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Living National Treasure
An Award by Country Life Magazine
In 1997 Jonathan Myles-Lea was awarded the title of 'Living National Treasure'
by Country Life Magazine. This title is the British equivalent of the
ancient Japanese tradition of celebrating the work of artists and craftsmen.
In 1998, the magazine
published 'Living National Treasures - A Celebration of British Craftsmanship
through the Eyes of Country Life'. It gathered together, under one
cover, all the individuals on whom they had conferred that honour.
The book is a magnificent collection of colour photographs, with accompanying
text, and offers a rich testimony to the range of traditional crafts
still practiced in Britain. It also captures the essence of a little-known
Britain. The crafts have been laboriously learned and painstakingly
practiced, and this volume, in some cases, is a record of their last
surviving practitioners.
The book is not only a
beautiful volume of photographs but also an important historical document
recording ancient skills and talents in danger of disappearing in the
wake of modern technology. |
