Local History Society Collection App
Vitrine is a collection management app designed for local history societies, heritage groups, and community archives. Catalog photographs, documents, maps, and artefacts. Publish a public collection website. Professional plans from £79/month — or start free.
Why local history societys choose Vitrine
Collections are often unmanaged spreadsheets or worse
Many local history societies manage their collections in spreadsheets, paper registers, or not at all. Vitrine provides a proper catalogue without requiring technical expertise or a large budget.
Volunteers need appropriate access without technical training
Volunteers come and go. Vitrine's role-based access lets you give new volunteers limited editing rights, while trustees retain full control — no IT knowledge required.
There is no easy way to share the collection with the community
Local history collections belong to the community. Vitrine's public collection page lets your society share its holdings online automatically, making them accessible to researchers and residents.
Features for local history societys
Full cataloguing for mixed collections
Catalog photographs, maps, documents, books, artefacts, and oral history recordings in a single collection — each with appropriate fields.
Volunteer access management
Add volunteers as Editors or Viewers. Trustees and officers can be Admins. No technical configuration required.
Document and image storage
Attach scanned documents and photographs to catalogue records. Keep the digital copy permanently linked to the catalogue entry.
Public collection website
Publish a public page showing your holdings. Researchers can search and browse your collection without visiting in person.
CSV bulk import
Import existing spreadsheet records on Professional plans. No need to re-enter everything from scratch.
Loans tracking
Track items loaned to exhibitions, schools, or other organisations. Know where everything is at all times.
How to catalog your archive items with Vitrine
- 1
Create your society account
Sign up at vitrinecms.com. The Community plan is free for up to 100 items. Professional gives full functionality for £79/month.
- 2
Import or enter your collection
Import an existing spreadsheet via CSV on Professional plans, or start entering items one by one. Everything is saved automatically.
- 3
Add your volunteers and officers
Invite volunteers by email and assign appropriate roles. Trustees get Admin access; cataloguers get Editor access; public enquirers can be Viewers.
- 4
Publish your online collection
Make selected items publicly visible and your collection page goes live automatically. Researchers can find and browse your holdings online.
Vitrine vs other archive items tools
| Tool | Limitation |
|---|---|
| Vitrine | Web-based, free to start, full cataloguing with public collection page |
| PastPerfect Online | Designed for US museums. Annual licensing fees that stretch small society budgets, with limited support for UK catalogue standards. |
| Flickr / Google Photos | Photo sharing tools, not collection management systems. No catalogue fields, no loans tracking, no access control. |
| Excel spreadsheet | Used by many societies by necessity. No image storage, no public website, and fragile when volunteer turnover occurs. |
Pricing for local history societys
Community — Free. Up to 100 items, public collection page, core cataloguing.
Hobbyist — £5/month. Up to 1,000 items, collection analytics, CSV import, wanted list, and 100 MB document storage.
Professional — £79/month. Up to 5,000 items, full dashboard, visitor analytics, event ticketing, compliance tools, staff accounts, and 1 GB document storage.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vitrine affordable for a volunteer-run society?
Yes. The Community plan is free for up to 100 items. The Professional plan at £79/month gives your society full cataloguing, staff accounts, document storage, and a public collection website.
Can we catalog photographs alongside documents and artefacts?
Yes. Vitrine handles mixed collections. Use the category field to separate photographs, documents, maps, and three-dimensional objects within the same account.
How do we manage volunteer access when members change?
Add volunteers by email and assign them a role. When a volunteer leaves, you can remove their access immediately. This prevents the "orphaned spreadsheet" problem that affects many societies.
Can the public search our collection online?
Yes. Your public collection page lets anyone browse and search items you have made publicly visible. Researchers can find what you hold before making an enquiry.
Can we import our existing spreadsheet?
Yes, on Professional plans. Export your spreadsheet as CSV and import it into Vitrine. Map your columns to Vitrine fields and review before committing.
Start cataloguing your archive items
Free to start. No credit card required. Your collection stays private until you choose to share it.
Create your free account →