#explorearchives Researcher Jon Heal blogs about using our Archives

Amongst the Warrillow Collection are glass plate negatives, many over one hundred years old, from William Blake's stationer's shop in Longton. Inspecting the detail in the original negatives created and used by Blake to print picture postcards, I feel I’m looking over the shoulder of the man at work. Photography at the turn of the twentieth century involved the use of glass plates in a bulky camera, the setting up of a tripod, and the use of a ground glass screen to obtain a sharp focus.  The quality of these early images is quite amazing when the difficulties of photography are appreciated!

Warr.174. An early Blake view showing Longton from the tower of St James' Church (1905). Inspecting the original negative, it’s remarkable how much detail is visible through the smoke!

Looking at the glass plates also helps me to date when pictures were taken.  Earlier negatives tend to degrade, edges yellow and the surface acquires a metallic appearance, yet remarkably most images can still be seen clearly.  It is a great privilege to be able to view this marvellous collection at Keele.

#explorearchives For your dissertation

History finalist Rob Allan is using original diaries held in the Archives as source material for his dissertation. Written during the First World War by Septimus Bennett (brother of the author Arnold Bennett) the diaries describe life and work in and around a Sheffield munitions factory. Rob says “Archives are allowing me to explore individual experiences. Using the diaries alongside secondary sources is giving me a better idea of what this period was really like.” 

Find out about our Special Collections and Archives http://www.keele.ac.uk/library/specarc/

#explorearchives Original designs for bookbindings

Three unique volumes of George T. Bagguley’s finishing designs are held in the Library’s  Archives. Bagguley was an internationally renowned bookbinder of Newcastle-under-Lyme. His shop was situated on the High Street and sold books and stationery, as well as offering a printing and binding service. Established in 1890 and operating until 1952, the firm employed a number of designers (Leon V. Solon, Dorothy Talbot and Charles Connor), as well as eminent binders such as Louis Genth and Thomas E. Caley.

This elaborate design for vellum doublures (the ornamental inside lining of a book cover) was designed by Thomas E Caley in 1905. To find out more, contact the Archives h.burton@keele.ac.uk

Open Access Training - Places still available

Are you a member of Keele academic staff or postgraduate research student?

Do you want to know more about publishing your research Open Access (OA)?

Do you want to find out how you can use the Keele Publications Database to deposit your manuscripts on our Research Repository to satisfy the HEFCE OA requirements for the post-2014 REF?

Scott McGowan, the Research Support Librarian, and Hannah Reidy from Research Support Services, are delivering a series of sessions through the Learning And Professional Development Centre on;

'Publishing Your Research Open Access Using The Keele Publications Database'

Places are still available for our session next Wednesday at 10.00 at 59 The Covert, and more dates are available throughout this academic year.

To book your place for this or any other of the timetabled sessions, go to the LPDC's course schedule.