Operating heritage machinery - responsibilities, capacities and choices in public and private worlds

The project IH4Future “Material culture, scientific culture - industrial heritage for the future”, conducted in Portugal and funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, has been unusual in that it comprises a detailed scientific study of operating heritage machinery. This is remarkable because the significant challenges of operating heritage machinery usually leave little time, money or energy for undertaking detailed investigative and analytical projects. It is also remarkable because it is rare to have such diverse communities of practice working together, sharing their skills and knowledge to understand and improve the care of operating heritage machines. This project involved academics, community volunteers, museum trained professionals and at least one person who had run the machinery when it was in full service. It also included women as well as men, young people as well as older, people used to working with their hands, and people more often found at a computer screen.