News

Images To Get Your Imagination Soaring

22 September 2009

Visitors to RCAHMS headquarters in Edinburgh this Saturday (September 26) will have their heads in the clouds as the national heritage archive displays some of the best aerial images from its collections.

The aerial theme continues with RCAHMS latest publication Above Scotland, to be published in October. An exhibition previewing the book will be part of the Doors Open Day activities at RCAHMS.

Head of Education and Outreach, Rebecca Bailey said: “Doors Open Day is the ideal opportunity to show anyone who’s interested what’s new within the organisation. The aerial theme seemed obvious given our acquisition of major new resources along with our own publication programme.

“We will have aerial images on display dating from WWII to present-day along with a programme of talks from our own experts on various aspects of Scotland’s built heritage as it relates to our image archives.”

Doors Open Day celebrations are held annually in September and give the public an opportunity to enter and explore buildings not usually open to them. RCAHMS will open its office at 16 Bernard Terrace, on Saturday September 26 from 10:00 hrs to 17:00hrs.

The day will open with a series of presentations and talks about the RCAHMS Aerial Photography collection.  Guest speaker Ian Daglish will present a talk on the Normandy Campaign; he will be accompanied by Geoffrey Stone, who worked as a photographic interpreter during the Second World War.  Visitors will also have the opportunity to take guided behind-the-scenes tours of the RCAHMS search room, print room, conservation room, main store and survey room. 

Rebecca Bailey added:  “Although we have a public research room, it is not often that we are able to provide guided tours and access to the expert knowledge behind-the-scenes within RCAHMS. Our Doors Open Day activities are increasingly popular and we think that our aerial collections will make a stunning theme for the day.”

Additionally, the Treasured Places Creative Connections exhibition will be in place, showcasing beautiful animated and creative artwork various local communities have created at workshops led by RCAHMS specialist staff.  The artworks represent individual’s interpretations of archive drawings and images which RCAHMS holds.

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For further information please contact: Barbara Fraser OR Shaheena Abbas at Pagoda PR 0131 556 07670 / barbara.fraser@pagodapr.com or Shaheena.abbas@pagodapr.com

Notes to Editors:

RCAHMS is the National Collection of materials on Scotland’s built environment that connects people to places across time. It:
• Is the first port of call for information about the built environment of Scotland, from prehistory to the present
• employs expert staff and cutting edge technology to make its collections easy to access
• makes accessible a wide range of resources from maps and manuscripts to photographs, for people interested in Scotland’s culture and heritage
• is Scotland’s National Collection for information and materials on the built environment
• records the changing landscape of Scotland and collects materials relating to it
• involves people in discovering and investigating Scotland’s environment