During this period, they have built up a considerable collection of historic material. The collection was started to increase understanding of the building and formed the basis for a book published in 2004, Victoria Baths: Manchester’s Water Palace. Since the book was published, the trust has continued to receive donations of items relating to the history of Victoria Baths.

Manchester’s Victoria Baths were opened in 1906 as swimming and bathing facilities. It housed three pools, 64 wash baths, and a Turkish baths suite.

The history archive includes original fittings and fixtures from the building, swimming medals and badges, to larger items including a set of swimming shields. The collection also contains newspaper clippings, documents, film footage, and recordings of spoken accounts of the history of the baths.

This project focused on conserving these items in a collection as a recognised archive. It aimed to preserve the collection in the best way possible, cataloguing it effectively and making it accessible to the public.