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Archives Collection

Bronte manuscripts, letters, poems, first and early editions of novels and poems, later editions, and copies of Bronte related material in other collections e.g. Gondal Poems manuscript in British Library. Also journals, pamphlets, books, newspaper cuttings about the Brontes and works by people associated with them; legal documents e.g. birth, marriage and death certificates and early Bronte Society correspondence and Mildred Christian research papers; drama archive of ephemera related to plays, films and television productions. Brotherton Library, Leeds University has a large collection of Branwell material. Bronte manuscripts, letters, poems, first and early editions and later editions of novels and poems. Also journals, pamphlets, books, newspaper cuttings about the Brontes and works by people associated with them. early Bronte Society correspondence and Mildred Christian research papers.

Decorative and Applied Art Collection

31 items of textile samplers, patchwork, lace and veils, work boxes, needle cases and quilted tea caddy made by or used by the Brontes Approximately 200 objects mainly 19th century covering the range of ceramics.

Source: Cornucopia

Date: Not known, but before 2015

Licence: CC BY-NC

The collections were started in the 1930s by two scientists working at East Mailing Research Station in Kent. They were stored in a site owned by the Kent County Council during the second world war. Just after the war, when Wye College (University of London) re-opened as the School of Agriculture (it had previously been the South-Eastern Agricultural College) some staff and students of the College agreed with the KCC that the collected items should be moved to Wye College as the beginnings of a Museum of Agriculture in Kent. The collections were spread around buildings on the College farm until the mid-1950s when the College bought an adjacent property and land belonging to the retiring farmer of Court Lodge farm in Brook. The property included a late 14th century Manorial barn, an early 19th century oast house and some adjacent buildings and these became the base for the collections as the Wye College Agricultural Museum. In 1996 Wye College decided to sell the site and the Wye Rural Museum Trust was formed, raised the necessary funds and bought it. The College then donated all the collections to the Trust, which has run the Museum since then.

Source: Collection development policy

Date: 2023

Licence: CC BY-NC

The current collections relate to the history of agriculture in Kent, and as far as possible all the items were either made in Kent, used in the county, or both. They cover mainly the period when the main power on the farm was provided by oxen, horses and manual staff, though there are a small number of exceptions – for example a small Ferguson tractor. The bulk of the collections are housed in the barn mentioned above, but the oast house contains many hop-related items and a large collection of hand tools and other small items. A large proportion of the collections is highly accessible and mostly able to be handled, though care is taken in relation to sharp or pointed items.

Source: Collection development policy

Date: 2023

Licence: CC BY-NC

Transport

This extensive collection covers themes of social history, science and industry in addition to transport. The site itself is of historical importance and original buildings relating to Brooklands’ motor racing or aviation history, such as the 1907 BARC Clubhouse, the original workshops and tuning sheds, petrol pagodas, the 1911 Flight Ticket Office and any bridges spanning the Track are considered an important part of the collection. Site features include items that have either survived on the Museum site alongside the buildings or returned from elsewhere, e.g. Original track gates, timing equipment, petrol pumps and a programme-seller’s kiosk. The aim is to restore all surviving site features in-situ or, where necessary, to recreate them with identical or replica examples. Motor Vehicles fall into five categories: Racing cars such as John Cobb’s 1933 Napier Railton, designed, built and raced at Brooklands and the perpetual holder of the Brooklands Outer Circuit Lap Record (Cat A), the Duesenberg racing car that spent most of its racing life at Brooklands (Cat A), the 1923 Halford Special that competed in the 1926 British Grand Prix at Brooklands (Cat A) and racing cars of the Brooklands era such as a 1935 MP PA that is not known to have raced at Brooklands (Cat B). Racing cars that demonstrate the development of racing car technology and engineering to the present day, such as the locally-built Formula 1 McLaren. This subject area is the most relevant to Brooklands and the Museum seeks to expand its collection of Brooklands racing cars as space and other resources (i.e. funds) permit. Sports Cars- Many sports cars competed at Brooklands in trials and driving tests – the Alvis Speed Twenty and Morgan 3-wheeler would be such examples but are Category B as they are not known to have competed at Brooklands. There are only six such cars on display and it is not intended to expand on this subject. Veteran and Vintage Cars -A few examples of the first ‘Horseless Cerritos’ demonstrate the early experimental development of the motor car before the availability of the Brooklands Track to the motor industry for testing purposes. This collecting area is currently limited to four cars: one, the 1910 AC Sociable (Cat.B) represents a local industry, AC Cars that used the Track to race and develop the marque. The Allen Runabout (Cat.B) is a fine example of a ‘Horseless Carriage’, particularly useful for schools’ visits. A 1904 Siddeley two-seater (Cat.A), however, was owned by Hugh & Ethel Locke King who built the Brooklands Track, and is a key exhibit in the ‘Building of Brooklands’ display. Family Saloon Cars – Another limited area containing only four vehicles. These, such as the 1928 Vauxhall Saloon are Category B and represent the social aspects of Brooklands on Race days. It is not intended to seek to increase this subject area. Airfield Vehicles and Miscellaneous Motor Vehicles – Those that serviced Brooklands-related aircraft, the Weybridge site or the Brooklands race track. The Museum currently has in its collection a 1938 Vickers-Armstrongs Supermarine Merryweather fire engine (Cat. B) and has displayed on loan a Crossley Condor recovery vehicle (Cat.B) and a 1949 Vickers-Armstrongs David Brown aircraft tractor (ex Brooklands – Cat A). Aircraft The priority collecting area for aircraft is examples of those machines that were built at Brooklands such as the VickersWellington bomber ‘R’ for ‘Robert’ (Cat A), civil airliners such as the Vickers VC10 (Cat A) or examples that flew at Brooklands in a civil or military training context such as the Tiger Moth and Avro 504K. Aircraft Components and Accessories Components including aero-engines, propellers and radios are collected and displayed where they are relevant to aircraft already on display or being sought by the Museum. Accessories will be collected where they enhance the interpretation of displays. Motor Cycles Motorcycles are collected to represent the racing motorcyclists and machines that raced at the Track. There are 17 in the Collection. The Museum is keen to add examples of racing bikes such as the Grindlay Peerless (Cat A), currently on display, which achieved a gold star on the Track in the 1930’s. The Museum owns a 1922 Zenith (Cat B) and the 1921 ABC Sopwith (Cat B) which, while not strictly racing bikes, were both locally built and the marques were heavily associated with Brooklands through competition and testing. A few other motorbikes of the pre-war years are displayed in connection with the social aspects of Brooklands. These include a 1927 Sunbeam (Cat. B) which is exhibited in the ‘Day at the Races’ section of the Brooklands Racing display. Cycles Cycle racing took place on the Brooklands Track throughout the working life of the Track 1907-1939. The remaining parts of the Track were also used in the 1960’s and ’70s as a cycle racing venue. The last official cycle race took place in 1993. The Museum seeks to acquire racing bicycles such as the 1937 Higgins (Cat A), believed to have raced at Brooklands, and the 1901 BSA Path Racer (Cat B), but there is also a representative collection of road cycles of the type that Brooklands’ employees and race-goers would have ridden. Cycles were also used around the aircraft factory at Brooklands for deliveries and other services and three examples (Cat.A) were saved from the British Aerospace factory. The Cyclist Touring Club (Cat B-C) collection is also on loan to the Museum. The collection ranges from the 1880’s to the 1950’s and is of particular benefit to school groups and for demonstration purposes. The Nash collection of bicycles and tricycles (Cat A) is of particular importance to Brooklands as it was part of the ‘International Horseless Carriage Corporation’ established by R.G.J Nash at Brooklands in the 1930’s.

Archives

The museum holds a collection of over 50,000 archives.

Photographic

The museum holds a collection of over 20,000 photographs.

Source: Cornucopia

Date: Not known, but before 2015

Licence: CC BY-NC

The Brunel Museum is housed in the Engine House and Tunnel Shaft, both elements of Marc Isambard Brunel’s Thames Tunnel, built between 1825-43, the first tunnel under a navigable river anywhere in the world. In 1975, a group of enthusiasts took on the task of restoring the former Engine House, to create displays and show collections related to the Tunnel and the Brunel family. The Brunel Museum became an accredited museum in 1991. Its collections were at first very small, largely on loan from other institutions. The Museum has always implemented a strict collections development policy with a view to developing a coherent collection, though it has expanded its focus to encompass the SS Great Eastern, a steamship launched by Isambard Kingdom Brunel at Millwall, just downriver from the Museum. Several items have been donated by individuals, including former Trustees and descendants of the Brunels.

Source: Collection development policy

Date: 2024

Licence: CC BY-NC

As of 2024, the Museum currently 154 objects, including objects on loan from private and public collections. The majority of the collections consist of works on paper – some 70 objects. This includes the Thames Tunnel watercolours, a set of 32 images produced by Brunel and his draughtsmen between 1818-43, which document the design and construction of the Thames Tunnel. These were acquired in 2017 at auction, thanks to the generous support of various institutions.

The Museum also holds a range of other objects, including:

• Three Thames Tunnel peepshows
• An 1828 model of the Thames Tunnel
• Items of dress (buckles, a fan, kerchiefs)
• Contemporary prints of the Thames Tunnel
• Souvenirs from the Thames Tunnel
• Large-scale models of the Thames Tunnel
• Two contemporary guidebooks of the Thames Tunnel

The Museum’s holdings of SS Great Eastern material includes:

• Photographs of the SS Great Eastern by Robert Howlett
• Printed ship plans by J.S. Russell
• A scrimshaw engraved conch shell
• A contemporary stereocard

The Museum is currently in the process of uploading all its objects to the online catalogue; about half of the collection is currently visible online.

Source: Collection development policy

Date: 2024

Licence: CC BY-NC

The history of Bruton is commemorated in the fascinating collection of objects housed in the museum on the High Street at the heart of the medieval Somerset market-town. The museum was founded in the 1990s by a local history teacher and opened at its current site in 1999. The museum, run by volunteers, exhibits scores of historic objects and images as well as the work of local artists and craftspeople.

Source: Collection development policy

Date: 2024

Licence: CC BY-NC

Bruton is built over a Jurassic outcrop, and some spectacular fossils from the locality are an important part of the museum collection. A large ammonite on display was found in a garden directly beneath the bay window in the museum. It is a member of the genus Sonnididae, a key representative of the Middle Inferior Oolite rock which underlies much of Bruton.

Prehistoric flint tools and evidence of flint-tool making are among the earliest evidence of human activity in the vicinity of Bruton, some examples of which are on display.

Although strong evidence of Roman activity is absent in the river-valley where the Anglo- Saxon town of Bruton emerged several centuries later, two spectacular high-status Romano- British sites have been excavated close by. On the top of Creech Hill, known as Lamyatt Beacon, there was a late third-century Romano-British temple. It was in use until the early fifth century AD. The museum displays coins, brooches, beads, spearheads and Roman figurines associated with this site. Facsimiles of figurines of Mars, Hercules, a priest, Minerva and Mercury excavated on Creech Hill can be seen in the museum.

In March 1984 a Saxon-era sword, probably of ninth-century date, was discovered in the east of the parish at Sheephouse Farm in Cogley Wood, during the excavations for the dam that was to be constructed there by Wessex Water. It is now kept at the Museum of Somerset but a reconstruction of the original, made in 1986, can be seen in Bruton Museum. It is classified as a ‘type L’ sword, of which 15 have been found in Britain. Although more have been found in Norway, many, if not all, of these are thought to have been of British origin. Thus it can be presumed to be an ‘English’ sword and quite possibly one intended for the defence of Wessex during the reign of Alfred the Great (871–899).

Material associated with Bruton’s medieval priory (subsequently an abbey) is displayed. This includes a large Doulting stone fragment, carved on all sides but most strikingly with what appears to be a horned demonic creature or grotesque, and is dated on stylistic grounds to the mid-12th century. Its form suggests that it comes from a cloister or arcade, possibly part of Bruton Priory. It was found in the basement of 17 Quaperlake Street. A delicately carved head with closed eyes can be seen in the museum. It is atypical of the late-Norman period and may have been reworked at a later date. A large fragment on display appears to be the central boss from the earlier chancel of St Mary’s Church. The 12th-century chancel survived until the re-modelling of the east end of the church by Sir Charles Berkeley in 1743, which is why remnants of it have been found. The carved interlacing motif represents the Trinity. Its carved oak leaf is a fine example of ‘stiff leaf’ carving, characteristic of the 12th century. The workmanship shows that the resources and probably the skills brought with the canons from Normandy were considerable. This fragment was found in the garden of the former rectory.

Two splendid carved statues on display may have come from the Berkeley mansion on the abbey site following its dissolution. The style suggests they were carved in the 18th century and that they have origins in Mesopotamia. It has been suggested they might be copies of figures seen or collected by a member of the Berkeley family while travelling abroad and that they were then placed in ornamental niches on their Bruton estate. They were given to the museum by the family of the late Dr Jack Taylor.

We have a number of items concerning Bruton’s American connections and a dedicated case displaying some of these. Sir William Berkeley of Bruton (1605–1677), in August 1641, purchased the governorship of Virginia. He was instrumental in the development of Jamestown and the westward expansion beyond Virginia’s frontiers. In 1674 the new parish of Bruton, in honour of its governor, Berkeley, and his fellow Brutonian, Thomas Ludwell, was created in Virginia where Williamsburg was subsequently established. This silver plate, now in Bruton Museum, was presented to the town to commemorate Williamsburg’s 300th anniversary in 1999. In the 1620s John and William Ames left Wyke for Massachusetts, where, until 1952, the family business manufactured the famous ‘Ames Shovel’, standard issue for the US Army – a pristine example of which was gifted to the museum by the Ames family in c.2000.

Bruton Museum was able to buy a tankard in July 2017 through the generosity of the V&A Purchase Grant Fund and an Art Fund grant. It is a rare William III/Queen Anne silver tankard made in Bruton by Gabriel Felling and it is marked with the initials GF in nine places. Felling trained in London as a leading Royal Goldsmith, and he was in Bruton in 1678. His business was probably in the High Street and he died here in 1714. The tankard has signs of an earlier crest behind the wheatsheaf engraving. This was a fairly common 19th-century motif, but the tankard’s earlier ownership is not known. Felling is probably best known for the Aeneas Dish in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Other pieces are in the Museum of Somerset in Taunton, Longleat House and in several local parishes. He is known for fine tankards with distinctive engraving, sugar casters, spoons and communion plate, examples of which are owned by St Mary’s, Bruton.

The German artist, Ernst Blensdorf (1896–1976) spent the last 36 years of his life working and living quietly with his family mainly in an old farmhouse next to the railway line just beyond the outskirts of Bruton. Much of our important Blensdorf collection is on display, including sketches, ceramics, and fine sculptures carved in Somerset elm.

One of America’s greatest and most prolific writers of the 20th century, John Ernst Steinbeck (1902–1968) lived in Bruton for most of 1959 while researching and writing his version of Thomas Malory’s late medieval chivalric romance, printed as Le Morte d’Arthur by William Caxton in 1485. Material on display include a first edition copy of Steinbeck’s book, published posthumously in 1976 as The Acts and Deeds of King Arthur and His Noble Knights. Soon after his arrival in Bruton, he ordered a ‘table-top architect’s board that tilts’ because of the pain he felt in his back and neck when leaning over a desk to write. It was made by Admel Drafting Equipment and supplied by Lawes Rabjohns Ltd of Westminster. A few years ago, the same tilting board, kept ever since in store at Discove Manor, was recognised as that commissioned by Steinbeck, and, in 2006, presented to Bruton Museum. This is one of the highlights in the museum’s collection.

Other significant objects in the collection and on display include a fine toll board from Batcombe Gate, various items linked to Bruton’s railway history, a large collection of signage from commercial premises, the town bier, materials detailing aspects of industry and manufacture in the vicinity, and a range of household goods. We also have numerous documentary records in store and a large collection of relevant images (mostly photographs and old postcards).

Source: Collection development policy

Date:

Licence: CC BY-NC

The museum is open to the public and tells the story of Buckingham and rural life, including the Flora Thompson Collection (author of Lark Rise to Candleford) and Buckinghamshire Military Trust exhibits.The Buckinghamshire Military Museum Trust is based at the museum, and houses its collections there. In addition to arms, regalia, and other military memorabilia, the Buckinghamshire Military Museum Trust also holds a small collection of military musical instruments, including early examples of rope-tensioned side drums.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article “Buckingham Old Gaol”, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Source: Wikipedia

Date: 2025

Licence: CC-BY-SA

Militaria

The collections relate to the former County regiments of Buckinghamshire from the mid 18th century to present in particular uniforms and related equipment and edged weapons of the Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry/Hussars from 1820-1914; The Buckinghamshire Battalions and the Royal Bucks King’s Own Militia are less well represented and the post 1918 material is poor. Documents and photographs are held in the Buckinghamshire County Record Office and the reserve collection held in the County Museum stores. In total there are 333 items of costume and textiles, 285 items of archive, 19 weapons, 50 medals, one painting and 466 photographs.

Local and Social History

The collections relate to Buckingham and area from 200 AD to present with the majority form the 19th and 20th centuries. Documents and photographs are held in the Buckinghamshire County Record Office and the reserve collection held in the County Museum stores. In total there are 29 agricultural items, 535 archaeology, 33 items of costume and textiles, 285 items of archive, 19 weapons, 50 medals, 165 geological, 514 personalia, 560 domestic social history, 208 trades and industry, 40 transport, 49 civic, one painting and 466 photographs.

Source: Cornucopia

Date: Not known, but before 2015

Licence: CC BY-NC

Fine Art Collection

Paintings, prints and drawings of Hampstead area, including bequest of large collection of works by Helen Allingham (1848-1926), and Curtis Collection of local images and ephemera, purchased 1996.

Local History Collection

Local history objects, documents, books and pictures relating to Hampstead in North London. Bequest of Helen Allingham works from her family. Curtis collection of 600 prints and ephemera purchased 1996. Books by local writers, works by local artists and personal items, fairings from Hampstead Fair.

Subjects

Jewish History

Source: Cornucopia

Date: Not known, but before 2015

Licence: CC BY-NC

The Society of Antiquaries effectively acted as a national museum for British antiquities before public museums were given this statutory role in the mid nineteenth century. Today the registered collections of the Society form a key resource for research and learning in archaeology, the decorative and applied arts and architectural history, and in the wider study of material culture. Although a small collection, it includes objects of national and international importance. Until the late 20th century the collection grew mainly organically, as objects brought to the Society’s meetings to be studied by its Fellows were often deposited afterwards. Large bequests only began after the Society received its Royal Charter in 1751. These have included gifts of prints and drawings, manuscripts, rare books, and paintings. As such, the collection reflects the broad and evolving interests of Antiquarians over more than 300 years.

Source: Collection development policy

Date: 2023

Licence: CC BY-NC

The Society of Antiquaries Museum collection comprises over 45,000 objects stored and displayed across two sites: Burlington House in London and Kelmscott Manor in West Oxfordshire. The collection represents material culture and fine and decorative art collected by the Society, as well as objects associated with the development of the Society itself, and its own position as an organisation of historic standing.

The Society’s Museum collections at Burlington House are also pre-eminent for the study of the history of collecting, together with the discipline of archaeology and related historic material culture studies in Britain and other countries.

Periods

The Society’s core museum collections at Burlington House span the prehistoric period to the 19th century.

Themes

Predominantly represent the history, archaeology, and art of the British Isles. Likewise, a core element of the Society’s collections relates to its own history and development.

Geography

There is a smaller percentage of continental and world culture objects, and a smaller number of objects relating to the Society’s history in more recent years.

Other collection types

The Society is currently developing handling collections.

Burlington House summary of collections:

• Approximately 2000 archaeological artefacts spanning the Prehistoric to the early post-medieval period, collected predominantly from the United Kingdom but also representing archaeological sites and cultures across Europe, the Middle East and Far East. The archaeological collection includes Egyptian, Etruscan and Roman material.
• A small number of monumental brasses dating from the 15th -17th centuries, previously belonging to Warner and Sons (Spitalfields Foundry) and Rev J Fuller Russell (FSA 1853-84).
• Approximately 13,000 rubbings of monumental brasses dating from the 15th -17th centuries, predominantly from the British Isles, with some continental examples.
• A small but significant collection of clocks, including a gilded brass table clock made by Joseph Zech in 1525 – the oldest known spring-driven clock in England.
• 84 historic oil paintings, including panel paintings of medieval and Tudor monarchs, two of which represent the earliest surviving portraits of two British kings, Richard III and Henry VII.
• Subject paintings, predominantly showing historic views of buildings and ancient monuments.
• Approximately 20,000 prints and drawings, including works commissioned by the Society for its publications, and images of regional landscapes, buildings, and churches, including details of their architectural features.
• Approximately 11,000 seal impressions, casts and seal matrices, predominantly representing seals and matrices from England (mainly medieval) and some examples of seal impressions and casts from Britain, America, Africa and Europe of different types and periods. Some seal matrices also have links to historically important individuals, such as Edward Gibbon (FSA 1788-1794).
• Commemorative medals, many representing individuals who played a role in the Society’s early history. The medals mainly date from the 16th century onwards.
• Society regalia representing the history and development of the Society since the 18th century.
• 17th to 19th century furniture associated with the Society’s history both at Somerset House and at Burlington House.

Source: Collection development policy

Date: 2023

Licence: CC BY-NC

Local and Social History

Small archaeological collection from Palaeolithic to late Roman artefacts. Notable is the Red Hills salt making briquetage.; The maritime history of Burnham is interpreted through photographs and object.; Photographs, documents, printed ephemera and pictures. Some images are digitised for computer access in the museum.; Collection of photographs of the locality. Some images are digitised for computer access in the museum.; The collection includes farm tools and equipment and material relating to the building of sea walls and sea defences.; The collection reflects the daily lives of the people of Burnham and the Dengie Hundred Tucker Brown; R J Prior and Son; William King and Son; Guy Thompson; Stan Bigmore; Jim French;G U Laws; Norman Dallimore; Oliver ‘Tubby’ Lee; Stebbings collection of sea walling, sail making and boat building tools relate to the local industries of Tucker Brown, R J Prior and Son, William King and Son and Stebbings.; Images, ephemera and small objects focus on the significant contribution of local boat designers to both the commercial and recreational marine worlds. (Motor torpedo boats, Dragon class dinghy, Stella class cruise yachts and racing yachts were all built locally). Boat designers featured include Guy Thompson, Stan Bigmore, Jim French, G U Laws, Norman Dallimore and Oliver ‘Tubby’ Lee.; Objects and photographs relating to oyster farming and the fishing industries from Saxon times to the 20th century.

Source: Cornucopia

Date: Not known, but before 2015

Licence: CC BY-NC