The Moving Blog

On Friday we welcomed our last customers into the City Archives Reading Room, found within the City Central Library & Archives building, marking the end of almost 25 years of public access to Stoke-on-Trent City Archives' collections in this particular location. We couldn't let this moment pass by without sharing a couple of photographs taken at the launch of the Archive Service back in 1998, as well as some then-and-now comparisons taken just shy of a quarter of a century apart, which you can check out below (and in the header image above too!).

Back to our update, with the Reading Room closed for the next few months access will be limited to our remote enquiry service - via email at [email protected] - until we re-open in our new home at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.

Archive Service Launch: 10th July 1998

Lord Mayor Kath Banks (centre) and Consort (left), with City Archivist Peter Foden (right)

(Left to right) Lord Mayor Kath Banks, Thea Randall, Peter Foden, Peter Vigurs, Margaret Green, Margaret Beard

Then and Now: 1999 and 2023