I.A.Recordings

[http://www.iarecordings.org/ I.A.Recordings] was founded in 1982 by a small group of volunteers, to record past and present industries on film and video,
as a resource for Industrial Archaeology ("I.A.").

When possible, they capture the processes and activities of an industry while it is still working;
but moving pictures also add an extra dimension to the recording of industrial remains.

All the footage they shoot is kept in a storage archive for posterity.
From time to time, they produce edited programmes from some of the material, to make it available to the public on DVD.

Brief history

Their first project in 1982 was to work with the historian W.K.V.Gale to record the famous John Bradley Rolling Mill in the English Midlands, as it was due to close within a week and was the last of its kind in the area.

Since then they have recorded many industries, several of which have since closed. They have also produced several documentary history programmes, particularly about inland waterways (canals) and mining.

I.A.Recordings started in Britain but have since recorded sites in Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the USA.

They have developed their own specialist video technology such as helmet-mounted cameras for use underground and a remote-controlled camera for mine shaft exploration.
I.A.Recordings use broadcast equipment and techniques and since 2005, High Definition Video.

By 2008 they had over 38,000 minutes of original footage in the archive, but as they are voluntary they have only had time to edit a relatively small amount for release on DVD.

Major subjects

Subjects already available for public viewing include a brickworks employing hand-moulders, making brass hames for horse harnesses, many locksmith workshops in Willenhall recorded for the Lock Museum, making files by hand, a history of the Shropshire Union Canal made for the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, a history of the Birmingham Canal Navigations, building new canal tunnels in 1984 & 1989, the last run of 'Tom Pudding' compartment boats, a history of the Manchester Ship Canal, an underground tour of the ancient Clive Copper Mine, a history of Snailbeach Lead Mine, many mines in Ireland including Glengowla, Avoca, Glendalough, Glendasan, Glenmalur, Tara, Silvermines, Shalee, Allihies; Bunmahon & Tankardstown on the Copper Coast; and Ballycorus; Drakelow Tunnels underground factory, Carrs and other lead & zinc mines in the Nenthead area, working and disused Cornish mines including South Crofty, Geevor, Cligga Head, Rosevale, Taylor's & Michell's shafts near Redruth, Tolgus Tin Company, Wheal Jane and Kennall Vale Gunpowder Works; Mines around Llangollen, Pontneddfechan Gunpowder Works, carrying pottery on the Caldon Canal, Donisthorpe Colliery, Alan Paine Knitwear, Bagworth Colliery, Helsington Snuff Mill, a steam-powered dredger, dry barrel coopering, Morse's Level Coal Mine, Charlecote water-powered flour mill, stone quarrying and cutting in the Forest of Dean, carrying newsprint and sewage effluent by canal, rescuing an ancient Severn Trow sailing barge and then sailing it after restoration, the abandoned Wren's Nest limestone mines, a tanker carrying diesel on the River Humber and Aire and Calder navigation, compartment boats taking coal to Ferrybridge power station, an oak bark tanning works, large dragline excavators mining open pit coal, Annesley-Bentinck colliery, mines around Linares, Spain and ancient mines in the Harz mountains of Germany.

I.A.Recordings also maintain a widely-used [http://www.industrial-archaeology.org.uk/alink.htm Association for Industrial Archaeology] [http://www.britarch.ac.uk/neiap/websites.htm Council for British Archaeology] collection of over 600 links [http://www.iarecordings.org/otheria.html] to other Industrial Archaeology-related websites
and host the Industrial Archaeology and History Web Ring [http://www.iarecordings.org/ring.html] .

References and notes

* [http://www.iarecordings.org/index.html I.A.Recordings] website
*Ballantyne, James (ed.): "Researchers Guide to British film & television collections", page 142. British Universities Film & Video Council 1993. ISBN 0-901299-64-2
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/features/2002/09/iarecordings.shtml BBC Shropshire] has a web page describing I.A.Recordings activities

See also

*Industrial Archaeology
*Association for Industrial Archaeology
*National Association of Mining History Organisations
*Council for British Archaeology
*British Film Institute

External links

* [http://www.industrial-archaeology.org.uk/alink.htm Association for Industrial Archaeology]
* [http://www.namho.org/members.htm National Association of Mining History Organisations]
* [http://www.britarch.ac.uk/neiap/websites.htm Council for British Archaeology]
* [http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/timeteam/arch_web_ind.html Channel 4 Archaeology]
* [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/organisation/172212 British Film Institute]