Beamish: The North of England Open Air Museum
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Transcript of Beamish: The North of England Open Air Museum
Beamish:The North of England
Open Air Museum
What Happens at Beamish!
Frank AtkinsonFirst Directorof Beamish Museum
Collecting for a Museum…
Smallest…
Biggest…
Aykley Heads, Durham
Dilston Hall, nr. Corbridge
Beamish Hall, nr. Stanley, Co. Durham
1970: Beamish collections moved from Bowes Museum
1971: First public exhibition ‘Museum in the Making’
Getting started1969 : Joint Committee of the North of England
Open Air Museum formed
1970: First staff appointed
1970: Site acquired
In the beginning . . . . . .
1970
Developing the site . . . . . .
Rowley Station before move, 1969
Under re-construction at Beamish, completed 1975
The Town
Annfield Plain Co-op Store, 1976, before dismantling
The old Annfield Plain Co-op from "Jubilee History" 1870-1920
The Town
Ravensworth Terrace
Colliery Village:Winding Engine
The Colliery Village: Pit cottages
Home Farm
PockerleyManor
The Waggonway
The Georgian
Landscape
Transport
What did we do with it all!Unselective collecting from 1960-1980! With 1978 being the peak year in collecting as the coal industry declined rapidly in this year.
1989 Beamish becomes as Registered Museum and by the 1990s collecting is becoming tailored toward projects.
The original documentation system was linked to the Bowes Museum. As between 1961 and 1964 items for the open air museum were collected as part of the Bowes collections. It was not until 1970 that Beamish collected independently. The 1961 cards recorded the following fields:GroupPlace of OriginReg. NumberObjectPeriodDate of AccessionNegativeDescription
What did we do with it all!
A manual filing system evolved, with a separate donor’s index, as many people were repeat donors!
1985 a receipt system was introduced, to ensure all donor were happy with the terms and conditions of donating to a working museum. In addition to this the Green Spot system was introduced, adding a layer of collections, not accessioned but still tractable!
1995 Access database established. Developed over time……..with 88,259
2007-8 new database!!!!!!
Location and How it came to the museum
Social History and Industrial Classification
• Creates a link between an object and its use
• Allows users to find objects relating to use.
• Beamish is a people focused museum and this system allows staff and public to find object without knowing what they are looking for!