New Scanner for the Archive

Sedbergh’s rich archive collection is the result of generous donations over many generations. It is a great privilege to have so many primary source documents to bring Sedbergh’s past to life. Amongst this collection are eleven boxes of ‘magic lantern slides’, glass positive slides from the 19th century and early 20th century which offer rare insight into life at School up to 150 years ago.

In Spring 2025 the Development Office purchased a new high resolution archive scanner and transparency unit to help bring the collection of photographs and glass slides to life in Sedbergh’s 500th year. Over the course of Sedbergh’s quincentenary year this special collection of images will be digitised and shared, offering a unique view to our past.

As the images are captured between two pieces of glass, held together by tape, it is not possible to capture the picture using a conventional scanner. The new transparency unit allows us to capture the image without causing blurring as the light refracts through the glass.

It is most exciting to have the opportunity to scan and share these images, some over 150 years old. The images include early Wilson Run races, scenes in boarding houses, portraits of staff and views of the School site. The informal nature of the scenes make the images most engaging, and very different to most of the posed shots in the collection from that time.

We look forward to sharing the collection of magic lantern slides as they are scanned.

Katy de la Rivière

School Archivist