Digital archive gallery will document AGA Rangemaster’s unique heritage

February 2012 saw the beginning of an 18 month project across the AGA Rangemaster Group to discover surviving archive material relevant to the history of the company.

The Digital Archive Gallery project is facilitated by a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, overseen by Birmingham City University and jointly funded by the Technology Strategy Board and the European Regional Development Fund.  Its outcome will be an online gallery of historic material highlighting the strength of AGA Rangemaster Group's heritage, a tool which it is hoped will encourage greater awareness and use of the archive in marketing campaigns and other initiatives.

The project will initially focus on two strands; the AGA story, beginning with the introduction of AGA cookers into Britain in 1929 and the Rangemaster story, starting a full century before with the invention of the Flavel Kitchener in 1829.

Charlotte Whitehead, the Archivist working to find and organise the relevant archive documents, is based at AGA Telford but will also be undertaking work at Rangemaster, Leamington Spa during the course of the project.  Material of interest should be original, no longer in use and have high evidential or historical value to the company.  Types of document could include: photographs, transparencies, slides, drawings, written documents (whether handwritten, typed or electronic), printed materials (including books, newspapers, advertising and pamphlets), video, audio or other media and three-dimensional artefacts.

Commenting on the project, AGA Rangemaster Group plc Chief Executive, William McGrath said: "To have a professionally prepared archive, showing the major role the Group has played in both social and industrial history, will provide a timely reminder of the achievements on which we seek to build today."
If you know of any material located within the company or personally have any material which you would like to donate to the company archives, or make available for scanning but retain ownership, then please contact: Charlotte.Whitehead@bcu.ac.uk