Canals unlocked - CRT announces £50,000 project to digitise the national waterway collection

[Laurence Hogg]

Today at 10:17 AM

PRESS RELEASE

30 September 2014

CANALS UNLOCKED - CANAL & RIVER TRUST ANNOUNCES £50,000 PROJECT TO DIGITISE THE NATIONAL WATERWAY COLLECTION

The Canal & River Trust has today [Tuesday 30^th September 2014] published online over 37,000 archive records and over 22,000 historic images from its archives for the first time ever. The £50,000 project is the first phase of a major project to open up public access to the national waterways collection.

The Waterways Archive is housed at the National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port and is the largest archive of waterway-related materials in the country. This important collection, which holds a wide range of primary material relating to the history of Britain’s canals and inland waterways, will be available for the public to access online from canalrivertrust.org.uk/archive

Margaret Harrison, collections manager, Canal & River Trust said: “We’re so excited to be able give the public online access to these images for the first time. The website includes over 20,000 archive images many of which help show the often hidden social history of the canals; the navigators who built them; the boating families that traded on them; and more recently the volunteers who campaigned to save them. These images sit alongside engineering plans, toll tickets, songs and maps amongst others.”

The archive images will be available for the public to purchase later in the year and the Trust is already putting in place plans to digitise a further 15,000 images.

Wendy Capelle, head of museums and attractions, Canal & River Trust said: “The Canal & River Trust cares for an extraordinary treasure-trove of historic images, documents and artefacts that trace the story of the nation’s inland waterways as far back as the 17^th century. This project starts to throw some light on our wonderful collection and make it more accessible for students, historians and enthusiasts.”

The Canal & River Trust is working with specialist teams at UK Archiving and SSL Limited to complete this digitisation project.

ENDS

For further media requests including images please contact:

Michelle Kozomara, Marketing & Communication Manager – Museums and Attractions

m 07917899222 e michelle.kozomara@canalrivertrust.org.uk t crtmichelle

Copyright - 'The Waterways Archive/Canal & River Trust'

 

[Hugh]

It seems a pity that the resolution available is so low, making it difficult to see what the photos actually portray - hopefully that can be rectified even if a 'watermark' is added to prevent unauthorised copying. Also it would be good to have the ability to offer feedback regarding the photos as some are incorrectly captioned.

[Laurence Hogg]

Having just tried to use the digital archive with a few common searches I have found the results to be extremely poor,

1, The enlarged image is too small to identify if what is there is of a grade which could be used say in a film or magazine, the resolution is awful.

2, The information attached to many pictures is deplorable, locations are wrong or simply the caption gives incorrect or no information, a search on "BCN" gave Stratford Canal & Shropshire Union results for four images! Then a clear picture of Broad st in Wolverhampton was captioned as Hockley port Birmingham.

3, I suspect some of the images are NOT theirs to use as some seem to be from other peoples collections.

After doing many random searches the level of errors is massive, there really is a serious problem here.

I suggest CRT take this site down until the information and output quality is corrected. left as is simply distorts information, heritage and history and putting CRT in the spotlight for being unprofessional.

Many of you are quite aware of my depth of knowledge on waterways heritage and can pretty well feel re assured that what I have stated here is the truth.

Laurence

Edited September 30, 2014 by Laurence Hogg

[FadeToScarlet]

Well, I've found a photo I'd not seen before- certain it's a "tree class", and because if the date, I reckon it's either Pine, Elm, or Willow.

 

 

(copyright CRT)

 

Which, if you compare it to a photo of Willow taken ten years later, at Northwich-

 

 

(Copyright L Hogg)

 

It looks like there's a similar Central decked area in the hold. Not conclusive, and will have to check the original (presumably at Ellesmere Port) to see if there's any more detail.

[alan_fincher]

Bulls Bridge has moved onto the BCN!

 

Linky

 

[Derek R.]

Errors can be reported here:

 

catalogue@canalrivertrust.org.uk

[Laurence Hogg]

Bulls Bridge has moved onto the BCN!

 

Linky

 

 

A number of us today have had discussions over the issues relating to this CRT museum site. I have spent much time today talking with CRT Director (responsible for the museums) Simon Salem in regards to improvements which are desperately needed. These include the enlarged size of the pictures which at present is next to useless to determine value of what is in the picture. Also as Alan has pointed out there are serious issues with the descriptions which have been carried over from the poor work which related to the virtual waterways site. Simon assures me that improvements are going to be made quickly which will allow better viewing and the possibility of adding to the text to provide better information. Over the next few days hopefully changes will be made.

Edited September 30, 2014 by Laurence Hogg

[Derek R.]

Another improvement they can make is supplying an email address that works. The one I posted copied from their website came back undeliverable!

Now re-sent using archives@canalrivertrust.org.uk

Maybe that will come back too.

[Pluto]

Linda, at the Waterway Archive, has just sent this email, asking for help in correctly captioning the photos. I do try to help her, as the archive comes pretty low in the list of priorities when it comes to financing improvements:

 

We realise that some of the images may be incorrectly captioned and this is where we are appealing for your help. The captions are those which described the images on the Virtual Waterways web site and which were written some years ago with the information available at the time. With this number of images, it has not been possible for us to check them all with the knowledge and resources we have.

 

If you have more information about any of the images we would be most grateful if you would contact us by contacting the Archive at archives@canalrivertrust.org.uk

[alan_fincher]

If they would actually make the images you can see on line currently a big bigger, we might have a rather better chance of deciding if they are correctly captioned or not!

[DHutch]

I agree that it is a great shame the provided images are so small, I do not know is this is intentionally limiting, or how easy it is the request larger prints. Its also a shame you cannot page through the 'themes' at they are called.

[alan_fincher]

In fairness, I reported a captioning error to

archives@canalrivertrust.org.uk

 

and have had a prompt and grateful reply for my efforts,so they are listening.

 

Perhaps one of our forum experts with a strong interest in the "Idle Women" could take a look at the captioning of the collections from Kit Gayford, Margaret Cornish and maybe others and send in some amendments. Certainly some of the often reproduced errors identifying people incorrectly as one of the Evelyn/Audrey/Ann trio are present, as well as, I suspect, quite a few more.

[BuckbyLocks]

"Perhaps one of our forum experts with a strong interest in the "Idle Women" could take a look at the captioning of the collections from Kit Gayford, Margaret Cornish and maybe others and send in some amendments. Certainly some of the often reproduced errors identifying people incorrectly as one of the Evelyn/Audrey/Ann trio are present, as well as, I suspect, quite a few more."

 

Already in hand Alan - was started when the project was first mooted and the Spring Issue of 'Waterfront' 2014 has several corrected images from this lot. Incidentally it should be Audrey/Evelyn/Anne. The one difficult question is whether the wrongly identified Anne in Margaret Cornish's book illustrations is actually Frankie or Monica as the Trainee concerned seems to have been known under both!

[alan_fincher]

The one difficult question is whether the wrongly identified Anne in Margaret Cornish's book illustrations is actually Frankie or Monica as the Trainee concerned seems to have been known under both!

 

So she had more than one Monica?

 

...... Coat, please?

[BD3Bill]

Went and had a look, PFFT!

 

Filled in their online survey, no too favourably…..

 

Nice idea, poorly done (hurried perhaps)

[Laurence Hogg]

I have since the launch of the digital archive been in contact with Simon Salem who is now in charge of the museums and collections etc. Voicing my own opinion of the site and its inability to provide a good image and correct information Simon has taken on board my thoughts and much of the comments voiced on here on CWDF. I am really glad to say that he phoned me today to inform me that major changes are to take place within a short space of time. These will include much larger images from the thumbnail, they will carry a watermark but allow high level of image quality. Also a feedback link (button) will be present to help correct badly annotated descriptions.

Given these changes, this digital archive could eventually improve to be a good source of information presently almost hidden from easy viewing.

[ChimneyChain]

Well for me I'm over the moon that these images are now on public display, it's not that hard to work out what your viewing. Well done the archivists.

 

Darren

[alan_fincher]

........it's not that hard to work out what your viewing.

 

It may be OK for those younger than me, and with better eyesight!.......

 

Can you currently see a whole collection as thumbnails, and if so how. Most of the time I'm just seeing a list of textual descriptions, but perhaps I'm being dense......

 

 

[ChimneyChain]

Well this is what I can see and with the iPad I can see it alright.

Full site here--------http://collections.canalrivertrust.org.uk/home

 

I type in whatever into the search space and whatever I've typed comes up with rows of photos and a very brief description.

Edited October 10, 2014 by ChimneyChain

[Tuscan]

Well this is what I can see and with the iPad I can see it alright.

Full site here--------http://collections.canalrivertrust.org.uk/home

Me too, excellent

[Laurence Hogg]

Its good to see the pictures now enlarged to a useable viewable standard,. Please report any glitches you may encounter to the link on the site, soon I understand a reprting facility will appear on each page allowing easy reporting of errors to CRT archive.

[alan_fincher]

Certainly errors I have reported in captioning (by email address given) are yet to be addressed.

 

On the pictures I have looked at over the last few days, I would say probably up to a quarter have obvious errors on the detail recorded against them, so I rather fear it will be an overwhelming task for them to correct them all.

 

Also I wonder how they will fare if two people each express a different opinion on a picture, (for example give different locations for it). There is a danger that "correction" information some people supply in good faith may be less accurate than what they are trying to "correct".

 

Do we know if ultimately it will be possible to obtain the images in better resolution, (probably at a cost?), and if so when that may happen, please?

[Laurence Hogg]

Certainly errors I have reported in captioning (by email address given) are yet to be addressed.

 

On the pictures I have looked at over the last few days, I would say probably up to a quarter have obvious errors on the detail recorded against them, so I rather fear it will be an overwhelming task for them to correct them all.

 

Also I wonder how they will fare if two people each express a different opinion on a picture, (for example give different locations for it). There is a danger that "correction" information some people supply in good faith may be less accurate than what they are trying to "correct".

 

Do we know if ultimately it will be possible to obtain the images in better resolution, (probably at a cost?), and if so when that may happen, please?

 

I understand the images are purchasable now.

As for resolution I am please they have increased but they ought to be larger.

Your comments regarding feedback have already been discussed with Simon Salem and its up to him to decide a way forward, maybe a panel of experts in different fields could be set up to vet the info?

There are plenty of knowledgeable contributors on here.

There are many bad descriptions, my own estimation is that well over 80% are incorrect, lack information or describe only what is obvious.

[alan_fincher]

There are many bad descriptions, my own estimation is that well over 80% are incorrect, lack information or describe only what is obvious.

 

Quite!

 

"There is a boat behind, with a man on it"........

 

I thought it was an elephant!

Edited November 13, 2014 by alan_fincher

[Dorlan]

I was just looking at the photographs of the River Avon.

 

Almost all of the views are unidentified in the captions.

 

Even worse, almost, if not all, of the '1960s' photographs are back to front!