Bury Art Museum tells the story of the borough through its diverse collections and showcases local and international art. The Archives Service holds documents, photographs and other records relating to all aspects of life in Bury, dating from 1675 to the present day.

The Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in 2007 gave archive and museum staff the chance to work together on an exhibition that would raise the profile of the archives and attract new audiences. The exhibition was based on the journals, letters and other papers of John Hutchinson, a local 19th-century cotton spinner. The papers revealed his motivations for travelling to America in 1848 to buy cotton produced by slaves, and the personal dilemmas he faced as a result. The exhibition also featured objects and paintings that put the papers into a social context.

The papers were conserved, catalogued and made available online and on a touch-screen exhibit in the museum. Primary school pupils took part in workshops held in the exhibition and a resource pack for secondary schools was produced with local teachers. Talks and family workshops on family trees and cotton spinning were held in local libraries to reach people who do not usually venture into the centre of town.

There were several long-term benefits of the project for the archive service in particular. An important archival collection was documented and made accessible to a mass audience for the first time. The exhibition and supporting programmes successfully appealed to large numbers of people with the archive service. They also strengthened their networks with local teachers and additional volunteers were recruited through Bury Adult Learning Centre.