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!