This campaign has now closed
From 2003-2007, Gainsborough’s House has undertaken a large-scale renovation project, involving the conversion of adjoining cottages into a new entrance area and shop and the renovation of the entire historic house. The permanent collection has been re-displayed with new interpretation material. Gainsborough House has received a number of awards and plaudits for this work. One of the major innovations within the renovation project was the creation of a Study Gallery. Only a small proportion of the 2,300 works of art in the permanent collection is on display in the main galleries. The new Study Gallery serves as a store for the remainder of works in the collection, consisting mostly of drawings, prints and rare books. In order to improve access to this exceptional collection, the gallery is open to all visitors to view a selection of Gainsborough’s drawings or other works on paper, while other items in store are available to all by appointment. We would like to build on the recent developments at Gainsborough’s House to further increase and improve access to the entire collection. In order to develop this fantastic Study Gallery resource we have recently installed an improved computer system throughout the House. This hosts the first phase of our comprehensive MuseumPlus Collections Database, which provides an essential resource not just for the museum staff, but also for scholars, students and visiting groups via a computer terminal in the Study Gallery.
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The final phase of this development is to photograph the entire collection, adding this to the existing database and making the database available online through an improved website portal. This will allow our unique collection to be accessible worldwide, bringing it to life and enable viewing of the treasures of the House for those unable to visit the museum in person. The cost for the whole project, including all the computer hardware and software, will be £54,000 and we have already secured £34,000 towards the initial phase. In order to complete this project we are seeking funding of the remaining £20,000 for the cost of professional photography, design and installation of a first-rate website to reflect the quality of the material, training and extended licence agreements. Your donation will enable significantly more people to experience these important works of art and historical artefacts. Sustainability It is anticipated over the coming years to build our income to support the sustainability of this pre-eminent museum through a more commercialised approach to funding rather than a heavy reliance on grant making. The improved website will be core to this approach and will enable us to engage with supporters, making it easier for them to donate as well as hosting income generating aspects to the website.