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ni prison service collection: unboxed
In 2018, the Ulster Museum received a donation from the Northern Ireland Prison Service. A documentation project began to catalogue, assess and digitise each item in this large and historically significant collection.
Go behind-the-scenes with Rebecca Laverty, Curator of Modern History and Jen Gossman, Object Conservator to see their process.
Behind-the-Scenes
History of The Collection
In 2018, the Ulster Museum received a donation from the Northern Ireland Prison Service, comprising of homemade tools and weapons, uniforms, prison artwork, maps and photographs, notices, contraband, objects modified to conceal contraband and body armour. The material relates predominantly, but not exclusively, to HMP Maze.
A documentation project began to catalogue, assess and digitise each item in this large and historically significant collection.
Rebecca Laverty
Rebecca Laverty is a Curator of Modern History, working with the Ulster Museum collection and covering the period 1500-1968. She is responsible for documenting the NI Prison Service collection and other large collections associated with the Troubles and Beyond initiative.
Rebecca has co-curated a number of temporary exhibitions including Faces and Places showcasing images by French photographer Bernard Lesaing, the A Collector’s Story: Tom Hartley exhibition and most recently Drawing Support: Murals, Memory and Identity which is an exhibition of photographs by Bill Rolston.
Jen Gossman
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Jen Gossman is an Object Conservator responsible for care and conservations of collections held at National Museums Northern Ireland. She is responsible for the NI Prison Service collection, Modern History collections and care for human remains.
We invite community representatives and stakeholders to view the collection and will be continuing to research the items in collaboration with these partners.
If you would like to get in touch with us about any of the items you see in the video or on our collections database, please contact [email protected]
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