Project one: Selecting and identifying: Finding my archive
- Juliet
- Jul 2, 2018
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 3, 2018
I started thinking yesterday and last night I started researching online, reading, looking back at notes I have taken about possible locations of a suitable archive in the surrounding area, and trying to think of one:
ideally within half an hour of home, so that I can maximise the time I spend there
that I can return to as many times as I need to
that has an interesting collection with a mixture of artefacts
that has suitable opening hours
that provides me with the possibilities of discovery
that links with and builds on what I already know and what interests me.
Here are some of the places I have considered:
QUARRY BANK MILL
Explore Victoria textile production
‘Model village’ – compare with other villages set up by mill/factory owners – what were they trying to achieve and were they successful?
Links with 19th century literature – Elizabeth Gaskell: North and South, Cranford, Mary Barton, Wives and Daughters (starting re-reading North and South, looking for references to textiles, clothes, meaning of dress and different attitudes to it of characters within the novel)
ELIZABETH GASKELL HOUSE
In Manchester – possible to visit –
Near Whitworth Gallery – also a possible archive source
Links to Charlotte Brontë
NATIONAL WOOL MUSEUM
Caemarthen – too far from home, but worth a visit at some point
ENGLISH FINE COTTONS
Dukinfield – working cotton mill – now very rare in this country
ERDDIG
Textiles archive – do they have one?
Chinese wallpaper
Portraits of domestic staff
Furniture – beds and chairs
Curtains
TATE LIVERPOOL
Need to visit to keep up with contemporary arts
LIVERPOOL MARITIME MUSEUM
Artefacts from maritime life – flags, sails, clothes from travellers and uniforms of sailors
WORLD MUSEUM
Should be a good source of interesting textiles from around the world
SUDLEY HOUSE
Has a costume room – Emily Tinne – worthy of some research later, seems she was quite a ‘hoarder’ – why did she have so many clothes? what makes us collect and have a stash of things we might need ‘one day’?
SLAVERY MUSEUM
Again, should have interesting fabrics and costumes from Africa, West Indies?
SILK MUSEUM, MACCLESFIELD
Have never been, so must visit
TREFRIW WOOLLEN MILL
Have previously visited, but I don’t really like the hardness of the fabric they produce and the rigidity of the designs
MELIN TREGWYNT
Again, similar to above but too far away, but they do seem to produce softer textiles and have some more woven designs that are appealing to me
I have decided to focus on Erddig, as it fits my criteria listed earlier and, like many National Trust properties, the property itself has an interesting and chequered history. As we have National Trust membership, I will be able to enter without paying for each visit, so even if I can only stay a short while on some visits, it will not cost me any extra.
Many of the places mentioned above are still of interest to me, and will return to some of them later.
Comments