Staff and volunteers anticipate the Brunel Institute, with its National Brunel Archive and David MacGregor Library, to appeal to researchers and enthusiasts, those with a passion for the Brunel’s work and for maritime history, and local residents.
Rare items include the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s drawing instruments, his diaries, and photographs of the Clifton Suspension Bridge during its early build.
An innovative collaboration with the University of Bristol sees the important Brunel holdings of that institution also joining the Institute to form the National Brunel Archive.
The Brunel Institute holds around 45,000 items, including 4,500 maritime, engineering and ship-building books; 2,000 ship plans; 100 ship models; 35,000 maritime photographs; passenger and crew diaries and letters; 50 films; and the Lloyds Register dating back to the 1700s, and the Illustrated London News.
As well as the Brunel Archive, specialist maritime David MacGregor Library, the Viridor Theatre and Great Western Room, which will be available for venue hire, there are important and popular education programmes ranging from ‘Sea Hear’ storytelling and ‘Future Brunels’ for teenagers, to the ‘Brunel Badge’ and schemes.
The Brunel Institute allows the Trust to encourage education at every level and to provide an invaluable resource and service to researchers as well as those with a passing interest in maritime history and in Brunel, schoolchildren and the under-fives.
“We are delighted with what has been achieved and the support we have received from our partners, especially the University of Bristol and the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust, our generous funders and the people of Bristol. It is only fitting that Professor Winston has agreed to officially open the Brunel Institute, as he shares our passion for Brunel’s SS Great Britain and for science and engineering.”
