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Vale of Glamorgan Libraries have submitted 3000 historical images to the Peoples Collection Wales Project

Photographs of the Vale, dating back to the 19th and 21st century, have been collated and curated by Libraries in the Vale, and submitted to the Peoples Collection Wales Project.

 

  • Tuesday, 04 January 2022

    Vale of Glamorgan



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Staff and volunteers at Barry library have hosted a ‘Heritage Station’ where members of the public and heritage organisations were able to take their photographs to be scanned and catalogued for the collection.


Recently the 3000th photo was submitted to the Peoples Collection Wales website, part of the Peoples Collection Wales project, funded and led by the Welsh Government, the National Library of Wales and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.

 

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The project aims to capture and celebrate the rich history of Wales with unique stories and snapshots.

 

Phillip Berry, son of Beatrice Berry who volunteered at Penarth’s St. John’s Hospital as a nurse, contributed a photo of staff and patients from the hospital, dating back to 31 March 1919.

 

Another photo in the collection was taken at Cowbridge’s Fancy Dress Carnival in 1929 by Kitty Watts. The snapshot is of Kitty’s daughter, Judy Watts, dressed as Little Red Riding Hood along with the family maid, Lilian Davy, dressed as a nun.

 

One of the more unusual, exhibited images is a photograph of circus Elephants in Watchtower Bay in Barry. The photo was taken by Eileen Norman in 1953 and is now owned by Alison Wood and John Howells.


The entire collection of photographs can be accessed on the Peoples Collection website.

Melanie Weeks, Senior Librarian at Penarth Library said: “To have uploaded 3000 pictures to the Peoples Collection Wales is a real achievement and one that couldn’t have happened without the dedication of a great team of volunteers.


“Every picture tells a story, but among my favourites are the circus elephants bathing in Watchtower Bay and the fancy dress outfits at Cowbridge Carnival in the 1920s.”

The library teams are looking to recruit more volunteers to help with the project, so if you have some basic computer skills and an interest in local history contact Melanie Weeks on 01446 773941 or email cowbridgelibrary@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk.