{"id":1738,"date":"2024-01-12T16:57:17","date_gmt":"2024-01-12T16:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ruralmuseums.org.uk\/?p=1738"},"modified":"2024-01-12T17:21:55","modified_gmt":"2024-01-12T17:21:55","slug":"rmn23-contemporary-collecting-of-tractors-and-agricultural-equipment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ruralmuseums.org.uk\/?p=1738","title":{"rendered":"RMN’23 – Contemporary collecting of tractors and agricultural equipment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Image credit: The Museum of English Rural Life\/University of Reading<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rural Museums Network’s Autumn Rural Voices seminar series concluded with the opportunity to hear from four leaders in their field as we critically examined the issues of contemporary and near-collecting tractors and agri-tech more broadly. Together with Stuart Gibbard, Felicity McWilliams, Ben Russell and David Rose we discussed collections development as it pertains to new and evolving farm technologies, the current gaps in museum holdings in these areas, and explore past challenges and future opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This session was hosted by Ollie Douglas , Curator at the Museum of English Rural Life.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Felicity McWilliams<\/strong>\u00a0is a curatorial museums professional with a specialist interest in the history of technology. She recently completed a PhD at the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine (CHoSTM) at King\u2019s College London on the use of draught power technologies in British farming c.1920-1970<\/a>. As a recipient of an AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award, she was based primarily at the Museum of English Rural Life<\/a>, where she worked prior to starting her PhD on the redevelopment of the Museum\u2019s permanent galleries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well as the history of technology, whilst at King\u2019s she also became interested in the growing field of animal history, and is a co-founder of the Animal History Group, the London-based research network with the goal of inspiring, creating and developing new knowledge about animals within history. Felicity is currently widening the scope of her research from agricultural to urban technological and industrial history as the Research Assistant for Science & Industry at Birmingham Museums Trust.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

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David Rose<\/strong> is Professor of Sustainable Agricultural Systems at Cranfield University. As a Rural Geographer he leads the Change in Agriculture Group, which is split between Cranfield and Reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group works on aspects of farm extension \u2013 engaging, listening, and responding to farmer and other stakeholder views about changes in policy, innovation, or technology. They are interested in how changes in agriculture affect people, production, and the planet with a particular focus on mental health, farmer learning, governance, just transitions, animal welfare, behaviour change, and responsible innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following links may be of interest:<\/p>\n\n\n\n