National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
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Shorelands, Malltraeth: snow, swans, gulls and Nomad
Wildlife artist Charles Tunnicliffe and his wife Winifred lived at 'Shorelands', Malltraeth, Anglesey, surrounded by birds, river and sea.
From the collection of:
Overview
Artist Charles Tunnicliffe and his wife, Winifred, also an artist, moved to Anglesey in 1947. Overlooking the Cefni estuary, with pools created by an embankment built in 1811 to reclaim land, their home – 'Shorelands' at Malltraeth - doubled as a hide, affording spectacular views of the resident and migrant bird life. Tunnicliffe here catches footage of gulls feeding in flocks on their patio and wall, the flapping of their wings a sight to behold.
It was evident from a young age that Tunnicliffe (1901-79) had a gift for drawing. From a farm in Cheshire he won scholarships to the Macclesfield School of Art and the Royal College of Art, London. He worked as an etcher/engraver, a teacher and an illustrator for Ladybird books and Brooke Bond tea cards. He also illustrated books by e.g. Alison Uttley and Henry Williamson. He married Winifred Wonnacott (1902-69), a fellow RCA scholarship student from Holywood, Belfast, who became a ceramicist/teacher. Friends included naturalists T G 'Wack' Walker, Norman 'Nomad' Ellison (whose books Tunnicliffe illustrated and who is seen here), Ted Breeze Jones (also a photographer) and artist Kyffin Williams.
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