During the late twentieth century, the number of museums in the UK more than tripled. The Mapping Museum research project was devised in response to the absence of coherent data on that expansion. Their aim was to document and analyse how the sector changed between 1960 and 2020.

Between 2018 and 2019, interviews were held with 57 people who were involved in founding over 40 museums. The interviews focus chiefly on the beginnings and early development of each of the museums, but other subjects are also discussed. Each file includes a basic overview of when and where the interview took place, the names of those interviewed, a brief description of the museum and its displays, interview summary and a full interview transcript. In some cases, photographs are included. Audio files can be consulted in the Researchers Area at Bishopsgate Institute.

Explore the museums included in this project below: