The digitisation of the Hunt collection of more than 2,000 priceless antiques, fine art, ceramics and fashion, is one of the main priorities for Limerick's Hunt Museum as it launches its 2025 strategy today.
The aim is to considerably broaden the reach and influence of the Hunt collection by integrating the virtual and physical worlds of the museum to cater for both online and offline visitors.
The museum, established at the Custom House in Limerick over 21 years ago, houses the life-long collection of the Hunt family, who were also instrumental in establishing the heritage sites of Bunratty Castle and at Craggaunowen in Co Clare.
It attracted more than 100,000 visitors last year, but an equal number learned about the museum through Wikipedia uploads so the demand for online visits and its potential for the future will form a major part of its work over the next six years.
Work on high quality digitisation, in particular 3D digitisation, will begin in February to meet the growing demand from researchers and those in educational areas across the world to be able to access the various pieces and move them around on screen.
The strategy will work on three key areas, the virtual, the physical and the human, to improve the visitor experience and expand the reach of the collection and open up its global access.
On the physical side they plan to improve and upgrade the display with more interpretation and modernise the feel and look for the visitor.
New technical partnerships with other museums, universities, cultural hubs and social media platforms such as Wikipedia, Europeana, Mozilla and Google to increase understanding and knowledge of the collection, are also planned.
They want to lead the cultural heritage educational programme, and have every school in the region visit the museum at least once a year.
Director of the Hunt Museum Jill Cousins said: "We want to open up this collection to new audiences and for new uses in schools, universities, creativity and tourism by making available in the public domain almost everything we hold."
Chair of the Board of the museum John Moran said over the next six years the Hunt collection will have moved from a somewhat eclectic hidden treasure to a place of international standing with creative, educational, research, social and economic benefits.
He said: "We will have created national and international connections building upon the huge legacy of the Hunt family and on our previous 21 years in one of the most iconic of Limerick's Georgian buildings, the Custom House."
