New Thorp Archive Website Launches

Thanks to the support of the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, the Thorp Modelmaking Archive now has a new online home. This project has seen the introduction of a new collections management system to host the catalogue records; the digitisation of more than 2,000 photographs of architectural models made by the company, modelmakers at work, and Thorp’s workshops; and the creation of this fully searchable website.

The aim of the digitisation project is to open up remote access to the archive, allowing the public to search the full catalogue and view photographs of every model recorded in the collection. At present, this amounts to just over 2,400 images, with further digitised files to be added over the next few years including key documents and marketing materials.

The full archive catalogue can be accessed through the hierarchy browser, while the digitised images browser displays just the digitised photographic collection. This dual approach to presenting the collection has been developed to allow for quick access to the photographs of Thorp’s architectural models that are the most popular items within the collection without needing to browse through the full catalogue. The search bar can also be used to display more specific results based on keywords such as location, project title, architect or developer (where recorded), and date.

Preserving the history and heritage of Thorp, the oldest firm of architectural modelmakers in the world, has been an ongoing project at Arts University Bournemouth since 2019 and is led by Dr David Lund. The completion of this first stage digitisation project is a major milestone that will help to bring the archive to life and share its important contents with as wide an audience as possible. Future work will involve the creation of themed lists, in-depth articles, and search guides to support the exploration of the catalogue, with improvements to the metadata following in 2027-8.