Case Study - War Poet's Collection

Programme: Your Heritage
Applicant: Edinburgh Napier University
Grant awarded: £49,600
Project length: June-October 2005

War Poets Collection - printable (MS Word, 486KB)

Summary

Built as a health spa, the Craiglockhart campus of Edinburgh Napier University was requisitioned in 1916 as a hospital for officers suffering from shell-shock during World War I. The renowned poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon were invalided to Craiglockhart at the same time. Within those walls, some of their greatest war poetry was inspired and written. On the medical front, significant advances were made in the treatment of neurasthenia and the development of psychiatry. Today, the building houses the University's Business School and is home to the War Poets Collection. Previously their archive of photographs, medals and publications relating to Sassoon and Owen were not accessible to the public. After cataloguing and some conservation work, these materials were displayed in a permanent exhibition and online. Now visitors can view the collection and gain an insight into the personal and social experiences of war through the words, memories, voices and objects that the officers, medical staff and relatives left behind.

The aims of the project

The four month project had four main aims:

Catalogue the photographs and medals of the collection and undertake conservation work on eleven of the publications some of which were in need of urgent repair.
Create a permanent exhibition and online collection that displays the existing archive in its historic context.
Increase access for schools and 'drop in' visitors to the Collection.
Develop learning materials for schools.

Benefits for heritage

The Collection comprises photographs, medals and over 460 publications relating to Sassoon and Owen and their experiences of WWI. As well as cataloguing artefacts, the project conserved eleven of the publications that were in a state of disrepair.
Conservation grade display cases were also purchased ensuring that the Collection remains in the correct environmental conditions that will preserve it for visitors to enjoy today and in the future.
Using contemporary photography, writing, film and memorabilia an exhibition was created that provides a glimpse into the minds of the poets, patients and medical staff at Craiglockhart.

Benefits for people

The War Poets Collection is on permanent display and is open to all members of the public for self-guided visits 348 days a year rather than by appointment previously. It is wheelchair accessible and the audio archive increases access for those with reading or sight difficulties.
Since its opening in 2005 the exhibition has been visited by over 2,100 people and 11 schools. Visitors vary from the general public and the media to school children and senior army personnel. It has successfully engaged people in this emotive subject and kept history alive.
An online War Poets Collection was also published providing background information on the war poets, the Carmichael family, the history of Craiglockhart and the psychiatric therapies carried out here (www.napier.ac.uk/warpoets/). Since 2008 the online Collection has received 4,927 visits.
A number of complementary educational materials for schools were produced that offer additional information and interpretation on the exhibition, the War Poets, the history of Craiglockhart, the effects of the First World War on the soldiers, and the effects of war on society in general.
To ensure the exhibition is open to as broad an audience as possible, it has been promoted through VisitScotland, tourist guides, local media and open days.

Lessons learnt

The exhibition is located in a public corridor of the original building and is all in one place which makes it very accessible. However space was very limited and therefore careful planning was required in order to make the most of the space available.
The team overseeing the project comprised of staff members (from the design, library and development departments) whose different areas of expertise was invaluable when determining what exactly they were looking for in terms of tone and content. All the designers presented very creative ideas but some were too ambitious for the space and inappropriate for the exhibition. Having carefully worked through their requirements prior to the tender process the final installation met their expectations and went smoothly.
Originally they thought local schools would primarily visit the exhibition. However it has attracted more schools from further afield who are prepared to travel great distances in order to see the Collection.
More technical knowledge would have been useful in order to be able to fix problems without having to bring in the specialists.

Long term benefits

As well as preserving the Collection, the exhibition offers a unique opportunity for everyone to engage with and understand the deeply personal and social experiences of war through the words of the war poets.
The university is now looking to enhance the archive through the purchase of further important publications with the aim of bringing together as many of these works as possible.
The collection is available online on the War Poets Collection website

The budget

Main Project Costs	£	Funding	£
Equipment	26,145	Other grants	57,823
Materials	27,471
Building work	9,580	HLF grant (46%)	49,600
Design/writing/ printing education material	12,750	Total costs	107,423

Visitors at the War Poets Collection

Sector

Collections

Activity

Conservation