Author: Neil Morrin

Categories
notes public domain

Sharing made easy

The image shows a collection of 3D printed items available on Heart. It displays items such as a Blowfly head and a Jetblade

Chris has been busy putting together a collection of 3D items that he is using in workshops with schools. The collection demonstrates a range of uses for additive manufacturing. He has curated a collection of items that are all CC-BY, which refers to the Creative Commons Attribution License, which allows others to share, adapt, and reuse their work, even commercially, as long as they attribute the original creator. You can find out more about Creative Commons licenses here.

Not all the items on the Heart platform are CC-BY but many are, we welcome people to share their 3D scans, images and audio by attributing it to CC-BY, so everyone can add them to their collections.

Enlightening others audiences with your new collection
It is be possible for one Museum to share its collection with any other Heart User, be they a school down the road or a Museum across the world.

Having the ability to share your own items worldwide, not only empowers the sharing organisations by extending the reach of their collection, it is also a great advocacy tool by allowing people to “visit” the item before they have even stepped through the contributing organisations door.

Already now, this takes place in a small way with the British Library or Royal Mint Museum’s collections, which they use on more than one box. In the formers case the boxes are distributed around the UK to Libraries, but each with the same standard collection on it. Find out more about The British Library’s Unearthed project.

Chris’s Utilization of STL files

This 3d printed construction shows a very small lunar rover with an extending arm that is constructing a small building. The building is just 4 walls right now.

3D Printed Construction Image is CC-BY. If you would like to download the STL file for this 3D print then you can go here for the details on Heart plus you can utilize the audio which is also CC-BY licensed.

All of Chris’s objects in the collection are available here. https://heart.museuminabox.org/view_collection/3501

If you have purchased a box you should have access to Heart and have the ability to upload 3D prints as an STL file.

The statue of Christ the Redeemer
Image license: CC-BY-NC-SA

This is an example of a 3D print created by user @ecoleStAndre a small rural primary school in the French Alps.

Visit this item on Heart or download the STL file for this print

STL files explained: An STL file is the most widely available format used for 3D printing. STL officially stands for stereolithography. It’s essentially just a file format that describes 3d objects.

How do you create 3D objects?

If you are looking to create a replica of an existing object you will need to make a 3d scan. Professional services are available to create high resolution models of objects through Photogrammetry or digital scanning. If you want to do it yourself good results can be achieved with available Photogrammetry software. We’ll go into more details about this in a future blog.

Alternatively if you are looking to create an new object to illustrate your collection, like Chris’s imagined moon 3d printer, you can with freely available software. Naturally we favour Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) so our recommendations are Blender and FreeCAD.

Both of these allow you to export your finalized 3D image as an STL file.

Depending on your make of 3D printer you may need to use their recommended slicer software to obtain a good final print.

3D printing is building up layers of plastic to form a 3 dimensional model.

3D scanning refers to the process of collecting data about a real world object, this is often a process undertaken by experts. This data is then pieced together often using specialist software to recreate a 3D representation of the object on screen. 3D scanning uses elements of Photogrammetry

The process of scanning and printing replica objects is becoming increasingly more accessible due to ease of access to the software and hardware tools needed.

We hope to feature more pubic collections that are based on Creative Commons licenses very soon.

Categories
case study oral history

Oral History

1940's (approx) BW image of the interior of a gentlemans shop peering down the inside. It features glass cabinets and a range of ties on stands and clothes on hangers falling from the walls. Four well dressed people also appear.

Preserving the Pulse of a Place: The Power of Oral History and the Story Shop Project

Oral history is one of the most powerful ways to preserve the heartbeat of a community. It gives voice to the everyday experiences that often slip through the cracks of written history—stories told in a person’s own words, filled with memory, emotion, humour, hardship, and perspective. More than just a method of recording the past, oral history is a human act of listening, respecting, and safeguarding the living memory of people and places.

Projects like Story Shop, based in Oswestry, Shropshire, show just how meaningful and transformative this kind of work can be.

Why Oral History Matters

At its heart, oral history is about storytelling—real, lived stories that connect generations and ground us in place and time. Unlike traditional historical records, which often privilege institutions, dates, and written documentation, oral histories capture the texture of life: the smell of a market, the feeling of a wartime dance, the sound of children playing in a street long since redeveloped.

These personal accounts enrich our understanding of history. They bring depth to public memory and ensure that everyone—regardless of background, status, or education—has the chance to contribute to the collective record.

Oral history is especially powerful in times of change. As economies shift, communities evolve, and high streets adapt to new pressures, it becomes more important than ever to preserve the memories that show how we’ve lived, adapted, and connected with one another.

The Work Behind the Stories

Capturing oral histories is both rigorous and delicate. It begins with careful planning: identifying the purpose of the project, choosing interviewees, and understanding the historical and cultural context.

Interviews aren’t just quick chats—they’re thoughtful, often emotional conversations built on trust. Trained interviewers listen more than they speak, guiding narrators to recall memories in their own way. The interviews are recorded, transcribed, and archived, often with metadata that makes them discoverable and usable for researchers, educators, and future generations.

Ethical care underpins every step—especially when dealing with sensitive or traumatic memories. Informed consent is key, and participants must feel empowered to share only what they’re comfortable with.

Story Shop: A Living Archive of Oswestry

The Story Shop project is a shining example of what oral history can achieve when rooted in community and carried out with care. Created to capture the changing story of Oswestry’s town, high street, and surrounding rural areas, Story Shop reflects the town’s evolving identity through the voices of its people.

Led by a passionate team of volunteers trained by the Oral History Society, the project focuses on intergenerational storytelling. It’s already collected a rich tapestry of memories from residents aged 40 to 95—capturing reflections on local railways, farming life, hospital work, shopping, and the unique experience of growing up on the Welsh-English border.

Each story adds texture to a broader narrative of change—how Oswestry has adapted to modern pressures like the cost of living crisis, online shopping, and demographic shifts. But these aren’t just stories about loss or nostalgia; they’re full of resilience, pride, and belonging.

All recordings are preserved in the Shropshire Archives, ensuring they’ll be accessible to future generations. A curated audio exhibition, ‘The Story So Far…’, brings these voices to life for the public, showcasing the power of lived memory to engage, educate, and inspire.

And the work continues. The team is now gathering voices from younger residents aged 18 to 40, ensuring the project reflects a fuller picture of life in Oswestry today. These future-focused stories are just as important—they show how heritage is not just something we inherit, but something we actively shape.

A Lasting Impact

Oral history doesn’t just preserve the past—it honours people. It says, “Your story matters.” And in doing so, it strengthens communities, deepens understanding, and brings history to life in the most human way possible.

Projects like Story Shop remind us of what’s possible when we slow down and listen—really listen—to the stories around us. They’re not just capturing history; they’re creating it

You can listen to the Story Shop’s collection on Heart, although much of their collection is private, some items are not, such as this one about Employment.

Featured image is CC0 – Public Domain

Bronx Oral Histories

A late addendum to this post but one which we are really pleased about is this Oral History project from the Bronx County Historical Society.

They produced Uptown Rumble: Heavy Music in The Bronx. Which documents the rich history of hard rock, heavy metal, punk rock, and related genres in The Bronx from the mid-1960s through the present. This collection includes clips from full-length oral histories recorded for the project.

Find out more and listen to the clips here.

Categories
case study

Case Study: Unearthed – The Power of Gardening

The British Library, in collaboration with the Living Knowledge Network—a partnership of public and national libraries across the UK—launched Unearthed: The Power of Gardening in May 2025. This exhibition explores gardening as a transformative force for creativity, resilience, and community connection. Over 30 library services participated, bringing the exhibition to diverse audiences nationwide.

Project Goals

The Unearthed project aimed to:

  • Celebrate the cultural and social significance of gardening.
  • Engage communities through personal and global narratives related to horticulture.
  • Utilize innovative technologies to create interactive and accessible experiences in library settings.

Implementation

To enhance the exhibition’s interactivity, the British Library integrated Museum in a Box devices into the Unearthed displays. These devices allowed visitors to engage with 3D-printed objects and accompanying audio narratives, providing a tactile and auditory exploration of gardening’s impact.

Key features included:

  • 3D-Printed Objects: Replicas of botanical illustrations and gardening tools.
  • Audio Narratives: Stories and poems related to gardening, including works by Inua Ellams and oral histories from figures like Judy Ling Wong and Jyoti Fernandes.

Libraries across the UK, such as Newcastle City Library and Mansfield Central Library, hosted the exhibition, tailoring the experience to their local communities.

Outcomes

The integration of Museum in a Box technology achieved several positive outcomes:

  • Enhanced Engagement: Visitors experienced a multi-sensory journey, deepening their connection to the exhibition’s themes.
  • Community Involvement: Local adaptations of the exhibition encouraged community participation and storytelling.
  • Educational Impact: The interactive elements facilitated learning across age groups, making complex histories accessible and engaging.

Lessons Learned

The Unearthed project demonstrated the effectiveness of combining traditional exhibition content with interactive technology:

  • Scalability: The portable nature of Museum in a Box allowed for easy distribution and setup across various library settings.
  • Accessibility: The tactile and auditory components made the exhibition more inclusive, catering to diverse learning styles and abilities.
  • Community Relevance: Allowing local libraries to adapt the exhibition content fostered a sense of ownership and relevance within communities.

Conclusion

Unearthed: The Power of Gardening exemplifies how cultural institutions can leverage technology to enrich public engagement. By integrating Museum in a Box into the exhibition, the British Library and the Living Knowledge Network created a dynamic and accessible experience that resonated with audiences nationwide.

For more information on the Unearthed exhibition and its components, visit the Living Knowledge Network’s official page and explore the Museum in a Box collection.

Every project tells a story. When one chapter closes, Museum in a Box helps you transform it into the foundation of the next — keeping ideas alive, evolving, and ready to inspire new audiences.

Categories
sludge

2024 and counting

Museum in a Box Connect to Wifi card and Check for Updates card

It’s just past Christmas and right now it is all about numbers, as we countdown to the new year.

On the theme of counting we have been doing some analysis of the Boops that appear on the Heart Network – a Boop occurs when an object is placed on your Museum in a Box and if your Box is connected, even occasionally to the network then these totalised Boops are uploaded and added to your total for that object.

We ran some reports on the number of recorded Boops across all the collections private and public, throughout 2024 and the results are in. There have been a massive 20,218 Boops this year. With our top Five collections belonging to The Hunt Museum, The Royal Mint Museum, Museum in a Box HQ (these are the cards and objects we send out with the boxes), next up is the fabulous project from the British Library – Beyond the Bassline: 500 years of Black British Music and finally the Big objects in the British Museum’s collection.

But storming away in the charts for 2024 were The Hunt Museum who have the top three objects in the top 5 Boops. With a wooden Mether, the god Thoth as a baboon and Ceramic hand as their top 3 items. At Number 4 in our object chart is the Apollo 11 launch try me card, from our own collection as it goes out with every box. And at No. 5 is a herpetologist’s delight, the Gray Tree Frog from the Smithsonian Museum.

If you have a Box, then you can update the statistics (the number of Boops) you have gathered on your collection by using the update card. You will need to connect your Box to the internet to do this. Both the Update and Connect to Wifi cards will have been sent to you with your Box. You can see the cards at the top of this post.

Then the next time someone asks you what kind of interactions your box has been receiving then you can simple get them to visit your collection on Heart.

Hope you have a great New Year. Boop!

Categories
case study

Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black British Music

Graphic image from the Beyond the Bassline 500 years of Black British Music

British Library, Living Knowledge Network

The British Library is one of the world’s largest libraries, holding a vast collection of books, manuscripts, and cultural artifacts. The Living Knowledge Network aims to democratize access to this vast heritage, allowing local communities to experience national treasures and cultural stories through libraries across the UK.

The goal of using Museum in a Box within the Living Knowledge Network was to make cultural and historical artifacts more accessible to local communities, particularly through hands-on learning. The British Library wanted to provide a tangible, interactive experience to engage people of all ages with their collections.

As part of the Living Knowledge Network, Museum in a Box was circulated to various libraries around the UK. Each library received a set of 3D-printed objects with accompanying audio descriptions, allowing visitors to engage with artifacts in new and exciting ways. The audio included context about the artifacts, with storytelling elements that brought history to life.

For example, Suffolk Libraries used Museum in a Box as part of their “Beyond the Bassline” exhibition, celebrating Black British music and culture. This initiative, running in 2022, allowed visitors to explore the evolution of Black British music through 3D objects and audio, fostering a deeper understanding of this cultural movement.

To supplement “Beyond the Bassline”, Coventry Libraries had recordings of poetry and spoken word supplied by Coventry Poet Laureate John Bernard. These sound and audio samples were taken from their collections and available to loan. You can visit the Coventry Libraries collection on our Heart Platform.

The use of Museum in a Box successfully engaged visitors with artifacts and cultural heritage in an immersive, multi-sensory way. Libraries like Suffolk highlighted Black British music through interactive exhibits that combined storytelling with physical objects. Feedback from both librarians and participants was positive, with visitors praising the hands-on and auditory elements that made the exhibits more accessible and engaging.

The British Library’s use of Museum in a Box demonstrated the power of combining tactile engagement with digital storytelling to enrich cultural education. Libraries found that the technology was effective in reaching audiences who might not traditionally engage with museum exhibits or library collections. It also fostered community involvement and inspired other libraries to think creatively about how to present cultural content.

The British Library’s Living Knowledge Network successfully used Museum in a Box to democratize access to cultural artifacts. The initiative exemplifies how libraries can serve as cultural hubs, making national collections accessible at a local level while also encouraging community engagement with underrepresented cultural stories.

For further details about the British Library’s Living Knowledge Network and how Suffolk Libraries implemented Museum in a Box as part of their “Beyond the Bassline” exhibition, visit their respective pages​.

Living Knowledge Network

Suffolk Libraries

A late addendum to this post from June 2025 where we just heard that Beyond the Bassline won the Museums & Heritage award 2025 for this show. More detail here
Categories
case study

Hunt Museum, Limerick

Members of the European Heritage summit sit at a table examining 3D printed sculptures.
Members of the European Heritage summit sit at a table examining 3D printed sculptures.

This case study explores how the Museum in a Box device was used as part of their Seeing Without Sight project to deliver a multi-sensory museum experience.

The Hunt Museum, located in Limerick, Ireland, has a rich collection of art and historical artifacts. Their mission is to increase accessibility, making museum experiences inclusive to all visitors, particularly those with disabilities.

The Seeing Without Sight project aimed to break barriers for visually impaired individuals, enabling them to engage with museum artifacts through sensory exploration. A key component was the use of Museum in a Box, which allowed visitors to interact with 3D-printed replicas of museum objects, paired with audio descriptions.

The project was co-created with visually impaired individuals, who participated in workshops to select objects, create vivid descriptions, and even record their voices for the audio guides. The Museum in a Box technology played a crucial role in enhancing this experience by delivering tactile and auditory engagement with the artifacts.

The project has been celebrated for its innovative approach, winning the Inclusive Event Award at the 2023 Heritage Council Awards. Visitors were able to touch 3D-printed replicas of objects while listening to audio descriptions via the Museum in a Box, making the museum experience more interactive and accessible to those with visual impairments. This method is being looked at as a model for other museums globally.

Hunt Museum, Limerick

“The Seeing Without Sight project and exhibition formed an important milestone on the Hunt Museum’s journey to expand access and inclusion for people with disabilities. The accessibility design solutions presented in it benefited and enriched the experience for everyone, not just people with visual impairment.  The exhibition was a huge success and particularly enabled us to build strong relationships with disability groups from across the Midwest in Ireland. Arts and Disability Ireland and Vision Ireland were huge supporters and promoted it to their service users on an on-going basis.” Maria Cagney, Curator of Education and Outreach

Their Seeing Without Sight Project involved:

  1. A year of workshops during which our visually impaired co-creators explored Collection objects through touch and supported the writing of audio description text for 35 objects
  2. Visually impaired co-creators performed the audio recordings of nine objects of the objects they selected. they selected. These were presented using Museum in a Box.
  3. Rapid Innovation Unit at the University of Limerick 3D printed 8/9 objects to exceptionally high quality and standard
  4. Large yellow interpretative panel was designed to work in conjunction with screen reader technology
  5. Object labels were made available in large format and braille
  6. Sensory station desks are height adaptable for wheel chairs

Lessons Learned

The use of Museum in a Box demonstrated that technology could enhance museum accessibility and inclusivity. By combining tactile learning with audio, the Hunt Museum ensured that all visitors could form a connection with the objects in their collection, expanding the scope of traditional museum interaction.

For further details about the project, you can refer to the Hunt Museum’s documentation of the Seeing Without Sight project​.

The featured image is of the European Heritage Hub at the Royal Palace, National Gallery, Bucharest, as part of the second European Heritage Summit, which was organised by Europeana Foundation in partnership with Europa Nostra. Photo Courtesy of the Hunt Museum Limerick

The Hunt Museum

Heritage Week 2023

Categories
company news

Changes over the, ahem, *checks notes* last 15 months.

Inside a Blue Museum in a Box
Inside a Blue Museum in a Box

The big news that we want to bring you is that Museum in a Box batch 5 is now shipping and available to purchase from the store. That’s the most important thing we need to tell you.

As we mentioned in our last update, to get back to making boxes we needed to redesign some of the electronics, including the computer at the heart of it. That meant we had to rewrite the software, and that’s done too. It’s faster to boot up and now uses USB-C.

We also took this opportunity to replace the NFC reader. The old ones were getting difficult to source and were one of the weaker components in the design. The new one is designed in-house and we’ve released it as open source hardware for other folk to use too!

All of this means that we have solved the supply issues which had plagued us post pandemic.

We have been busy and although we might not have been busy writing blog posts we have been busy sending post, as most of Batch 4 went out to the British Library for their project Beyond the Bassline: 500 years of Black British Music. The British Library in turn circulated these to partner libraries up and down the country with accompanying objects for Beyond the Bassline.

Partner libraries across the country each received a pair of boxes to take Beyond the Bassline to a national audience. Some of the libraries came up with their own local projects to complement it, for example Coventry Libraries came up with Tales of Two Tone which has proved really popular, looking at the number of boops they have had. You can see Coventry’s collection on the Heart platform here.

We’d also like to highlight the wonderful display that Suffolk Libraries have made of theirs. The easy chairs look great to settle down in for a afternoon of easy listening.

If you would like to experience Beyond the Bassline in your area them some projects are still open to engage with, you can find where and what dates they are available on the British Library’s Living Knowledge Network.

This summer, we had some great feedback while displaying Museum in a Box at Liverpool Makefest: teachers who were busy booping our Try Me Objects were telling us just how useful they would be in the classroom; and kids enjoying hearing the different frogs from Frogs in a Box.

Frogs in a box cards displayed alongside Museum in a box

For now folks that is all but we promise that we will be bringing you more soon. Did we mention that Museum in a Box batch 5 is now available?

Categories
case study museum

Victoria and Albert Museum

A plywood Box installed in the V&A’s Seeing Red exhibition
A plywood Box installed in the V&A’s Seeing Red exhibition

Victoria and Albert Museum
Seeing Red: Posters of Protest and Dissent

One Box, 12 postcards, supplemented by a copy of the cards and new audio over the lifetime of the exhibition

  • Oral history recordings made of the (living) original printmakers talking about the work they made in the 70s. Postcards depicted original posters.
  • Box was installed in the Seeing Red exhibit at Lansbury Micro Museum, plus hyperlocal in-school outreach when the museum was closed. Students were interviewed to hear their responses to the social themes raised by the posters, and this was incorporated into the exhibition.
  • Collaboration with sound expert Lucia Scazzocchio.


Object example: Protest

Categories
3D case study museum oral history

Barnsley Museums

George and Charlie with the Barnsley Museums team with their anemometer collection!
George and Charlie with the Barnsley Museums team with their anemometer collection!

Barnsley Museums
Work & Life in Yorkshire 

Six boxes, six collections, each with a mix of 3D prints and cards

  • Boxes were installed at welcome areas of six historic sites under the Barnsley Museums umbrella. Now also being lent out in Box lending program.
  • Full content production, 3D digitisation service.

Object example: Snap Tin

Categories
case study museum

King’s College London

Exploring objects at Iziko Museums
Boyzie, Wilfred, Nini, Thuli and Thandi investigating the “Zulu” objects at Iziko Museums, Cape Town

Boyzie, Wilfred, Nini, Thuli and Thandi investigating the “Zulu” objects at Iziko Museums, Cape Town

King’s College London
Amagugu Ethu (Our treasures)

Two boxes, two copies of one collection of one 3D print, 24 cards

  • Collaborating with seven Zulu community experts, two academics, an artist, and a theatre director. On site visit at Iziko Museums in Cape Town.
  • Object selection and description by Zulu experts, in English and isiZulu, audio recording and production by MB team.
  • The Box now lives at the Luthuli Museum in KwaZulu-Natal.
  • See the full project blog write up

Boop: Singing