I have been studying the Bournville Carillon, which overlooks the village green at the heart of Bournville. The history and meaning of the Carillon took my interest after I heard it play and wanted to look deeper into what more was being projected across Bournville other than the skillfully played notes hammered out by the Carillonneur.
The Carillon was built by George Cadbury Senior on the tower of the school adjacent the Rest House and can be heard from all across Bournville. The first 22 bells were installed by George Cadbury as a gift to the workers and people of Bournville in 1906 but a year after his death, in the 1923, the presence of the Carillon, which up to then stood as a testament to the love, respect and gratitude for his employees, transformed into his own memorial with the addition of 20 bells from his wife and son George Cadbury Junior.
The school, tower, belfry and copper cupola create a visually distinct landmark in the model city but how is the Carillon, that was born out of the international success of chocolate sales, perceived locally and worldwide? I will analyse two archives. First, my own first-hand chronicle of experience capturing the quality of space, place and atmosphere in 2013. And the global, ever growing digital archive Google that has chronicled every account ever submitted to the internet and will display your search results in 0.35 seconds.
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