National Tramway Museum Holroyd Smith Electrifying the Future Interpretation Plan

Transcription

1 National Tramway Museum Holroyd Smith Electrifying the Future Interpretation Plan

2 Introduction This Interpretation plan will be used to inform the development of a new exhibition within our Great Exhibition Hall, Holroyd Smith Electrifying the Future. The plan describes how The National Tramway Museum will interpret the Holroyd Smith Collection to compliment and provide additional context to the Century of Trams exhibition. The new exhibition will explore some of the key concepts in science and engineering behind the development of electric traction, as well as the inspiration and motivation that led Holroyd Smith to a lifetime of inventions and influence, reaching far beyond tramways. The plan begins with background information relating to the National Tramway Museum, its collections and the Holroyd Smith collection, and describes the current Century of Trams exhibition, which the new exhibition will be displayed alongside. It then identifies the museums current and target audiences, then outlines interpretive themes and techniques to be used. Background The Museum The National Tramway Museum is owned and operated by The Tramway Museum Society (TMS), a company limited by guarantee (no ) and a registered charity (no ), and also trades as Crich Tramway Village. Its collections of over 80 tramcars, tramway equipment, street furniture, tramway related artefacts, books, photographs, films, electronic records and papers are Designated as of special significance and are of national and international relevance. The Museum is Fully Accredited. The Museum has an operating tramway one mile in length and an annual events programme. The site attracts around 133,000 visitors annually. Our main purposes are: To maintain for the benefit of the nation an operating tramway museum, which provides an integrated, inclusive and accessible experience for all visitors in which education and entertainment are indivisible. To promote the permanent preservation of tramway vehicles and equipment, and items of general transport interest (either historic, scientific or educational) and to work as necessary with other institutions, societies and bodies, having similar aims, in any part of the world. To promote and further the study of, and research into, tramways and other forms of transport. The development of urban environments has been heavily influenced by the introduction of tramways. This has led to an intrinsic link between tramways and many of the major social history events that have occurred in these urban environments. By harnessing the hugely rich social history stories the Museum can bring to life the collections in a way that makes the subject real, accessible and compelling for all, ensuring that the Museum has relevance to the public long after those with first-hand experience of the first generation tramways have gone. 2

3 The Collections The Tramway Museum Society was inaugurated in 1955 with the purpose of safeguarding unique, comprehensive, historical and intellectual collections relating to tramcars and tramway heritage. The National Tramway Museum is the only single subject museum relating to tramway heritage of the British Isles. For acquiring knowledge of tramways, the collections of both large size exhibits and collections of tramway related artefacts, publications, written and photographic archives are the most comprehensive in the United Kingdom and are recognised as a world renowned source of reference materials on this significant mode of public transport. The Museum maintains a position as an international centre of excellence and as a leader and influencer throughout the museums and heritage world. The Museum retained its full Accredited status with Arts Council England in 2014 and our collections are Designated as being of National importance. The collections are presented to the public as an integrated, inclusive and accessible experience at Crich Tramway Village, Derbyshire. The Museum is open to the public every day from March until November each year. Visitors are able to participate in an authentic tramway experience, riding along our mile of track on exquisitely restored tramcars dating from the later years of the nineteenth 3

4 century to the 1960s. This includes horse-drawn trams (which run approximately 6 times a year), steam-trams (not yet operational), and electric tramcars covering every phase of their development over more than 60 years. In addition to the excitement of the tram rides visitors are able to browse through our Century of Trams exhibition describing the development of tramcars from the earliest horse trams through to the refined models of the 1950s. They are able to investigate tramway routes that ran through many of the towns and cities across Britain on our giant map (part of our Survive and Thrive exhibition) and to look at some of the new systems in today s cities. Temporary exhibitions are displayed in the Assembly Rooms. Over the last few years these have focused on the social history surrounding Britain s tramways during the First World War. The Museum has an extensive library and archive concentrated on tramways and subjects associated and influenced by their prescience, this facility is frequently used by academic researchers and historians. Our collections represent the most comprehensive, integrated record of the development and social importance of tramways in the UK and are recognised for their outstanding quality under the Arts Council England s, Designation scheme. With more than 80 tramcars and related works vehicles making up our large object collection, we represent a diverse range of UK towns and cities and the evolution of the tramcar from its emergence as a form of public transport from 1860 to 1960 and beyond. Whilst some of our tramcars have undergone extensive and historically accurate restoration, enabling them to be accessible to the public as a living experience on our demonstration tramway, others have been conserved in their original condition, preserving unique technical features. The Society s library and archive contain complete collections from noted individuals including; A. Winstan Bond and John Price, these give a unique insight into the mind-set of tramway historians and those that wished to ensure that the significance of tramways remained in the national consciousness in perpetuity. We are also privileged to hold photographs and films from many sources, original records from town and city tramways including personnel records and technical drawings, a vast range of journals, books and other publications. 4

5 Century of Trams In 2010 the Great Exhibition Hall was redisplayed with the Century of Trams exhibition. The exhibition focuses on a selection of 22 tramcars from our core collection, which tell the story of one hundred years of tramway development, from , including horse trams, steam trams, electric trams and maintenance vehicles. Blackpool Conduit Car 4 is one of the trams displayed. Funded by the Wolfson Foundation and Derbyshire Economic Partnership the exhibition features interpretive panels, audio sounds to represent each decade of the timeline and interactives aimed at a range of audiences. A selection of archive films that are displayed in the hall, some projected on the windows of two of the trams, including the story of Blackpool s trams which features some of the earliest archive film footage the Museum holds, and the last days of the tramway systems from the 1950s and how the tramcars came into the care of the museum. An interactive map allows visitors to explore some of our photographic archive in digital form, demonstrating the significance of tramways in towns and cities throughout the country. The conflict between conservation and restoration is demonstrated by an unrestored 1881 horse tramcar, which is displayed in the condition it was found. 5

6 Michael Holroyd Smith Context and Significance The exhibition will explore the life, inspiration and inventions of Michael Holroyd Smith, pioneer in electric traction and versatile electrical and mechanical inventor, with an aptitude for stepping into the forefront of new ideas. A member of the Institutions of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers from 1870, Smith associated with Thomas A. Edison, Graham Bell, and Sir Hiram Maxim. Smith was known for sharing his ideas, knowledge and experience. In the 1890s he opened classes in the Mechanics Hall, Halifax and pioneered evening classes for technical training. His drive and influence began with his father Frederick Smith, who owned a wire works in Halifax which employed his son as an engineer. Later Holroyd Smith was a consultant for mill design, water power, engines, and investigating industrial accidents. He patented numerous ideas relating to haulage and electric traction, and made some of the earliest telephones, exchanges and phonographs in Britain. Smith was an early exhibitor of the motor-car, showing the Holcar with an unusual early V4 engine in 1903 and originated the gate change system of gearing, line axle and other designs for automobile engines. He was also interested in petrol and steam omnibuses, and the problems of aviation, experimenting with flight as early as 1879 and lecturing in aeronautics. He patented designs for military defense during the First World War and games including a boomerang. He also devised the " warping of wings " method for steering aircraft. The Holroyd Smith collection at the National Tramway Museum is a sample of his lifelong works, but its range demonstrates his ingenuity, imagination and insight to design solutions to tackle an extraordinary variety of problems. His repeated efforts to tackle the problems of street tramway electrification exemplify his persistence, even in the face of failure. Smith developed the first electric street tramway which opened in Blackpool in 1885 using his patented invention of an underground electric conduit system, the patent documents for which are part of the Museum s collection. Smith conducted the first demonstration in the world of the open 6

7 electric conduit centre power supply system in Halifax 1883, and was the first in Britain to open a public service using this power supply in Blackpool 1885 (second in the world to Bentley-Knights tramway in Cleveland USA). He travelled extensively responding to requests for advice in various countries. Some of his inventions were adopted in America. Without Holroyd Smith it would have been at least another 5 years before electrified street tramways were introduced to the UK. The museum cares for the earliest surviving electric tramcar from Blackpool, which originally powered by Holroyd Smiths system. In the first third of the 20 th century, London County Council Tramways, the largest tramway corporation in London, used a conduit supply due to many London boroughs vetoing the installation of overhead lines. Other cities where conduit was used included Paris, Berlin, Marseilles, Budapest, and Prague in Europe, and the New York City borough of Manhattan and Washington, D.C. Bordeaux used a conduit supply until The conduit system in Blackpool was not a success, largely due to local conditions sand and seawater blew on to the tramway, which ran along the promenade, blocking the conduit, among other problems, but Holroyd Smith was experimenting with other forms of current collection for tramways. In 1880 he gave a talk to the New York Electrical Society where he hinted at a surface contact, or stud, system that he had invented, which is the first ever mention of this type of system. In 1886 he conducted the first world demonstration of the stud system in Paris. Power supply studs were set in the road at intervals and connected to a buried electric cable by switches operated by magnets on the tramcars. Current was collected from the studs by a "skate" or "ski collector" under the car. The stud system was popular for only a short time in the early 1900s, but has recently made a comeback in the form of Alimentation par le sol (APS) since manufacturing methods and electronic control has made it more reliable. It was introduced in Bordeaux in 2003 and has since been adopted in Reims, Angers and Dubai. The Holroyd Smith Collection Holroyd Smith - Philaerian Helicopter 7

8 The National Tramway Museum is single subject specialist Museum, which holds a world renowned archive relating to tramways, electric traction and associated topics, and all of its collections are Designated as being Nationally Important. Holding the largest collection of tramcars in the country, the fleet is split between approximately 25 demonstration tramcars and a further 60 which are on display. The tramcar collection adds additional context to and places the work of Holroyd Smith within the timeline of tramway and electric traction development, and how as a consequence public transport and utilities evolved. Within the tramcar collection we have an example of the oldest surviving type of tramcar that would have operated on Holroyd Smith s newly opened tramway in Blackpool in 1885, which is a large physical representation of his work, and links back to the archive of material that the Museum holds relating to Holroyd Smith. Within the museum s archive holdings there is a unique collection of over 1000 items relating to Holroyd Smith specifically, which includes: original patent applications to several countries, documents recording quotes for the supply of his conduit system to other tramways, cinefilm, photographs, written accounts of his lectures, address books and diaries, articles from technical journals and correspondence from the 20 th century concerning his biography, which was never published. Patent applications and original technical drawings in our collection demonstrate his wide-ranging interest and insight. They include the Holcar of 1903, which had a V4 engine, a helicopter, a grenade, moving book shelves, plus items relating to angling and field games. A number of patents relate to extraction haulage and separating iron. Others range from the everyday Improvements in kitchen ranges, to the scientific Improvements in the mechanism. There is a set of correspondence regarding the implementation and development of the Paris system, with associated diagrams and technical drawings for how it should be built. There is also an exemplary set of drawings for his early motor car developments, which included annotations and revisions, demonstrating his refinement of his designs and ideas, right up to the point of manufacture. Whilst the focus of the project will be to utilise the Holroyd Smith collection, other material from the overall archive holdings of the Museum will be used to support the exhibition work, as the collection comprehensively includes material that will be suitable to support the themes and content being developed regarding Holroyd Smith and his work. Our photographic collections can provide additional pictorial evidence, and our company records will demonstrate the impact of Holroyd Smiths work its impact on the development of tramways and electric traction. None of the Holroyd Smith collection is currently available to the public except to researchers who can make an appointment to see it in our Reading Room facilities. A significant aim of the project is to make available to the public more of the content of this collection. Some original documents and drawings will be on display and others will be used to develop interpretation in the exhibition. 8

9 As part of the project we would like to work with other organisations to discover more about his inventions and his inspirations. Holroyd Smith - Multiple Cone Clutch Project Aims 1. To tell the story of the life, inspiration and achievements of Michael Holroyd Smith and improve public awareness of his contributions to the engineering world 2. To inspire our audiences to take further interest in engineering, science and mathematics 3. To facilitate engagement with currently underused areas of the museum s collections 4. To engage children and young people in the above, by the development of permanent interpretation in our main indoor exhibition space 5. To improve the museum s offer to visitors and encourage visitors to spend more time in the Great Exhibition Hall. Audiences Many of our visitors reside within a 70 mile radius of the site, but holidaymakers and enthusiasts visit from all parts of the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. As an integral part of our business strategy we continue to proactively develop our offer to attract increasingly diverse audiences. Funded by AIM Hallmarks, a new Interpretation Strategy for the Museum has been produced in coordination with consultants InHeritage. The strategy has been developed alongside a HLF Transition funded project, Tramsformation, which involves audience research and legacy skills for our staff and volunteers to continue this in the future. The outcomes of both projects will feed the development of Holroyd Smith Electrifying the Future and for these reasons the information below is not restrictive. It will become more explicit in relation to the content of the completed 9

10 Interpretation Strategy and the findings of front end and formative evaluation conducted by our staff and volunteers at the beginning of the project. The following key audiences have been identified from a breakdown of ticket sales and consultation with The Tramway Museum Society, which has over 2000 members. Families Family groups make up a significant of our annual ticket sales. We pride ourselves on being one of the top attractions in Derbyshire for a family day out. As well as parents with children, a family group may include grandparents visiting with their grandchildren, or lone parents and children from separate families visiting as a unit. Families will consist of small groups with a mix of ages. Families are looking for entertainment, a memorable and enjoyable experience, which also involves an element of informal learning. Interpretation should encourage conversation and interaction within the family group. Not all family centred interpretation should be aimed at the youngest member, but instead should encourage other members of the family to become part of the interpretation process. Likewise there should be some interpretation aimed at younger children to keep their interest in the space. Family groups are unlikely to spend time reading lengthy amount of text and may be put off an exhibition altogether by anything that appears like an information overload. Tramway enthusiasts Tramway history experts or enthusiasts will visit to learn something new, or many new things. They may feel patronised by interpretation aimed at families, which they may perceive as dumbed down. They may also like to use the exhibition as a starting point for accessing further information about the topic in the future. The majority of tramway enthusiasts are very likely to know a little about Michael Holroyd Smith, since he was responsible for opening the first electric street tramway in the UK. However, fewer of them are likely to be aware of his personal background and the broad scope of his inventions throughout his lifetime. In the case of this audience, consultation with volunteers, many of whom are keen tramway enthusiasts, and members of the Tramway Museum Society will help us to identify a few key topics in relation to Holroyd Smith on which to focus interpretation for this audience. Enthusiasts are also likely to respond well to the opportunity to view original documents and drawings from the archive, which the exhibition will allow them to do. Educational Groups/Formal Learners Educational groups and formal learners include a wide range of ages, abilities and interests. Since one of the core aims of the project is to engage children and young people in the museum s collections, STEM subjects and the personal story behind Holroyd Smith s inventions, the exhibition will need to include interpretation aimed at formal educational groups, Primary and Secondary School age children in particular. Formal learners, or group leaders with formal learners, will be looking for specific activities and outcomes to satisfy particular learning goals or curriculum needs. Interpretation designed with families and enthusiasts in mind will support formal learning to some extent, but additional material will also be required. 10

11 The Museum hopes to work with Engineering UK who have a programme called Tomorrow s Engineers, which works with partners to inspire the next generation of engineers through coordinated schools outreach and careers inspiration. The museum will develop curriculum linked interpretation that also inspires further interest in engineering, after consultation with the Tomorrow s Engineers team. Themes Ingenuity, persistence, imagination and insight Characteristics of the Age of Invention What were the characteristics of Michael Holroyd Smith personality that drove him to make attempts to solve so many problems with his inventions and adaptions? What was the context surrounding his approach to problem solving and his creative mind? Holroyd Smith s willingness to share his ideas and discoveries must have influences many other pioneers of the scientific and engineering world. How far was his approach a symptom of his age and his peers? Some of Holroyd Smith s ideas were almost out of place in his time and may have been rejected for appearing eccentric, but may have been more at home in the future. Although he was one of many inventors and pioneers of the age, some of his more seemingly fanciful works reveal the extent of his imagination and creativity. Practical problem solving in engineering Using a selection of Holroyd Smith s patents as examples the exhibition will demonstrate how mathematical and scientific theories were applied to solve very real and practical problems. Consultation with Learn by Design and with Engineers from our Conservation Workshop team will help us to develop interpretation on this theme. This theme will include hands on interactives, developed by consultants, aimed at children of Primary Education age. Engineers of the future inspiring the next generation Making a link between Holroyd Smith s work and engineering in the modern world (such as the early stud system for supplying electrical power to tramways and modern APS powered networks), the exhibition will reflect upon the skills and characteristics of Holroyd Smith that would be transferable into modern engineering practice. Using the advice and resources from Learn By Design the exhibition will also explore career pathways in the modern engineering world. Hidden archives behind the scenes of the tramcar collection None of the Holroyd Smith collection is currently available to the public except to researchers. A significant aim of the project is to make available to the public more of the content of this collection. Some original documents and drawings will be made accessible through display in bespoke display cases. Other items will be used to develop interpretation in the exhibition, such as animations and digital interactives. The History Makers Virtual Trail will raise awareness nationally of the Designated Collections at the National Tramway Museum and allow young people to learn about Holroyd Smith, whether or not they can visit the exhibition. 11

12 The Exhibition Holroyd Smith Electrifying the Future As previously mentioned, the detail of the exhibition will be developed following the creation of a new Interpretation Strategy and after consultation with relevant audiences, volunteers, society members and Tomorrow s Engineers. The exhibition will be in a long narrow space, 40 m long and 2 m wide, at the back of the Great Exhibition Hall. This is not a separate space but the feeling of a contained space is created by the positioning of the trams at the back of the hall, as seen below. The artefacts against the wall will be moved before the start of the project. Options for visitor routes through the space will be limited by the dimensions of the space. Observation of visitor flow will indicate whether people are more likely enter the space at the centre point, between two trams or at either end or the space, from the sides of the Exhibition Hall. The positioning of interpretation based on the themes described above will be dependent on this. Based on the audiences, themes and collections described above we anticipate that exhibition will include the following methods of interpretation: Showcases displaying original drawings and documents from the Holroyd Smith Collection A hologram or projection produced from a photograph of Michael Holroyd Smith An animation, for example putting in motion engineering drawings A digital interactive which includes a practical problem-solving element Hands-on interactives inspired by an element from the engineering drawings, for example the inner workings of switches from the stud power supply system. In addition to the original items from the collection displayed in the showcases, certain examples will be reproduced and presented for example, as a larger scale graphic, projection or in digital form. There will be visually stimulating interpretative panels, including text. 12

13 Evaluation The project will be evaluated against the following aims: 1. To tell the story of the life, inspiration and achievements of Michael Holroyd Smith and improve public awareness of his contributions to the engineering world 2. To inspire our audiences to take further interest in engineering, science and mathematics 3. To facilitate engagement with currently underused areas of the museum s collections 4. To engage children and young people in the above, by the development of permanent interpretation in our main indoor exhibition space 5. To improve the museum s offer to visitors and encourage visitors to spend more time in the Great Exhibition Hall. Following the HLF Transition project Tramsformation, staff and volunteers will have the necessary skills in audience research to collect and analyse data for evaluation. Data collection methods will include visitor observation, comment cards, survey s completed by educational group leaders, and evidence of follow up work produced by school pupils. 13