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Where do dreams begin?

Fabrizio Massari and I shared a dream over 20 years ago.

I don’t recall how we first became friends, living in towns 80 miles apart. Fabrizio collected camera, while I collected the sort of photographs that his cameras might have made. We met at flea markets, swapped news, then we joked about the idea of opening a museum together…

Recently I found a copy of the original project that we drew up for a small museum dedicated to the History of Photography. We offered to loan our collections for permanent exhibition in Spoleto, the town where I live in Italy. Spoleto wasn’t interested. They were building a museum of contemporary art under the guidance of an art critic, Giovanni Carandente, and photography was not on the menu…

Our dream died there, or so it seemed.

But a year ago, Fabrizio phoned me one day. He had found a sponsor and a space for our project in Matelica, the town where he lives in the Marches. Our dream was brought to life again, but could we make it a reality?

With initial financing and exhibition space provided by a generous local cultural/social foundation named “Il Vallato,” our museum opened its doors last Saturday, October 25th, 2025, and hundreds of people turned up. Dedicated to the Simonetti family (they were the first photographers in Matelica), our Bottega Immagini (The Image Workshop) combines a large exhibition space for historical photographs and the cameras that made them, together with a darkroom, a studio space, and ample wall space for temporary exhibitions of analogical photographs.

It truly is a dream come true!

It could not have been achieved without the constant presence and endeavour of Fabrizio Massari (to whom I am eternally grateful), and the joyful band of young enthusiasts in Matelica, led by our President, Simone Bomprezzi, who did all the shoulder work, the lifting, carrying, cleaning and decorating.

If you happen to visit the Adriatic coast, you might care to look in and say hello.

Michael G. Jacob, Spoleto.    

This link provides a glimpse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATz1cET2CJ8

The National Science and Media Museum will open its much-anticipated permanent Sound and Vision galleries to the public on Thursday 10 July. This marks the culmination of a £6.8 million transformation of the museum, the new galleries span two floors of the museum, showcasing world-class collections of photography, film, television, animation, gaming and sound technologies in new and innovative ways. The museum review here partially re-opened in January. 

Thanks to a transformational gift from The National Lottery Heritage Fund – made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the new galleries feature over 500 exhibits, a new art commission and a range of interactive displays. Designed by award-winning AOC architecture and futureproofing the museum for years to come, the galleries have been years in the making. Their opening marks the completion of the Sound and Vision project, exploring globally significant stories of technological innovation and social change.  

Consultation and collaboration with key audiences and community groups has been at the centre of the creation of the new galleries, ensuring the stories told resonate with as broad an audience as possible. Underpinning the galleries has been a vibrant set of activities, supporting greater access, representation and volunteering opportunities, focused on enabling more people to engage with the museum and its collections.  

Throughout the project, the museum has engaged and consulted with community leaders, access groups, young people and schools including SHINE West Bowling, Morley Street Resource Centre, and Bradford Deaf Centre, among many others. Volunteers have also played an integral role in the project's development, with volunteers contributing over 1900 hours of time to consultations and engagement activities.

The Sound and Vision galleries have been shaped by the voices of people from Bradford and beyond. Through extensive collaboration, local communities have helped to influence not only which stories are told in the new galleries, but how. The museum’s Youth Forum and Access Panel played a key role in shaping the space, offering fresh perspectives and encouraging the museum to think differently about how to present star objects and stories from their collections to make them accessible and engaging to all.    

Partners such as Allstar and BCB Radio have brought vital local perspectives to the galleries, reflecting the creativity and diversity of Bradford’s cultural scene whilst creating narratives that are relatable to people both from the district and those visiting. Individual contributors such as Paul Seal, a disabled gamer whose gaming setup enables him to continue to play through adapted technology, also shared personal insights that bring depth and authenticity to the galleries, highlighting how innovation in media technology can empower individuals. Collaboration with the Marshall Factory, a renowned name in sound technology, further added industry insight and national perspective to the galleries. Together, these contributions have helped make the galleries more inclusive, and representative of both local communities and wider society.  

Marking a new era and launching during a momentous year for Bradford, these object rich and interactive gallery spaces confirm the museum’s position as a national museum rooted in its community. As well as spotlighting hundreds of previously unseen exhibits, visitors who know the venue well will sense echoes of the museum’s past, with a Dalek greeting them on Level 5, a delightful new exhibit on loan from Aardman animation studios, and charming film footage of the museum’s now retired magic flying carpet, which was once a firm favourite with visitors, captured by the legendary Bradford Movie Makers.  

Jo Quinton-Tulloch, Director of the National Science and Media Museum commented: “We are thrilled to be launching our new permanent Sound and Vision galleries this month. They have been a true labour of love and collaboration, and they showcase our incredible collections in new and innovative ways. Our collections and the rich narratives they tell touch upon all our lives, from the first photographic negative and film footage to the advent of radio and television, and the power of sound technologies to bring us together. Our Sound and Vision galleries showcase how everyday objects have the power to be extraordinary.    

We have worked closely with a huge range of people to develop the galleries, ensuring these spaces work for everyone and that our visitors feel represented in the stories we tell. Consultation with our local communities has been central in the development of Sound and Vision and it feels especially significant to launch the galleries during Bradford’s year as UK City of Culture. We hope the galleries will be a key focal point in our city’s momentous year and for a long time to come.  And we are incredibly grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the support of National Lottery players for making Sound and Vision possible. We can’t wait to welcome visitors to explore our new galleries soon.”  

Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund added:  “The Sound and Vision galleries at the National Science and Media Museum are a cultural gem for the city, telling the story behind the photographic, film and sound technologies that have played such a big role in our lives. We’re incredibly proud to have funded these wonderful galleries thanks to National Lottery players."

Look out for more details and pictures shortly

The National Science and Media Museum, Bradford, has acquired a large collection of magic lantern slides, formerly part of the lending library of the Riley Brothers of Bradford. The slides were formerly owned by John Jones, a collector and historian of the magic lantern who died in 2010. 

The collection features images of local people and cityscapes from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, telling a rich visual story of Bradford’s heritage. Comprising of 182 magic lantern sets with over 2600 individual slides, the images were produced by posing models, either volunteers or the photographer’s family and friends, alongside props or in real-life landscapes to tell a visual story.  

The images show locations from around Bradford including the former banking hall on Hustlergate. Some of exterior images are difficult to identify, and members of the public are encouraged to get in touch with the museum if they recognise any locations.  

The Riley Brothers established their own magic lantern business in Bradford on Godwin Street, selling slides and equipment while manufacturing their own magic lanterns.     

The newly acquired collection is now being documented, photographed, treated, rehoused, and stored by the museum to add to its extensive collection of magic lanterns and magic lantern slides. The museum also holds the vast Kodak Collection, that includes the Riley ‘Kineoptoscope’ projector which converted magic lanterns into motion picture projectors, bringing movies to the theatres of Bradford.  

Commenting on the new acquisition, Vanessa Torres, Conservator at the National Science and Media Museum said: “Our collections are constantly growing, and new acquisitions can take on many different shapes and sizes. When we acquired this large collection of magic lantern slides, it was a truly a cross-department effort to document, conserve, and digitise the objects to ensure that these fascinating images can be accessed and enjoyed by everyone.”  

To learn more about the process of bringing the new acquisition into the museum’s collection, visit: https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/magic-lantern-slides-collection/