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Finding aid Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- Mid 19th century - 2000 (Creation)
Level of description
Collection
Extent and medium
318 Linear Metres, including archives and published material.
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
Formed in 1963 after an amalgamation of institutions dating back to 1834, Newcastle University is based in Newcastle upon Tyne, with overseas campuses in Malaysia and Singapore. It is a member of the Russell Group of Universities.
Archival history
The collection was formerly curated and managed by staff of the Marine Group in the School of Engineering at Newcastle University (formerly the School of Marine Science and Technology), Visiting Professor Ian Buxton (awarded an MBE for services to the preservation of British maritime history), Dr Brian Newman, and several other colleagues and volunteers. Items in the collection have been collected and donated by a range of individuals and organisations and businesses prior to the transfer of the collection to the University Library.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
In September 2024 the collection, and its ownership and management, transferred to Newcastle University Library's Special Collections and Archives Team from the Marine Group.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The Marine Technology Special Collection (MTSC), is a unique historical resource of marine technical documents, journals and published works from British shipbuilding, marine engine building, ship repairing, and ship breaking industries. The collection spans the mid-19th century to 2000, with an emphasis on North East England.
The collection includes company records, an extensive collection of ship plans and related documents, marketing and information material from many global shipyards, marine engineering businesses and suppliers, and many other unique records relating to the shipbuilding, shipbreaking and related industries. In particular, the shipbreaking records, due to their extensive scope and scale, form a unique resource and record of the industry in the UK.
Newcastle University has made a significant contribution to this industrial heritage with its Marine Group in the School of Engineering (formerly the School of Marine Science and Technology) being renowned throughout the world. For over a century, it has played a leading role in the teaching and research of the marine technologies including naval architecture, shipbuilding, and marine engineering.
The MTSC was formerly curated and managed by Visiting Professor Ian Buxton (awarded an MBE for services to the preservation of British maritime history), Dr Brian Newman, and several other colleagues and volunteers.
A downloadable Finding Aid attached to this record contains details of the published works and journals which form part of the collection.
Visit the Marine Group's website to find out more details. https://www.ncl.ac.uk/engineering/about-us/facilities/marine/
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
Further Accruals are expected.
System of arrangement
The collection was originally curated by Marine Technology Special Collection (MTSC) staff who created a detailed listing of the content. Identifiers applied to items by the previous curators have been retained. A new structure has been applied to fonds and series levels of the collection, following ISAD(g) guidelines, with the arrangement reflecting creators, function and type of records in the collection.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Following transfer to the University Library, work is currently underway to repackage and catalogue the archival portions of the collection to recognised industry standards. While access is available, requests for access to items may take longer than normal during this period.
Open with some restrictions. A researcher interview may be required.
Conditions governing reproduction
Standard UK copyright restrictions may apply to items in this collection.
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Uploaded finding aid
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Transfer of the Collection to Newcastle University Library, and the subsequent project to catalogue the collection, has been made possible by an endowment to the University, gifted by the late John Prime who for many years was a key figure in the world of maritime data and publishing.
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Minimal