ONE of the most significant woven textile archives in the UK is now available online thanks to a year-long collaboration.
Called Weaving the Web, it means that the historic Sunny Bank Mills Archive can now be viewed in 3D on the web.
A total of 50 objects, including suit jackets, guard books and dye recipe cards, can now be viewed from every angle due to 360-degree photography.
Access to the archive, an integral part of the award-winning Sunny Bank Mills complex in Farsley, has been transformed by a £40,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
This grant has been used to work in partnership with members of West Leeds Specialist Inclusive Learning Centre (SILC) Powerhouse based in Farsley.
Heritage Director Rachel Moaby said: “We have used this collaboration, called Weaving the Web, to help to create lasting connections and exciting new projects at the Archive.
“Specifically, we have been able to create a special Online Collection, which currently features 50 unique objects from our Archive, that can now be viewed from every angle, thanks to 360 degrees photography.
“Let me give you an example. One of our unique objects is an old rusty cauldron, which has definitely seen better days. It’s likely to disintegrate completely soon. But we have now preserved it for posterity, a wonderful reminder of an object which, once upon a time, was indispensable at the mill.”
West Leeds SILC’s work-related learning programme has been involved in the project, whose students have a range of learning needs including Asperger’s, autism, cerebral palsy and Down Sydrome.
Digital archive curator Alison McMaster said: “Weaving The Web project has been a year-long digital exploration. The obvious largescale outcome of the project has been the launch of the Online Collection, currently 50 objects, allowing visibility and accessibility to a far wider audience.”
The Mills, which were originally built in 1829, have been in the Gaunt family for six generations and are currently owned and managed by cousins John and William.
The archive consists of: fabric records including over 300 guard books containing thousands of textile cuttings; 60,000 lengths of fabric; 8,000 fabric designs; 5,000 wool dyeing recipe cards; 100 leather-bound ledgers and cash books; weaving looms; photographs and memorabilia and a library of mill-related books.
William Gaunt explained: “It is important to John and I that the Archive has a secure future beyond our lifetimes for generations to come, so The National Lottery Heritage grant has meant a great deal to us. The management, restoration, conservation, preservation, use and promotion of the Archive here is absolutely crucial.”
Visit the online archive at sunnybankmills.co.uk/online-archive.
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