Benjamin's Portrait
Party, October 26, 2009
The Dorset Museum,
Dorchester
Sharp's portrait of Benjamin is now on public view again for the first
time in about 200 years, and for the first time ever in Dorset. The
Wellcome
Library staff have done an oustanding restoration of both picture and
frame. Over 100 people attended: Patrick Pead, who
rediscovered
the picture, with wife Linda and brother John; many Jestys and
relations; Dr Frances Gotch, who is both a Jesty cousin and
an expert on vaccination; and of course William Schupbach and other
Wellcome
curators and staff, who were central in getting the portrait back to
England, doing such a wonderful job on it, and in being so generous as
to loan it to the Dorset Museum. (It returns to London in
February.)
Here are a few pictures. My apologies for the quality: the Museum hall
was a bit large for my flash. I have large copies of these if anyone
wants any for printing.
The day before the opening, my mother and I went to Worth Matravers for
my first look at Benjamin's and Elizabeth's gravestones since their
restoration, in the churchyard of St Nicholas of Myra. They were
restored in 2006 with the help of Patrick Pead, various Jestys, and the
Worth Matravers Parish Council.
Benjamin as he is now displayed in Dorchester. (The photo is off center
to avoid problem reflections in the glass). A comparison with the
unrestored picture shows the remarkable work that
Wellcome have managed to do on it, and on the frame.
Bill Jesty introduced the affair, and was followed by Patrick Pead,
standing here, speaking about the history of his interests in
vaccination: his original discovery (in Worth Matravers churchyard) of
Benjamin's deed, the geography around Yetminster and Chetnole where it
was done, and of course his determined tracking of the portrait from
Chilfrome Fm (a few miles north of Dorchester) to Molteno, South
Africa. And finally its purchase by the
The Wellcome Library in London and its restoration. The formal
festivities closed with Prof Frances Gotch of Imperial
College, a Jesty cousin by marriage and an expert on
vaccination, particularly in the area of HIV. She made clear
the
important link of Benjamin's first inoculation with cowpox to the
current importance of vaccination in protecting against so
many
major human diseases, and particularly the childhood ones.
The Museum is also hosting a show of information about Benjamin and
vaccination. Here are some of the throng examining that material under
Benjamin's gaze.
A less formal view of the crowd at the well stocked tables.
And finally a large Jesty family portrait. With Bill and Vera's help I
will assign names soon, at least as far as we can.
JJ, November 8 2009
