April 22 – June 17, 2023

April 28 – June 18, 2023

AI voices, holograms and 'raves beyond the grave'

April 20 – June 17, 2023

May 5 – June 17, 2023

Why wartime classic The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp upset the prime minister

Black Mirror season six is still dystopian – but some episodes are heavy-handed

A new side to the country's dramatic 20th-Century history

May 19 – June 16, 2023

April 28 – June 18, 2023

May 11 – June 17, 2023

May 12 – June 17, 2023

As a 'final Beatles record' is announced, personal photos from 1964 are revealed

You may have noticed from time to time that we post messages just like this one promoting things like art schools, art fairs, or other services that might be relevant to people interested in contemporary art. These are called sponsored announcements and we have space available to reach Contemporary Art Daily’s audience this fall. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details.

Why the painter was drawn to cypress trees

March 18 – June 11, 2023

7 min read

Oxford early sewage disposal

In 18th century Britain, many towns underwent rapid expansion, which resulted in widespread public concern around the appearance of urban surroundings. In Oxford, one such issue was the draining systems and sewage disposal, which before the late 18th century, mainly involved collection from domestic cesspits and drainage via open gutters, often in the middle of the streets. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the council was not very successful in tackling the increasing issue of drainage, resulting in frequent amercements (financial penalties imposed either by courts or peers) by the commission responsible for sewers. City drains and watercourses were considered at the time to be ‘open sewers’, a subject which was often complained about by inhabitants. Between 1700 – 1840, parliament passed approximately 600 Private Acts of Parliament, which at the time was the usual method of initiating infrastructure-related improvements, in which inhabitants were granted powers to undertake such projects. For Oxford, the appointment of the Paving Commissioners under the Oxford Improvement Act of 1771, marked the beginning of significant changes to its infrastructure. The city’s sewage and drainage were considerably improved between the years of 1778 and 1806, with several covered drains being built or repaired. However, most of the sewers still discharged straight into rivers, many above the waterworks site at the Folly Bridge, which proved to be a great issue pertaining to the cholera outbreaks of 1832, 1849, and 1854.

Cholera outbreaks in Oxford

Cholera is caused by infection with the bacteria Vibrato cholera, its symptoms including diarrhea, nausea and vomiting leading to dehydration from fluid loss, lethargy, erratic heartbeat, sunken eyes and dry, shriveled skin, with a blueish hue. According to Dr W.P Ormerod, a surgeon at the Radcliffe Infirmary and a member of the Paving Commission, the first case of cholera was recorded in Oxford on June 24th, 1832. The first wave of the cholera outbreak lasted 19 weeks, infecting 184 people and killing 95. An independent Board of Health, with members from the city, university and parish was established, in response to the first outbreak. They worked alongside the Paving Commission, the latter of which became the official body responsible for sanitation duties related to the epidemic. Some elements of public health were addressed at this time by passing the Oxford Paving Act of 1835, which banned certain acts such as the slaughter of cattle in the streets, but this was not enough to counteract the prevalence of cholera and other water-borne diseases, such as dysentery, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, influenza, yellow fever, and malaria, among others.

Local doctors, such as Dr. Ormerod, linked the high mortality rates of the cholera outbreaks to the large open drains in the city. However, any new improvements to the city’s public health were hindered by conflicts related to individual responsibilities between the university, town, and commissions. Later, in 1856, Dr Henry Acland, medical professor, and public health advocate, would create maps recording cases of cholera and typhoid, as part of a wider campaign for sanitary reform, building on Dr. Ormerod’s work. The sanitary reform campaign was spearheaded by both university representatives, such as Acland, but also officials, such as Alfred Winkfield and Gilbert Child and William Henry White, Oxford’s chief engineer, at the time, representing a rare collaboration between town and gown. One such contributor of note from this group is Henry Liddell (whose daughter Alice is said to have inspired ‘Alice in Wonderland’), who at the time was the Dean of Christ Church College and used this influence to push for change alongside Acland by using the spectre of typhoid.

The City Council began considering implementing the Public Health Act of 1848, only after Parliament’s approval and threats of government-run health inspections. Between the years 1850 and 1873, multiple bodies were appointed and then re-appointed to no effect to survey the city’s drainage system, with conflicts arising around its state and the required improvements. In 1873, the first sewage contract was signed by all commissions involved, a sufficient sewage system only being completed in 1880.

The 30-year-old film was both an action blockbuster – and a terrifying horror

The spaces helping communities understand their neighbourhoods' stories

The National Gallery of Canada has announced Jean-François Belisle as its next director and CEO.

Belisle will succeed interim director and CEO Angela Cassie, who has served since June 2022, and his five-year term will start on July 17.

“I believe that art can change society, and look forward to collaborating with the Gallery’s staff, as well as artists from across the country, to ensure our institution continues to be a fantastic force for good,” Belisle stated in a press release, emphasizing collaborative national projects, and working on increasing the presence of Canadian artists on the international art scene. “I also intend to engage with donors; and undertake consultations with the Gallery’s partners and other important stakeholders, including various national arts institutions and associations.”

Belisle is currently the executive director and chief curator of the Musée d’art de Joliette (MAJ), a regional art institution located about 30 miles northeast of Montreal in the suburb of Joliette. Prior to the MAJ, Belisle was the co-founder and executive director of the private contemporary art foundation Arsenal, and the executive director of Association des galeries d’art contemporain (AGAC), a nonprofit organization for commercial Canadian art galleries.

Gallery Board of Trustee chair Françoise Lyon called Belisle a “proven leader with an ability to advance the National Gallery of Canada’s five-year roadmap, Transform Together“. The museum’s strategic plan was released in May 2021, under previous director and chief executive officer Sasha Suda.