Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2015 November 8

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November 8

File:A box (reliquary) of the bones (relics) of Alfonso the Battler.PNG

Who is the photographer, and is it possible to determine when they died? Sfan00 IMG (talk) 00:49, 8 November 2015 (UTC)

According to the file, the photographer is Enrique Capella and the photo was taken in 1920, but I have no idea when he died. Adam Bishop (talk) 01:35, 8 November 2015 (UTC)

Photographer biographical query : File:A-J-Jaeger.jpg

This states the photo was E.T Holding, who through an online search seems to have been active at the start of the 20th century, Does anyone have a biography, or at the very least a date of death (so I can add the right dates for licensing reasons). Sfan00 IMG (talk) 13:27, 8 November 2015 (UTC)

Sfan00 IMG, [1] though I'm not completely sure, they seem likely to be the same guy. Rainbow unicorn (talk) 00:04, 11 November 2015 (UTC)

http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp14074/edgar-thomas-holding?role=art, When I did a quick Google Search on that name it suggests that there's a very distinct possibility that as well as painting there was photography, and the dates are in the right general range. Sfan00 IMG (talk) 00:12, 11 November 2015 (UTC)

Hmm we may have two lessely notable Holdings. One is the Landscape painter, the other an art publisher :) Sfan00 IMG (talk) 00:16, 11 November 2015 (UTC)

Did Widow conservation exist in England and Scotland?

As above. I have never heard of it, but as England and Scotland also belonged to Protestant Europe, i wonder if Widow conservation existed there? --Aciram (talk) 16:52, 8 November 2015 (UTC)

As regards England, at least, almost certainly not. Very early in the history of Protestantism in England (1601) the Statute of Elizabeth was passed, which formally defined "good causes" as the relief of aged, impotent, and poor people; the maintenance of sick and maimed soldiers and mariners; schools of learning; free schools and scholars in universities; the repair of bridges, ports, havens, causeways, churches, sea banks, and highways; the education and preferment of orphans; the relief, stock, or maintenance of houses of correction; marriages of poor maids; support, aid, and help of young tradesmen, handicraftsmen and persons decayed; the relief or redemption or prisoners or captives; and the aid or ease of any poor inhabitants covering payments of fifteens, setting out of soldiers, and other taxes. (Before then, it hadn't been an issue, as "good cause" was whatever the Church considered a good cause.) Thus, throughout the whole history of Anglican England other than a few years under the Tudors, poor widows would have fallen under "aged, impotent, and poor people" and been supported by charity, and thus the issue would never have arisen. ‑ iridescent 19:54, 8 November 2015 (UTC)

Just to add, under English law, widows were entitled to dower (1/3 of their husband's estate), so there would be no need to make a special statutory provision for the widows of clergymen. Dower could be (and usually was) barred by a marriage settlement for wealthier families. Tevildo (talk) 20:22, 8 November 2015 (UTC)

An example of charitable support for clergy widows - Charity for the Relief of the Widows, Orphans, and Distressed Families of the Clergy (Yorkshire, 1753) Alansplodge (talk) 22:15, 8 November 2015 (UTC)

Thank you very much, such interesting replies! This answers the question in regards to England. I don't known if it should be mentioned in the article - others might wonder as I did. Yes, dower existed in Sweden, Denmark and Germany as well, I think, but the normal parish vicar had no income other than the one from the vicarage - perhaps the English vicars were normally wealthier!

What was it like in Scotland then? I also wonder about the Netherlands and Switzerland, which are the only protestant areas left out of the article. Dos any one know? --Aciram (talk) 02:41, 9 November 2015 (UTC)

Clergy in England could be very wealthy indeed, since they were supported by a taxation system called the tithe, which required farmers to pay 10% of their income from each harvest to their local parish. In addition, many parishes had glebe land, the whole profit from which to the parish. On the other hand, the curate or assistant minister, who often did all the work, would have to manage on a very minimal stipend in the hope that a lucrative parish would come their way eventually. The right to appoint a minister to a parish (the package of church and income was called a benefice or "living") was generally at the whim of one the local landed gentry or aristocracy, so influence and connections were more important than ability. More about support for impoverished CofE clergy is here. Alansplodge (talk) 11:24, 9 November 2015 (UTC)

File:DiodotusCoinFront.jpg

OK folks, What's the Guide being referenced here? Who are the authors? and is this image OK for Commons, based on what can be determined?

I'm also intrigued as to who the "Mr Barclay V. Head" is a the name appears to be a red-link. Sfan00 IMG (talk) 23:54, 8 November 2015 (UTC)

(Posting here on behalf of 70.49.170.168 as this page is currently semi-protected. ---Sluzzelin talk 07:07, 9 November 2015 (UTC))

Google Books knows about several editions of this guide, but at least for me in Canada, it only provides full-text access to one. This is the second edition published 1881, and is found here. On this edition the full title is Synopsis of the Contents of the British Museum Department of Coins and Medals. A Guide to the Principal Gold and Silver Coins of the Ancients, from circ. B.C. 700 to A.D. 1.

Unfortunately, judging by page 74, it appears that the illustration of the coin is on Plate 39, and that plate is missing from Google Books's copy, which goes directly from Plate 38 on what it calls page 193 to Plate 41 on what it calls page 195.

Anyway, the title page of the book identifies Barclay V. Head as the museum's Assistant Keeper of Coins. He does have a Wikipedia page, at Barclay V. Head, which contains links to further information about him. These sources agree that he died in 1914, and my non-expert understanding is that this means his work is no longer copyrighted anywhere. --70.49.170.168 (talk) 06:58, 9 November 2015 (UTC)

Does the book concerned identify the photographers seperately? (I'm assuming otherwise that these are taken by a staff photographer at the British Museum, so not sure what term to apply.)Sfan00 IMG (talk) 08:28, 9 November 2015 (UTC)

(The following reply was posted here on behalf of 70.49.170.168, as this desk is currently semi-protected. ---Sluzzelin talk 17:06, 9 November 2015 (UTC))

Ah, good point. I see no photo credits

• On the copyright page.
• In the introduction to the second edition, where it is stated that the plates are being added for this addition but there will actually be several issues, each containing the full text of the book but only a few of the plates, the idea being that museum visitors will want to buy the book but wouldn't like the cost of all the plates. Fortunately, Google's scanned copy has apparently had all the plates assembled, except that, as I said, it's missing some.
• On the plate pages themselves, the ones I looked at. There is a line of small lettering at the bottom of each one but it just says AUTOTYPE.

Nor does the author explicitly take credit for the photos himself. I don't know if present-day users concerned with copyright are allowed to assume they were his or not. --70.49.170.168 (talk) 16:48, 9 November 2015 (UTC)

Given the lack of attribution to anyone aside from Mr Head, this isn't a problem. Either this is something created by Mr Head himself (if so, it's a case of Commons:Template:PD-old-70), or it was created by an anonymous somebody else (if so, it's a case of Commons:Template:PD-UK-unknown), so it's free to upload. Nyttend (talk) 23:15, 9 November 2015 (UTC)