The blog for the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York.
Written by Jenny Mitcham, Digital Archivist, Borthwick Institute Arranging a tour of the grounds of the Retreat for a morning in January was a bit of a risk. We were truly at the mercy of the elements! We were fortunate however to have picked a day when there was no snow or ice on the … Continue reading Continuity and Change at The Retreat
Written by students from the University of York on a work experience placement. The renowned ecclesiastical architects Pace and Sims were prolific. Both were involved in a wide range of projects, from restoring Castle Howard, to designing memorials at churches and cathedrals, and constructing imposing new buildings such as Keele University chapel. During our work … Continue reading Slow and Steady Wins the Pace
Written by students from the University of York on a work experience placement. Death and Dairies at Castle Howard Our week began with a brief introduction and tour of the Borthwick Institute’s archives and stores. The collection is massive and the works are housed in strong rooms which we were certain could survive the apocalypse! … Continue reading Keeping Up the Pace (and Sims) at the Borthwick
Written by Gary Brannan (Access Archivist and formerly Archives Trainee 2004-5) I was just 21 (horrifically young, with a taste in fleeces and baggy cargo trousers – it was the early 2000’s, we did things differently there) when I arrived at the Borthwick Institute for Historical Research at the start of a warm September in … Continue reading The Borthwick Move 10 years on – Gazing back at St Anthony’s Hall
Written by Alexandra Medcalf The York Lunatic Asylum opened in 1777, at a time when little was understood about mental illness. Without organised institutional care available, families were left to deal with the mentally ill at home as well as they could. It was usual to chain lunatics to the walls and to leave them naked (it … Continue reading The York Lunatic Asylum Scandal
Written by Kerstin Doble, Project Curator: Who Were the Aero Girls? Nearly a year after the search for the real life Rowntree Aero Girls began, I am delighted to announce the launch of a website dedicated to the remarkable stories of the women and men behind this collection of postwar paintings. As many as 40 … Continue reading New website reveals the story of the lost Aero Girls (and boys)
Written by Ruth Mather, Volunteer on the Atkinson Brierley Conservation Project Archivists might baulk at the old stereotype of the ‘dusty archive’, but it is an image that rings true for some of the items in the Atkinson Brierley collection. When the collection was assessed in 2011/2012 of the 6414 architectural plans there were only … Continue reading Dishing the Dirt on the Atkinson Brierley Conservation Project
Written by Alexandra Medcalf Like most archives, although most of our holdings are manuscripts on parchment or paper, bound into volumes and loose leaf, we do have other objects in our strong-rooms. This painting shows people in the grounds of the Retreat, York, in the late nineteenth century. The Retreat was, and is, a psychiatric … Continue reading George Isaac Sidebottom: Spot the Cat
Written by Catherine Firth, Conservator. The Conservation Department has recently been involved in the installation of two new exhibitions: ‘The Architecture of War Memorials’, which can be found on the third floor of the Raymond Burton Library, and ‘The Pity of War’, which is on display along the ground floor main corridor in the Harry … Continue reading Conservation and the Science of Light
Written by Dr Amanda Jones In your day-to-day life you’ve probably walked past one of George Pace’s buildings before and not realised it. Pace (1915-1975) was a York-based architect who is famous for his contributions to modernist ecclesiastical architecture. Perhaps his strict religious upbringing was the reason behind his career. Upon the death of his … Continue reading Keeping Pace: Dr Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Archive