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Research
About the Project
Bradford's Industrial Heritage in Photographs sets out to explore crowdsourcing as a method for not only enhancing data associated with digitised photographic collections, but also as a means of facilitating engagement and participation with collections.
We want to examine the role that crowdsourcing may play within a larger infrastructure of interacting and engaging with collections, which we refer to as "the Social Machine". This infrastructure is comprised of both data-enhancing processes, as well as socially-led processes that encourage engagement with collections data through discussion, knowledge sharing, and other forms of participation.
By opening up access to the general public to contribute to the creation of collections metadata, we hope to learn more about the motivations and experiences of people who engage with heritage research, and ultimately apply these learnings to the development of a social infrastructure for a large-scale approach to engagement and interaction with collections across the country.
In addition, we want to explore what makes crowdsourcing a unique source of data enhancement and creation - as such, we will be comparing outputs from this Zooniverse project to outputs generated through machine learning processes. We will also be experimenting with using crowdsourced data to train a machine learning model to better understand how the two approaches to data generation and enhancement may be used in tandem.
How Can I Contribute?
Volunteers of any skill level or experience are invited to contribute through one of the two available workflows for this project. You do not have to have prior expertise or knowledge of industrial heritage or photographic archives.
You can contribute through transcribing text found on photographs, by writing descriptions of what each photograph is depicting, or by identifying objects related to industry found in the photographs. You can also do all three if you're feeling ambitious!
Along with these workflows, you can also join us on Talk to discuss the photographs - we welcome contributions of personal or local knowledge of industrial heritage, recollections and memories related to working in industry, or just general discussion with other volunteers.
The Photographic Collections
This project combines selected photographs from collections currently held in Bradford, United Kingdom. Together, they capture several decades of industrial heritage from a city with its own unique and diverse history.
Tim Smith Photographic Archive
Tim Smith is a freelance photographer, writer, and researcher based in Bradford, United Kingdom.
His photographs capture stories of migration, identity, and the complex relationships between Britain and other countries. His work in Bradford in particular reflects the rich diversity and heritage of the city, particularly the impact that industry has had on its history.
You can view his website here.
The photographs used for this Zooniverse project are from Drummonds Mill, a historic industrial site located in Manningham, Bradford. Originally built in 1885 by Henry Francis Lockwood and William Mawson, Drummonds Mill would be an active textile mill until 2001, when production eventually ceased. Afterwards, it was often used by community groups and eventually became a theatre space.
The site was given Grade II listing by Historic England in 1979. Unfortunately, in 2016 the mill was destroyed in a fire.
Radio Rentals Photographs
Recently acquired by the National Science and Media Museum, these photo albums depict the Radio Rental factories from the 1940's to the 1970's. Photographs include staff members, working offices, the factory floor, and work events.
The Radio Rentals factories were also once known as the Baird Television factories. Located in Bradford, United Kingdom, these factories also included the largest TV factory in Europe and operated until 1978. These factories played an important role in the industrial heritage of the city, as many former textile mill workers would find jobs within television and communications factories as mills began to close.
You can read more about the Radio Rentals factories in Bradford here.
About the City of Bradford
Bradford is a city in West Yorkshire, located in the north of England. Originally established as a city in 1897, Bradford would drastically transform into a thriving centre for trade and industry following the Industrial Revolution. The population increased exponentially as Bradford became the "wool capital of the world" due to its impact on the textile industry in particular.
In 2009, Bradford became the world's first UNESCO City of Film, and continues to be the home of the National Science and Media Museum. In 2025, Bradford will also be celebrating its recently awarded status of "City of Culture".
You can learn more about the City of Bradford here.
About the Congruence Engine
This project is part of a series of investigations being undertaken by the Congruence Engine, one of the five Discovery Projects funded by AHRC as part of the wider Towards a National Collection programme.
The Congruence Engine aims to develop and experiment with new ways of linking industrial history collections held in museums and institutions across the United Kingdom. The work undertaken by the project combines technical expertise in digital approaches to data with action research looking at how motivations and interests facilitate individuals and groups in engaging with collections - all of which feed into this concept that we refer to as the Social Machine.