Dig Where You Stand
Dig Where You Stand is an archival justice movement. A collective of artists, archivists, educators and local community members worked together to unearth the lost stories of South Yorkshires People of Colour. The DYWS collective delved deep into the vaults of the Sheffield Archives, trawled through the stacks and explored archived footage with a fresh lens. After sifting through records dating back centuries, the stories and findings were presented in a vast range of creative mediums at the DWYS Biennale exhibition, held all over the city. Visit the main DWYS webpage for more on each of the stories uncovered.
Archived in the Sheffield Archives are records of payment to two footmen, Romulus Wimbledon and Remus Steinfeld, in 1772. A further dive into the Wentworth Woodhouse Memorandum revealed letters with descriptions on these two servants, and mention of them being black. The letters suggest that the footmen were gifted to Lady Rockingham for their remarkable talents in music and entertainment.

















