Illustrations and photographs
There is nothing quite like an old photograph for bringing the past to life. So illustrations are one of the most popular resources in local studies libraries. They provide a historical record of events, people, village and town scenes and landscapes.Our illustrations collections include engravings, photographs, slides, postcards and collections of negatives. We even have a few original watercolours and pencil sketches. Many books in the collections are well illustrated too.
The engravings, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, are mainly of large country houses, churches and views of the popular tourist spots such as Dovedale, Buxton and Matlock. Most of our collections are photographs of various kinds and show us all sorts of local scenes and subjects.
Some of the library collections are now available to be viewed on line at:
Picture the Past (opens in a new window)
and
Peakland Heritage (opens in a new window)
More about the photograph collections
Photographs are the most important part of our illustrations collections. There has always been a market for local views and we have many photographs and postcards of the county. The collections contain the work of individuals both amateur and professional as well as the output of commercial firms such as Francis Frith and Aerofilms. Some of the material held is original and there are many copy prints. Each year, we take new photographs to record buildings and landscapes before changes occur. The collections continue to grow by purchase and the generosity of individuals who donate or lend photographs so that copy prints can be made.
Using old photographs
The photograph is generally a reliable witness and can be studied as documentary evidence in its own right. Its use is wide-ranging - from assessing the architectural detail of buildings to looking at changes in the village street. The visual image records the daily life of people, what they wore, their workplace, recreation and special occasions. Methods of transport are shown and it is sometimes possible to date photographs by these vehicles. The style of dress can sometimes give a possible date, but remember that styles in rural Derbyshire tended to lag behind those of the major cities.