The Gems Story - A Gem (mile)Stone!
We’ve tallied the scores and can now reveal that, to date, an impressive 1,000 archive items, images and film and audio clips have been selected as Gems!
Since our last update on Gems, there has been great progress identifying items from the archive which best represent some of the unique Cheshire stories suggested by the community. The full selection will form the foundation of a transformed experience on our new website currently under construction.
In addition to the invaluable contribution of local history groups across Cheshire, who have provided the initial longlists of Gem stories and themes, this milestone could not have been achieved without the support of our resident team of archive Gem spotters.
Once local history groups have submitted their recommendations, archive volunteers scour our catalogues in search of any potential items from our collections linked to each story or idea. These are then reviewed by members of the archive team, with the best options put forward for digitisation and inclusion in the final selection. When it comes to deciding between multiple options for individual Gem ideas, we’ve been enlisting support from the online community to help choose between some of our favourites for each place. Some Gems are irresistible - like our title image above (Barnaby Fair in Waters Green, Macclesfield) and our selection below.
Where possible we have selected previously unseen images, many identified during a recent reappraisal of our collection of negatives. Over 100 clips of Cheshire dating back to the 1910s have also been selected from films provided by the North West Film Archive at Manchester Metropolitan University. We’re currently in the process of working through our eclectic collection of oral history recordings, selecting clips from some unique and insightful Cheshire voices and sharing memories as far back as the reign of Queen Victoria!
As the search moves into its final stages, the team have already begun making the final quality checks on the information needed to make the Gems really shine online. But, for now, we once again ask for your support in helping us decide the next batch of archive Gems for Knutsford and Neston. Complete the short surveys below to have your say!
By Paul Frith, Collections Information Improvement Officer
