Moving DeMorgan and Mander Family Photos

A few weeks ago saw the exciting arrival of pieces from the DeMorgan Foundation, which are on loan to the Wightwick Manor until the end of August. We both had the opportunity to learn more about how loans are processed, how they are catalogued on CMS and were also able to watch and help with the DeMorgan tiles being placed in the Great Parlour cabinets. It was a truly wonderful chance to examine these exquisitely crafted tiles up close, to be able to handle them and learn about the considerations for displaying them.

Below are photographs of the tiles ready to be moved to be displayed.

Below, the tiles looking as if they have always been here, effortlessly complementing the Great Parlour aesthetic. We took a few quick pictures before the cabinets were locked.

Also, as part of our on going research for one of our major projects of our traineeship, we have both been investigating Wightwick's extensive and fascinating archive to unearth stories and photographs that we can incorporate into short videos about the family, house and collection.

 And finally, considering it was such a beautiful day, we thought we'd include a photograph of one of the lovely views of nature at Wightwick, framed through the office window. It makes us feel incredibly lucky, as not many can boast of such a view to inspire them while working.

Beginnings

Towards the end of last year, we were informed about an opportunity that is the result of a collaboration between Collections Trust and Arts Council England; the Collections Management Traineeships programme. The traineeship provides support for 20 museum trainees working or volunteering in English museums to build skills in Collections Management, improve knowledge of the Museum Accreditation Scheme and develop professional networks over a period of 12 months. After consulting their website and learning about what the traineeship entails, which includes, learning practical heritage skills, attending funded conferences like the Going Digital and OpenCulture events, and workshops on museum management, we both decided to apply.

As you can guess from the photograph, we have both been successful and gained places alongside other young professionals in the heritage sector, from museums such as The Lowry, People's History Museum and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum. As the only two representatives of the NT we hope that this will benefit both us and Wightwick, by helping us to train for our future careers in heritage management and by using our skills for the care of Wightwick's collections.

Our first meeting was on 19th November at the Natural History Museum in London where we met the head of the Collections Trust, Nick Poole, and the other successful trainees. 

We will keep you all posted with information on the projects we are working on this year.