Photo: works being removed from Tate in January 1928 after the River Thames burst its banks. © Tate Archive 2003.
From rare letters and photographs to press cuttings, Tate's newly-launched online archive gives a fascinating insight into the history of one of the most influential organisations in British art.
The online archive is split into three themed journeys that introduce material on Tate's history, the Bloomsbury Group, and the art world of the 1960s and 70s as seen through the eyes of art critic Barbara Reise.
Designed to present an overview of the organisation's physical archive, the virtual version provides a comprehensive online experience through documents, images and audio excerpts.
Previously viewable only by appointment, the new digital archive is, appropriately during Archive Awareness Month, accessible from anywhere in the world.
Photo: page from Barbara Reise's diary, June 1970. © Tate Archive 2003.
Speaking to the 24 Hour Museum, Tate Insight Project Manager, Oliver Vicars-Harris explained how the project gives an insight into the main Tate Archive and enables an understanding of how it underpins the organisation's core collection.
"It is part of a programme of work providing online access to Tate's collection," he said.
"It provides a whole range of information that doesn't make it into the main collection, but is the peripheral stuff that surrounds a generation of art. Artists generate their works in terms of what's going on around them and what's good about the archive is that there are all sorts of press cuttings and so on that just bring the history to life."
Adding that, "rather than encouraging people to just look at a painting on a wall it allows people to get more in touch with it," Oliver described the online journeys as a tool to trigger the public imagination into the possibilities of the wider Tate Archive.
Indeed, for anyone wanting to begin an investigation into it, the online journeys make a great place to start.
Photo: Bloomsbury - family and friends of Vanessa Bell at Charleston. © Tate Archive 2003.
Fully searchable, visitors can browse through over 4,000 objects with the aid of transcriptions for handwritten and audio material and a magnifying tool for typed texts such as press cuttings.
From bomb damage at Tate Britain during the Second World War and the Bloomsbury set gathering at Charleston, to newspaper articles discussing the latest controversial work to be put on display, the archive makes for a fascinating read.
The project is part of the Tate Insight programme and was funded by the sponsors of Tate Online, British Telecom, and the New Opportunities Fund (NOF).
To explore the archive and other projects by Tate Insight, click on this link to visit the organisation's website.
