Collections Information Trainee
Royal Collection Trust
For my SOCL traineeship I worked at the Royal Collection Trust as a Collections Information trainee, based mainly at Windsor Castle. My main responsibilities included updating records of objects on the Collection Management System – this could be their historic locations, the object category, or cataloguing new objects. Some of the cataloguing work I was able to do was based in the Bindery, cataloguing historic finishing tools which are still used today. Another significant part of my role was helping to condition check the collection across the royal sites. This included checking books, prints and drawings, and even miniature items in Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. I loved this hands-on aspect of my traineeship, and it helped me to learn about collection care and object handling.
One of the highlights of my year was being able to help with the launch of the UK-India Year of Culture 2017 at Buckingham Palace. I helped to choose and research objects from the collection for a display on 18th century design in India and Britain, which is something I continue to be very interested in. Another highlight was being able to organise and erect a display in Buckingham Palace with my fellow trainee, Alice Houghton. This was a really beneficial learning opportunity for me, and our display went through many drafts and plans. The final product was a colourful display based on the theme of ‘Trains, Planes and Automobiles’. My job as a Collections Information Trainee was wonderfully varied, and has given me essential skills I hope to take with me into the heritage sector.