The Wedgwood Museum

WEDGWOOD MUSEUM ARCHIVE REGONISED BY UNESCO

The Wedgwood Museum is thrilled and delighted to have its unrivalled archive collections recognised by the world’s leading cultural body. The Wedgwood Archive is one of just 20 items and collections that have been selected from Britain’s libraries, archives and museums to represent the outstanding heritage of the United Kingdom in UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) Memory of the World register.

Part of UNESCO’s programme to support and raise awareness of archives, the register is an online catalogue created to help promote the UK’s documentary heritage both at home and across the world.

The Wedgwood Museum archive holds over a hundred thousand documents and manuscripts relating to Josiah Wedgwood, the man, his family and the company he created. These items embrace all aspects of industry, marketing, production, fashion, topical political and social contexts over the last 250 years as well as celebrated figures such as the Darwin family, artists, writers, contemporary politicians and industrialists. In short it is one of the most complete ceramic manufacturing archives in existence.

Other items being honoured by inclusion in the Memory of the World register are the Death Warrant of King Charles I and the Bill of Rights. 

Gaye Blake Roberts, Director of the Wedgwood Museum, enthused:

“This is a fantastic honour for the Wedgwood Museum and is proof of the historical and cultural significance of the documents held within our archive collection. We made the application for inclusion in the knowledge that the collection was truly deserving of a place on the register, but it was still a huge boost for all of us at the museum when we found out our application had been successful.

“We have welcomed many researchers, both professional and amateur alike, into our archive facility in the past, and it is clear that they have recognised its importance and value. We are certain that the inscription into UNESCO’s Memory of the World register will encourage more people to come and make use of the rare, fascinating and enlightening archive material we have here.”

The UK Memory of the World Register was established in 2010 to highlight documentary heritage which holds cultural significance specific to the UK. The Register is managed by the UK Memory of the World Committee and compliments the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register, which is a catalogue of documentary heritage of global significance and outstanding universal value.

In addition to maintaining Registers the Memory of the World programme campaigns to raise awareness of documentary heritage and to alert governments, the general public, business and commerce to preservation needs. The programme also raises funds and provides expertise to support preservation and digitisation projects in developing countries and for archives at risk.