Adopt a Collection
The Adopt a collection scheme, offers an annual opportunity for a personal association with a chosen item within in our collection.
Coventry Archives holds an iconic collection and has a duty of care to preserve this rich and varied archive. Through adoption, this rich heritage will continue to be preserved and made accessible for generations to come. Adoption will also enable expansion of our digital offer in order to encourage learning and discourse of Coventry heritage on a greater scale.
For more information on how to adopt please contact archives@culturecoventry.com
or ring 024 7623 7583
Click here to download a Adopt a Collection submission form.
What are the benefits?
- A personalised certificate sent in the post
- A customised archive notice placed inside the preservation box which houses the item for the period of one year upon signing up for adoption
- A photograph together with a mention in the Culture Coventry trust internal and external newsletter
- special tour for a small group of both our Conservation/Archives store
Which collections can be adopted?
Anyone can choose from some of the following archive/local study collections. For a full list of all collections, please ask a member of Coventry Archives staff.
BA Borough Archive 1300-1550: This collection provides unparalleled insight into the dramatic rise and decline of the Midland’s capital and England’s fourth largest city of the late medieval period. Adoption will go towards conservation and digitisation.
Trade directories 1822-1970: Before phone books, Trade directories were the only means of discovering the details of a local tradesperson. Not only do these books remain an invaluable resource for family historians, they also offer trade and advertisement information. Adoption will go towards conservation, preservation and digitisation.
PA1 Topographical sketches by Dr Nathaniel Troughton19th Century: A local surgeon and trustee of various charities, Dr Nathaniel Troughton, produced these 10 volumes of pencil drawings of Coventry street scenes, buildings and interiors during the 19th century. Adoption will go towards conservation and digitisation.
PA3029 Rootes collection 1928-1978: The Rootes Group was a British automobile manufacturer and, separately a motor distributors and dealers business. The Rootes photographic collection includes circa. 26,000 photographic prints, over 100 photograph albums and 76,000 glass plate negatives, acetate negatives and transparencies. Adoption will go towards conservation, preservation and digitisation.
Audio Visual collection c1930s-c1980s: There are approx. 3,500 photographs of the Coventry and Warwickshire collection/Pictures of Coventry collection that require digitisation. There are also around 400 Betamax films, 130 VHS and 500 Moving image film. Adoption will go towards preservation and digitisation.
Bartleet cycling collection 1863-1935: Horace Bartleet was enthusiastically involved with the development of cycling in Britain. He raced, toured, was involved in club organisation and built up a wide journalistic connection. This collection of books, catalogue and periodicals contain many unique items such as Stanley bicycle club exhibition catalogues from 1883, Bicyclists handbook 1879 and Bartleet’s bicycle book 1932. This collection complements the wealth of cycles and bicycles based at the Coventry Transport Museum. Adoption will go towards preservation, conservation and digitisation.