We have c. 3,000 intricately carved printing blocks which were used to illustrate the Society’s (and others) early publications, before they travelled with us from Somerset House in 1875. The wooden blocks depict antiquities of an astonishing variety, including Bronze Age brooches; broadside illustrations; medieval arches and renaissance architecture; monumental brasses; ancient burials; signatures; seals; and crests. Their survival is a testament to the care and respect shown to all objects of art and antiquity by our early members, and of the forward-thinking nature of our early organisation.
Such a significant and little-known collection deserves to be fully documented and shared, and so it is time for us to continue the work of our eighteenth-century counterparts. By ‘adopting’ a woodblock you will enable the object to be accessioned into the museum collection, ensuring that the block is preserved, protected, and documented for future generations, worldwide, to study and enjoy.
Your unique artefact will be cleaned, numbered, photographed, and re-stored, with the newly acquired catalogue information appearing in the Society’s Collections Management System and on our public platform – Collections Online. Your name will appear beside the newly digitised record in perpetuity, in acknowledgement of the vital role you have played in this important project.
This work will culminate in an exciting display and will pave the way for future research activity, shedding more light on the collections’ origins, use, and significance.
So far, we have raised £20,000 (50%) of the £40,000 needed to complete the project and we are working as fast as we can to make the records available. With your help, we can get there quicker!
Fellows and Followers who may hold information on or insight into this unique collection please get in touch with us at [email protected].
A few of the blocks you could be adopting...
