About the Workers’ Circle Friendly Society project – Sept 2023
The aim of this project was to digitise the Workers’ Circle Friendly Society documents that were rediscovered in the Jewish Museum’s collections in early 2023. They were composed of over 200 membership cards and adjoining files and letters that offered a glimpse into the administrative and social life of the Society. The Museum undertook the task of cataloguing these cards in order to find out more about one of the UK’s more interesting East End Jewish society of the 20th century. The project was carried out as part of Arts Council’s NPO funding.
To help with the project, we involved Lucy Lopata-Varkas, a doctoral candidate at UCL. From May until July 2023, Lucy visited the Museum twice a week to catalogue the cards: she analysed the documents, scanned them, extracted their data onto the museum’s CMS, and then packed them into clear polyester pockets. Through cataloguing the cards, we were able to discover the occupations, family sizes, and ages of those who belonged to the Society, as well the dates they were admitted to the Circle – the earliest recorded member joined in 1910! We have also put the data into a searchable spreadsheet for anyone to explore. If you are interested in learning more about the project and the Workers’ Circle Friendly Society, you can listen to the talk below:
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“The entirety of this experience has been very valuable to me as a doctoral student, professionally and academically. Over the course of this project, I’ve learned a variety of curatorial tasks, including cataloguing, accessioning, and digitizing. I’m now aware of how to handle objects with care and, due to working with some documents that are over 100 years old, have become adept in reading old handwriting – a skill I never thought I’d have. I’ve also learnt about the rich history of the Jewish East End and its continuing legacy. Overall, I’m happy to have completed this placement in such a supportive and inclusive environment.”
This project has been supported by ACE and was part of our NPO Activity Plan 2023-2024.
