Displays and talks on maps presented by Devon Archives and Local Studies Service and the National Meteorological Archive
On the afternoon of Monday 11th September there will be an unprecedented opportunity to view a wide range of treasured maps, plans, charts and other documents from the collections of the Devon Archives and Local Studies Service and the National Meteorological Archive, and to be introduced to the ways in which the two archives collaborate, especially on the conservation of these immensely valuable documents.
Among the items on display from the Met Office archives will be the synoptic chart prepared after the Royal Charter storm of October 1859, which laid the foundations for modern storm warnings and shipping forecasts; a World War One military forecast chart; a chart prepared for the D-Day invasion of Normandy in 1944, and material relating to the Great Storm of October 1987 as we approach its thirtieth anniversary.
From the collections of the Devon Archives and Local Studies Service there will be maps, plans and other material relating to a range of themes, including transport, industrialisation, tourism and the urban evolution and regeneration of Exeter.
Deborah Phillips, Senior Archive Conservator for the Devon Archives and Local Studies Service, will talk about the process of conserving and restoring documents, and Catherine Ross, Met Office Archivist, will talk about the significance of the meteorological documents in charting the history and development of weather forecasting.
If you require more information, or wish to register in advance your intention to attend, please contact Brian Carpenter, Community Learning Officer, at the Devon Heritage Centre (brian.carpenter@swheritage.org.uk or 01392 888712).