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Company: M G H Consultants
Project: The Bentley Beetham Collection - 1924 Everest Expedition
Dates: Mar 2007 to Mar 2008
How did the project start?
The project started after we completed digitisation work on the internationally important and designated Sudan Archive, held at Durham University, Palace Green Library and the completion of our MLA North East Accreditations.
M G H Consultants were approached by The Bentley Beetham Trust and Durham University Palace Green Library to digitise over 2200 images from the Bentley Beetham Collection. After digitisation the collection was to be tagged with metadata, an archive management database created and a public web interface designed and built.
Bentley Beetham, a schoolmaster at Barnard Castle School, highly-regarded natural history photographer and avid rock climber was selected, along with a handful of others that included George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, to join the ill fated British expedition in 1924 to scale Mount Everest. Mallory and Irvine lost their lives on Everest that year and to this day it is unsure as to whether they made the summit or not. The question of 'did they, or did they not?' is the biggest mystery yet to be solved in mountaineering history!
The Bentley Beetham Collection website (http://www.bentleybeetham.org) gives access to a large collection of images, maps, strategy papers and newspaper clippings from and about the 1924 expedition. The collection paints a portrait of Tibet shortly after the turn of the century, a fateful moment in history, as well as life in Barnard Castle, the surrounding area of Teesdale and Bentley Beetham's mountaineering exploits in the Alps, Tatra and Atlas mountains.
The website is the end product of a year-long HLF funded project and long-term partnership between The Bentley Beetham Trust and Palace Green Library, Durham University.
What options did you consider?
The scope for a site with over 2000 images is immense.
First and foremost we had to concentrate on achieving a high impact visual that was easy to navigate and accessible, providing ways into the collections database that allowed people to enjoy the images and not get frustrated with searching.
Secondly we had to consider delivering this on budget and with the possibility for future extension both in learning resources and functionalities.
The result fits all of the above criteria and we are now looking at ways to develop the user interaction with the content.
What help and expertise did you receive?
The expertise of the MLA North East's DISCs accreditation scheme was extremely useful, and specifically the knowledge gained from AbilityNet's training on website accessibility.
Did you face any challenges or learn any lessons?
By far the most challanging aspect of this project was working out how best to present the information one site to such a varied audience. On the one hand we have the general public, who in the most part are interested in the story and want to see the pictures. On the other we have the mountaineering and climbing community along with researchers who would require more detailed search access and possibly less of a leading hand.
What are the outcomes and how has it improved your business?
The website is now split into clear themes that formed major parts of Bentley Beetham's life. Each theme provides ways in to the collection as well as basic and advanced search features aimed at the general public, the mountaineering community and researchers. An online magnifying glass even allows the user to get a closer look at the images.
The most significant outcome is that the collection is now available for all to see when for the last 70 odd years it has been almost hidden for sake of preservation. This means the originals can be preserved whilst the legacy of the images evolves.
What are your plans for the future?
We are tentatively looking at ways of improving visitor experience, educational aspects for the website as well as introducing new functionalities that help the user interact with collection both physically and intellectually.
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