Beamish case study
From Digipedia
Contents |
Beamish Collections Online
Summary of the initiative
The creation of a virtual Beamish Museum using the web to explore their extensive collections imaginative ways.
Aims
Beamish Museum aims to help preserve and celebrate the heritage of the North East, with a particular emphasis on social, agricultural and industrial heritage. They deliver the Beamish Charter - caring for and presenting the social, agricultural and industrial heritage of the north east in an engaging and dynamic way.
Intended audience
All with an interest in the heritage of the North East of England.
Lead body
Partners
Beamish is part of the North East Regional Museums Hub, supported by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council Renaissance in the Regions programme.
Area of special interest
An illustration of how a wide range of material, covering many different subject areas and many different kinds of object has been presented and interpreted on the web, making use of web 2.0 features such as blogs, podcasts and twitter to encourage interaction. As the background information explains, Frank Atkinson, the first Director and founder of Beamish "...adopted a policy of "unselective collecting ... you offer it to us and we will collect it". The imagination of the people of the region was captured and they donated objects of all sizes, from steam engines to shops and sewing machines. A whole army camp of 22 huts and hangers at Brancepeth was rapidly filled, creating a bond between museum and community, which has never been lost". It is this relationship which the Beamish Collections website seeks to enrich.
The Learning area of the website provides access to a wide range of images which can be used in lessons.