Archives - Trust Annual Report 1993
For some time the Trust has been considering whether it should set up an archives collection to complement rather than add to the many Winchester collections held by institutions, architects' firms and private individuals.
Three recent factors have persuaded us that we should start such a project now.
Firstly, the Trust has acquired a small collection of photographic and document archives. Secondly, the rapidly changing face of Winchester due to traffic-initiated schemes of pedestrianisation, car-parks and traffic-calming, and also continued building development has made the requirements for recording "before and after" situations very urgent. Thirdly, the reorganisation of the internal layout of the Heritage Centre has made a small room available as a Resource Centre.
Past photographs vary from late 19th century to recent times and the documents largely concern the past proceedings of the Trust. These photographs are currently undergoing a process whereby they are catalogued, copied (so that the originals may be safely stored in special containers to prevent deterioration), and the copies put in drawers suitable for administering a sighting and loan-out service.
With regard to the problem of recording how Winchester streets look in 1993 and will look in the years to come, the Urban Studies Committee has started an extensive photographic coverage, starting with Winchester inside the City walls. To give some idea of what this involves, a street such as Upper Brook Street would be covered by 12 to 14 different views.
When the resulting photographs have been catalogued, they will join the past photographic archives ready for storage, sighting by the public and loan-out.
We still welcome donations of slides or black and white photographs of Winchester. The more comprehensive the coverage, the more useful and valuable it is.