DAVID GAGG: Artist, Naturalist, Book-binder and Goon!
The Doncaster Naturalists’ Society has attracted some remarkable personalities over the years and one of the more entertaining, generous and larger than life examples was David Gagg.
A professional Book Binder by trade, both he and his wife Shirley were Multiple Sclerosis sufferers. With Shirley being progressively disabled, David gave up permanent work, to become a full time carer, though keeping his hand in with book binding by binding sets of journals for members of local Natural History, Ornithological, Philatelic and Railway History societies. He also restored many local historical volumes or re-built otherwise ephemeral soft-bound works by giving them durable card or leather bindings. Specimens of this work are to be found throughout the Nats Archives, a classic example being the copy of Lees, F.A. (1888) The Flora of West Yorkshire. Lovell Reeve & Co. 2nd Volume of the Botanical Series of the Transactions of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union. (Stamped inside with Doncaster Microscopical & Scientific Society. Rebound in half leather by David Gagg).
While taking Shirley on trips into the countryside or away on holiday David would take sketch pads pencils and water colour paints and record local plants and the surrounding scenery. Examples are in his remarkable blue sketchbook from 1986 and red sketchbook from 1975-2001.
David, was part of the BBC Home Service ‘Goon Show’ generation of the 1950s, the extreme and surrealist humour reminding him of the actual realities of his time as a conscript (medical orderly) in the army. Spike Milligan’s jokes, sayings and rhymes were a constant patter, much to the delight of some of us and exasperation of others.
He was an avid sketcher and cartoonist, prime targets being Speakers at Doncaster Nats meetings; characters who frequented the Rockingham Arms where we used to adjourn after Nats meetings; or be-wigged ‘learned friends’ at court cases or public inquiries concerning Thorne Moors.
David’s artistic and promotional skills were formalised by the DNS electing him Publicity Officer, a role which brought his artwork to the attention of members in the form of illustrated programmes, examples of which were used as posters and pinned up on library or local community notice boards.
Sensing his failing abilities, David donated to the DNS Archives many of his bound natural history journals and volumes associated with William Bunting’s courtroom battles to save Thorne Moors from the commercial peat industry. Shortly after, his family moved him to Wynthorpe Hall Care Home where he spent his final days.
CAH.
Copies of sketches that adorned our societies programmes, etc., found in the archives.
Section 1. – Plants
