Preserving a legacy; the photographic work of Harry Morrey-Salmon

Over the past few years, a fascinating project has been underway at Amgueddfa Cymru. With support from the Cardiff Naturalists’ Society, more than 1,000 photographs taken by pioneering Welsh naturalist Harry Morrey-Salmon (1891 – 1985) have been digitised and will be added to the Museum’s Collections Online. Preserving these remarkable images has been a big task, but also a hugely rewarding one. Seeing them come to life on screen, and knowing they’ll soon be available online for everyone to explore, has been a real highlight.

This collection is more than just beautiful photography. It offers a rare glimpse into the wildlife of Wales throughout the 20th century, capturing both scientific detail and cultural heritage in every frame. It celebrates Morrey-Salmon’s fantastic work and dedication to his craft; it’s been an honour to contribute to his legacy.

Why is digitisation so important?

Digitisation is more than just scanning old photographs; it’s a powerful tool for preservation. When we digitise a collection like Morrey-Salmon’s, we’re not just creating digital copies; we’re safeguarding fragile materials from the wear and tear of time.

Morrey-Salmon’s photographs are decades old. Some are faded, others are delicate, and all are vulnerable to damage from light, handling, or environmental changes. The Cardiff Naturalist Society did an amazing job of identifying, cleaning and organising these images for us, so that Robin Maggs, our photographer, could convert these images into high-resolution digital files.

My role in this as the Documentation Assistant was to enter all the metadata into our collection system. It might sound technical, but at its core, metadata is how we give each image context and meaning.

For the Harry Morrey-Salmon collection, this meant carefully examining each photograph and recording details like:

· What’s in the image – birds, landscapes, people, or wildlife.

· Where it was taken – often somewhere in Wales, but sometimes further afield

· When it was taken – if known or estimated based on clues.

· Any notes or captions – there were plenty of diaries and letters from Morrey-Salmon that I could use to gain context.

Each entry became a mini-investigation. Some photos came with handwritten notes from Morrey-Salmon himself, offering insights into the species he observed or the locations he visited. Others were more mysterious, requiring a bit of detective work, cross-referencing locations, identifying bird species, or deciphering the faces in the photographs.

What struck me most was how this information transforms a simple image into something searchable and sharable. Without it, a photo is just a visual. With it, it becomes part of a larger story; connected to a place, a time, and a person’s passion for nature.

This process also made me reflect on how much care goes into making museum collections accessible. Behind every image you see online, there’s someone who’s

taken the time to describe it, tag it, and ensure it can be found by researchers, bird enthusiasts, or curious browsers alike.

Once a photograph is digitised, it can be stored securely, backed up, and shared across the world. It becomes part of a living archive, accessible to anyone curious about Wales’s natural history. These groundbreaking photographs are no longer locked away in museum stores; these images can be explored from anywhere in the world.

In a way, digitisation breathes new life into historical collections. It allows us to connect the past with the present and ensures that the stories captured in these photographs, of birds, landscapes, and Morrey-Salmon’s dedication to nature, aren’t lost to time.

Highlights from the Collection

The digitisation process has revealed several exciting discoveries that shed light on Morrey-Salmon’s life and work.

Among the many treasures in the collection is what appears to be Morrey-Salmon’s earliest surviving photograph of a bird: a Lapwing, sat on a nest, taken in April of 1909. At first glance, it might seem like this was his first attempt at bird photograph, but his diaries tell a different story. In earlier entries, Morrey-Salmon writes about photographing various birds, and there are several images of nests and eggs that predate this one. So, while this Lapwing photo isn’t the first he ever took, it’s likely the oldest that has stood the test of time. It’s an important reminder of how fragile photographic archives can be and how lucky we are to have this glimpse into his early work.

Notably, Morrey-Salmon’s documented much of the International Ornithological Congress’ visit to Skokholm Island in 1934. Over a hundred delegates made the journey to this Pembrokeshire Island, arriving and departing in style aboard two Royal Navy destroyers, the HMS Windsor and HMS Wolfhound, which sailed from Tenby to the island.

Morrey-Salmon’s photographs offer a vivid glimpse into this historic occasion, featuring not only the bustling activity of the congress but also some familiar faces. Welsh ornithologist Ronald Lockley, a key figure in Skokholm’s natural history, appears in several images, as does the former King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, who was an avid bird watcher himself.

As I worked through the digitisation of Morrey-Salmon’s photographic archive, more familiar names began to surface. Among them were a series of images of flower specimens, labelled ‘Miss Vachell’s’. At first, the name didn’t ring a bell, but after some digging, I realised these were the herbarium specimens of Eleanor Vachell, a distinguished Welsh botanist who, like Morrey-Salmon, had close ties with the National Museum of Wales.

Discovering these connections between such influential figures in Welsh natural history has been a real joy. It’s moments like these that make the digitisation process so rewarding, as it is not just preserving the past, but bringing its stories to light.
 

Preserving the Past, for the Future
 

Digitising Harry Morrey-Salmon’s photographs has been more than just a technical task, it’s been an opportunity to rediscover stories, connections, and remarkable individuals who shaped Welsh natural history. From ornithologists and botanists to royalty, each image offers a glimpse into a rich and fascinating legacy.

A heartfelt thank you to the Cardiff Naturalists’ Society for their valuable contributions and dedication to this project. Their hard work and support have played a key role in helping preserve and share Morrey-Salmon’s legacy with a wider audience. It’s been a privilege to help make this collection more accessible to the public, and I hope these photographs continue to inspire curiosity and appreciation for the natural world, just as they did for those who first captured and studied it.

The digitised photographs are available through the museum’s online collection here: Collections Online | Museum Wales