Collection: Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery

Collection-level records:

• Collection overview (Cornucopia)

  Local History

  The collection is social and local history and includes industrial, transport, domestic, prints, drawings, photographs, postcards, and oral history items from 1650 ot present. In total there are 20,000 science and industry, mainly 2 large wheelwright and iron foundry collections but also industrial equipment, plumbing and ship building; 24,000 social history domestic appliances and furnishings, shop fittings, local government, local organisations, personal items, costume; 100 transport items include public service, in particular passenger transport from 1890-1955 and boats and an industrial locomotive; Comprehensive collection of 3000 tokens, badges, medals and decorations; Costume and textiles from 1787 -1997 with strengths in local territorial uniforms, women’s costume, from 1935- 1975 and small collection of banners; 3,700 photographs with a large topographical collection, local interest in portraits of local people and large collection by contemporary photographers including Danny Weinstein; Substantial collection of postcards of local views and subjects, mainly mid 20th century; paintings, drawings and prints are marine, topographical and portraits by local artists such as WA Jeffries, Edward King and WE Atkins with a substantial collection of shipping and harbour subjects from 1800-1900 including works by W L Wyllie and Rowlandson, Stansfield and Serres; A large collection of 900 oral history recordings in particular D Day and Dockyard interviews of 20th century. Also 500 maritime items.

  Fine Art

  A collection of 2,600 items of oils and watercolours from 17th century to present with strength in the Cole family of artists, St Ives School and Benjamin Haughton; there is a small collection of drawings and sculpture, large collection of artists prints including Old Master prints, but string in 20th century British works and a significant group of wood engravings.

  Decorative Art

  Good collections of ceramics with particular strengths in 19th century art pottery and 18th century tea wares; major collection of furniture particularly in architect-artist-designer from 18th century to present and work by local Betty Joel; good collection of contemporary crafts and small furnishing textiles of 1960 and 70s and metalwork. Also Harris Collection and Spyers Bequest. In total 5,000 Applied and Dec art and 650 costume and textiles items.

  Military History

  The collection covers D Day especially the Overlord embroidery in 34 applique panels 8 feet by 3 feet high, personal memorabilia as objects , photographs, letters, diaries, maps and oral history, Sherman and Churchill tanks, and American LCVP, amphibious DUKW, Jeep, Scout car, Beach armoured recovery vehicle specifically developed for the landings. Also the military heritage as a fortified garrison town including the extant fortifications of Round Tower, Square Tower, Southsea Castle and Hilsea Lines. Collection of ordnance at Southsea Castle and City Museum in Victorian barracks complex.

  Natural Science

  The collection is of the flora and fauna of the Portsmouth, south east Hampshire and West Sussex built up mainly since 1947 by staff collection, bequests, and donations, on a pre World War II residue, that includes the Guermonprez Collection of 100,000 specimens of flora and fauna of West Sussex and Hampshire. The zoology is British and Foreign birds, mammals and molluscs; British amphibians and reptiles, British fish, insects, butterflies and crustacea; small wet-preserved collection and small number of sets and specimens by local taxidermists. There is a large British Herbarium with early collected specimens and marine algae and bryophytes. Also a collection of fossils from southern England, rocks from the Hampshire Basina and other world-wide material. There is a significant collection of 19th century books, and important collection of Guermonprez watercolours and field notes and the specimens and papers of the Hayling Island Mosquito Project.

  Archaeology

  The bulk of the collection is from research and development digs within 15 mile radius of the Guildhall in the past 60 years and also stray finds and dredged material. Collection includes flint, pottery, ceramic building material, glass, leather, metalwork, wood, animal and human bones and molluscs from the Lower Palaeolithic to post Medieval. Major collections include Red Barns Lower-Middle Palaeolithic flint working site, Porchester excavated in 1970s; Rowlands Castle Roman Pottery Kiln with 40 boxes dating from late 1st to early 2nd century; Bevis Grave Anglo-Saxon cemetery with 88 skeletons and grave goods; Oyster Street on Portsea Island and Cypriot Pottery donated by individuals form Bronze Age to Late Classical. In total there are 200,000 items.

  Archives

  There are 300,000 archival records from a variety of sources across the City and include photographs, postcards, maps and printed and published and manuscript material. Includes the earliest surviving charter of 1313, but mainly civic records from 15th century to present and ecclesiastical records from 1538.

  Source: Cornucopia

  Date: Not known, but before 2015

  Licence: CC BY-NC