Brunel treasures to be shared with the world on the internet
ORIGINAL drawings by GWR engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel are being made available by the University of Bristol for the public to view online thanks to a £250,000 investment in digitisation equipment.
The university’s Special Collections includes the world’s finest archive of original Brunel material, plus works of early science, a leading record of medical history, rare films, historical maps, and the archives of Penguin Books Ltd.
For decades academics and enthusiasts had to travel to Bristol to study the many thousands of documents, photographs, objects, and films held by the university.
Now these artefacts – dating from as early as the 11th century – are online, where anyone, anywhere, will be able to view photographs, videos and advanced 3D visualisations.
The project includes the purchase of a high-quality medium format camera, which will be used to digitise more of the archives,
Some of the first documents to go digital will be Brunel’s drawings of the Great Western Railway. His letters and diaries are set to be digitised, along with his works.
History
Also included in the project is the Theatre Collection, an accredited museum and an Arts Council Designated Collection.
One of the world’s leading collections relating to the history of British theatre and live art, it documents life on and offstage, and contains archives of actors, designers, photographers, playwrights and theatrical companies.
Meanwhile, in virtual reading rooms, University of Bristol experts will use video conferencing and the 3D visualisations to guide those who cannot visit in person through particular items in forensic detail.
The university’s director of library services, Ed Fay, said: “We are very excited to be opening up some of our most treasured collections to the world.
“These have always been open to study but soon no one will need be held back by time or geography.
“The pandemic brought home to us how important having virtual services can be.
“Putting our collections online not only democratises access to them, but also helps preserve them for generations to come.”
The project to transform the university’s digitisation capabilities – dubbed Digitally Present and Engaged – will also help to digitally preserve film-based material and other sources nearing the ends of their physical lives.
It was made possible by a £150,000 grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and £110,000 from a larger £1 million Research England World Class Laboratories grant, which will also benefit several other parts of the university.
The collections support the academic work of the university and the wider scholarly community.
The university’s online archive catalogue can be accessed at https:// archives.bristol.ac.uk