A photographic archive of Barnado’s children could be destroyed following its digitisation unless a new home can be found for it.
The charity's photographic archive, currently housed in Barkingside, east London, is being digitised over the next few months. But there are fears the children’s charity may have to destroy the original images as the department managing the archive is moving to new premises that are too small to house the photographs.
Barnardo's says the cost of extending the building and creating a climatically controlled store is too high.
The threat that the images may be destroyed was raised in a recent blog post on British Photography History.
Its author, Michael Pritchard, wrote: “One of the oldest, extant, dedicated photographic archives in the world [...] is under significant threat of destruction following its digitisation."
He added: "The importance of these beautiful images - not just to photographic history but to the study of archive practices and British social history - cannot be overstated. It is imperative that their material importance is upheld.”
A petition calling on culture secretary Maria Miller to step in and save the archive had received 1,034 signatures at the time of writing.
A Barnardo’s spokeswoman said: “Our photographic archive is unique and to allow researchers and academics continued access, we have taken the decision to digitise the material. Hopefully this will enable a greater number of people who are not physically able to visit a chance to study these historic images.
“A decision on the final destination of the archives once digitisation is complete has not yet been made and we will take into consideration any offers we receive to preserve these historic images.”
The archive dates back to 1874, and contains 500,000 images and 300 films of the visual history of the organisation, including its work overseas in Canada and Australia, according to the petition.
Barnardo's was founded by Thomas Barnardo in the 1860s to care for vulnerable children and young people. As well as its fundraising, campaigning and provision of support services, the charity runs projects for former Barnardo’s children and keeps a large archive of records about the children in its care – the oldest of which date from the 1870s.
The charity's photographic archive, currently housed in Barkingside, east London, is being digitised over the next few months. But there are fears the children’s charity may have to destroy the original images as the department managing the archive is moving to new premises that are too small to house the photographs.
Barnardo's says the cost of extending the building and creating a climatically controlled store is too high.
The threat that the images may be destroyed was raised in a recent blog post on British Photography History.
Its author, Michael Pritchard, wrote: “One of the oldest, extant, dedicated photographic archives in the world [...] is under significant threat of destruction following its digitisation."
He added: "The importance of these beautiful images - not just to photographic history but to the study of archive practices and British social history - cannot be overstated. It is imperative that their material importance is upheld.”
A petition calling on culture secretary Maria Miller to step in and save the archive had received 1,034 signatures at the time of writing.
A Barnardo’s spokeswoman said: “Our photographic archive is unique and to allow researchers and academics continued access, we have taken the decision to digitise the material. Hopefully this will enable a greater number of people who are not physically able to visit a chance to study these historic images.
“A decision on the final destination of the archives once digitisation is complete has not yet been made and we will take into consideration any offers we receive to preserve these historic images.”
The archive dates back to 1874, and contains 500,000 images and 300 films of the visual history of the organisation, including its work overseas in Canada and Australia, according to the petition.
Barnardo's was founded by Thomas Barnardo in the 1860s to care for vulnerable children and young people. As well as its fundraising, campaigning and provision of support services, the charity runs projects for former Barnardo’s children and keeps a large archive of records about the children in its care – the oldest of which date from the 1870s.
