Skeps, tools and accessories

IBRA Historical Collection, Part II. 2009, Soft back, 36 pp. Produced and published by IBRA. ISBN: 0 86098 260 2. Skeps and skep making are an incredibly important part of beekeeping history and tradition so this little book is both fascinating and informative. It is intended to give the reader a brief history of skeps, to look at how they were made, used and modified before the wooden hive made them redundant and little more than a collector’s toy, an historical curiosity. There is also a brief insight into how the skep has become a symbol not just of beekeeping but also of the hard work and the industriousness exemplified by the bees. This book has been compiled from the artefacts in the IBRA Museum Collection. To complement the individual items additional materials and illustrations have been used, all of which have been sourced from IBRA’s unique photographic, journal and book collections. Over 90 (colour and black and white) pictures and illustrations throughout.