Subject Specialist Networks (SSNs) are groups of people with special expertise in a given subject area. They bring together the wider museums community and are supported, where appropriate, by parent organisations that provide specialist curatorial support for relevant collections across England and the UK.

Our SSN

The Federation has always believed in supporting the local subject specialist networks that we have in the South West. In 1936 at the very beginning of the Federation they created a sub-committee to support the petrological Identification of Stone Implements, which became the South West Implement Petrology Group, and remains active.

SSNs and the SWFed

The South West Fed is still exploring how best to support the many groups in the South West that are held together by an expert knowledge in a specialist area. Whatever the subject, if the group is interested in extending its knowledge and passing its learning on, the Federation wants to help. If you are part of a Subject Specialist Network based in the South West, please do get in touch with us so we can discuss how we might best help you.

National Subject Specialist Networks

Subject specialist networks support the understanding, development and care of collections across England and the UK for the benefit of audiences. These wide-ranging networks, as diverse as the collections which they represent, enhance the potential for excellence across museum practice. These mutually-supportive groups ensure collective impact and economies of scale while enabling the sharing of expertise, ideas and best practice.

Download a list of Subject Specialist Networks and contact details or see below. Details correct as of July 2012.

Archaeology

Society of Museum Archaeologists
David Allen - Chair
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020 7831 3222
www.socmusarch.org.uk

South West Implement Petrology Group
Thomas Cadbury - Hon Secretary
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01392 665356
http://www.swfed.org.uk/images/swimpg/SWImpCpage01.html

British Art

Marie Bak-Mortensen
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020 7887 8888

British Aviation

British Aviation Preservation Council
Nick Forder
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0161 606 0121
www.bapc.org.uk

British Cartoons, Comic and Caricatures

British Cartoon Forum
Anita O'Brien
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0207 5808155

Ceramics

Ceramics Network
Claire Blakey/Miranda Goodby
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01782 232323

Contemporary Studio Ceramics
Helen Walsh, Assistant Curator of Decorative Art
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01904 697 971

Chinese Collections

Chinese Collections Network
Dr Kevin McLoughlin
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0191 3345694

Contemporary Art

Contemporary Art Society
Lucy Byatt
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020 7831 1243
http://nn.contemporaryartsociety.org/

Decorative Arts

The Society of Decorative Art Curators
Rachel Conroy
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0292 057 3383
http://sodac.org.uk/

Dress and Textiles

Dress and Textiles Specialists (DATS)
Jenny Lister
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0207 942 2665
www.dressandtextilespecialists.org.uk

Egyptology

ACCES
Under development with Collections Trust
www.acces.org.uk

Ethnography

Museum Ethnographers Group (MEG)
Chantal Knowles - Chair
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0131 247 4064
www.museumethnographersgroup.org.uk

Fine Art

Pre 1900 European Paintings SSN
Mary Hersov
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0207 747 2818
https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=EUROPEAN-PAINTINGS-PRE-1900

Fire Heritage

Human Remains

Human Remains SSN
Margaret Clegg - Chair
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020 7942 5000

Inland Transport  

Motoring SSN
Andrea Bishop - Chair
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0159 061 4614

Subject Specialist Network for Inland Transport (SSNIT)
Tim Bryan - Chair
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0192 664 1188

Inland Waterways - under development by Waterways Trust
Peter Collins
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0151 373 4380

Association of British Transport & Engineering Museums (ABTEM)
Tim Bryan – Chair
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01926 645105
www.abtem.co.uk

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Heritage

Proud Network
Jack Gilbert
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0151 478 4499

Maritime

Maritime Curators Group
Richard Holdsworth OBE
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0163 482 3800
www.ukmcs.org.uk

Mediaeval Pottery

Society of Museum Archaeologists (Mediaeval Pottery)
Andrew Sage
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www.medievalpottery.org.uk

Medical Collections

UK Medical Collections Group (UKMCG)
Joanne Bartholomew
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0113 205 6528

Military

Regimental Collections – Army Museums Ogilby Trust (AMOT)    
Brigadier Colin Sibun (Rtd)
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0172 233 2188
www.armymuseums.org.uk

Musical Instruments

Musical Instruments Collections Network
Andrew Lamb
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01865 276139

Natural Sciences

NATSCA - Natural Sciences Collections Association
Paul Brown - Chair
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0207 942 5000
http://natsca.info

Numismatics

Money and Medals SSN
Richard Kelleher
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020 73238838
www.moneyandmedals.org.uk

Performing Arts   

Theatre Information Group (TIG)
Claire Hudson
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020 79422000

Portraits

Understanding British Portraits
Caroline Pegum - Coordinator
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0207 321 6629
www.portraits.specialistnetwork.org.uk

Posters

Posters SSN
Catherine Flood/ Gill Saunders
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020 7942 2728

Plastics

Plastics SSN
Susan Lambert
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01202 533011

Rural

Rural Museums Network
David Walker - Chair
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01823 278805
www.ruralmuseums.specialistnetwork.org.uk

Science, Technology and Industry

Science, Technology and Industry Network
Jack Kirby
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0121 202 2279
https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=STI-SSN

Social History

Social History Curators Group
Michael Terwey
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0127 420 3345
www.shcg.org.uk

Sports

Sports Heritage Network
Cookie Scottorn , Coordinator and Helen Fairs, PA to the Director
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01491 415608 and 0161 870 8325
www.oursportinglife.co.uk

Scottish Transport

Scottish Transport and Industrial Collections
Megan Combe
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0131 247 4024
www.stickssn.org

Screen Heritage

Screen Heritage Network
Michael Harvey
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0870 701 0200

Tibetan and Himalayan Collections

Tibetan and Himalayan Objects Network
John Clarke
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020 79422000