I am delighted to be able to share with you the news that ‘Photographing Wiltshire’s Treasures’, a collaborative project between ten independent museums and a local further education college, has won two awards at an event to celebrate the work of the voluntary and community sector in Wiltshire.

 
The Voluntary and Community Sector Award

The project, funded by a Renaissance South West Museum Development Fund grant, saw photography and media students from New College Swindon complete placements at museums across Wiltshire, most of which are run entirely by volunteers. During their placements the students received training in object handling and photographic techniques and were then able to work with staff and volunteers to select and professionally photograph items from the collections.

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Back in March we had an enquiry from a gentleman trying to establish the date of a couple of photographs of the bridge at Bradford on Avon. They were amongst his grandfather’s collection of 598 ‘magic lantern’ slides, many of which were unnamed. He had been unsure of the location of the photographs, but the bridge happened to be featured in a TV programme he was watching called ‘Country Tracks’, and it looked like a good candidate!
The first of two photographs of the bridge at Bradford On Avon
Our Ref: P53801  

Upon receipt of the images, it took just one look to realise that they were indeed of the bridge at Bradford. To try to date the images we used two books from our Local Studies Collection, ‘Bradford on Avon: a pictorial record’ edited by Harold Fassnidge and Peter Maundrell, and ‘Bradford in Avon in old Picture Postcards’ by Adrian Powell. Both included pictures of the bridge, one dated c. 1892 and the other 1900. Walter’s photograph showed some metal work in a cross pattern appearing on the blind house. The image of 1900 showed the cross in place but by about 1916 it had disappeared. The other image (taken in or before 1892) had been taken from a slightly different angle but showed the river bank without the ornate metal fence in the picture dated 1900. This fence was also missing in our photograph, suggesting a date of c.1890. 

His grandfather, Walter J Pearce, had been taking photographs from at least 1889, when he took some at the Paris Exhibition. He was part of a delegation of craftsmen sent by the Lord Mayor of London to report on his craft of painting, decorating and gilding. His grandson told us that Walter had actually climbed onto the outside of the Eiffel Tower to look at the paintwork; it had been painted lighter towards the top to make the tower appear slimmer! To discover more about the photographer and the bridge, please 'read more'...

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As the year moves on we are preparing to undertake a major study into Wiltshire farmsteads. Some interested observers might be aware that the traditional farmstead in Britain is rapidly disappearing under the pressures of changes in agricultural practice. Sadly our traditional farm buildings have become largely redundant, either falling into disuse or being converted into desirable dwellings or light industrial units in the country. Only a handful of hobby farmers preserve the farmstead as it used to be, and only then because it enhances their product, be it traditional Wiltshire ham, or the kinds of speciality preserves sold only in posh farm shops. They maintain a certain image that harks back to the ‘good old days’.

Farmsteads are still very much part of the British landscape and this is very true in Wiltshire where agriculture has played such a key role throughout our history, at one time sending our milk, cheese and bacon to London and beyond. As a consequence there is an urgent need to record for posterity these buildings before it is too late. In order to undertake much of the work we need volunteers. Please read on to find out how you could help……

Haydon Farm at Haydon Wick near Swindon - one of the last farms on Haydon End Lane to be engulfed in modern development and its remaining old buildings converted to other uses.
 

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