A Moving Story - What We Did in May
As temperatures climbed this May, so too did the pace behind the scenes, with lots going on alongside our ongoing repackaging and barcoding work.
A standout moment was marking the end of our volunteering sessions at the Record Office on Duke Street - an ideal opportunity to reflect on the huge contribution our volunteers have made. We celebrated in style with a farewell social on 6 May, complete with tea, cake, and plenty of conversation. Archivist Caroline also gave us a taste of palaeography - the art of reading historic handwriting. For anyone inspired to give it a go, our online Horrible Handwriting resource is a great place to start.
Over the bank holiday weekend, we were out and about for the launch of this year’s Chester Heritage Festival. Visitors to our stall helped us choose the final Chester ‘Gems’ for our new archive website, launching later this year. It was a brilliant chance to chat about the project and to spread word of our new archive centres in Chester and Crewe.
Back at base, it was a case of Lights, Camera … Archives! as Squeaky Pedal returned to film a new series of collection-based videos for our Learning Programme. Archivists Becky, Adam, and Kate were all ready for their close-ups, showcasing everything from school logbooks to Tudor inventories and census records. Archive stardom awaits - we can’t wait to see the final cut.
Sticking with the storytelling theme, we’ve also been busy with Mako Create, putting the finishing touches on our Navigating the Weaver animation which brings together oral histories, archive material, and young people’s creativity. We’ll be sharing it more widely this summer, but in the meantime here’s a spoiler…
Exhibitions are just being printed and built ready for installation in Chester and Crewe. May has been the month for signing off how you will be able to discover our collections in never-been-seen-before ways. Our collections information has become a ‘treemap’ and you’ll find sounds, smells and tactile elements inspired by the stories our collections tell.
Our 20,000 Women Zine Project is also gathering momentum, with workshops underway in Macclesfield and Crewe capturing the stories of women and girls in Cheshire today. Plans are in progress for a digital version too, along with self-led packs for community spaces - so plenty more to come.
Ordnance Survey maps sent for digitisation have been returned safely and are now packaged for the move to the new centres. Digital images of these maps will be available to view on the National Library of Scotland website in the near future.
What a month it’s been! To finish, here are a few of the standout finds we’ve uncovered along the way.
From the Baker-Wilbraham family collection comes a fascinating set of remedies sent to Sir George Baker in the late 18th century. As physician to King George III, he received suggested cures for ‘madness’ ranging from music and hot baths to electrical treatments and curious concoctions like hartshorn drops - offering a glimpse into the imaginative world of Georgian medicine.
From our Local Studies team comes a striking image of a “living wheel” formed by workers at Crewe Old Works. Reported in 1902 as “something distinctly original,” the 20-foot structure featured employees arranged as spokes in a parade honouring Crewe Engineer Reservists.
We uncovered a length of audio wire believed to contain the only recording of the 1951 Chester Mystery Play. We haven’t been able to listen to it just yet - but it’s an exciting discovery, and we’re very keen to hear what it reveals…
Here’s to whatever June brings!
