Collection: Mid-Antrim Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  Mid-Antrim Museum has its origins in Ballymena Borough Council’s Historical Research Initiative, launched in 1984. It was through the auspices of this Initiative that premises beside the Town Hall were opened in 1990 to display the Council’s collection of artefacts, known as ‘Morrow’s Shop’ Museum. In 1997 Ballymena Borough Council was awarded a major Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £4.414 million to develop a new purpose built museum and arts centre adjoining the Town Hall on Bridge Street. The total value of the capital project was £20 million. The Museum was then housed in temporary premises at Wellington Court, in the town centre, from May 2001, and renamed ‘Ballymena Museum’.

  The Museum has been operating from the purpose built premises at The Braid: Ballymena Town Hall, Museum and Arts Centre since 2007. The Braid officially opened to the public in May 2008 with the Museum rebranded as Mid-Antrim Museum. The Braid is also the Civic headquarters of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.

  The museum collection includes artefacts which illustrate the social, agricultural and industrial history of Ballymena and the surrounding hinterlands such as items from the Braid Water Mill and Phoenix Weaving Factory, along with local shops like Morrow’s and Simon McCrory’s. The collections have grown to reflect other local industries and people. The permanent ‘History’ exhibition gallery focuses on key periods and themes through a chronologically arranged narrative through collection material and a range of significant artefacts on loan from lending institutions such as National Museums Northern Ireland; The Royal Armouries and the National Museum of Ireland.

  Mid Antrim museum has committed to working towards becoming dementia friendly in 2019 and has made use of collections to support this work. The museum has also supported youth engagement through the Kick the Dust project, funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with NMNI and NIMC, as well as community engagement through tourism and heritage initiatives with community led industrial heritage sites in the Borough such as Shaped by Industry – Shared with Pride, a 2018-19 project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to mark European Year of Culture 2018.

  A process of upgrading and refreshment of galley was underway since 2018 to update projected material and content. Conservation work was undertaken on two paper artefacts on permanent display. This gallery upgrade work temporarily paused in 2020 due to Covid 19 with delivery of public programming moving online. Museum services resumed on site in June 2021.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2022

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The collection predominantly dates from the 19th and 20th centuries.

  • Industrial heritage objects and photographs relating to local railways and iron ore mining. Linen industry objects including ledgers, hackling pins and weaver’s clippers from Braid Water Spinning Mill, Pryde’s Factory pay box, ‘Old Green’ agent’s enamelled sign, photograph albums from Braid Water and Phoenix mills and material relating to the mills’ recreational clubs, Antrim Aluminium Works illuminated address, Gallaher Collection.
  • Domestic Life includes mangles, domestic irons, laundry and cooking bygones, rush light holders, ceramic and glassware, costume.
  • Commercial Life includes Greene and Sinclair trade token, coffee grinder, cash register, newsagents shopfront
  • Working life and trade tailor’s tools, cobbler’s tools, Ballymena Observer printer’s type.
  • Decorative arts and crafts needlework, silver epergne and stand, framed sampler, quilts, glassware, long case clock, French mantle clock garniture set, Michelin vase, ceramic work by Louise O’Boyle
  • Rural life and traditions wooden butter pats and stamps, vernacular furniture, swingle tree, spades, churns, peat barrow, reaper, Esler photograph collection and McBurney photograph collection.
  • Archaeological artefacts local antiquarian’s collections, Bronze age platter, transverse arrow heads, Sotheby’s catalogue of the WJ Knowles collection, locally sourced Mesolithic and Neolithic items, quern stone
  • Popular Culture includes Rolling Stones poster and programmes from the Flamingo Ballroom, Flamingo Ballroom sign, State and Tower cinema programmes, Summerfield football jersey, Syd Millar Rugby International jersey, Maeve Kyle’s blazer, Michael O’Neill’s jersey, archival material inc. various programmes and tickets, dulcimer, Braidwater Irish dancing cape, Braidwater recreation club albums.
  • Military Life Clough Infantry musket, First World War Memorial records, Dunkirk medal, WWI and WWII medals, photographs of ‘2/6’ anti-aircraft battery in which Ballymena men served during the Second World War, photographs of Second World War Gibraltarian camps near Broughshane, Sir George White sword, cast iron cannonball.
  • Health and Welfare Ballymena Union Workhouse admission’s notice, Workhouse minute book, Workhouse embossers, nurses’ uniforms from Waveney Hospital
  • Politics Ulster Volunteer Force armband and badge, Bannside election poster featuring Rev. Ian Paisley, Ulster Vanguard flag and posters, UVF collection of papers, Braid Water Mill Roll of Honour. Loyalist and Republican newspapers, local election leaflets.
  • Schools and Education –school blazers, illuminated address Frocess National School, photographs, Tullygrawley School collection
  • Faith and popular beliefs includes Victorian family bible, Presbyterian Moderator’s Robes, communion token, cutlery, chair and pump from former St Louis Convent, Kintuallagh House, christening robes, black silk bodice mourning wear, ‘Acts of Archbishop Colton’ by the Reverend William Reeves, ‘Ballymena Citadel Band’ postcard, Haughton wedding dress, Stanley Gordon Collection of Boys’ Brigade Items, Boy Scout uniforms
  • Literature and music (including recordings) reflecting local cultural expression published works by David Herbison, Sydney Bell collection, Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann photograph collection, Lambeg drum sticks, Sir George White band bass drum, compact disc recordings by the Ulster Scots Folk Orchestra, poetry by Ethna Carberry, Richard Hayward records, items from Ballymena Music Festival.
  • Brotherhoods and Friendly Societies Rechabite banner, artefacts and regalia relating to the Masonic Order, the Orange Order and Free Gardeners.Ballee LOL 474 Orange banner
  • Local ‘Big House’ Families includes Adair family correspondence, Adair estate map on animal hide’ Young family photograph albums, scrapbooks and diaries, bound volumes of estate maps, Ballymena Castle stones, large portraits of John Young, Adair Estate ledgers, Raphael family correspondence.
  • Works of art including contemporary works relating to the above themes including ‘Simon McCrory’s Shop’ water colour by Barbara Allen, ‘Looking towards Glenarm’ and ‘Moss at top of Lough Road’ oils by Maurice Orr, ‘Summer Evening near Ballymena’ watercolour by CR Greeves, ‘James Henry’s Living Room’ and ‘Grannystown School Interior’, framed colour photographs by award winning local photographer James Hughes, Slemish by Errol Forbes and Ballymena Bull by Ivan Frew.
  • Oral and filmed material relating to the above themes including Second World War memories oral history recordings, narrow gauge railway memories filmed interviews, Esler film.
  • Council – Portraits of former Mayors, rate books
  • Plaques from Waveney and Cottage Hospitals and Peter Stott Martin House, Cullybackey.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2022

  Licence: CC BY-NC