The Artefacts Collection

 

Welcome to the artefacts section of the Three Counties Asylum web site. On the following pages you will see many fantastic items relating to the old Arlesey asylum, many from my own collection and many from the Bedford Museum collection.


The asylum had its own museum based in the main building in 1976 Bedford museum were asked to come in and clear the museum as they needed the space, many artefacts and paper work were removed and taken back to Bedford to be sorted, photographed and catalogued, they remain in storage in Bedford, the paper work now resides in the Bedford archive.


While studying at the Bedford archive a conversation took place with one of the people who had helped clear the asylum museum.
I decided to track the artefacts down and try to seek permission to photograph the items that the Bedford museum held, after a few telephone calls and waiting a few weeks a date was set to have full access to the collection, I have to thank Bedford museum and especially Ann Hagen for giving her time and being so patient with us.

All the items are named and numbered, very carefully wrapped in acid free tissue and bubble wrapped and boxed with a detailed inventory of the items labelled on the front of the box. All the photographs were taken by my wife Ros using her digital Cannon EOS 400 on a tripod with photographic lighting, no flash was used.


There are a few more items to be photographed which we hope to do at a later date as we ran out of time, these items along with any others that I collect myself will be added as and when.
I hope you enjoy looking at these items as much as we enjoyed photographing them and putting them here for all to see.
If you wish to use any of the pictures or you have some item that you would like to see on these pages please e.mail rich@threecountiesasylum.co.uk Thank You.