Page 20 - link magazine

Swindon Wide
20
20
the bigger picture

Public asked to identify
‘mystery images’
Rare and fragile aerial photos of
the South West from the Aerofims
Collection have been conserved
and digitised by English Heritage
and the Royal Commissions on the
Ancient and Historical Monuments
of Scotland and Wales.
Over 15,000 images taken from
1919 to 1953 can now be viewed
online.
The Aerofilms Collection is a
unique and important archive of
over one million aerial photographs
taken between 1919 and 2006. Its
chronological and geographical
coverage is superb and documents
the face of Britain during a period
of intense and unparalleled change.
The photographs were acquired
for the nation in 2007 when Aero-
films was facing financial difficulties. customise their own themed photo Above, downloaded from www.britainfromabove.org.uk,Swindon works c1930,
With the support of the Heritage galleries, share personal memories, with the huge A shop, marshalling yards, and empty fields at Rodbourne
Lottery Fund and the Foyle Foun- and add information to enrich the Below, a picture from The Link archive taken from the top of play park in Toothill
dation, English Heritage and the understanding of each of the im- in the mid-1980s recording the demolition of A shop after the works closed
Royal Commissions the images are ages. Viewers are also invited to
now freely available online at www. identity the locations of a number
britainfromabove.org.uk of ‘mystery’ images that have left
The website features a high de- the experts stumped.
gree of interactivity and is designed By the end of the project in 2014,
to encourage wide public participa- 95,000 pictures will be available
tion. Users can download images, online.

Made in Swindon. Looking back on 6 October
In the latest in a series of annual events, the Local Studies & Family His-
tory section of Swindon Libraries is coordinating a rare chance to see
photographs and artifacts on the theme of Made in Swindon.

Women at work maintaining Spitfires at Vickers’ South Marston, c1944
There will be a chance to find out more about the days when the town
was an industrial powerhouse which produced rolling stock for the Great
Western Railway and British Rail, Spitfires and other aircraft at Vickers,
cigarettes at Wills and hi-fi equipment at Garrard - and talk to people
who have a connection with the businesses.
Companies still operating in the town such as Pressed Steel Fisher
(now BMW) and Arkells Brewery will also be featured.
The free event on Saturday 6 October, 9.30am to 4pm, takes place in
the Reading Room at Swindon Central Library, Regent Circus. All ages
are welcome.

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