Collection: Southend Museums Service

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The existing collections cover the principal fields of human history, natural history and fine art. Within these broad disciplines the collections comprise social/local History, including ephemera and photographs, numismatics, costume and archaeology; natural history, including vertebrates, invertebrates, geology and mineralogy, photographs and biological records; The Beecroft, Municipal and Thorpe Smith Collections of fine art. Southend Museums’ collections have been acquired since 1906, but include a series of foundation collections acquired in the first instance by the Southend Institute from 1885.

  Much early collecting was fairly indiscriminate regarding relevance to the Museum’s geographic area, especially in the field of social history. Today collecting is restricted to items that relate more specifically to south east Essex.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2014

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  Fine Art

  Southend Museum Service’s art collections are housed at the Beecroft Art Gallery, and are managed as a trust with Southend Borough Council the sole trustee. The art collections comprise three separate parts:

  The Beecroft Collection

  Built up by the founder, Walter Beecroft, and the Friends of the Beecroft Art Gallery and acquired mainly in the 1950s. Comprises mainly Old Master paintings (most notable being the Dutch and Flemish works) and other pre-twentieth century works by British, French, Italian and German artists. Also contains an important selection of works by the artists of the Great Bardfield Group (mid twentieth century). Sculpture representation poor apart from a bronze by Jacob Epstein. The Beecroft collection contains the most important works of the art collections. 157 works, mainly oil paintings, some watercolours, prints and drawings and sculpture.

  The Municipal Collection

  Southend Borough Council’s additions to the art collections, during and after Walter Beecroft’s time. Mainly 20th century works, many with local or Essex connections. Most notable is an early Constable sketch of great importance, and three oils by Edward Seago. (580 works, some sculpture)

  The Thorpe-Smith Collection

  Local works, the best being around one hundred works by Victorian artists, bequeathed to the gallery by Sidney Thorpe Smith, around 1960. Since then, the collection has grown to over 900 works and continues to be added to. (949 works; oils, watercolours, prints and drawings, no sculpture)

  Natural History

  The collections contain representatives from most major groups of animals and plants. As with all museum natural history collections, their compositions reflect past and present interests of local collectors and recorders, including members of museum staff. The Natural History collections form a valuable record of environmental change in this area over the last two centuries. They contain material that is important for distributional, taxonomic and environmental research. The principal groups represented are:

  Vertebrates (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish)

  Skeletal material as well as mounted (‘stuffed’) and spirit-preserved material. There are also several large and scientifically important old collections of birds’ eggs. Collecting in this area is never active but depends on the public bringing in specimens found dead.

  Invertebrates

  • Insects: large and important collections with strong relevance for scientific research and display.
  • Other Invertebrates (e.g. Spiders, Molluscs and several marine groups)

  The collections include much important local marine invertebrates (which can provide valuable evidence for environmental research in the future) and spiders.

  Plants (Herbarium material including pressed plants, dried fungi, mosses and lichens)

  Modest collections with strong local and county significance.

  Geology and Mineralogy

  A medium-sized worldwide collection of minerals of high quality and a modest fossil and rock collection, mainly of Essex material.

  Photographs

  The Museum has several thousand 35 mm transparencies, mostly of high quality, that complement the natural history collections.

  Biological Records

  The Museum has been collecting data on local wildlife sites since 1975 and the resulting evidence forms an important research and planning resource.

  Social History Collections (except EKCO and costume collections)

  This is a very wide and miscellaneous series of collections of mixed quality, principally from the late Victorian and later periods. While a considerable amount of the material has no known local connection (resulting from passive and non-targeted collecting in the past) there are some very fine pieces (particularly furniture, some ceramics and domestic fireplaces, for example) with local family connections. There are particularly fine collections of local photography, ephemera, local souvenir pottery and postcards, covering south east Essex, but concentrating mainly on the Borough of Southend-on-Sea. The collections can be grouped into the main headings below.

  Ephemera

  These collections relate specifically to:

  • The seaside and local tourism.
  • Local theatres, clubs and societies.
  • Local shops, trades and industries.
  • Wartime.
  • Civic matters (Southend Local Board, Southend Borough).
  • Local newspapers.
  • A very small collection relating to local families.
  • Photographs (Including postcards, prints and glass plate and other negative materials, relating specifically to south east Essex, and particularly to Southend, and dating from c. 1870 to date.) These collections can be described specifically by photographer/collector/origin:
    • Dawson collection: glass negatives of Southend and the area dating from 1899-1901.
    • Padgett Collection: glass negatives and postcards of S.E. Essex, dating from c. 1900 to 1930.
    • Secourable Collection: a small but important collection of images of Southend, c. 1870.
    • Borough Engineers Collection: record shots of Southend Borough, c. 1950-1980.
    • Goodale Collection: prints of Southend area including an important archive of bomb damage in first and Second World Wars.
  • Postcard Collection: A large collection of postcard views of Southend Borough dating from c. 1900 to date.

  There are also a very few more personal collections, comprising negatives, prints and transparencies (and some film) taken by local residents.

  Leisure and Resort

  Artefacts relating to the leisure pursuits of local inhabitants and visitors, and especially relating to Southend-on-Sea’s importance as a holiday resort and seaside town. This includes a substantial collection of holiday souvenirs, dating from c. 1870 to 1950s.

  Ceramics

  Locally produced ceramics, together with examples of domestic wares, principally from the Victorian and later periods. This collection includes an important group of Leigh and Southend wares. The domestic wares include:

  • Late Victorian tea and dinner services.
  • Individual cups and saucers, creamers, etc. from the late 18th and 19th centuries, with local family connections.
  • Stoneware hot water bottles/foot warmers.
  • Wash basins and ewers.
  • A collection of Castle Hedingham Wares.
  • Examples of stoneware Bellarmine jugs and stoneware mineral water bottles from local firms.
  • Leigh and Southend Wares (late 19th to mid-20th century.)

  Glasswares

  The Museum has a modest collection of glassware, mainly domestic drinking glasses, and dating from the late 18th and 19th centuries. There is a substantial collection of bottles dating mainly from the late 19th and early 20th centuries (but with examples of earlier types), and including representative examples of local mineral water bottles and milk bottles of local dairies.

  Printing

  This includes a very small but bulky collection of printing presses, and associated fonts, etc., together with printed ephemera, mostly associated with a local firm, and dating from the late 19th to early 20th centuries.

  Toys, Dolls and Playthings

  This is a very modest collection, dating mainly from the late 19th century to mid-20th century. This collection includes:

  • Examples of dolls from the mid-19th century to mid-20th century.
  • A very small selection of Dolls Houses (late Victorian onwards), and dolls house furniture.
  • Table (including Board) games dating from the early 19th century, but mainly early-mid 20th century.
  • Small collection of other toys from early 19th century to early 20th century.

  Domestic Bygones (not elsewhere described)

  This is a large collection of rather miscellaneous material and of mixed quality. This collection includes:

  • Structural.
  • A locally important collection of fireplaces and surrounds from local demolished farmhouses, dating from 18th and 19th centuries.
  • Small structural items and fittings.

  Furniture

  This includes some medieval and later items, mainly displayed in room settings. The large majority of the post medieval furniture has come from local families, and includes some very fine and important pieces, displayed in room settings.

  Lighting and Heating

  • Oil, gas lamps, electrical fittings.
  • Household Management, etc. (large).
  • Vacuum cleaners, sweepers, wash tubs, cookers.
  • Household management, etc. (small).
  • Irons, glove stretchers, domestic appliances including a substantial number of sewing machines, kitchen utensils.

  Personal

  Smoking pipes, hair dryers, razors, spectacles, home medical.

  Other

  Small selection of prams, bicycles, typewriters, some domestic textiles.

  Clocks

  A small but locally important collection of clocks, both domestic and non-domestic. The domestic clocks include several long-case clocks dating from the 18th century to mid-19th century. The non-domestic clocks (including clock faces) comprise mainly those from the local firm of R.A. Jones and Son.

  Photographic

  This collection includes cameras, some darkroom equipment and accessories. The collection also includes Magic Lanterns and later projection equipment. This is a modest but representative collection.

  War Time

  A collection of War Time ephemera (First and Second World Wars) relating to the Home Front and specifically to south east Essex. A small but locally important collection. This collection includes:

  • Ephemera and items relating to air raid precautions
  • Ephemera relating to rationing and resources
  • Ephemera relating to personal life (ID cards, evacuation)
  • Souvenirs of the air raids (shrapnel, fragments of Zeppelin, etc.)
  • Artefacts including some helmets, stirrup pumps, badges, etc.

  Crafts

  Trades and professions are represented by collections of mainly carpentry, smithing and plumbing tools used by local tradesmen. This includes a very large collection of tools and equipment from a local blacksmiths.

  Agriculture

  A small collection of farming equipment (mainly hand tools) from local farms, but including some larger machinery.

  Fishing and the Sea

  The museum has a very small collection relating to inshore fishing (shell fish), together with models of (local) boats and ships, of varying quality.

  Brick making

  A very small collection of bricks representative of local brick making establishments.

  Radio and Television (EKCO) Collection

  The museum currently holds an extensive collection of EKCO radios, televisions, associated archives, photographs and other products made by the EKCO company from the late 1920s to the 1970s. Key items include all five Bakelite round radios designed by Wells Coates, early televisions, including a prototype model colour television, and archives such as professional photographs of the working factory, special events, and staff, and a very full business archive. The collection already has national significance as the EKCO brand was well known worldwide. Expansion of the collection and knowledge about the company could make Southend Museums Service the most comprehensive source of objects and information on EKCO in the country.

  Numismatic Collections

  The large majority of the coins were donated in the early 20th century as large complete collections. This included a substantial number of non-British coins. A modest collection, including coins of the realm, tokens, medals and awards. The large majority of the coins have come from local collectors, complemented by archaeological and stray finds. The majority of the coins are English, with good representation of all issuers from the later Middle Ages onwards. The coins range in date from the late Iron Age (Celtic) to the present day, including Roman. There is a small but important collection of local token coinage (mainly late 17th century) and more general token coinage (mainly 18th century). There is a representative collection of military medals (associated mainly with local families) dating from the Crimean War to the Second World War. A small but important collection of local sporting medals and awards, educational awards (attendance and Peace medals) and other civilian awards.

  Costume Collection

  Housed at the Beecroft Art Gallery, Southend’s costume collection began as a few items collected as social history, and as parts of large and varied donations. In the 1970s and 80s the bulk of the collection was acquired, but with little or no local emphasis. As a result, much of the collection has no local connection or indeed any information as to its history at all. It is intended that further collecting will address this balance through placing an emphasis on the acquisition of local items, whether worn, designed, made, collected or purchased in the Southend area. Presently there are garments and accessories from a period of around three hundred years. This breaks down roughly as the following:

  • Seventeenth century: a single, slap sole shoe.
  • Eighteenth century: several ladies shoes. two late eighteenth century court waistcoats.
  • Nineteenth century: two early pelisse robes. several early bonnets. a small number of 1850s dresses. several items from each decade from the 1860s onwards
  • Twentieth century: a small number of Edwardian items. a small number of 1910-1920 items. a good number of 1920s – 1970s. a small number of 1980s items. a very small number of 1990s items.
  • Twenty first century: a very small number of items. An important collection of around 500 bathing suits dating from the late 19^th century to present day. This collection, mostly formed from the private collection of Mavis Plume, is the largest of its kind in the country and, as such, is an important resource for research. The costume collection is patchy in many areas and it should be stressed that men’s and children’s wear is underrepresented in all periods.

  Archaeology Collections

  These collections are representative of all periods of human occupation in south east Essex. They are of major research potential and include much that is of regional importance and, with the discovery of the ‘Prittlewell Prince’ in 2003, some archives of national and international importance. The collections comprise principally:

  • Major assemblages in the form of site archives from archaeological excavations.
  • Stray finds, including some metal detected material.
  • Antiquarian collections.

  Artefacts excavated/dredged from shipwrecks in the Thames Estuary. Of particular note, The London, a Designated wreck in Southend waters, regularly visited by a local licensed diver and yielding many and varied artefacts They range in date from the Pleistocene (Ice Age/Old Stone Age) to the Victorian period.

  Heritage and Environmental Records (HER)

  Southend Borough Council became a Unitary Authority in April 1998 and Southend Borough’s Planning Department is now responsible for maintaining its own Sites and Monuments/Heritage and Environmental Record. This is maintained by the Archaeology Curator. Archaeological archives are maintained in accordance with Guidelines for the Preparation of Excavation Archives for Long-term Storage (UKIC 1990), Selection, Retention and Dispersal of Archaeological collections (Society of Museum Archaeologists, 1993) and Archaeological Archives, a guide to best practice in the creation, compilation, transfer and curation (AAF, 2007).

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2014

  Licence: CC BY-NC