W W Winter is of national, if not international, significance. For nearly 175 years it has documented the story of Derby, recording all aspects of life in the city. Its longevity and continuous practice make it unique amongst commercial photographers.
This visual archive of an urban, industrial and diverse community needs to be preserved for future generations. The continuity of the business and an ethos of ‘make do and mend’ has resulted in an extraordinary collection of photographic props, cameras and ephemera which are all original and held within a 19th century, purpose-built studio complex.
The WW Winter Heritage Trust has been created as charitable entity to preserve and make accessible this important historical resource, and to be a vehicle for the preservation of key photographic skills and techniques to inspire the next generation of photographers. We believe it will become an important addition to the cultural, artistic and educational offering within the region.
Our plan
We have a five year plan which will continue a journey that Winters began in 2015, when National Lottery Heritage Fund support opened the company’s eyes to the significance of Winter’s heritage and encouraged us to strengthen our governance.
Three subsequent grants, most significantly the Feasibility Study and Resilience Grant, have given us confidence to take the next steps:
- Undertake the sensitive restoration and preservation of a Grade II listed building: constructed and used solely for the purpose of commercial photography. Whilst physical restoration work is underway, we will deliver engagement activities in other locations, returning the collection to and storing the negatives in, the studio, thereby re-establishing the inextricable and unique link between the building, heritage collection and the image archive, which preserves multiple thousands of family histories.
- Develop and deliver an exciting programme of engagement activity for all parts of our community (potentially attracting wider, national interest). Targeted initiatives will include educational, creative, artistic and skill-preserving activity delivered as bespoke projects, thereby making a major contribution to the cultural life of the city and beyond. Programmes will be focused around the core purpose of our building: the perpetuation of photographic skills and the continuity of an archive containing the visual history of Derby.
People
WW Winter is supported by a growing team from a diverse background including photography, academia, heritage organisations, public bodies and IT. They give their time freely to help catalogue and preserve the many thousands of assets here at W W Winter. We are always looking for more volunteers that share our passion for photographic heritage, and have a dynamic programme of activities for our team.
Find out more about how you can get involved here. Alternatively, download a volunteer application form, or contact us at: office@winterheritagetrust.org.
Watch this space for exciting membership developments in the coming months.
Funding
We aim to deliver the restoration of the Grade II listed building and conservation of both images and photographic assets through a combination of funding bids.
Our fully costed plan is in place to deliver it within a target budget of £6 million.
Individual and corporate donations are crucial to us being able to protect this national treasure. You’ll find links on this website for how to support us, or contact us to discuss further.
