Introduction
The Archive initiative began in late 2009, following the company’s celebrations for the 225th anniversary of textile production at Lea Bridge. Our Archivist began the task of researching the company history and sorting the historic material, mainly paperwork, that had been collected together and stored in some twenty or so boxes in the accounts storeroom. It soon became clear that this ‘archive collection’ was the tip of the iceberg. The entire factory site contained historic artefacts including tools and equipment, paintings, promotional materials, production specifications and furniture stretching back many decades and, most exciting of all, a large collection of historic garments, which had been kept as reference pieces. Never before catalogued, this amazing cache numbered some 13,000 pieces, stretching back to the second half of the 19th century. The John Smedley Collection is almost certainly the most comprehensive of any of the hosiery and knitwear companies – most of which have long since disappeared.
The John Smedley Archive Charitable Trust was formed in 2017, to take ownership of and to care for this remarkable collection of over 23,000 items, which offer a unique glimpse into over 240 years of this family business. In addition to researching the collection to tell the history of the company, the owning family and the lives of the people who worked in the mill, the Trust is making it available to students and to family historians, keen to discover something of the working lives of their ancestors. It is also enabling the present-day mill to be accessible to visitors, by working alongside the company to offer guided factory tours. This means that present-day students and special interest groups can see the garments being made and appreciate the complexity of creating beautiful, luxurious knitwear.
Currently, the Archive is only available to pre-booked study visits, but the Trust is planning to create the ‘John Smedley Museum of Knitted Fashion’ on site, which will mean that this unique collection will be accessible through permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Archive Research and Publications
Research is seen as one of the most important areas of Archive activity. Students and un-affiliated researchers at all levels are supported and encouraged to undertake original work and to publish and many family historians have used the collection to trace the stories of their mill-worker ancestors.
The business history of the company is being written up and published as a series of articles in academic journals. Other, collaborative research projects have covered topics such as changes in energy through time and Florence Nightingale’s links to Derbyshire.
Since 2014, a variety of aspects of company and family history have been written up as books for the shareholders. These publications are not, as yet, available to purchase, but add to the body of knowledge about the company, the owning family and their links with the locality.
2014 ‘Dear Mr Smedley’ – letters from serving WW1 soldiers
2015 Smedley Family Tree
2016 Biography: George Marsden-Smedley
2017 The Story of the Early Years of Christ Church, Holloway
2018 The Travel Journals of Nancy and John Marsden-Smedley
2019 The Futvoyes – Artists Administrators and Entrepreneurs
2020 Florence Nightingale X John Smedley
2021 The John Smedley Prize Silver Band
2023 The childhood and Adolescence of J B Marsden-Smedley
Contacting and Working with The John Smedley Archive Charitable Trust
The JSACT is a member of local, regional and national museum and gallery networks. It has collaborated with the V&A, University of Derby and others, to display items from the collection and is always open to working collaboratively on a wide range of themes and to joining in with regional initiatives, such as ‘Discovery Days’ and ‘Derbyshire Makes’. The Archive has participated in East Midland-wide projects, such as ‘Textile Tales’, which involved recording oral histories of people who worked in the textile industry. Outreach work involves participation in conferences and delivering lectures and talks to special interest groups.
Working with education groups and tailoring both visits and special projects to suit specific learning goals is very important. The Archivist is happy to work with lecturers and teachers to ensure the best possible outcomes for students and is keen to work with lecturers at HE level, to create real-life projects for students working in collaboration with managers in the firm.
Case Study: de Montfort University Fashion and Marketing Final Year
Students were briefed by John Smedley managers to enable them to develop innovative marketing campaigns aimed at new audiences for the company. Following factory and archive tours, students had access to a range of garments for styling shoots. The John Smedley team acted as a judging panel, the winner being offered a two-week placement with the company.
Contact archive@johnsmedley.com or 01629 534571.