The NRM

‎About the National Railway Museum

The National Railway Museum (NRM) is part of the Science Museum Group, which comprises the Science Museum in London, National Railway Museum in York and Shildon, National Media Museum in Bradford and the Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester. This is the biggest group of science and technology museums in the world.

The NRM's art collection

The NRM isn't perhaps the first place an art historian might think of as the housing a significant art collection. However, as the NRM's Senior Curator (Railways & Research) Ed Bartholomew explains, the museum's collection is large and varied:

"The NRM has an impressive art collection, with over 1,000 paintings, more than 11,000 posters and 2,350 prints and drawings. The collection reflects the impact that railways have had on the cultural life of the nation, and the ways in which artists have responded to railways since their first appearance in the early nineteenth century. The collection extends far beyond railways, however, as it includes a wide range of artwork produced to publicise railways and the places they served.  It includes one of the UK’s largest poster collections, with many associated original artworks by notable artists and graphic designers. There is also a fine portrait collection which features important figures in railway history and the work of several well known portrait artists."

2012-13 recipient of the NRM scholarship, Frankie Drummond, found the collection very inspiring:

"The NRM art collection is vast and exciting: it has over a million photographs, thousands of original posters, architectural sketches and prints, gorgeous landscape oil paintings, hundreds of portraits and of course the occasional locomotive. It’s a treasure trove for any art historian; there is so much to work with, it becomes difficult to choose just one area for your dissertation. So much is yet to be written about the artists and works incorporated in this collection – it is the ultimate resource for creating a really original MA thesis, I think. And it is not just about trains!"

The partnership

The partnership

Ed Bartholomew (Senior Curator, Railways & Research) explains why the NRM value their partnership students so highly, and what successful applicants can expect.

Why do you think it’s important to make links with local universities like York?

"We already have close links to the University’s history department, but it’s good that this partnership extends the links to cover our art history collections, opening up new avenues for research and investigation. As we’re an Independent Research Organisation there is potential for further art historical collaboration at several levels, ranging from undergraduate to collaborative doctoral research."

What difference do partnership students make or what do you value most about their work at the NRM?

"The partnership studentships allow talented students to undertake detailed research into the art collection at Masters degree level. This enhances our knowledge of the collection, benefits the wider research community and can feed directly into our gallery programmes. The students also undertake helpful volunteer work. This year the focus has been on assisting with a collections audit and conservation survey, and researching the artists and sitters represented in the portrait collection. This has helped us identify some significant works, establish their provenance and develop a strategy to preserve them."

How do you determine what the students works on?

"We came up with a selection of projects that we wanted to do and gave our student the option of choosing one that interested her and would be of mutual benefit to all concerned."

How beneficial will this kind of professional networking and practical experience be for the students taking part?

"The practical experience will be very important for the student, as employers in the arts and heritage sector invariably expect job applicants, even at entry level, to have at least some work experience. The partnership gives the student opportunities to find out more about museum procedures, to hone their research skills in a practical environment and, of course, to work first hand with original artworks. Our current partnership student, for instance, has learnt more about the way the NRM operates through participating in our Collections Development Group, which meets monthly to make decisions on new acquisitions, loans and conservation issues. It’s also useful for students to make professional contacts within the wider museum world, as this can help to both further their research and help keep them informed about any employment or internship opportunities."

The student view

‎The Student View

‌

‌

Martha Cattell feels her placement has given her a valuable insight in to the workings of a national museum, and provided her with a range of transferable skills which she feels have enhanced her job prospects.

‌

What are you currently working on?

"I am currently working on a collection of photograph albums which document the construction of various railways, stations and locomotives. They are a fascinating subject and I am looking at them particularity in reference to how they depict the growth of the railways and their impact on the landscape. My project will help gain a greater understanding of the photograph albums, and open them up as a resource for both historians and art historians. My duties for the project so far have included, researching the albums and railway companies, by using the search engine, and also checking their condition and writing analyses of them, with the aim of them being put on the museums database."

What experiences would you say have been most useful or unexpected?

"There has been so many aspects of the experience that have been useful including getting to see behind the scenes at a National Museum, and talking to the museum staff, learning from their experience and finding out about the different roles within the museum environment. Also skills such as getting trained to use a museum database, and also object handling as I have had the opportunity to interact with a wide range of mediums from paintings to prints. Probably however the most unexpected experience was when I spent a day in the conservation studio, here I got to observe and offer a small hand in conserving a locomotive engine, which was being prepped for a future exhibition,  this involved hammers and drills and was far from my more typical day in the archive!"

Who do you work with and how does the institution make use of you?

"I work with the senior Curator of Image & Sound Collections Ed Bartholomew. He helped develop my area of research, ensuring it was a topic that would both interest me and also be useful for the museum. On a typical day I spend my time looking at the albums, analysing them visually and noting any details of interest of them, they are a really interesting subject and each one holds something new and unusual. I also assist with any tasks the curators may need doing an example includes helping replace posters in the archive after they have been on loan. I am also writing a number of blog posts for the museums blog, which will be helpful to show what I have found in my research."

What do you value most about your experience with the institution?

"I really value the knowledge and skills that I have gained from being at the Institution, and the experience has shown me the value of research to a museum and how it can enliven objects and documents. Also gaining such a unique insight into a working museum, has really helped solidify my future career path within the museum/heritage sector."

How has your work with NRM enhanced your studies at York?

"The staff at the museum are highly knowledgeable and have helped advise me on my research and how best to use the resources available, which has really helped with choosing my dissertation topic. The collections are also highly expansive and I have often looked at the artwork and resources for inspiration in a number of my modules."

Do you feel it has been helpful with career planning or improved your job prospects, and if yes, how?

"Yes, certainly. The experience of getting to work within a national collection is invaluable and has provided me with a great deal of knowledge and skills which will really help when applying to jobs in the future."

Would you recommend it to future students?

"I would 100% recommend this to future students. It has been beneficial on a whole number of levels, including providing me with invaluable skills and experience, expanding my knowledge of a collection I have long been interested in and has also provided a great addition alongside my MA studies."

Read about the experiences of previous recipients of the National Railway Museum Scholarship:

• Charlotte Hancock (2013-14)
• Frankie Drummond (2012-13)

Applying

Applying

Please note: applicants may apply for no more than three of the partnership studentships on offer.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible to apply for this scholarship, applicants must already be holding an offer of a place on the MA in History of Art, or a related pathway degree. Studentship applications are welcomed from all offer holders, regardless of their fee status. However, please note that the value of the partial fee-waiver (£5,000 for 2015-16) remains the same, regardless of the fee status of the successful applicant (Home, EU or Overseas). 

If you are yet to submit an application for the masters degree, please do so by no later than Wednesday 17th June 2015, and e-mail us via histart-pg-admission​s@york.ac.uk to let us know that you are hoping to submit a partnership studentship application, so we can ensure your programme application is processed in time.

How to apply 

The deadline for applications for this scholarship is midnight (BST) on Wednesday 24th June 2015. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for interview in York on Tuesday 21st July 2015.

Further to your formal course application, you should submit a personal statement of not more than 500 words, justifying your studentship application, and in particular addressing the following:

• your awareness of, interest in and commitment to the period / theme / collection(s) of the partner institution
• any relevant skills, knowledge and/or experience
• how you see the award fitting in with and facilitating your career plans

You are advised to consult the information on this webpage, and the museum’s own website, before you apply. Please send your personal statement to history-of-art@york.ac.uk by the above deadline.

You may wish to bear in mind the following when writing your personal statement:

"We look for students who are bright, with a good academic track record and interest in research. They need to be enthusiastic and show an interest in the subjects featured in our collection. This doesn’t mean that they have to be railway enthusiasts, but they do need to see the collection’s potential for research, study, exhibition and interpretation in other ways. The student needs to be adaptable and able to work with the museum’s wider curatorial team, and also be able to work independently when necessary."

Ed Bartholomew, Senior Curator (Image & Sound Collections), NRM.

Photos

Photos

Click on any of the images below to view our Flickr set for the National Railway Museum Partnership Studentship:

‌