Exhibitions
Email: mick@cartmelconservation.com
A good exhibition displays an object, artefact, or collection in a way that will attract, inspire, and engage visitors. The social history of the object or collection can also inspire the visitor to engage with an exhibition. With experience in managing, curating, and producing many exhibitions including sport, social history, and photography, Cartmel Conservation can help you grow your initial idea to provide a quality exhibition for visitors to enjoy.
See below for examples of experience or get in touch to discuss your project and my relevant experience
Sport Exhibitions
From Football to Rugby to Motorcycling, I have managed and curated numerous sporting exhibitions. By working closely with the local community, families of players/managers/riders and the professional clubs, we were able to bring together both objects and people to tell the story of the history of these sports and clubs.
“When the FA cup came home” told the story of Bradford City’s FA cup win in 1911. Working with the professional football club, the local community and the families of the players from 1911, many unique objects were brought together including the original design of the FA Cup, the present FA Cup, and seven of the eleven FA Cup medals presented to the players on the day. Not only did this celebrate the winning of the famous trophy it brought together people from across the UK who were related to the players from the 1911 FA Cup Final and supporters from the football community.
Photography Exhibitions
I have curated several photographic exhibitions including North in Focus and Focus on Bradford. High-resolution scans were taken from the glass negatives and, working with modern printing methods, detailed aerial images were produced. By using imaginative display methods, the correct lighting and clear interpretation a gallery or museum space can be transformed into an engaging and inspiring exhibition.
Held at Bradford 1 Gallery in 2008, the exhibition ‘North in Focus’ celebrated the early work of C.H. Wood and represented life in and around Bradford and the North of England in the first half of the twentieth century. The black and white prints are taken from quarter plate, half plate and whole plate glass negatives and include stunning aerial views of northern cities and towns in the 1930s and the 1940s.
Social History Exhibitions
The Busbys’ exhibition, held at Bradford Industrial Museum during the winter of 2007-08 was a very popular Social History exhibition. It inspired many happy memories of one of Bradford’s premier department stores. Founded in 1908, Busbys’ became one of the best-known department stores in Yorkshire, dominating Manningham Lane in Bradford from the 1930s until its closure in the mid-1970s.
The story of Busbys’ was told using the wonderful photographs of C. H. Wood who captured all aspects of the store from the 1930s to the 1970s including its famous Christmas grottos. The history of the store was brought to life with personal memorabilia from the Busby family collection and other local people. With displays from Bradford Museum Service, the exhibition illustrated the amazing range of items that were available at ‘The Store with the Friendly Welcome’. The exhibition was far more than a collection of objects – it was a coming together of people to share interesting memories and emotions.
Following its success, we published a book, A Shop Full of Memories, which captured the memories of customers who fondly remembered their visits to this famous store.
You can see more images of exhibitions including Busbys, Focus on Bradford, Hot Metal and North in Focus here.
See a full list of services or contact me for an informal chat about your project.
