A History of Nearly Everything

The Great Rise & Fall of Sir Gavin Hawkly-Longfarthing (1922-1966)

A Selection of Artefacts from the Exhibition

Diving Bell with Phonograph Attachment, Binaural Speakers, 1956

Sir Hawkly-Longfarthing’s long-standing rivalry with Jacques Cousteau has been well-documented, with Hawkly-Longfarthing calling the famous French biologist ‘un petit sauvage’ on more than one occasion. For his own dives, Sir Hawkly-Longfarthing developed a phonograph attachment so he could listen to Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen during his many searches for the never-confirmed pygmy narwhal (Monodon monoceros vegrandis).

Biological Sciences Collection, DUNUC 12580

Shuttlecock, 1958

This shuttlecock was used during the legendary 2 May, 1958 badminton match between Sir Hawkly-Longsfarthing and Graham Greene, which was played on the outskirts of Saigon and lasted an astonishing five and a half hours, including a reported rally of over four hundred and fifty strokes. ‘I taught him how to write,’ said Sir Hawkly-Longfarthing of their lifelong friendship. ‘And Graham taught me how to lose.’ Contrary to many rumours, the two were never lovers.

Chemistry Collection, DUNUC 3682

The Seven Pieces, 1934

In primary school, Sir Hawkly-Longfarthing won the Scottish Gold Medal of Merit in Mathematics when he solved a centuries-old problem by discovering the seven pieces from which all other pieces can be formed.

Mathematics Collection, DUNUC 3835

Chart 102, 1959

One of Sir Hawkly-Longfarthing’s published teaching charts. This one shows the inter-relationship between space-time and memory.

Biological Sciences Collection, DUNUC 3839/102

Vertical Electrostatic Voltmeter, ‘Gunther,’ 1948

One of Sir Hawkly-Longfarthing’s many inventions, this was used to measure large voltages. In one now-famous incident, Sir Hawkly-Longfarthing sent a young lab assistant, Glyn-Glyn Poulter, up Dundee Law during a lightning storm to install Gunther on top of the War Memorial. The assistant was hit by a bolt but luckily survived, his only after-effect being a curious habit of yelling out German words at inappropriate moments. Mr Poulter would later become Sir Hawkly-Longfarthing’s personal valet.

Physics Collection, DUNUC 3452

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