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SeaCity Museum
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q7439809
- Part of:
- Southampton Cultural Services
- Instance of:
- maritime museum; local authority museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 2296
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q7439809/
- Collection level records:
- Yes, see Southampton Cultural Services
Seaford Museum
(collection-level records)
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q7440387
- Also known as:
- Martello Tower No. 74, Seaford Museum and Heritage Centre
- Instance of:
- local museum; nonprofit organization; independent museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 1497
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q7440387/
Collection-level records:
-
Collection history (Collection development policy)
In 1970 a group of people, who belonged to a local history society, wanted to set up a museum. An event displaying pictures was set up and residents were invited to attend and to bring information and items of local interest. The proceeds from this event allowed for the purchase of a caravan and the birth of Seaford Museum. It was subsequently possible to move into a temporarily empty building where the Museum grew with community support. In 1978 the Museum became the first tenants, at a peppercorn rent, of the newly renovated Martello tower, which was owned by Seaford Town Council.
Source: Collection development policy
Date: 2022
Licence: CC BY-NC
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Collection overview (Collection development policy)
As of January 2022, there are 9648 three-dimensional items in the collections, all of which have been accessioned, in addition to large archive collections, of which over 25,000 documents have been accessioned. The collections fall into three main categories:
- Documents and photographs relating to the history of the town and port of Seaford, Sussex, and its environs.
- Items relating to the archaeology, geology and a natural history of the town and port of Seaford, Sussex, and its environs.
- Objects that relate to the social, maritime and military history of the town and port of Seaford, Sussex, and its environs.
Particular strengths of the collections include material from several local shops, early domestic electrical equipment, office machinery, radios and television sets. An important part of the archive collections is a large quantity of house particulars donated by a local estate agent and which give an unusually good picture of housing and development in Seaford.
Source: Collection development policy
Date: 2022
Licence: CC BY-NC
The Seaside Museum Herne Bay
(collection-level records)
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q5742330
- Also known as:
- The Seaside Museum, Herne Bay Museum and Gallery, Seaside Museum, Herne Bay Museum & Gallery, Seaside Museum Herne Bay, Herne Bay Museum Centre, Herne Bay Museum
- Instance of:
- art museum; local museum; independent museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 1978
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q5742330/
Collection-level records:
-
Collection overview (Cornucopia)
Social History
Over 750 items relating to the history of the Victorian seaside resort of Herne Bay and its surrounding area including seaside holidays and attractions, the town’s piers and the development of the resort, the town’s famous clock tower (once the tallest in the country), town life and people. Over 750 images relating to the history of the Victorian seaside resort of Herne Bay and its surrounding area.
Source: Cornucopia
Date: Not known, but before 2015
Licence: CC BY-NC
Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences
(collection-level records)
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q17028042
- Also known as:
- University of Cambridge Museums
- Instance of:
- museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 692
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q17028042/
Collection-level records:
-
Collection history (Collection development policy)
Woodwardian Collection
The personal collection of Dr John Woodward (1665-1728) in its original secretaire style collector’s cabinets. The collection, part bequeathed to the University by Woodward in 1728, part purchased from his executors, is one of the world’s oldest intact geological collections and is historically unique. It comprises 9,400 rocks, minerals, fossils and archaeological artefacts. The collection was added to sporadically during the 18th century by successive Woodwardian professors but has been a purely static collection since the early 19th century.
Palaeontology Collection
The palaeontological collection can be traced back to the activities of Adam Sedgwick 7th Woodwardian Professor appointed in 1818. Sedgwick set out to develop a comprehensive geological reference collection and establish a dedicated geological Museum in Cambridge (which opened in the Cockerell Building in about 1842). Initially based on the specimens collected during the field excursions of Sedgwick and Prof. John Stevens Henslow amongst others the collection was expanded through the purchase of significant objects (e.g. Sedgwick’s ‘Giant Elk’ and ‘Whitby Plesiosaur’) and collections (e.g. Münster Collection c. 1839). The collection has also benefited from the local exploitation of mineral resources, in particular brick manufacture (Oxford and Kimmeridge Clay fossils), phosphate mineral extraction and cement manufacture (Neolithic-Bronze Age peat, Cam river gravel and Cambridge Greensand fossils).
Mineral Collection
The Mineral Collection was formally established in 1808 with the creation of the Chair of Mineralogy. However, many of its specimens can be traced back to collections of the late 18th century, such as those of Sir Abraham Hume and the Duchess of Portland. About half of the 40,000 – 55,000 specimens of the present collection came in four collections: Hume (acquired 1841), H. Brooke (1857), J. Carne (1899) and T. Wiltshire (1897).
Petrology Collection
Igneous & Metamorphic Petrology (‘Harker’) Collection
The Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology Collection is also known as the ‘Harker Collection’ after Alfred Harker, who curated it from the 1880s until his death in 1939. Harker took the igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks collected by earlier workers such as Adam Sedgwick, John Stevens Henslow and Charles Darwin and systematically organised and catalogued them. He also oversaw and engaged in the acquisition of new material by collection, purchase, donation and exchange. In 1931 the Petrology section was split off from the Sedgwick Museum and combined with Mineralogy to form a new department, the Department of Mineralogy and Petrology. During this process it seems that only the igneous and metamorphic rocks in the collection were transferred to the Department of Mineralogy and Petrology; sedimentary rocks being retained by the Department of Geology (Sedgwick Museum). The igneous and metamorphic rock collection was returned to the Sedgwick Museum in 1980 when the three Departments of Geodesy and Geophysics, Geology (Sedgwick Museum) and Mineralogy and Petrology amalgamated to form the current Department of Earth Sciences and Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences.
Sedimentary Petrology (‘Maurice Black’) Collection
The Sedimentary Petrology Collection can be traced back to the origins of the Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology Collection becoming a collection in its own right when the Sedgwick Museum’s igneous and metamorphic rocks were transferred to the Department of Mineralogy and Petrology in 1931 (see above). It is also sometimes known as the ‘Maurice Black Collection’, after Maurice Black a carbonate sedimentologist in the Department of Geology, who developed the collection during the 1930s -1960s.
‘John Watson’ Building Stone Collection
The John Watson Building Stone Collection is a comprehensive collection of traditional building stones, roofing slates, road stones, flagstones and decorative and ornamental stones that were in extensive use throughout Britain and its colonies during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is based on the collection of 300 British & foreign building stones, and specimens illustrating the manufacture of plasters and cements from their raw materials given to the Sedgwick Museum by Watson on his retirement from the Portland cement industry in 1905. Watson continued to develop the collection for the Museum up until his death in 1918, by which time the collection comprised approximately 2,500 well documented specimens, mostly covered by Watson’s published catalogues.
Sedgwick Museum education ‘handling collection’
The Museum’s handling collection comprises about 1,000 rocks, minerals and fossils administered by the Museum’s Education Coordinator. The collection is used for teaching and handling activities in the Museum and forms the core collection for the development of school loan boxes. The collection is partly based on specimens drawn from the reserve collections, some of which may relate to donors or collectors of historical significance. The remainder of the collection consists mostly of disposals from Departmental field collections and specimens collected or purchased by education staff. The collection is added to occasionally to replace damaged and deteriorated specimens or to support the development of new educational resources.
Department of Earth Sciences Teaching Collection and Examination Series
The Department of Earth Sciences holds a large amount of material for teaching and examination purposes. Much of this material has been drawn together from the activities of the three former departments and their associated Museums (including the Sedgwick Museum) that now form the Department of Earth Sciences. The collection also contains material obtained by departmental staff for teaching purposes through field collection or disposal from other academic/educational establishments. Although the collection contains a large proportion of what can be considered as Museum specimens, the Museum currently exercises little control over acquisition or disposal.
Recent organisational changes in the Department and Museum have however enabled a reappraisal of these collections and where responsibilities for them lie.
Source: Collection development policy
Date: 2019
Licence: CC BY-NC
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Collection overview (Collection development policy)
Woodwardian Collection
This collection contains specimens obtained from many of Woodward’s contacts including members of the Royal Society such as Sir Isaac Newton and Sir Christopher Wren. The collection is international in scope, there being specimens from most of the known 17th Century world including those obtained from the explorer William Dampier, Johann Jakob Scheuzer and Abraham von Schönberg (superintendent of mines Saxony and Lord Chamberlain to August III of Poland). Many specimens have been figured in early treatises concerning theories on the origin of fossils, including around 50 fossils figured as early as 1670 by the artist and naturalist Agostino Scilla. Others have been figured by Martin Lister and John Morton. It also contains the world’s earliest collection of minerals from the Carpathians. The collection is remarkably well-documented for its time, in Woodward’s catalogues published posthumously.
Palaeontology Collection
The collection currently comprises well over a million individual specimens, it is taxonomically comprehensive and international in scope. The collection includes a large number of type (over 9,000 primary types), figured and cited specimens (over 16,000 each) and other scientifically and historically important material. In Britain it ranks in scope and size, second only to the palaeontological collection of the Natural History Museum. It supports palaeontological and biostratigraphical research on an international scale. The collection continues to grow through the research efforts of the academic staff and research students of the Department of Earth Sciences and through deposit via the Regional Collections Centre Scheme.
Mineral Collection
About half of the 40,000 – 55,000 specimens of the present collection came in four collections: Hume (acquired 1841), H. Brooke (1857), J. Carne (1899) and T. Wiltshire (1897). Also notable are the holdings of sulphides and sulphosalts from the Binntal in Switzerland, and the meteorites. The collection is growing slowly by donation and purchase. Display-quality specimens from around the world are occasionally purchased. Representative specimens from current British locations are purchased or accepted as donations.
Petrology Collection – Igneous & Metamorphic Petrology (‘Harker’) Collection
The Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology Collection has global coverage; most major igneous and metamorphic provinces are represented. The collection consists of about 160,000 hand specimens and 250,000 thin sections, about 25% of which have been referenced in the international scientific literature. The collection continues to grow through the effort of researchers in the Department of Earth Sciences, but also from workers in other institutions and through deposit via the Regional Collections Centre Scheme (see 7.3 below).
Sedimentary Petrology (‘Maurice Black’) Collection
The Sedimentary Petrology Collection, comprises a ‘nucleus’ of about 32,000 hand specimens and an unknown number of thin sections. It includes specimens collected by John Stevens Henslow, Adam Sedgwick, Rev. John Hailstone and R.H. Rastall. Many specimens still have Harker Petrology
Collection numbers and labels written in Harker’s handwriting. The collection also includes the Cambridge bore core made by W.B.R. King c. 1951. The ‘Sedgwick Museum Stratigraphy Collection’ of thin sections (about 3,500 specimens) has been cut from many of the specimens in this collection and can therefore be considered as a sub set of it. There are an estimated 82,180 additional specimens including PhD thesis collections, miscellaneous Departmental Collections and other backlog material that may need to be incorporated into the collection. The collection is poorly documented, drawer level inventories were made in 1977 and 1979, but the collection has been little used or added to at the time of writing.
(‘John Watson’) Building Stone Collection
The John Watson Building Stone Collection is approximately 2,500 well documented specimens, mostly covered by Watson’s published catalogues. Thin sections cut from the building stones have been incorporated into the Petrology and other collections. The collection also includes a number of artificial building stones and cements long thought lost, but recently rediscovered in the Museum’s stores. The collection is used mostly by building and archaeological conservators and is currently only added to very rarely.
Source: Collection development policy
Date: 2019
Licence: CC BY-NC
Segedunum Roman Fort & Museum
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q68044879
- Also known as:
- Segedunum Roman Fort, Segedunum Museum
- Part of:
- North East Museums
- Instance of:
- museum; local authority museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 2096
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q68044879/
- Collection level records:
- Not yet. If you represent this organisation and can provide collection-level information, please contact us.
Selly Manor Museum
(collection-level records)
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q14914638
- Also known as:
- Selly Manor
- Instance of:
- manor house; historic house museum; independent museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 831
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q14914638/
Collection-level records:
-
Collection overview (Wikipedia)
The museum contains the Laurence Cadbury Collection, a unique collection of furniture and domestic objects intended to give the feel of a house from the 17th century. Laurence Cadbury was George Cadbury’s fourth son, and the collection at Selly Manor is a testament to his interest in collecting fascinating items. Laurence began collecting objects whilst studying at Cambridge in about 1908 and continued well into the mid-1930s. Much of his collection was displayed at his house, The Davids in Northfield, Birmingham, but Selly Manor was a perfect home for the 16th and 17th century furniture and domestic objects he loved so much. From sturdy oak chests and intricate carvings to a beautiful tapestry and unusual utensils, there is so much to appreciate. The highlight of the collection is an 18-foot table dating from the 1630s which was originally from the now demolished Crooke Hall in Lancashire.
A collection of Laurence Cadbury’s papers, including diaries, letters and maps, are held separately at the Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article “Selly Manor”, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Source: Wikipedia
Date: 2025
Licence: CC-BY-SA
Senate House Library
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q116167248
- Also known as:
- University of London library
- Instance of:
- academic library; art collection; archive
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q116167248/
- Object records:
- Yes, see object records for this museum
- Collection level records:
- Not yet. If you represent this organisation and can provide collection-level information, please contact us.
Send and Ripley History Society Museum
(collection-level records)
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q113370102
- Also known as:
- Ripley Museum, Send and Ripley Local History Museum, Send and Ripley Museum
- Instance of:
- museum; independent museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 2384
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q113370102/
Collection-level records:
-
Collection history (Collection development policy)
Send and Ripley History Society was founded in 1975 but only acquired a museum in 1991. The collection has built up over the last 40 years mainly from donations from members, local residents and former residents of Send and Ripley. Occasionally items have been purchased after reference to the committee.
Source: Collection development policy
Date: 2022
Licence: CC BY-NC
-
Collection overview (Collection development policy)
Send and Ripley History Society has a large collection of photographs and postcards (in excess of 6000) which have been scanned. They have been copied to disks and put onto a Modes database. Most of these digital images are also on a mass storage device, held at Surrey History Centre.
The Society also has a number of local maps (about 80 items) –which are stored in a map chest.
The artefacts in the collection (over 900 items) consist of a great variety of items of local interest: metal objects such as coins, tokens, and horseshoes; wooden objects, china with local interest and local signs as well as pamphlets, brochures and papers from local organisations.
Source: Collection development policy
Date: 2022
Licence: CC BY-NC
Senhouse Roman Museum
(collection-level records)
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q113370061
- Also known as:
- Senhouse Museum
- Instance of:
- museum; independent museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 1260
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q113370061/
Collection-level records:
-
Collection overview (Cornucopia)
Archaeology Collection
The bulk of the collection is made up of inscribed and sculptured stones made of local sandstone and includes the largest group of whole or part inscriptions (62 stones) found at any one site in Great Britain. There are also Roman funerary monuments, civilian and military altars and votive slabs and other inscriptions associated with the Roman army. There is also a small group of 9 native religious sculptures and other sculpture fragments. Other Roman objects include pottery, glass and bronze objects. There is also a Pre-historic cup-and-ring stone.
Subjects
Archaeology
Personalia Collection
The museum acquires material where it helps to interpret the history of the Senhouse family and its association with the Netherhall Collection.
Subjects
Personalia
Source: Cornucopia
Date: Not known, but before 2015
Licence: CC BY-NC
Sentry Hill Historic House
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q116738953
- Instance of:
- local authority museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q116738953/
- Collection level records:
- Not yet. If you represent this organisation and can provide collection-level information, please contact us.
Seven Stories
(collection-level records)
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q7457480
- Also known as:
- The National Centre for Children's Books
- Instance of:
- museum; independent museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 2191
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q7457480/
Collection-level records:
-
Collection overview (Cornucopia)
Seven Stories, the Centre for Children’s Books, collects manuscripts, artwork and pre-publication material associated with British children’s books and children’s literature from the 1930s onwards. Having grown from scratch, the collection now contains an estimated 400 linear metres of books, more than 250 boxes of manuscripts and archive material and at least 50 boxes of artwork. Childrens authors such as Philip Pullman, Robert Westall and Joan Aiken, illustrators such as Edward Ardizzone, Faith Jaques and Harold Jones, and editors such as Kaye Webb and Miriam Hodgson, are all well-represented in the archives. Seven Stories is the only institution actively collecting original artwork, manuscripts and other pre-publication material associated with British children’s books.
Source: Cornucopia
Date: Not known, but before 2015
Licence: CC BY-NC
Sevenoaks Museum
(collection-level records)
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q113379496
- Instance of:
- museum; local authority museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 1537
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q113379496/
Collection-level records:
-
Collection history (Collection development policy)
Sevenoaks Museum came into being in the 1920s as a collection of local history items displayed in the Sevenoaks Public Library which opened in 1905. The Chief Librarian George Bennett with local GP and antiquarian Gordon Ward encouraged donations and gradually built up a local collection. The collection was later moved to a dedicated upstairs room, unlocked on request. When Ward and Bennett died in the 1960s, the museum was closed and the objects dispersed around Kent museums or put into storage. In the 1980s a new library was built. Museum objects were retrieved and displayed. In 2006 the Kaleidoscope was developed, and the museum store was upgraded. However, display space was reduced at the same time.
Source: Collection development policy
Date: 2025
Licence: CC BY-NC
-
Collection overview (Collection development policy)
The Sevenoaks Museum collection is comprised of about 4000 objects, predominantly social history with a connection to Sevenoaks District or nearby areas of West Kent.
The social history objects are mostly C19th/ early C20th, but over the past decade the museum has improved its collection of post 1945 material by active collecting, for example, objects connected with local retailers, the M25 and the 2012 Olympics.
There is a small amount of palaeontology and natural history, some local archaeology, and some fine and decorative art objects.
Important objects/ collections
- Art:
- Paintings by John Downton C20th and John William Buxton Knight C18th,
- magic lantern and hand painted slides by William Knight C18th,
- collection of early C20th drawings and prints by local artist Vincent New and his printing press.
- An C18th early William Pett cricket bat (on loan from Sevenoaks Vine Cricket Club since the 1980s – ownership to be established).
- The C18th ‘Amherst’ patchwork quilt made by soldiers
- Embroidery made by WW2 evacuees
- C17th leather document case from Wickhurst Manor
- Collection of early C20th portrait and social history photographs by William H. House.
- Fossils found in local brick pits:
- prehistoric elephant molar tooth,
- Ice Age reindeer antler shed base,
- two ichthyosaur vertebrae.
- Archaeology:
- Bronze Age axe head,
- Roman gold serpent ring,
- two silver Medieval annular brooches,
- an engraved silver clothing tag,
- floor tiles from the Archbishop’s Palace in Otford.
- The Hardinge family collection of about 70 decorative arts and textile items connected with the court and civil service (on loan since the 1980s – ownership or return needs to be established).
Source: Collection development policy
Date: 2025
Licence: CC BY-NC
- Art:
Sewerby Hall and Gardens
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q7458244
- Also known as:
- Sewerby House, Sewerby Hall
- Part of:
- East Riding Museums
- Instance of:
- English country house; local authority museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 601
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q7458244/
- Collection level records:
- Yes, see East Riding Museums
Shaftesbury Abbey Museum and Garden
(collection-level records)
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q116738954
- Instance of:
- independent museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 74
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q116738954/
Collection-level records:
-
Collection history (Collection development policy)
The Shaftesbury Abbey Museum & Gardens Preservation Trust in its present form was established in 1985 as a Charitable Trust Company limited by guarantee. The Trust holds the freehold of property comprising:
- the Abbey ruins and garden (which includes a medieval herb and fruit collection);
- museum galleries and storeroom;
- shop, reception and office; and
- the “Lodge” (an on-site building housing the library, meeting/activities/exhibition space plus additional storage).
The collections were donated to the Trust on its inception by the then owners (including the then owners of the Abbey ruins and garden). Those collections and all subsequent donations have been formally accessioned. All items in the collections are recorded on the Abbey’s MODES database. The collections do not include any loaned items, nor has the museum loaned any items out.
Source: Collection development policy
Date: 2022
Licence: CC BY-NC
-
Collection overview (Collection development policy)
A full description is to be found in the Museum’s Catalogue and Accession Register.
The most significant parts of the collections are:
- High quality carved stonework from the Abbey, dating from the Saxon period to the 16th Century, comprising approximately 600 pieces;
- Decorated encaustic floor tiles of the Wessex School, over 3,000 pieces;
- Painted and stained medieval window glass fragments, over 3,000 pieces;
- Carved alabaster plaques, c 14th Century, taken from the cross in the grounds;
- Stone surrounds to graves and coffins from within the Abbey grounds;
- A lead casket found on site in 1931, containing the bones of a 10th Century adolescent male. The bones, traditionally ascribed to St. Edward King and Martyr, are no longer in the Abbey’s possession;
- 15th Century polychrome carvings, known as the St Gregory Mass, donated by Dorset County Museum.
Source: Collection development policy
Date: 2022
Licence: CC BY-NC
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
(collection-level records)
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q3481268
- Responsible for:
- Anne Hathaway’s Cottage; Hall’s Croft; Mary Arden’s Farm; Shakespeare’s Birthplace; Shakespeare’s New Place
- Instance of:
- foundation; archive
- Museum/collection status:
- Designated collection
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q3481268/
Collection-level records:
-
Collection history (Collection development policy)
The Shakespeare collections of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust together with those of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) have been jointly Designated as a Collection of National Importance since 2005. In addition the Shakespeare documents that we hold were added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2018, as part of a joint submission with seven international partner organisations. SBT has managed the library and archive collections of the RSC since 1964 and continues to do so under a formal management agreement.
In defining our collections we have created the following scheme, with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, and the properties we manage, at the centre of four broad collection areas. This is just one way in which the collections can be viewed but it does provide a sense of the connections to be made between the museum, library, and archive material which has come into our care since 1847.
Source: Collection development policy
Date: 2025
Licence: CC BY-NC
-
Collection overview (Collection development policy)
Our collections contain approximately 7,000 museum items, 50,000 books and pamphlets, including 3,000 rare and early printed books and 1,000,000 archive items. Where mention is made of Shakespeare’s life we will use his birth and death dates as the defining factor (1564 -1616); where mention is made of Shakespeare’s times we will take this to mean the period c. 1530 – c. 1650.
William Shakespeare
His family, friends, country, town, society, his influences and the world he lived in.
Our collections include material that relates to the life of William Shakespeare, his family and their contemporaries and their life and times.
SBT holds 31 ‘Shakespeare Documents’ – hand-written documents dating from Shakespeare’s lifetime that contain mention of his name. These records are central to understanding Shakespeare’s life in Stratford and provide a vivid picture of him as a gentleman/businessman, documenting the ups and downs of his family life, and his rise in wealth and status in his hometown. The documents are also powerful in the personal connection they provide with William Shakespeare. In addition to these documents, the wider local archive includes material which details the lives of his relatives and his contemporaries. These records provide a unique picture of Shakespeare as a son, husband, father, and neighbour.
We also hold finds from archaeological digs undertaken at various sites associated with Shakespeare; most recently, the digs taking place at New Place have resulted in a range of new material entering our collections.
We have many objects which date from the 1500s and early 1600s including the WS Seal Ring, furniture, art and other domestic objects which can be used to illustrate what Shakespeare and his Stratford contemporaries may have had in their houses and how they lived their lives.
Our collection contains many early printed materials covering aspects of Shakespeare’s life, his knowledge and learning. These collections also cover the source material for his plays, many of which are represented in our early printed book collection.
Shakespeare’s Stratford and surrounding area
The history of the town and Borough and its people.
SBT holds records of local government, churches, manors, private estates, businesses and individuals, dating from the 1100s to the present day. Broadly speaking, these collections cover the geographical area covered by the present-day Stratford-on-Avon District. Such records provide a rich documentary heritage for Stratford and illustrate its development into the market town which William Shakespeare knew as man and boy, as well as documenting his lasting impact on the town, i.e. showing the development of Stratford as a focal point for the celebration of Shakespeare’s genius. In this way, it’s hard to talk about ‘Shakespeare’s Stratford’ without noting its double meaning – both the town in Shakespeare’s lifetime and the town which has now become synonymous with his name.
We also hold a number of objects relating to the town administration such as the Seal of the Peculiar Court and Richard Quiney’s seal from when he was High Bailiff. Other Stratford items include the base of the Medieval Market Cross, angels from the Guild Chapel, reproductions of Guild Chapel frescoes, and relics such as a piece of wood supposedly taken from the Shakespeares’ pew at Holy Trinity.
In particular we hold material relating to the Shakespeare family homes – Mary Arden’s House & Palmer’s Farm, Halls Croft, New Place, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and the Birthplace itself.
There are a large number of images of the local area. These include the photographic collection of the Stratford-upon-Avon Herald, local photographs taken by Joe Cocks and a large collection of glass slides. We also have a large collection of representative artwork showing views of Stratford and the surrounding area from the mid-1700s to the present.
The archaeological collection consists of artefacts found in and around Stratford during various archaeological digs and chance finds which provide evidence on the development of Stratford as a town e.g. Anglo-Saxon and Roman archaeology, and finds from the 1200s-1400s such as religious seals and a bishop’s ring.
We also hold the historic records of a number of organisations and businesses based in Stratford-upon-Avon, these include local solicitors, Flower’s Brewery, Fred Winter and the Stratford-upon-Avon Choral Society. We also manage the parish records of Stratford-upon-Avon.
Shakespeare’s Legacy
The works, the performances and local commemorations of him.
The collection includes printed materials on William Shakespeare, particularly reference books, periodicals, photographs, pictures, individual editions of the plays (including early printed editions) and sets of complete works, and books on the performance history of the plays. These also document the stage history of Shakespeare and other dramatists, especially of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods.
Our visual art collections include works which are inspired by Shakespeare and/or his work, life and times e.g. the Phillip Sutton painting of Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre and also artwork that focuses on the Shakespeare properties especially from the 1800s. It also includes statues and other artworks commissioned by, or on behalf of, SBT and displayed in our properties and in our gardens.
We hold many items and documents which chart the growth of Stratford as a centre for Shakespeare tourism and pilgrimage, including material relating to the 1769 Shakespeare Jubilee, trade and souvenir samples, mulberry wood items etc. We also have material relating to the Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations, the Shakespeare Club, and items relating to Shakespeare memorials in Stratford and significant Shakespeare anniversaries.
We also hold material relating to the establishment of local cultural institutions, such as The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust itself, which was set up to protect and preserve Shakespeare’s legacy, and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and predecessor theatres, which were established to perform and promote Shakespeare’s works. In this way, while the archive is geographically focussed on Stratford, it demonstrates Shakespeare’s national and international legacy.
Acquisitions and disposals from the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) collection are covered by their Acquisition and Disposal Policy. As well as records associated with the development of the RSC and its performance history dating from 1879 to the present, this collection also includes papers relating to Bram Stoker’s time as manager to Henry Irving and his company at the Lyceum Theatre and the Frank Benson Company Archive.
SBT owns the theatrical photographic archives of Tom Holte, Joe Cocks, Reg Wilson and Malcolm Davies which cover Royal Shakespeare Company production images from 1952 – 2010.
The Michael Bogdanov archive consists of 118 boxes of material spanning the entire career of the theatre, film and television director. Material includes not just Shakespearian productions but also records relating to children’s theatre, community theatre and musical theatre.
Shakespeare in the world
How Shakespeare has influenced us, artistic & critical responses to Shakespeare and his works, how he is celebrated internationally.
Shakespeare’s legacy places Stratford-upon-Avon and SBT on the world stage – with foreign visitors, international festivals and theatre tours. Therefore while Stratford is at the centre of the collection, there is much which illustrates Shakespeare’s popularity across the globe.
Our library contains translations of the plays into 89 languages, biographies, critical studies, and other works which explore the impact of Shakespeare on the arts, language, and culture. We collect commentaries on his work, material that explores the relationship between Shakespeare and other writers and the ongoing teaching of Shakespeare.
We also hold objects relating to the global legacy of Shakespeare, including commemorative items from all over the world such as a German wreath of oak leaves from 1864, a series of medals minted in 1964 from many different countries, a large number of Chinese artefacts, and recently, material collected from festivals across America as part of the Shakespeare on the Road project.
Our visual arts collection also includes many responses to Shakespeare from international artists e.g. the Usov sculpture of Shakespeare, a statue of Titania and Bottom made from Royal Copenhagen porcelain.
Shakespearian scholarship, from early antiquarians such as James Saunders through to Halliwell-Phillipps, forms an important part of our collection, not only because their work created much of the collection but also their research and investigations are recorded in their personal papers which we hold.
Other collections
Our library collection also contains works on the theory and history of drama, books on acting and theatrical production and biographies by and of actors, pre-Shakespearian English drama, foreign drama, social and economic history, law, education, philosophy and theology.
Closed collections
We have a small number of collections which are closed to future acquisition. Whilst SBT no longer develops these collections, these are appreciated by researchers and underpin SBT’s own heritage as a custodian of knowledge before alternative institutions had fully developed. Through the life of this policy these collections will be fully reviewed and decisions made on their long-term future.
Natural History
The Trust holds one closed Natural History collection. All future offers of such material are now passed on to Warwickshire County Museum Service. We hold a small, but representative collection of Blue Lias and Ice Age fossils.
Numismatics
The Trust has a small collection of classical, English and foreign coins.
Source: Collection development policy
Date: 2025
Licence: CC BY-NC
Shakespeare’s Birthplace
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q1770409
- Also known as:
- birthplace of William Shakespeare
- Part of:
- Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
- Instance of:
- birth house; tourist attraction; independent museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 700
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q1770409/
- Collection level records:
- Yes, see Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Shakespeare’s New Place
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q471946
- Also known as:
- New Place
- Part of:
- Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
- Instance of:
- house; destroyed building or structure; independent museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 703
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q471946/
- Collection level records:
- Yes, see Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Shandy Hall
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q7487951
- Instance of:
- historic house museum; art museum; independent museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 1580
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q7487951/
- Collection level records:
- Not yet. If you represent this organisation and can provide collection-level information, please contact us.
Sharpe’s Pottery Museum
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q113370184
- Instance of:
- museum; independent museum
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 2078
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q113370184/
- Collection level records:
- Not yet. If you represent this organisation and can provide collection-level information, please contact us.
Shaw’s Corner
- Wikidata identifier:
- Q7491137
- Also known as:
- Shaws Corner
- Part of:
- National Trust
- Instance of:
- historic house museum; English country house
- Museum/collection status:
- Accredited museum
- Accreditation number:
- 1729
- Persistent shareable link for this record:
- https://museumdata.uk/museums/q7491137/
- Collection level records:
- Not yet. If you represent this organisation and can provide collection-level information, please contact us.
Collection-level records
History
Some Accredited museums (or multi-site services covering a number of museums) have shared with MDS a brief history of the collections in their care. These collection histories mostly come from the museums’ collection development policies, though they are no longer a mandatory section of the policies required by the Museum Accreditation Scheme.
Collection Overview
Accredited museums (or multi-site services covering a number of museums) are required to have a collection development policy that includes a brief overview of the scope and strengths of the collections in their care. Collection overviews are an incredibly useful starting point for anyone who wants to navigate the nation’s museum holdings, and we are very grateful to all those museums that have shared their overviews with MDS. In some cases, we have included overviews from a legacy dataset called ‘Cornucopia’.
CloseObject records in MDS
This figure is the number of datasets currently in MDS, rather than the number of museums. This is because some datasets come from multi-site services. For example, Norfolk Museum Service has contributed a single dataset, but this includes records about items held in the service’s eleven branch museums. On our Object search landing page, you can see the number of Accredited museums represented in these datasets.
CloseMuseum/collection status
Accredited Museum
These museums meet the nationally-agreed standards of the UK Museum Accreditation Scheme run by Arts Council England, Museums Galleries Scotland, NI Museums Council and the Welsh Government. In the case of multi-site services, the individual branch museums are Accredited, but the overarching service is usually not. Eg Yorkshire Museums Trust is responsible for three Accredited museums, but is not itself Accredited.
Designated Collection
The Designation Scheme, run by Arts Council England, recognises cultural collections of outstanding importance held in non-national museums, libraries and archives across England. There are over 160 Designated collections, but only the museum ones are included in our database here.
Recognised Collection
The Museums Galleries Scotland Recognition Scheme includes more than fifty Recognised Collections of National Significance, some spread across more than one museum. Here we count the number of museums containing parts of those collections, which is why the figure displayed here is higher than that quoted on the MGS website. There is currently no equivalent scheme for Wales or Northern Ireland.
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