Summer history workshops for kids
Children are invited to sample everything from making pinhole cameras to taking digital photos at a series of workshops this summer from Warwickshire County Council.
The County Record Office is hosting three workshops looking at the history of photography, from the first photographs every taken through to the present day. The workshops take place every Wednesday from 18 August to the 1 September at the County Record Office in Warwick.
At the first workshop, ‘Make Your Own Pinhole Camera’, children learn about the development of early photography and make their own camera to take pictures with.
The second workshop, ‘The Curious Story of the Graham Collection’, looks at this Victorian collection of photos, many of which are of Victorian children, found in a shop basement in Leamington Spa in the 1980s. The images will be used to show how old fashioned film was developed and children will also get the chance to take their own pictures in a mock-Victorian studio.
‘Pictures in the Park’ brings photographic history bang up to date with a walking tour through Priory Park. The event will be led by Steve Falk, Senior Keeper of Natural History, and children will use digital cameras to capture images of natural history. The session will finish with a brief tutorial on digital editing techniques.
Rowan Fisher, Learning and Outreach Officer at Warwickshire County Record Office, said: “The extensive photographic collections held at the Record Office contain many pictures of Warwickshire children in the past. We hope that the workshops we’ve developed will prove to be an exciting way of exploring these collections for children.”
All sessions take place at Warwickshire County Record Office, Priory Park, off Cape Road, in Warwick. The sessions are suitable for children aged 8 and over and children do not need to be accompanied by an adult unless they wish. The County Record Office is part of the national Children’s University scheme and passports can be stamped at the end of each session. Tickets cost £5.00 (or book all 3 for just £12) and booking is strongly recommended, by calling 01926 738959 Tuesday to Saturday.
Warwickshire County Record Office is involved in safeguarding, managing and developing Warwickshire’s archives so that they can be accessed, interpreted and enjoyed by all those with an interest in Warwickshire’s past and its people. We hold records dating from the twelfth century up to the twenty first.
Visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/countyrecordoffice for more information on general opening times, directions and other useful information.
Workshop dates:
The dates and times for the separate sessions are as follows:
1. Make Your Own Pinhole Camera:
Wednesday 18 August 10 am to 12 pm OR 2 pm to 4 pm
2. The Curious Story of the Graham Collection:
Wednesday 25 August 10 am to 12 pm OR 2 pm to 4 pm
3. Pictures in the Park:
Wednesday 1 September 10 am to 12.30 pm OR 2 pm to 4.30 pm (includes a walking tour; wear suitable clothing and footwear)