Collection: Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  Lisburn Museum was established and commenced collecting in 1979. Since then, collecting focused on building collections on the history and heritage of Lisburn, Lagan Valley and in recognition of the significance of the Linen industry to the area, specialist linen collections.

  In 1993 the museum acquired the library, archives and research papers of the Linen Industry Research Association.

  In 2000, the museum was gifted by way of donation, Lisburn Historical Society’s collections.

  The reorganisation of local government in 2015, led to the formation of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council. This expanded the geographical area for collecting to include the Castlereagh district electoral areas.

  In recent years the donations of an archival database of local records relating to the Great War by a local historian, along with the donation from the University of Ulster of 1500 glass photographic plates (from Ewart Liddell) along with a digitised catalogued, have enriched the museum’s collections.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2022

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  Collections relating to Lisburn Museum

  Art Collection

  The museum collection is comprised of prints, drawings, watercolours and oils of local topographical views, portraits and general works by local artists.The museum has a particularly fine collection of paintings by Lisburn born artist Samuel McCloy (1831-1904) and is developing a notable collection of paintings of the Lagan from 1800 to the present.

  Local and Social History of Lisburn and the Lagan Valley

  Artefacts related to local crafts, trades, domestic life, civic life, costume, transport, sport and military services are collected.These include ceramics, glass, furniture, clocks, medals, maps, prints, photographs, documents, newspapers, and antiquarian books.

  Archaeological and Natural Science Collection

  Local pre-history, natural history and geological objects have been collected for display purposes. In 2021 the museum acquired the finds from the 2003 archaeological excavation at Castle Gardens.

  Museum Library

  The museum collects books, journals and antiquarian books on subject material associated with or relevant to the history of Lisburn, the Lagan Valley including one of the museum’s specialist collections, Irish linen.

  The origin and development of the Irish Linen Industry in the Lagan Valley area from the 17th century, and its importance both to the region and to the industry in general in the whole of Ireland, is the rationale for the museum’s specialist linen collections.

  Collections relating to the Irish linen industry

  Textiles

  Major Irish linen damask collection, needle worked textiles and linen costume.

  Non-Textiles

  General linen industry artefacts illustrating the history of how linen was made, what was made and who made it – domestic and industrial artefacts, working hand looms weaving cambric and damask linen, thread making collection, advertising materials, prints, drawings, portraits and photographs.

  Linen Library

  The complete library of the former Linen Industry Research Association, comprising a unique wide-ranging collection of, research papers, textbooks and journals, from the early 18th century to its closure in 1993.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2022

  Licence: CC BY-NC