Scoping Grants funded in 2023–2024

Bromley House Library

The Bromley House Library archive contains thousands of items which tell their story as the first subscription library in Nottingham: their collections, accession records, correspondence, membership, building and garden as they have developed over the last 208 years. Many manuscripts, objects and records in the archive have been accessed by library members and visitors, locally and globally, for exhibitions, PhD dissertations and other academic publications, and for personal research. This Scoping grant from the National Archives will fund a vital first stride into a comprehensive assessment of the archive. Alongside painting a picture of how this historic library has operated, they expect to find forgotten treasures; fascinating snippets of local life and characters and perhaps some significant insights into the words and thoughts of the individual readers, writers, academics, industrialists, scientists, and historians who have been part of our library community.

The University of Salford

The Bridgewater Estates Archive (BEA) is the most requested collection held by the University of Salford Library Archives, especially for family, property, and local history research.  It contains correspondence, plans and ephemera relating to the administration of the lands and properties in Salford and west Lancashire, formerly belonging to the Duke of Bridgewater and Earls of Ellesmere from 1890s to 1960s, and tells the story of the people, places and organisations connected with it.  Currently only half of the collection dating up to 1921 has been catalogued, which is available online.  The scoping report will assess the content of the later records for personal data, identify the resources needed to catalogue and enable access to the material and suggest opportunities for partnerships with organisation with related collections.  Ultimately, the report will enable more people to trace family and local history and open up the collection for academic research as part of a wider refresh of the University of Salford Library’s vision and strategy for archives and special collections.

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Walter Crane (1845-1915) was a highly renowned children’s book illustrator who influenced the development of this particular genre of illustrated literature. Kensington and Chelsea was home to many members of the Art and Crafts movement, which included Crane. He lived and worked from his studio in Kensington which is commemorated by a blue plaque. His works also show his involvement in the socialist movement. This funding will aid, from a historical and artistic standpoint, in the preservation of his artworks, sketches, and drawings, from his studio and donated to RBKC after his death. Due to the collection’s current physical state, it is inaccessible, and a few items require immediate attention. They will have the opportunity to understand the best plan for moving through the process and making it fully available to the public.

Natural History Museum

For almost 150 years, the Natural History Museum (NHM) has been at the forefront of human endeavours to understand and protect the natural world. The museum has also amassed a large and important collection of archive and manuscript material, rich with data and including the correspondence, notebooks, and sketches of individuals such as Charles Darwin, Mary Anning, Alfred Russell Wallace and Elizabeth Gould.

The NHM is working to improve the accessibility of archive and manuscript collections as its researchers seek to address a planetary emergency. The scoping grant will be used to engage a consultant to write a report enabling the NHM’s Library and Archives team to fully understand the opportunities and challenges of increasing discoverability of the collections. It will help to ensure the successful planning of future activities, such as data migration and cataloguing, and the correct prioritisation of tasks to achieve the maximum impact and benefit to users.