We have embarked on an ambitious project to digitally archive our vast collection of photographic slides and historic materials. This ongoing work aims to preserve our rich history while making it more accessible to future generations.
The Museum holds an impressive collection of photographic slides, numbering approximately 100,000. While the majority of these slides originated from our founder, Roy Armstrong, significant numbers have also been contributed by Chris Zeuner, Mason, Lacey, Hutton, and Sleight. Despite being well-organised, this collection has never been formally recorded until we began our digitisation project.
Whilst Roy Armstrong’s principal aim for the Museum was triggered by the destruction of medieval buildings and subsequent aim to develop a representative collection of buildings, his vision was also that the Museum should become a recognised centre for research into traditional building. With Roy’s legacy very much at the forefront of this complex project, the journey to digitisation began in 2016.
Why digitise?
Digital archiving provides several benefits. Preserving fragile documents and slides not only prevents physical deterioration, but also enhances their accessibility for researchers and the public. Digital files are easily searchable, simplifying the task of finding specific information within large collections and enabling researchers to work together with much more efficiency.
Our digitisation project involves systematically scanning and organising slides along with any associated information into a comprehensive database. To date, we’ve processed over 38,000 slides and recorded more than 32,000 on the database.
The Museum also boasts an extensive archive of materials documenting the historical background of our exhibit buildings, the region, and the landscape. We have already created around 3,800 records for this archive, but our work is far from complete. This painstaking work ensures that each piece of history is preserved accurately and can be easily accessed for research and educational purposes.
New storage solutions
In 2007, a purpose-built store was established in the Lower Gridshell to house our archives. While it was adequate at the time, our collection has since outgrown the space. The recent construction of a new, larger storage facility in the summer of 2024 has given us considerably more space. With tailor-made archive storage units and ample shelving, we now have the capacity to accommodate all our materials and plenty of room for future additions.
This new facility also offers a spacious working area for Museum staff and external researchers. With access to large table spaces and a PC containing the Slide and Archive databases, the archive is not only more accessible and user-friendly, but also gives our dedicated team of archive volunteers a comfortable workspace to process new materials.
If you are interested in accessing our archives or learning more about our digitisation efforts, please contact Julian Bell, Curator, at curator@wealddown.co.uk.
