Herefordshire Archives marks diamond anniversary with community exhibition

60 years of Herefordshire's Archive Service is being marked by an exhibition with a difference at the Herefordshire Archive and Records Centre (HARC).

As part of the '60 years in a box' event, researchers, staff, volunteers, local artists and community groups were challenged to create works of art by incorporating the red boxes formerly used to store fragile glass negatives. The red box relics were then transformed into an artistic response to the importance and relevance of archives and local history.

Rhys Griffith, Senior Archivist at the Herefordshire Archive and Records Centre, said: "We received a fantastic response to our red box challenge, with artistic pieces contributed by groups such as Marches Book Arts Group, Rose Tinted Rags and Holmer Court Residential Home, as well as artists from the Hereford College of Arts. Their work is powerful, moving, witty, subversive and in every case a very personal interpretation of the archives at HARC.

"This extraordinary exhibition is open to everyone to see the impact of archives on the Herefordshire community, and will also give visitors the opportunity to explore some of the 7,800 archives collections that we house at HARC."

The '60 years in a box' exhibition is open until Friday 14 September.