The Whitney Collection

We are grateful to Huntingdonshire Archives for permission to include this material about the Whitney Collection. You can search the Whitney Collection in the CALM catalogue at http://calm.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/calmview/ . In the advanced search screen, in the "title" box, search on "Whitney Collection".

Copies of individual images may be purchased from the FSB Scanning Bureau - part of Cambridgeshire Archives The FSB can quote for digitising any sort of document or photograph. For quotes please contact fsb@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or 01223 507 200. Requests for permission to reproduce images should also be directed there in the first instance.

Overview of the Whitney Collection

The Whitney Collection consists of about 2000 images taken by the three photographers, Arthur Maddison, his stepson Frederick Hinde and his assistant Ernest Whitney who joined the firm of Maddison and Hinde c 1903 and later established his own photographic businress in Huntingdon . The Images date from the 1860s to the 1950s and are a mixture of glass plate negatives, plastic negatives lantern slides and prints.

They are a wonderful record of Huntingdonshire - views of towns and villages, but also of people, from national figures such as The Prince of Wales and Robert Baden Powell, to local mayors and MPs as well as the people of the County getting married, competing in sports and celebrsating local and national events.

In 1971 the collection was presented to the Record Office by Ernest Whitney, and it became known as The Whitney Collection. By the late 1990s it was evident that the collection needed to be re-catalogued and re-packaged, yet it wasc not until 2007 that the first project was undertaken.

Since 2007 Cambridgeshire Archives have undertaken three projects to re-catalogue, re-package and digitise Whitney Series 1,2 and 3.

The Collection

WH/1/1-522. Glass plate negatives of local views, portraits, events and gropups c1867-1911. This series was digitised and re-catalogued on CALM during 2007-2008. Comprises 332 10" x 12" glass plates; 7 10" x 8" glass plate negatives.

WH/2/1-284 Glass plate negatives of local views, portraits, events and gropups c1867-1911. This series was digitised and re-catalogued on CALM during 2009-2011. Comprises 276 8.5" x 6.5" glass plate negatives.

WH/3/38-2816 Glass plate negatives of local views, portraits, events and gropups c1867-1925. This series was digitised and re-catalogued on CALM during 2012-2013. Comprises 487 8.5" x 6.5" glass plate negatives.

WH/6 - these were amalgamated with WH/9 below

WH/7/1-295 Glass plate negatives of local views, portraits, events and groups c1867-early 1900s. Many of these glass plates are in poor condition and are therefore difficult to identify. Comprises 295 8.5" x 6.5" glass plate negatives.

WH/9/1-264 Glass plate negatives of local views, portraits, events and gropups 1870s-1950s. This series is currently being re-catalogued on CALM (2014)and includes plates originally listed as WH/6. Comprises 264 half and quarter plate glass and plastic negatives of varying sizes.

WH/10/1-30 Photographic prints c 1890-1900. Most of these photographs are stuck to glass with cardboard backs and stands. They were presumably used for shop display . Several are badly cracked or broken. These prints were listed in 1972

LP/1-48 Glass plate negatives and prints of local views and groups c1890-1900. Originally listed as LP1-21 and A. The majority of plates are 8.5" x 7".

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