The Chamber Donates Meeting Minutes to Museum
14/11/2005
The Chamber, which represents businesses in Bedfordshire and Luton, will be donating meeting minutes that date back to 1877, to Wardown Park Museum on Thursday 10 November. Richard Lacy, Chief Executive of the Chamber will be personally handing the minutes to the curators, so they can be preserved for future generations
The Chamber was originally set up to support Luton's multitude of hat manufacturers in 1877 and minutes have been taken at every meeting since its inception.
The very first meeting was held on 11 July 1877 with the purpose of deciding whether the formation of a Chamber of Commerce would be beneficial to the Luton hat trade.
This elementary support system for a limited number of businesses grew into the backbone of a thriving community of large and small companies, which we now know as the Chamber, and which continues today to support businesses in Bedfordshire and Luton.
Richard Lacy, Chief Executive at the Chamber, said: 'The minutes are vital pieces of local history, which need to be preserved so future generations can gain an insight into the history of the local business community.'
Marian Nichols from Wardown Park Museum said: 'We are delighted to receive documents that are so important to the history of the Luton business community. I'm sure they will be a very popular addition to the collection and will attract interest from both young and old.'
Donating the minutes to the museum will not only allow them to be on public display but will also preserve them in an acid and sunlight free environment.
