Behind The Door

Next year we will be working with Bromley House library on an audio tour based on a deep dive into their archives. This is part of a larger project supported through the ‘Archives Revealed’ fund from The National Archives, to catalogue many thousands of documents, letters, book purchase and loan records, minutes and other items related to the Georgian building and the history of library since its inception in 1816. Cataloguing these materials will deepen the understanding of the library’s organisational history, and illuminate moments such as the installation of their famous meridian line, visits by well‑known figures, and the city’s response to significant events.

‘Working with a professional Archivist, the project’s discoveries will support research into the history of reading, and enable more scholarly research of unique manuscripts, volumes, and objects, including special collections donated by literary figures such as Philip James Bailey and Alan Sillitoe. The project will share and celebrate its exploration of stories from the archive via opportunities for public engagement including exhibitions, tours and workshops and with the help of a Scribe in Residence supported by Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature. Hidden voices from our history will come alive in audio tours created in partnership with Excavate Theatre’.

Clare Brown, Library Director, says, ‘Trustees and staff at Bromley House Library are delighted to receive this grant; we have been itching to discover what’s behind the door of our safe room, and can’t wait to start working with an Archivist to unearth all sorts of fascinating information and share it with our friends, partners and the wider public. We are grateful to all the funders who come together to award this hugely valuable grant.’

The Archives Revealed programme is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Pilgrim Trust, the Wolfson Foundation and The National Archives.