Collection: Weston Park Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection overview (Cornucopia)

  Decorative and Applied Art Collection

  Cutlery and flatware ranges from Roman to present, knives, forsk, razors, scissors, pocket knives and spoons, and electroplated and stainless steel flatware.and Sheffield made cutlery from 1740 to present; 17th and 18th century cutlery from Germany, Holland, France, Italy and Spain rivals the V and A collection due to purchases fo Camille Page cutlery collection in 1922 and W Sanders Fiske collection in 1933. Old Sheffield plate from 1743 until mid 19th century of international importance mainly Frederick Bradbury collection purchased in 1944 Brittania metal a Sheffield speciality from 1770 and collection is largest in British museums and consisits of tea and coffee pots, jugs, measures and candlesticks. Pinxton porcelain, now considered the best collection on public display in Britain, British pottery of 17th to 20th centuries including slipware, tinglazed earthenware, Chesterfield saltglaze stoneware, some from the Dr R S Marsden collection purchased in 1899; Also Don Pettery, Midhope Pottery from Joeseph kenworthy Collection of 1927 This Designated collection has 1,000 items from the collection of 8,000 objects displayed at the Millenium Galleries in the Metalwork Gallery. Majority is cutlery 5400, 256 siver, 1000 Old Sheffield plate, 105 electroplae, 204 pewterand Brittania metal 225 iron and steel and 60 brass items. Cutlery and flatware ranges from Roman to present, knives, forsk, razors, scissors, pocket knives and spoons, and electroplated and stainless steel flatware. Sheffield made cutlery is from 1740 to present; 17th and 18th century cutlery from Germany, Holland, France, Italy and Spaain rivals the V and A collection due to purchases fo Camille Page cutlery collection in 1922 and W Sanders Fiske collection in 1933. World wide cutlery other than European is patchy. Siver collection small consisting of Sheffield made and assayed pieces, fine Georgian examples and local jewellery since 1960. Old Sheffield plate from 1743 until mid 19th century of international importance mainly Frederick Bradbury collection purchased in 1944. Electroplate collection is small built up since 1970 consists mainly of Sheffield made items , but some from Birmingham, includes designers Christopher Dresser, Walter Belk and David Mellor and James Dixon and Son. Pewter collection small, but Brittania metal a Sheffield speciality from 1770 and collection is largest in British museums and consisits of tea and coffee pots, jugs, measures and candlesticks. Iron and steel collection includes gates and screens made in Germany and locks, keys and caskets from Germany and the Low Countries of 16th -18th centuries; cast iron grates, ranges and fireplaces made in Sheffield including a small group designed by Alfred Stevens.; British Stainless steel hollow ware by well known designers eg Gerald Binney and Lord Queensberry. Brass ware is varied lighting equipment. Ceramics, about 2,000 pieces, consists of a representative collection of British pottery and porcelain, 1700 pieces, of 17th to 20th centuries including slipware, tinglazed earthenware, Chesterfield saltglaze stoneware, some from the Dr R S Marsden collection purchased in 1899; Also Don Pettery, Midhope Pottery from Joeseph kenworthy Collection of 1927; Pinxton porcelain, now considered the best collection on public display in Britain, Rockingham and John Leach; 145 European pieces and 140 oriental , mainly Chinese porcelain 18th century teawares. Glass, 480 pieces, is mainly from Joseph Kenwortthy collection from Bolsterstone area and Catcliffe and Barnsley glasshouses has been added. Also 18th and 19th century wine glasses and a few pieces of German 17th and 18th century glass. Horology consists of 123 watches and 29 clocks; watches are mainly British and Continental verges made 1660 – 1850 and a few recent ones with lever and cylinder movements. Also some watch parts and uncased movements. Core collection from Evan Roberts on 1916 and J G Graves in 1924. The clocks have novelty movements and range from late 18th century to present include a French Orrery Clock.

  Subjects

  Decorative and Applied Arts

  Archaeology Collection

  Particularly strong in Neolithic, Bronze Age and Anglo-Saxon grave groups from burial mounds in the Peak District especially the core collection formed by Thomas Bateman between 1841-1861, notably the Benty Grange Helmet, the first Anglo-Saxon helmet to be found in Britain. The Bateman Collection includes antiquarian archives of volumes of letters, notebooks and watercolours. Additions of note are the Heathcote Collection of Bronze Age finds from burial sites on Stanton Moor, excavated material from cairns on the East Moors and Wigber Low, Derbyshire. Important material from Mesolithic site at Deepcar, Sheffield About 500,000 items with 30% from Sheffield area, 47% from The Peak District of Derbyshire, 13% British and 10% non British ranging from the Palaeolithic to the19th century. Particularly strong in Neolithic, Bronze Age and Anglo-Saxon grave groups from burial mounds in the Peak District especially the core collection formed by Thomas Bateman between 1841-1861, notably the Benty Grange Helmet, the first Anglo-Saxon helmet to be found in Britain. The Bateman Collection includes antiquarian archives of volumes of letters, notebooks and watercolours. Additions of note are the Heathcote Collection of Bronze Age finds from burial sites on Stanton Moor, excavated material from cairns on the East Moors and Wigber Low, Derbyshire; Armstrong, Harris and Radley collections; finds from Roystone Grange, Mam Tor hillfort, Brough Roman Fort, Big Moor- Swinesty, Wormhill and Mount Pleasant, all Derbyshire and the Butcher archive of site surveys. Important material from Mesolithic site at Deepcar; querns from Wharncliffe, Sheffield manor pottery and post -medieval glass making from Gawber and Bolsterstone. Non-British Greek and Egyptian collections of note especially the latter, but it has poor documentation.

  Subjects

  Archaeology

  Ancient Egyptian Collection

  The museum holds 800 ancient Egyptian objects which are part of the Archaeology collection. Classes of objects represented in the collection include: amulets; canopic jars; coffins; faience vessels; flints; food/plant material; furniture; glass vessels; jewellery; metal figures; animal remains (mummies); human remains (mummies); papyri; pottery; scarabs; shabtis; stelae (stone); stone figures; stone vessels; textiles; toilet articles; tools/weapons; wooden figures. Objects are known to have come from the following locations in Egypt (with the name of the excavator/sponsor and year of excavation given where possible): Alexandria; Amarna; Ballas (Quibell and Petrie, 1894-1895); Beni Hasan (Garstang – Liverpool University, 1904); Elephantine; Esna (no further information in museum records but possibly Garstang – Liverpool University, 1905-1906); Hierakonpolis (no further information in museum records but probably either Garstang and Jones, 1905-1906 or Quibell et al. – Egyptian Research Account, 1897-1900); Naqada (Petrie and Quibell, 1894-1895]); Saqqarah; Tell el-Yahudiyeh; Thebes (including Deir el-Bahari); Luxor.

  Subjects

  Antiquities; Ancient civilizations; Antiquity; Archaeological sites; Egyptology; Archaeological objects; Archaeological excavations

  Biology Collection

  Salt Herbarium of the 1790s, Gatty/Eden seaweeds of mid 19th century of taxonomic importance and the JS Herbarium Osteology collection about 2,000 items of skeletons and bones with a good bird collection for the region local insects, freshwater invertebrates., British Leidoptera, H C Sorby’s marine invertebrates, and marine shells. Notable are historic collections including Henry Seebohm birds, Arthur Whitaker’s bats and birds” eggs, J B Wheat’s eggs and Prof. C J Patten’s bird skins. Half the total for the botany, zoology and geology collection is local South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire; voucher specimens still important. Botanical collection is small, as never been a botanist on the staff, of about 8,000 specimens and almost all material is not modern including Salt Herbarium of the 1790s, Gatty/Eden seaweeds of mid 19th century and the JS Herbarium. Osteology collection about 2,000 items of skeletons and bones with a good bird collection for the region. More than half the collections are invertebrates numbering about 90,000 especially local insects, freshwater inverts., British Leidoptera, H C Sorby’s marine inverts., and marine shells. British Diptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Small orders are good for reference. Vertebrate collection is mounted animals, study skins, freeze-dried specimens, deep frozen, wet -preserved, casts and eggs numbering about 6,000 in total. Most are European, but also African, Indian and Australasian birds and mammals. Since 1960 most are local. Notable are historic collections including Henry Seebohm birds, Arthur Whitaker’s bats and birds’ eggs, J B Wheat’s eggs and Prof. C J Patten’s bird skins.

  Subjects

  Biology

  Ethnography Collection

  Historic collections representing cultures world wide mainly acquired pre World War II by locals who were missionaries or colonial officials includes Pacific material 1820s -1840s; Native American, especially clothing mid to late 19th century; diverse 19th century material from Sheffield literary and Philosophical Society; Camille Page collection of bladed weapons and tools world wide.

  Subjects

  Ethnography

  Arms and Armour Collection

  James Dixon and Son, Thomas Sykes and G and J W Hawksley pewter and shot flasks and cartridge loading equipment. late 19th and 20th century locally made guns from Ashover, Derbyshire and Sheffield. Small and varied collection of about 1,000 pieces covers European military, practical and sporting pieces from late 17th century, but is strong in late 19th and 20th century locally made guns from Ashover, Derbyshire and Sheffield. Accessories and fittings important element including tunics, swords, belts, bayonets, breast plates, helmets, especially the James Dixon and Son, Thomas Sykes and G and J W Hawksley pewter and shot flasks and cartridge loading equipment.

  Subjects

  Arms and Armour

  Geology Collection

  Thomas Bateman Collection of Yorkshire and Derbyshire fossils, minerals of Col. J W Rimington and the Baker collection of fossil plants form South Yorkshire includes type, and figured specimens. Particularly strong in Coal Measure plants from South Yorkshire, Carboniferous Limestone fossils from Derbyshire, Pleistocene mammals from Derbyshire and minerals from South Pennines. 20,000 fossils, 4,000 minerals and 1,000 rock specimens, mainly local and some notable historic collections form the core including Thomas Bateman Collection of Yorkshire and Derbyshire fossils, minerals of Col. J W Rimington and the Baker collection of fossil plants form South Yorkshire includes type, and figured specimens.

  Subjects

  Geology

  Numismatics Collection

  A representative collection of coins, tokens, tickets, passes and medals world wide numbering about 8,000 items including archaeological site finds and hoards, Iron Age to medieval; Ancient Greek, Roman, British and non British from Bronze Age to 1850 with no site details; proof purchased British sets from 1875 to 1970s; British tokens, tickets and passes with local connections, mainly 18th and 19th centuries; military medals from major conflicts of 19th and 20th centuries; commemorative medals and medallions from 19th and 20th centuries; art medals and banknotes.

  Subjects

  Numismatics

  Social History Collection

  1500 local topographical pictures from the 18th century to present Crimean War and the First and Second World Wars including letters, pin badges, ration books, gas masks and uniforms, Ebryonic in 1976, but now number 25,000 dating from the late medieval to present and range from a Prefab, timber-framed building to CD recordings of 1990s bands. Includes 1500 local topographical pictures from the 18th century to present, small collection of 16th and 17th century furnishings for display in Bishop’s House, small personal objects, entire shop interiors – a 1960s hair salon, a traditional butcher’s shop and Preston’s c1900 chemists, Crimean War and the First and Second World Wars including letters, pin badges, ration books, gas masks and uniforms, Toys from teddy bears and dolls to card games, jigsaws, farmyards, lead animals and clockwork toys, Costumes, sewing machines, theatre posters and programmes, typewriters, samplers and domestic equipment.

  Subjects

  Social History

  Source: Cornucopia

  Date: Not known, but before 2015

  Licence: CC BY-NC