Monument Fellowship
In 2008, Dr Jonathan Brown was awarded one of the Museums Association’s Monument Fellowships which were aimed at capturing collections knowledge held by experienced individuals who are retiring from museums. His fellowship, focused on transferring his expertise on the Museum’s engineering and photographic collections to resources that will enhance their use and accessibility for researchers.
During 2009, Dr Brown presented a series of free public 'masterclasses'. “Engineering drawings - an introduction” on 28 March, offered the chance to dip into MERL’s large collections, learn about the origins of the drawings, and find out how we can use them now. The next masterclass took place on July 2nd, and looked at rural England through MERL's photographic collections.
Dr Brown also enhanced our databases with additional information, much of which is only available on paper. This information is of direct use to researchers in the Reading Room and will also enable us to provide a faster and more efficient enquiry service to those who are unable to visit us. This work will also lead to greater numbers of detailed subject guides, as well as some publications.
The Museums Assocation Monument Fellowships were funded by the Monument Trust
Dr Jonathan Brown is an Honorary Fellow of MERL and has spent many years caring for, developing and researching the rural history collections that we hold. He has published extensively within this subject area and his recent publications include: Steam on the Farm: A History of Agricultural Steam Engines 1800 to 1950 (The Crowood Press, 2008) and The Rural World of Eric Guy (Old Pond Publishing, 2008).
Sharing Knowledge: a toolkit for museums
The Museums Association published a practical guide for museums based on the Monument Fellowships in May 2011.
Click on the link to download the toolkit from the MA website: