The Project
A collaborative Shared Learning Project between the Museum and the University of the Third Age (U3A) South-East London Heritage Group.
This year-long project, which ran from April 2025 to March 2026 involved U3A volunteers cataloguing and photographing items from the Museum’s collection, and then creating various outputs including an exhibition, content for the Museum’s website, and talks for local societies. This work was supported by the Museum, with training and supervision being provided throughout the project.
The collection of ladies and gents personal accessories, formed of 270 items across six boxes, was chosen for several reasons. The size of the collection made it feasible to complete the work in good time, the items themselves are small and portable, allowing work to take place offsite, and, most importantly, it was a collection which particularly interested the volunteers.
Volunteers were given a box of objects which they worked on from home. They labelled each item and entered details about it into a digital catalogue. When the cataloguing was complete, they brought the box back to the archive where they were trained to photograph each item.
The final stage in the process involved creating an entry for each item on the Museum website. To do this, the volunteers were given training and guidance in using WordPress. They also wrote short pieces for the website outlining the contents of their box and details of any particularly interesting items.
The Collection
The items were boxed according to a particular category:
Box B1: Gents Accessories (catalogued by Elizabeth Alderson and Priscilla Macpherson)
Box 2a: Gents Shaving Razors (catalogued by Gill and Evan Rowlands)
Box 2b: Gents Shaving Accessories (catalogued by Roger and Sue Mead)
Box B3: Ladies Accessories (catalogued by Jo Livingstone)
Box B4 Ladies Cosmetics and Perfumes (catalogued by Barbara Prynn)
Box B6: Ladies Hair Accessories (catalogued by Angie Weir)
The Results
All of the catalogued items can be viewed in the Archive section of the Museum website.
An exhibition was staged in the Museum’s display cabinet in the foyer of the Goldsmiths University library from 26 Jan to 20 March 2026.
The volunteers and the Museum Director gave a presentation to the U3A South East London Heritage Group on 30 Jan 2026.