A medieval archive containing three issues of the Magna Carta and a cinema collection spanning four centuries are among nine collections to receive Designated Status.
Arts Council England said the latest awards were a record number for the scheme, which recognises material considered to be of national significance.
Durham Cathedral’s Priory Archives and Library is one of those to have been awarded the status. It contains three issues of the Magna Carta and records documenting life in the north east of England during the medieval period.
What’s more, the archive is the biggest and most complete collection from a medieval monastery still housed in its original building.
The Thomas Hardy Memorial Collection at Dorset Museum and Art Gallery has also received the designation. It includes manuscripts, notebooks, correspondence and artwork belonging to the writer and poet, as well as his former study.
At the University of Exeter, the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum has more than 94,000 objects covering the history of cinema. Its holdings range from shadow puppetry to modern blockbusters and include posters, scripts, film memorabilia and fan magazines.
The University of Liverpool’s Science Fiction Collections contain more than 35,000 books, along with authors’ archives and material relating to fan culture. They form the largest catalogued science fiction collection in Europe.
Other recipients include Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery’s Prehistory Collection, which contains evidence of human occupation from the Palaeolithic period. It includes material from Must Farm, a Bronze Age settlement described as ‘Britain’s Pompeii’.
The Brunel Museum’s Thames Tunnel Collection records the design, construction and operation of the world’s first underwater tunnel.
At Charleston, the former home of Bloomsbury artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, more than 20,000 works are held. Similarly, Durham University’s Japanese Collection, at the Oriental Museum, contains more than 8,300 objects.
The World Rugby Museum has also been recognised for its 41,000 objects, described as the world’s most extensive collection of rugby memorabilia.
Nick Merriman, chair of the Designation Panel, said the scheme helped to recognise outstanding material and ‘foster pride’ in public collections.
The latest awards bring the total number of Designated holdings in England to 173.
Image: Amy-Leigh Barnard/UnSplash
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