Aberystwyth's Will Troughton retires after 34 years at National Library

This week marks the end of an era for the National Library’s Will Troughton.

After three decades looking after the library’s collection of photographs, cataloguing incoming images and, in recent years digitising many, he is bidding a fond farewell to working life and stepping into well-earned retirement.

As well as being an asset to the library, Will has been a great help to the ‘Cambrian News’ and I for years, aiding searches for archive material, sharing interesting images for nostalgia sections and allowing me to interview him about his books. The well-known local historian even took me on a guided tour of the much-talked about Aberystwyth tunnel used to hide artefacts during the war!

Interviewing him once more, Will looks back on his library career, telling me he started there on 13 January, 1992.

“I worked in the Halifax bank just prior, and previously taught Geography at Wrexham’s Castell Alun High School,” he recalls.

“Being in the bank you had good weeks and bad. I’d had a bad week when I saw a job advertised at the National Library. I applied and got it, fortunately, because I don’t think I could have lasted 30-odd years at Halifax.

“When I started, I had to do a course on something called Windows!

“The library has been a wonderful place to work. There were so many helpful people pointing out things I might be interested in. Very few of the colleagues I met then are still at the library.

“The biggest high I had was curating the 2015 Philip Jones Griffiths Exhibition, though it was a real team effort with our exhibitions team really sharing in the vision I had and going the distance to produce a worthy tribute to a great Welsh photographer.

“Purchasing the Mary Dilwyn album was also pivotal.

“I haven’t had many lows, really, other than one or two colleagues passing away suddenly.”

Will has always been interested in photography and collecting postcards, especially if related to Aberystwyth where he was born and bred.

“I can’t remember the title of the library job I originally applied for, perhaps it was assistant curator...but by that time I had released two book on Aberystwyth and old picture postcards – both out of print now – so I knew working with photographs would be a good fit.”

Will’s final job title is Photographic Collection Curator. He has curated countless photographs connected to Welsh towns, landmarks, landscapes, topography and portraiture.

“It’s been a very interesting job and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Will.

“Photography is such a broad subject; it’s surprising to see the things that still turn up, and different things you hadn’t expected.

“One aspect of the job I feel strongly about is offering support to up-and-coming photographers through making purchases, including their work in exhibitions, and writing letters of support.

“Amanda Jackson and Abbie Trayler-Smith are two such photographers we supported. I’m sure they would’ve still done well without us, but it’s nice to have supported them, and I’ve enjoyed seeing their work very much.”

Technological advances have led to the evolution of photography and Will’s library work, as he explained.

“Things have changed a lot and the biggest change is digitisation which didn’t exist in 1992.

“We have been able to digitise a small number of our collections and share them online. Hopefully the library will continue to digitise its collections and make them widely available.

“I admire the work of many photographers, and I wish I could emulate it, but what I really love about photography is the element of surprise, not knowing what you are going to be dealing with, and to be able to share that material with others.

“We’ve had quite a few large collections come in from retiring photographers who have given us their vast collections of material - some including negatives - along with their copyright. These will become a valuable resource.”

Will has released 10 books alongside his library work and my favourites of his are the ones that present past and present photographs of Aberystwyth alongside each other.

“Those books have been very popular,” Will said.

“I think people like to see changes in the town.”

But recalling those changes alters the tone of the interview, and Will becomes more serious.

“Being from Aberystwyth I’ve always been very drawn to images of the town and I’ve enjoyed seeing them,” he said.

“It’s interesting to see some changes, but they are not always good. I think Aberystwyth is on a downward spiral at the moment and the town needs a good boost.

“Those who should be looking after Aberystwyth have taken their eye off the ball really. I don’t think enough attention is being paid to it. Things look scruffy, things break and aren’t fixed. Plascrug School’s bridge problem has been there for years, as have problems in the castle grounds and harbour.

“The current state of the town doesn’t put me off releasing another book, but from a photographic point of view, Aberystwyth is problematic at the moment.

“However, there are still lots of interesting stories to tell and I’m keen to put those out there, and Aberystwyth still has so much to offer. It’s in a fantastic spot, we’ve got the Vale of Rheidol Library, the National Library of Wales, of course, and I am looking forward to seeing the Old College project being completed.”

Turning his attention back to the National Library, Will said: “I have enjoyed my time here. It has gone by very quickly really. Part of the reason it’s been so enjoyable is the wonderful people I’ve worked with and the colleagues who’ve shown me things and pointed me in different directions for my work. And of course, working here, you have more access to things than the public. I think I’ll lose that and have to become a normal reader, but after a bit of a gap, say six month or so, I’ll be back here in the reading room, working on other projects.

“I’m going to continue burrowing into local history to see what I can come up with. I’m looking forward to spending more time in the locality doing a bit more walking, running and rowing, and there’s no definite plan for a new book at the moment, but I have lots of ideas.”

Becoming more serious again, he adds: “The library has suffered of late, losing a lot of staff through voluntary redundancy. Hopefully the present administration will look on us a little more kindly and preserve the staff who are sharing archive material and digitising more photographs.

“My successor Dr Lloyd Roderick, shadowing me at the moment, takes over on 1 August.

“I’m very pleased to have someone so enthusiastic taking over the reigns and I wish him and all the library staff well for the future.”

The library wish him well too. Summing up Will and his work, National Library of Wales Chief Executive Rhodri Llwyd Morgan said: "Will's contribution to the development and care of the photographic collection throughout his career at the library has been invaluable.

“His knowledge of the collection and history of photography is truly encyclopaedic.

“On the occasion of his retirement, the library would like to express our thanks for his outstanding contribution to safeguarding the photographic memory of Wales as well as for his friendship as a valued colleague.”

To celebrate Will’s remarkable career, he was asked to launch an exhibition. ‘Curator’s Lens: A Career in Collecting’ features some of his favourite photographs from the library’s collection and is on display at the library until September.