We’ll be joining archivists at the County Record Office in Northallerton for an evening of maps, plans, travel and adventure. It seems particularly apt when you think of our current special exhibition, Great Escapes and the importance of a map and a plan to plot your next move.
On Thursday 25th May between 6pm and 8.30pm, The County Record Office is throwing open its doors for an evening adventure for the culturally curious. It’s the Archives at Dusk tenth year, and the aim is to inspire visitors, old and new, to discover fascinating archival heritage on their doorstep.
Our fellow guests are Craven Museum and Gallery, The Wensleydale Railway and Harrogate’s Royal Pump Room Museum.
“Maps are a military must-have, so we will be bringing a number of interesting examples from our collection for visitors to Archives at Dusk to be able to take a closer look at,” explains our Researcher, Steve Erskine. “We hold a wealth of archive material within the museum collection, much of it never goes on display, but is vital for research into specific campaigns or to help illustrate family history research, providing geographic context or really pin pointing an individual’s role at a specific place and time.”
Every journey has a destination and a map by which to navigate. Archive staff will guide visitors through the wealth of items specially selected for the evening; looking back to a time before our reliance on virtual mapping, investigating the cartographer’s art and the variety of reasons behind their commissioning. Every map has to be seen in context: from maps’ depiction of land as power, to maps showing political allegiance or social deprivation; maps used in the planning of military campaigns or an eighteenth century grand tour.
Admission is free, children are welcome and light refreshments provided. Booking is not necessary and free parking is available on site (DL7 8TB) and nearby.
For more information about Archives at Dusk, call 01609 777585.