Brighton YAC – The Secret Life (and Death) of Pets

Brighton YAC will ‘let the cat out of the bag’ on Preston Manor’s Late Victorian and Edwardian Pet Cemetery. Believed to be the only example in Sussex, this is the final resting place of 16 known dogs and 3 cats. Brighton members are conducting their own graveyard study and consulting local archives to reveal the hidden story behind these beloved but often over-looked Brighton residents. What tales will they tell that we can share with our community?

Follow them @BrightonYAC

What was the main output from the project?

An interactive illustrated map of the cemetery. The map includes hand drawn maps and images as well as embedded videos.  

You can download a copy here: Preston Manor Pet Cemetery Interactive Map

The embedded videos focus on individual pets from the cemetery presented by different YAC members, which you can access via QR codes. You can hear about their history, their owners and take a look at pictures and drawings of each pet. Below you can watch George (wait for the comedy ending)!

What else did they create?

Extra content produced included: sound recordings; photographs; graveyard studies; 3 Preston Manor plans at different scales; maps; pet portraits; archive notes on pets; 7 videos narrating the lives of 7 different pets and a video documenting the project whole.