Introducing Morgan’s Internship Blog
We are delighted to share a blog post from Morgan, a postgraduate student in Museum Studies at the University of Glasgow, who recently completed a placement with the Scottish Civic Trust.
During their time with us, Morgan worked closely with our archives, cataloguing and documenting historic photographs that form a rich visual record of Scotland’s built heritage. In their own words, they reflect on the insights, discoveries and skills they gained through the process, and how the experience will shape their future in the heritage sector.
Morgan’s Blog
Hello, my name is Morgan and I am a postgraduate student at the University of Glasgow, currently studying for an MSc in Museum Studies. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Classical Studies and Art History and Criticism at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I have always been particularly interested in heritage and history, especially the conservation side. I am beginning work on my dissertation, which will explore the processes of conservation, restoration and presentation of classical artefacts in modern museums. I plan to submit this in August 2025. One area of museum work that has always intrigued me is archiving.
As part of my course, I undertook a work placement at the Scottish Civic Trust. The purpose of the placement was to catalogue, document and organise photographs and photography-related materials within the Trust’s archives. Creating a digital record of these photographs will help the Trust when referencing materials in the future. It will also support decisions about what should be kept, what can be let go, and what might be transferred to other repositories.
Picture to right: Royal Observatory Edinburgh East Tower, Edinburgh (year unknown)
The cataloguing process involved a lot of research. Most of the photographs relate to Scotland’s built heritage and date mainly from the 1960s to the 1990s, though some go as far back as the 1910s. The photos were taken all across Scotland, from urban areas to the countryside, and a few even from England. Coming from Texas, I had very little understanding of Scotland’s historical and architectural landscape. I was familiar with the main cities, of course, but knew almost nothing about its counties, councils or parishes. This placement has allowed me to deepen my knowledge of Scottish heritage through photography.
Using a simple cataloguing system, I worked through the photographs in the archive and documented a variety of details. I gave each one a temporary reference number, recorded its size, finish, whether it was in black and white or colour, and assessed its condition. I noted any written or printed information on the reverse of the image and provided a visual description of the photo’s contents, which in most cases featured buildings or other structures. Since many of the photographs were taken more than fifty years ago, I also researched the subjects to discover whether the sites still existed, what they are now or what has happened to them. I was surprised to learn how many churches have since been turned into bars or restaurants. After completing the catalogue, I organised the photographs into folders and envelopes labelled with the appropriate reference number ranges to make them easier to locate in future.
My favourite part of the placement was definitely the research. It was fascinating to uncover what had happened to different places, and incredibly satisfying when I managed to identify a location using only visual clues and Google Maps. I also loved looking through the photographs themselves. With permission, I took pictures of some of my favourites, which are included in this blog.
Picture to left: George Square, Glasgow (year unknown)
This placement has helped me develop my research skills and given me valuable experience with cataloguing, collections handling and collections management. Some of the older photographs needed extra care, especially those that were more than one hundred years old. Looking ahead, I hope to work within any of the galleries, libraries, archives or museums sectors, with a particular interest in libraries and archives. I truly believe this experience has given me a strong foundation for a future career in heritage, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with the Scottish Civic Trust.