James Kirkup Collection in South Shields

Artefacts at the museum

Clothing

• JK's DAKS checked sports jacket (1970).
• JK's Harrods black velvet jacket (1970).
• JK's haori-himo - 2: 1 navy and 1 navy and cream (1959 - 1988).
• JK's heko obi -4: 1 blue with white geometric panels at each end, 1 grey with white shearing embroidery at each end, 1 black with white shearing embroidery at each end and 1 dark grey finely pleated with white geometric design (1959 - 1988).
• JK's kaku obi - 2: 1 black with white spots and 1 blue with white design (1959 - 1988).
• JK's Kimono with blue patterned under garment and 2 dark blue over layers, dark blue kaku obi with white embroidery and dark blue haori-himo (late 1980s).
• JK's Navy kimono with green silk under garment and accessories, still in the 4 Japanese paper delivery folders (late 1980s).
• JK's odori tabi socks - 4 pairs: 2 white and 2 black with white soles (1959 - 1988).

Objects

• Barometer (no maker's name) from Granny Kirkup's home in Ada Street, South Shields (c.1890).
• Box containing white handkerchief with blue embroidered flowers; a present from Akiko (no date).
• Box of 43 of JK's calling cards. 'Fellow of Royal Society of Literature. Professor of English Literature, University of Nagoya. Visiting Professor, Japan Women's University.',with Japanese version on the reverse (1965).
• Box of 58 of JK's book plates, showing crest and motto (no date).
• Italian hat pin, inlaid flowers on black ground, given by JK, as a young boy, to his mother on her birthday. Stored, in Italian alabaster box, by Akiko with accompanying note (1920).
• Olivetti Lexikon 92C Typewriter (made in Italy). Used by JK in Japan (c.1975).
• San Francisco souvenir wall plate with photograph of JK in centre (1968).

Other

• Framed portrait, oil on canvas, marked on reverse 'James Kirkup', 'Maurice Feild', 'Not for Sale'. Maurice Feild was Art master at the Downs School, Colwal (1946).
• Photograph of JK's mother as a young girl (1900).
• Scenes From Sutcliffe. Osaka: Kyoto Editions, 1981. 12 Meditations by James Kirkup upon photographs by Frank Meadow Sutcliffe with signed frontispiece and introductory page, in Japanese portfolio. Limited edition No.4 of one hundred (1981).