St.Fagans: Into the archives

After an exciting first day of our research visit to St Fagan’s I was excited for what our second day would bring. The Second day provided me with a slightly different experience of researching and gathering primary resources within a museum. We were privileged to have access to their archives, an area of the museum not open to the public.

As the day started we were invited into the drawing room where I made the most of a dedicated and

enjoyable couple of hours of drawing objects/ artefacts, which were brought out of their archives specifically for us. Following this experience in the afternoon we were given a tour inside their archive along with the opportunity to spend time researching within it, enquiring about objects alongside documenting exciting discoveries through photography. This was the first time I had been to an archive, inside were endless rows of shelves home to vast quantities of objects holding a wealth of heritage. Perfect for an abundance of inspiration to start our live brief!

From these experiences, I gained an insight into different ways and strategies to research within museums for design projects, which I previously was unfamiliar with. Many museums have archives, working with archivists will allow me to acquire a deeper depth of research and access to a further range of artefacts. This research strategy provided me with a whole new range of imagery and resources which will contribute towards the foundations of my live brief. These newly acquired research strategies will be valuable throughout the rest of my studies, and a highly employable skill for me as I soon begin to seek employment opportunities within the design industry.

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