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Gathering the Jewels features over 30,000 images of objects, books, letters, aerial photographs and other items from museums, archives and libraries throughout Wales.
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Ceremony dedicating the memorial to Evan and James James, composers of the Welsh national anthem, Pontypridd, 1930
The memorial to Evan and James James was designed by the Welsh-born sculptor W. Goscombe John (1860-1952) and was unveiled by Lord Treowen at Ynysangharad Park before a crowd of 10,000 people in 1930.
Evan James (Ieuan ap Iago, 1809-93) was a weaver and wool merchant by profession and owner of the Ancient Druid Inn at Argoed in the parish of Bedwellty, Monmouthshire. He moved to Pontypridd when his son James (Iago ap Ieuan, 1833-1902) was a young boy. Evan James and his son James are credited with composing the Welsh national anthem, 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau' ('Land of my Fathers') in 1856. Evan was a poet and and it is believed that he wrote the words while his son James composed the tune. The song was published in the volume 'Gems of Welsh Melody' (1860) and soon became extremely popular. It is not certain when the song was first adopted as the Welsh national anthem.
