Update from the Archivist
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[fg]jpg|Fig 1 & Fig 2: Organisation of the archive collections is underway.|Image[/fg]
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[fg]jpg|Fig 3 & Fig 4: Cataloguing the collections.|Image[/fg]
There has been a slight deceleration in the archive and library cataloguing of late as other projects and seasonal activities have taken precedence, however progress continues, particularly with the archive catalogue.
The main aim is to standardise the entire archive catalogue, which has seen several approaches over the years. This involved creating a master archive spreadsheet and transferring data whilst checking against the physical collections. During this process, we are rehousing material, Our fantastic volunteers have been working tirelessly on this project, and we are deep into several collections, including the Society Notebooks Collection, containing rare and unique manuscript diaries and notebooks, mostly dating from the 19th to the 20th centuries. The society letters collections, which cover correspondence between society members from the which is currently in unsuitable packaging, inputting all metadata into standardised spreadsheets, and keeping an eye out for important or compelling collection items which may be of interest to future researchers.
When the majority of collections have been standardised, and detailed records logged on spreadsheets, the whole archive collection can be transferred to a bespoke Collections Management System.
19th century onwards. The Peter J Tester Archive, comprising detailed archives, reports and notes from excavations across the county alongside architectural research, finds analysis and more, and the Maidstone Area Archaeological Group Archive, with a range of significant archaeological archives from the Borough of Maidstone and beyond.
We have also acquired several additional archive collections, including Gordon Taylor’s extensive studies of Dutch and Flemish Houses and Gables in Kent; The Rev Robert Alfred Hadenfeldt’s study on Sutton Valence and East Sutton; The Moatenden Priory, Headcorn excavation site archive; a set of predominantly Kent focussed maps and badges purportedly from the collection of a Major General C. E. Luard of the Royal Engineers, commander of the British Troops in South China; a comprehensive collection of photographs documenting the construction of Maidstone Bridge, taken by John Wells; and a wide range of books and literature for the library, which are currently being processed.
We are in discussions with partners to engage in a number of projects to catalogue our visual records and photography collections. This will mostly involve cataloguing and rehousing the vast quantity of negatives, glass plate negatives and prints. We will involve various groups in these projects and hope to encourage health, well being and social activity whilst educating and improving skills for a multitude of groups who would not otherwise have an opportunity to work with such collections.
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[fg]jpg|Fig 5, Fig 6, Fig 7, Fig 8 & Fig 9: New acquisitions are being added to the archive.|Image[/fg]
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[fg]jpg|Fig 10 & Fig 11: Part of the visual records collection.|Image[/fg]
Our monthly Zoom lecture series continues to be a huge success. We have had some fantastic speakers on a wide range of topics over the past six months. In fact, we have recently celebrated the one year anniversary of our live talks. In that time we have hosted 12 fantastic speakers, over 700 live guests, and reached a further 4000 views on YouTube.
We have some incredible talks ahead from well-known and highly respected speakers, covering all manner of topics. You can find all the details of our upcoming talks on the Kent Archaeological Society events page; www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/events
The recent focus has been heavily weighted towards the society magazine, the promotion of our bursary schemes, our busy fieldwork schedule and a significant quantity of meetings and heritage discussions. Moving forward we hope to focus on our library collections, and making the space at Maidstone Museum more accessible and organised. Thankfully, with our dedicated volunteers, we hope this will progress swiftly once the last of the recent extensive projects are completed.
You can find details of our archive and library collections on the Kent Archaeological Society website:
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/library
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/archives
As ever, if you would like to be involved in the archive or library as a volunteer, or are interested in learning more about the collections, please do email me at: craig.campbell@kentarchaeology.org.uk