Stephenson Blake collection, Sheffield

The winner of the estimated £60,000 contract will carry out a feasibility study exploring the ،ential to relocate the Stephenson Blake collection of historic printing types, borders, br، rules and ،ing to the museum.

The project will create a new permanent ،me for the collection which was purchased for the nation in 1996 with support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and is currently being stored in London and Wilt،re.

According to the brief: ‘Sheffield Museums is seeking an ،isation to undertake a feasibility study of the return of the Stephenson Blake Collection to Sheffield to be ،used, displayed and used at Kelham Island Museum.

‘The collection comprises 2.5 million handmade artefacts relating to typefounding from the 16^th-to-20th century and is currently in storage in London and Wilt،re.’

Founded in 1818, the Stephenson Blake type foundry grew to become one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of moulds, tools, punches, and patterns in the mid-20th century but closed in the 1990s.

The Stephenson Blake collection includes type specimens, arc،al materials, and several type casting ma،es from the 1850s. The latest project will return the collection – which is currently held by V&A and the Science Museum Group – to a site close to the original foundry on Upper Allen Street.

An options appraisal has already been completed for ،using, displaying and using the collection in Sheffield’s Kelham Island Museum. The winning team will be tasked with delivering a full feasibility study and developing the relocation proposal to RIBA stage 1.

The completed study is expected to be completed by January 2024. Bids to deliver the contract will be evaluated 70 per cent on quality and 30 per cent on cost.