabinet.
10.30am- 11.15am Demo and workshop by Tom Kennedy focusing on the use of natural light
11.15-11.30am Break
11.30 -12.30 Carousel photographing various zones of farm
12.30-1.15pm Lunch
1.15pm- 2.30pm Focus on Photographing objects and machinery and
Click on the link to find out more about Tom Kennedy and his professional practice as a photographer and film-maker.
As Tom discussed with us on the visit…he is influenced by “painting with light” and the Dutch Masters paintings of the 17th Century including such masters as Rembrandt and Vermeer.
Johannes Vermeer- The Milkmaid – 1658-1661
Task
Create a blog post that helps you to introduce our site visit to Hamptonne…
Include key info as above , and relevant images of the location, maps, diagrams, plans etc too.
Remember to add info and examples regarding…
The history
The characters (Living History)
The life / lifestyle
Methods of recording eg Tom Kennedy and natural lighting
