Keswick Historical Society Archives Group

Case-study showing the impact of community archives

Keswick..... it all started 5,000 years ago

www.visitcumbria.com

Keswick Museum and Art Gallery

www.visitcumbria.com

Castlerigg Stone Circle from above

Simon Ledington

Below you can download a detailed case-study of this community archive. The case-study describes the origins, activities and achievements of the archive, and assesses its impact on the local community.

The first two sections of the case-study are reproduced below.

Project summary
The Archive Group of the Keswick Historical Society was formed in 2005 in response to the donation of two collections to the Keswick Historical Society. Although Cumbria Record Office has a policy of localising record offices within the county, Keswick is equally relatively distant from the three records office in the north of the county at Carlisle, Kendal and Whitehaven and historical activity is focused on the Keswick Museum and Art Gallery. The Museum has had funding problems in recent years and partnership between the Archive Group and the Museum, now run by the District Council, is important to both, notably in the bid being prepared to be submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund to improve the Museum and provide better storage and access for the Archive Group's collections.

The two collections comprise local photographic records and the archives of George Bott, a noted Cumbrian literary figure and local historian. The collections need cataloguing to provide public access.

For further background, download the case-study or see the directory entry for Keswick Historical Society Archive Group.

What does this project exemplify?

• Close partnership with Museum, providing additional volunteer support (there is already a Friends of the Museum)
• Wide range of collections - includes material on nationalliterary figures, mountaineering etc
• Use of collection material to support local street theatre
• Use of source material by academics
• Potential of collecting activities to promote localknowledge and bring together in-comers and those born and bred in the area.

Download the full case study