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Archive Project
Archive Project Get up close to the 1900s
Following the launch of the Prior’s Field Archive Online, which was celebrated at a packed-out event in October 2019, we have continued to build up our digitised archive platform. A professionally scanned copy of the earliest of the school’s large format photograph albums, has now been made available. This enables us to get closer than ever before to the photographs, without having to worry about damaging them.
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This work was jointly funded by the Milton Archive Endowment and the PF Marketing Department, along with donations from the Community and it is hoped that the other more recent albums will be made available in the same way.
We would be grateful for your donations to help us maintain and expand this valuable resource.
https://archive.priorsfieldschool.com
Archive Store
We are pleased to report that our Milton Archive Store Room in Field Wing is now in full and constant use. This picture shows a group of First Form pupils who visited the store room to deposit a time capsule containing letters they had written to their future self. When they leave school, they will be shown their letters, to see what has changed in that time. One First Form girl said "The Archive Store is so special." We hope to allow pupils back into the store when it is safe to do so.
Founder's Day 2019
The Founder's Day assembly pulled together archive research and family testimonies to tell the life of Prior’s Field’s second Headmistress, Ethel Ann Burton-Brown. Volunteer archive researchers and former PF Parents, Lizanne Milton and Elaine Sibley, kindly went to Cambridge to discover more about Ethel Ann’s time studying History at Girton College. In addition, personal accounts from the family were provided by Ethel Ann’s grandson, Micky Burton-Brown, who we were thrilled to welcome to the event. Mr Burton-Brown was a hit with the audience who were fascinated to hear Prior’s Field described as his 'family home'.
Mrs Burton-Brown (b. 1868) was an outstanding scholar who first came to Prior’s Field in 1904 to lecture to the girls on Italian art. By that time, aged 36, she had already lived in India and Italy, written a book on Roman archaeology, and had five children. Her ideals and visions mirrored those of Julia Huxley and the pair quickly became close friends, with Mrs Burton-Brown becoming joint Headmistress in 1906. She remained as Headmistress until her death in 1927, having instilled generations of Prior’s Field girls with a unique love and understanding of her beloved Italian art.
To read more of Mrs Burton-Brown’s story, please visit the ‘Featured Articles’ section of the Archive Online website: https://archive.priorsfieldschool.com within the 'Browse' tab.
Mrs Burton-Brown with twins, Christopher and Theo and daughter Beatrice
Interesting research in the Archive
In March 2020, the week before the UK national lockdown, we welcomed Alison Bashford (pictured left of Head, Tracy Kirnig) of the University of New South Wales who is writing a biography of members of the Huxley family, including our founder, Julia Huxley and her husband Leonard. Professor Bashford was able to get a sense of the buildings and landscape that come through so strongly in Julian and Aldous Huxley’s earliest childhood papers, and saw the earliest documents from the Archive which relate to Mrs Huxley’s short but extremely influential time at Prior’s Field.
Whilst researching the Huxley papers at Rice University, Texas, she came across quite a few references to Prior's Field which she has shared with us. They included this humorous illustration almost certainly painted by Aldous Huxley, c. 1905.
Professor Bashford’s book, The Huxley Dynasty. An Intimate History of Evolution will be published in 2021.
An intriguing Discovery
Since the last issue, we have helped the Discovery Channel with their research for a programme on climber, George Mallory. He was married to Ruth Turner (OG 1908–1910). It is said that he took a photograph of Ruth with him on his ill-fated expedition to Everest in 1924, intending to leave it on the summit. We were able to provide the show’s researcher with two photographs of Ruth at Prior’s Field. The photograph shows Ruth standing next to her sister Mildred. When Mallory’s body was found 75 years later in 1999, Ruth’s photograph was not with it. Does that mean that the photo reached the summit?
Linking with Academics
It is our aim to raise the profile of the PF Archive amongst academic researchers. To that end, we have established a link with the Centre for the History of Women’s Education at the University of Winchester. Recognising the importance of our collections, the Centre’s convener Dr Helen Loader said “We are all fascinated and excited to hear of your archive, which is obviously an important resource.” As a result, we have been invited to contribute to various related blogs and publications in the coming months. We look forward to sharing that work with you.
More treasures than ever
Perhaps the lockdown sparked some sorting at home, as donations to the PF Archive have come in thick and fast. Here are some of the highlights.
Jo Prudence (PF 2002–
2016), former philosophy teacher and Head of Sixth Form, sent us photographs of school trips to Venice and Verona and Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk.
Marilyn Back née Richmond-Watson
(OG 1958–1963) shared photographs of a staff tennis match in summer 1958, above.
Desiree Roderick née Johnson-Houghton
(OG 1934–1937) sent us a letter from Headmistress, Beatrice Burton-Brown, thanking the Old Girls for their generous gift on her retirement.
Sarah Priday (OG 1970–1977) kindly gave us a school prospectus and the original receipt her father received from the school upon payment of entrance fees.
Bee Grant-Peterkin née Jensen (OG 1960–1965)
sent us her tie and girdle (pictured) to add to our uniform collection.
Terence Brightmore, the grandson of Mary
Vera Paramore (OG
1919–1921), donated some photographs and a brochure from his grandmother’s time at the school.
We are very grateful to all of our donors.
How can you help?
If you would like to help sort, catalogue, research and more, please contact our Archivist, Jo Halford:
