KPS material consist of:
-administration records containing general correspondence and enquiries between the NPG, Maidstone Borough Council, Kent History Federation and survey co-ordinators.
-survey returns filed by medium, busts
-survey returns filed alphabetically by parish names
The Kent Portrait Survey (KPS) was established in 1967 by the Local History Committee at Kent Council of Social Service. The purpose of the survey is to record the existence of portraits in the county of Kent (except for one file, KPS/2/2/82 'Out of Kent'), in private and public collections and not restricted to format, period or persons of historical importance.
Surveys were conducted by local co-ordinators and completed forms were sent to Maidstone Museum. Information from the survey was then passed onto the Gallery for inclusion in the archive & library's portrait index of sitters. It was encouraged that labels were affixed to the back of portraits to indicate the portrait had been recorded and to notify Maidstone Museum if the portrait changed ownership or destroyed.
Completed survey forms ceased around 2003 although correspondence and enquiries of later years up to 2013 have been included in the files mainly relating to new ownership or change of addresses.
Available to view by appointment in the Heinz Archive and Library Public Study Room, to make an appointment contact Archive Reception . Although records are generally available for public consultation, some information in them, such as personal data or information supplied to the Gallery in confidence, may be restricted.
Personal photography is permitted for research purposes only. Photocopying is not permitted.
