About The Archive
Archive Aims
The Children’s Jewellery History Archive is a research-led digital collection documenting the material culture, symbolism and social history of children’s jewellery across time and place.
Developed from the original doctoral research of Dr Sarah McAleer and ongoing scholarly investigation, the archive brings together visual and textual records of objects, artworks and historical references that illuminate how jewellery made for and worn by children has been created, used and understood from prehistory to the modern era.
The archive is intended as a resource for researchers, students, curators, makers and anyone with an interest in material culture, childhood history and the meanings embedded in artefacts associated with children, history and their jewellery.
Scope of the Collection
The archive spans a wide chronological and geographical range, encompassing examples of children’s jewellery from prehistoric contexts through to the twentieth century and beyond.
Records may include, but are not limited to:
- jewellery objects and artefacts
- historical and modern painted, sculptural and photographic representations of children wearing jewellery
- archaeological finds
- devotional, protective and commemorative objects
- modern and contemporary examples examined within a historical and / or modern framework
- historical and modern stories about children’s jewellery
Material documented within the archive draws on a variety of sources, including museum collections, archives, published scholarship, private collections and original research conducted through workshops, fieldwork and object analysis.
Each record combines visual reference (where available) with descriptive, contextual and analytical information to situate objects within their historical, cultural and symbolic contexts.
Image Use & Rights
Images included in this archive are drawn from a range of sources, including public-domain material, open-licence collections, museum and archival holdings, published scholarship and original research photography.
Every effort has been made to identify image sources and, where applicable, to acknowledge rights holders. In some cases, image rights are restricted, complex, or unclear due to the age of the material, the nature of historical publication practices or the conditions of access to original works. Where this applies, images may be presented in limited form or referenced without full reproduction.
Images are provided to support scholarly research, study and critical commentary on the history of children’s jewellery. They are not intended for reuse, redistribution or commercial exploitation by third parties.
Rights holders who have questions or concerns regarding the reproduction of material in this archive are invited to make contact so that appropriate attribution, amendment or removal can be arranged.
Exploring The Archive
The Children’s Jewellery History Archive is an evolving research resource and welcomes dialogue with institutions, collectors and researchers who share an interest in documenting and preserving the histories of children’s jewellery.
Visitors are encouraged to explore the archive’s object records and references – and to return as the collection continues to expand through ongoing research and collaboration.
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