Highlights of the collection
These are some highlights of the collection. You can also view the whole catalogue.
LEDGERS
These two large ledgers (HOLM-01-01 and HOLM-01-02) list work carried out by Holman Brothers in the late 19th century, giving dates, names of clients, details of work carried out and costs.
Volunteer Rob Cummings has worked through some of the content, noting particularly interesting entries, which you can read here.
On arrival at the Archive the covers of the ledgers were in a serious state of decay. We sent them to a conservator and had them rebound.
Other Holman ledgers are in the Canterbury Cathedral archives.
TINTYPE
This image of Thomas Holman surrounded by his employees is one of the oldest photographs in the collection, dating from the 1870s. It is a tintype, an early form of photography where a sheet of iron was used in the camera, rather than glass or film.
The image above is life size. By scanning at a much higher resolution we were able to see Mr Holman and his workers in much more detail (click to expand):
Thomas Holman is in the middle, wearing a top hat. The two boys on his right and left are probably his sons, Harry and William. We don’t know the names of the workers, but you can find out more about some of the people who worked for the firm on our history pages.
MONTEFIORE WINDMILL, JERUSALEM
Geoff was involved in the restoration of one of the Holman’s most famous windmills, Montefiore windmill in Jerusalem. His collection includes notes and research relating to mill and the restoration project, photographs and a copy of this article showing the mill when newly constructed:
