Thousands of slides catalogued by archive staff

Staff at an archives centre have been cataloguing tens of thousands of slides in preparation for two new purpose-built centres, in Crewe and Hoole, due to open later this year.

Cheshire Archives workers have been sifting through their collection of more than 40,000 glass negatives and 35mm slides which document aspects of life in the county over the past century.

The slides are an early form of photography, using glass plates with emulsion to create images which are then viewed on a projector, also known as a magic lantern.

Meanwhile, the 35mm slides are a more familiar form of photography containing individual images in a small square frame that can be magnified up to 100 times and still maintain a crisp and detailed image.

Cataloguing the slides was a huge organisational challenge, according to bosses at Cheshire East Council.

Once they have been checked against the authority's online catalogue, each slide was given a unique reference number along with information such as dates, location and subject matter.

"We can't wait to share the full breadth of what the new Crewe centre will offer residents when it opens," said councillor Jill Rhodes.

"With everything from exhibitions, events and family history talks – this centre looks set to bring a real buzz about the town and we're excited to bring something different to the area."

She added: "It's fascinating that some of our heritage and historical imagery is continually being unearthed by our archives service – with everything from transport, buildings and family history being brought back to life."

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