New project to curate Wales' 500,000 images from its national collections

A new project is underway to curate and digitise photographs from Wales' national collections.

The groundbreaking initiative from Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, which is supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, will see the museum delve into its photobook archives and begin transforming 500,000 images into a digital format.

Once digitised, people who will have an unprecedented access to the museum's archive which covers several disciplines from geology to botany to social and industrial history.

The foundation, which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year, has donated £600,000 to the museum to make this venture possible.

Michael Tooby, director of learning, programmes and development at the museum, said: "We are extremely grateful to the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for its generous gift, which will drive this important and much needed programme for Amgueddfa Cymru, the people of Wales and those further afield."

The museum already showcases a range of work from well known to anonymous photographers; including the Welsh pioneer John Dillwyn Llewellyn.