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Time-lapsing in the depths of the underground rail networks in Central London for the Postal Museum.

News Time-lapsing in iconic UK locations – Part One

20 February 2019 Kate

Above and below ground, brand new structures and historic vessels, theme parks and iconic venues.

As an experienced time-lapse company, we continue to receive commissions to provide high quality visual capture for projects in rather unique – sometimes extraordinary – locations across the UK.

With each new project comes a set of unique requirements but none are too demanding.

We have installed our time-lapse camera systems atop city skyscrapers, the world’s largest cranes, bell towers, cable cars, in thick woodland, to historic ships and famous heritage sites – all carried out with care and due diligence for the surrounding environment.

We are renowned for providing innovative solutions – including remote site monitoring, solar powered capture, as well as various custom-built fixing methods – overcoming the challenges of more complex, sensitive locations to deliver beautiful visual narratives documenting special projects.

Time-lapse monitoring UK heritage

Our camera systems have provided both long-term and short-term monitoring of conservation management on sites steeped in historical importance. Such sensitive work by charitable bodies & public sector organisations requires rigorous practice and technical expertise to carry out safe and effective installations.

Boat lifts, Ellesmere Port

Working at the National Waterways Museum, we were responsible for time-lapsing the UK’s biggest movement of heritage boats moored at Ellesmere Port.

A watercraft being lifted from the dock at Ellesmere Port for transportation to restoration workshop nearby

Above: capturing one of the craft being removed from the dock at Ellesmere Port – part of major conservation efforts by the National Waterways Museum to preserve the legacy of UK heritage boats.

Complex manoeuvres were needed to lift the vessels from the water and onto low-loader lorries, which would transport them to their dry water storage location, where they would be carefully treated and brought back to a displayable condition.

Our camera systems facilitated a comprehensive view of each phase of the conservation works: from the removal of water using powerful pumps, to a series of precision crane lifts. Working safely and securely, we employed elements of specialist capture in conjunction with stationary time-lapse solutions.

This included securely rigging camera systems to the crane to track the boat lifts from above.

 

Heritage vessels like the Mossdale – one of the last surviving Mersey flats dating back to the 1860s – also featured as part of our time-lapse footage that now stands as an incredible visual record of such an important historical intervention.

Preservation works, The Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth

Close-up of a gun port as part of the Mary Rose ship.

Above: as part of our involvement with this historic project, we were able to experience a privileged up-close look at the Mary Rose; here is one of her gun ports.

Preservation and restoration were also the key processes involving our work with another iconic vessel: the Mary Rose.

Rediscovered in 1971 and raised from the Solent in 1982, the priceless warship has been closely monitored for decades due to its sensitive condition out of water.

After being maintained in an atmospherically controlled ‘hotbox’, an intensive air-drying process could begin.

Among the very few people allowed access, our engineers carefully rigged up a camera on-board the ship using bespoke methods to capture the final stages of conservation at The Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Our time-lapse video of these special works also featured on the BBC News.

The Postal Museum, central London

Our expertise also extend to capturing time-lapse video in heritage sites below ground.

We worked closely in the subterranean network of railways in central London – part of major preparations for the opening of The Postal Museum back in 2017.

A carriage of the Mail Rail train sits on its tracks undergound

Above: capturing underground at The Postal Museum heritage site, as Mail Rail carriages are strategically manoeuvred onto original train lines beneath the streets of Central London.

We provided short-term and rapid capture time-lapse to document the most complicated of developments: the careful manoeuvre of custom-built train carriages onto the original lines that were used to shuttle post underneath London for almost 80 years.

Each of the carriages, along with the enormous batteries used to power these locomotives, had to be lowered underground separately using a specialised crane technique. Conditions were tight and we worked in close proximity with the engineers, gaining an unprecedented look at these important developments. With low-light levels on site, close micro-management of the camera system was required at all times.

Now the ‘Mail Rail’ attraction, visitors can take a tour of these historic underground tunnels as part of their time at The Postal Museum.

Backed by the Postal Heritage Trust, the various interactive exhibits, oral histories and new technologies, trace over 400 years of postal heritage. It was an honour to help archive the beginnings of this special project.

 

Our time-lapse camera systems continue to provide faultless capture of UK heritage projects in all manner of iconic locations.

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Time-Lapse Systems are a part of Hideaway Media Ltd (est. 2007). World leader in the provision of bespoke time-lapse capture and site monitoring solutions. UK and Worldwide.