The author of this book visited the Swaledale Museum last year and told us about his new book. We are great devotees of specialist knowledge, and are always delighted to discover how very specifically focused books have the potential to stimulate broader questions and make us think about other contexts and connections. How many of you have an old badge or medal in the back of a drawer you have not been able to identify? We do not have any Temperance medals, badges or tokens in our Collection, but we have several Band of Hope pledges, and of course we have our very own Old Temperance Christian bookshop and B&B in Reeth.

This little book in A4 format begins with the author’s confession. He explains that ‘coming from three generations of Yorkshire Methodists’ and having an urge to collect, the two came together in the formation of a personal collection of Temperance medals, badges and tokens. It is this collection which forms the core of the book, which is primarily a catalogue with a short and helpful general introduction to the Temperance Movement at the beginning. The introduction (pp.6-12) includes a very useful diagram of the evolution of Temperance organisations between 1830 and 1873. The front and back covers include colour photographs of associated ephemera, pledges, membership cards, and four humorous postcards.

The next nine sections concentrate on different types of medals, badges and tokens relating to (1) non-local then (2) local medals issued for Temperance societies, (3) non-local then (4) local issues for the Band of Hope, (5) for the Church of England Temperance Society and (6) the Church and Temperance societies of Ireland, and (7) Scotland, and then (8) for Friendly societies, followed by (9) for Women’s, Gospel Temperance and other Evangelical societies, ending with (10) miscellaneous medals, badges and token checks. The book ends with a brief bibliography and suggestions for further reading. The highlight of the book is the wonderful photography of the obverse and reverse of each medal and badge, comprising 338 individual items in total.

My personal favourite in the collection is on p.69, showing one of the smaller and least decorative tokens. It bears the legend ‘MATRIMONIAL SOCIETY’ ‘NO TIPPLER NEED APPLY’ and ‘PROF.ANDRE’S*ALPINE CHOIR’. The author notes ‘research has concluded that no actual society ever existed’ and suggests that the tokens ‘were distributed as a humorous gesture during the choir’s performances’, when it toured England and Wales between 1881-89, appearing at many Temperance fetes and missions’. It is one of the few items in the catalogue that is accompanied by a contextual photograph, of the actual choir, which is young and female, all the members wearing a traditional felt Tyrolean hat, with a rather serious matron at the centre, surely Madame Andre, with the Professor himself in profile (matching that on the token) to the far right. A quick search on good old Google reveals that Carl M. Andre, was Professor of Music in St. Gallen, Switzerland. His Swiss Alpine Choir began about 1880, starring singers Mary E. Williams, Pollie Handley, Lily Marshall, Anna Lammer and Rebecca Brooks. The tokens are believed to have been distributed in advance of appearances as an advertising medium and may be solely British. So did Prof. Andre think that Temperance members might also be into Swiss Alpine singing? A leaflet in the British Museum, advertising a concert by the Choir in Britain in 1885 reveals that it was organised by the British Association for the Promotion of Temperance, and the Choir was under the patronage of Lady Hope (1842-1922) who was a Temperance campaigner.

The catalogue ignites a whole range of thoughts and questions, when were these medals, badges and tokens worn, what did they mean to the wearers, are there surviving photographs of the owners wearing them? From where does the iconography on the medals derive? For example the fountain on the leaflet advertising the Alpine Choir appears on a medal (MIS1, p.69) in this catalogue, accompanied by the words FIDELITY and PROSPERITY. So thank you Mr Crummett for drawing our attention to this field of collecting, I wonder what you will find to fascinate you within the pages of this catalogue?