ARTEFACTS documenting the changing face of television and film have been painstakingly moved from their home in a long standing exhibition into the National Media Museum’s vast archive.

The 170 items, ranging from the earliest televisions to VHS players and cameras, made up the Experience TV exhibition, which opened in 2006.

The exhibition is now making way for a new £1.8 million “Wonderlab” which will transform the 478 sq m space into an interactive exhibition exploring light and sound. It is due to open next spring.

To make space for the Wonderlab, museum staff have been removing the items and taking them to the museum’s Insight archive, where the public will still be able to see the items on free tours. And many items are likely to be displayed in future exhibitions.

Among the items making the move is the John Logie Baird’s experimental mechanical television system from the 1920s, and Stooky Bill, the dummy’s head that was used in the experiments to transmit images.

Despite the fact that many of the items on display are from living memory of most visitors, the items were transported and removed with as much care as any ancient artefact.

Interactive parts of the exhibition, including mock TV studios, have been donated to the University of Bradford, where they will be used by students to learn TV and film production skills.

The museum's seperate TV history gallery that includes original Thunderbirds props and Rainbow puppets, remains open.

Elinor Groom, TV and Broadcast curator, said: “We’re developing plans to re-display the objects that have been part of the exhibition. A lot of the items will form crucial parts of future galleries and exhibitions.

“We’ve been extremely careful in the whole decanting process. Every object goes through a full conservation process. We have to see what condition it is in and how fragile the items are.

"I love talking to kids to tell them about these pieces.

"Personally the experience of decanting has been brilliant. Being a TV curator, the chance to actually touch these objects, look at them and experience them first hand is incredible and exciting. It is a unique experience and I don't think I'll have an experience quite like it again.”

The museum’s archive and research area resembles a gallery in itself rather than the stereotypical view of a dusty archive, with almost all items on clear display.

The small items archive features vintage computer games, old cameras and smaller televisions, including early portable models.

An archive for larger objects includes items such as TV cameras from the early days of the medium, a mechanical ape's head from the movie Buddy and Baird's experimental apparatus.

Karen D Scott, Programme Leader BA Film and Television Production at the University of Bradford, said: "We are pleased to have received various pieces of equipment from the decommissioning of the Experience TV Gallery at the National Media Museum.

"The Faculty of Engineering and Informatics have had a long-standing relationship with the Museum, with staff from Media, Design and Technology working closely with the museum to support the delivery of the BA Film and Television Production Degree.

"The lighting and drama set flats will be used in the universities television studio where undergraduates learn production skills and will also facilitate the promotion of Bradford City and City of Film via the in-house production of promotional films."

People can still visit Insight, the museum’s collections centre, for free by calling 0844 856 3797 to arrange a tour.

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