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• Documentation Detectives: Transcribing Accession Registers

  Welcome and thank you for your interest in our project!

  We are Birmingham Museums Trust (BMT), a charitable trust, and the largest civic museum service based in the West Midlands region of England. We care for and share the city’s collection of around 1 million objects and artworks across nine extraordinary museums and historic properties, on behalf of Birmingham City Council and the people of Birmingham, UK. We bring people’s stories to life and offer a glimpse into the past through our collections.

  In this project, we will transcribe scanned object records taken from our paper accession registers, dating back to 1885. These registers record the key information of every object that was added, or “accessioned” into the museum’s permanent collection. From archaeology to fine art, there are thousands of records waiting to be seen. Not all of this information is currently on our database, preventing us and the public from getting the most from the collections.

  Documentation Detectives offers the opportunity to gain transcription skills, see how our museums have recorded objects for more than a century and share in our story. Your transcriptions will help to make our collections more accessible, usable, and useful for all.

  Our Tutorial will guide you through how to create and submit your transcriptions. For content disclaimers, useful examples, and other tips, check out our Field Guide. You can also learn more about our project and find FAQs in the About section.