Cumbria archives hold 26 large boxes of Josefina’s papers. They are big boxes – and filled up with folders, envelopes, albums and binders.
It is the first task of this project to go through these pages and make lists: lists of sculptures, lists of locations where they might be found, lists of names and dates and curious mentions to come back to later. Lists of questions and mysteries – why is this here? Asking that question usually leads down some interesting rabbit holes, if not to answers.
Each sculpture goes into a spreadsheet, and will be given a location on the map that is gradually building. Here’s an example of how the hundreds of sculptures are revealing themselves:
This copy of the World Christian Digest from 1969. The black and white photograph on the front is credited as follows:
“Victorious Christ by Josephine de Vasconcellos (see Diary, page 37), partly inspired by the original verse of the hymn, “When I survey the wondrous cross”.
Turning to page 39, we have some theological work to do, to understand the sculpture itself and its relation to the cited hymn, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross“. But for now, I’ll take note of the locations in Clewer Church, Windsor and Canonkirk Kirk Edinburgh. And I expect we will come across Dr Selby Wright again.
MAPPING JOSEFINA 