Collection: Derby Museums

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The collection comprises items across several subject areas acquired since the foundation of the Free Library and Museum in 1879. Some items in the collection were acquired by Derby Corporation prior to this date, including material previously displayed in the Derby Town and County Museum. Most items in the collection are of local and regional importance, although some collections, such as the Joseph Wright and Derby Porcelain collections, are of international significance. The initial stages of the collection’s history (1872-c.1930) saw the development of the Joseph Wright collection and large donations and bequests of Derby Porcelain. The beginnings of the current natural sciences, archaeology and world cultures collections also date from this period.

  During the mid to late twentieth century the Social History collections grew substantially and, with the opening of Derby Industrial Museum (now Derby Silk Mill), Derby’s industrial became a major area of collections development. In the 1960s and 1970s major acquisitions included large quantities of railway related artefacts, particularly those associated with the Midland Railway Company and its successor, the LMS.

  The development of the collection during the last quarter of the twentieth century continued with large intakes of social history, industry archaeological material. The opening of Pickford’s House in 1988 resulted in the further development of the costume and toy collections, and saw items from the collection displayed in period settings.

  Since the early 2000s there has been a move away from more generic social history collecting and towards a focus on certain themes which are of particular significance to the history of Derby, particularly the Enlightenment period and the city’s industrial history. There has also been a greater emphasis on collections supporting other areas of the organisation, including education, outreach and fund raising.

  Derby Museums was established as an independent charitable trust in 2012 and is responsible for the care and management of the museum collections owned by Derby City Council. The collections are on loan to Derby Museums from Derby City Council. The terms and conditions of this loan are detailed in the Collections Agreement between Derby Museums and Derby City Council, dated 1^st October 2012.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2019

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The collection is catalogued on a TMS database hosted by Gallery Systems which currently contains 144,000 individual records, although some of these refer to bulk accessions of archaeological material and large collections of natural sciences specimens. The number of individual objects and specimens within the collection are estimated to be around 250,000 to 300,000.

  The contents of the collection by subject area are outlined below.

  Archaeology

  Archaeology is taken to mean anything manmade or manipulated by humans, which has been removed from the ground.

  As of 2014 there were approximately 20,000 records classified on the museum database as archaeology, representing 15.8% of the total catalogued collection. The archaeology collection is poorly documented and the actual number of objects in the collection is much higher. Some excavation archives have only a single group record but contain many individual objects. Many single records include multiple objects often numbering hundreds of, for example, individual flints or pottery sherds from different contexts which ideally should be documented separately.

  Local archaeological material

  The archaeology collection includes material from the City of Derby, South Derbyshire District, Erewash District, Amber Valley District and parts of the Derbyshire Dales. The collection covers all periods from the Lower Palaeolithic to post-Medieval, and includes portable artefacts, remains of industrial processes, structural remains, human remains, animal remains, environmental samples, plant remains and associated documentary archives.

  The material types that comprise the three-dimensional ‘archive’ include ferrous, non-ferrous and precious metals; glass; pottery and other ceramics; stone; semi-precious stones, jet and amber; bone, antler, horn and ivory; wood, leather, plant remains and other organics. The documentary archive materials include paper, black-and-white and colour photographs, slides and negatives, microfiche, and electronic/digital media.

  The collection crosses over with other disciplines within the collection – Pleistocene faunal remains are referred to the Natural Sciences section; recent industrial archaeological remains are referred to the STEM and Working Life section; post-medieval ceramics from recorded contexts are collected in liaison with the Ceramics and Decorative Art section. The collection includes numismatics from archaeological contexts.

  The bulk of the present collection are the archives formed by the excavations at Little Chester (Roman and Anglo-Saxon), Derby Racecourse (Roman), Repton (Anglo-Saxon and Viking), Willington (multi-period from Neolithic to medieval), and Full St, Derby (medieval) between 1970-1990.

  Items of national significance include the Lower Palaeolithic handaxes from the Trent Valley, the Bronze Age (Hanson) log boat, the Repton Anglo-Saxon and Viking excavation archives, Ingleby Viking barrow cemetery excavation archives, and the antiquarian records of Major Hayman Rooke.

  Items of regional significance include Bronze Age metalwork from the Trent and Dove valleys; the Roman Derby (Little Chester and Racecourse) excavation archives; pottery from Roman kiln excavations at Holbrook, Hazelwood and Shottle; and the Anglo-Saxon stone sculpture from St Alkmund’s Church, Derby and St Wystans Church, Repton.

  Other items of local importance include excavation archives from prehistoric sites at Willington, Swarkestone Lowes, Melbourne, and Aston-on-Trent cursus monument; the Iron Age and Roman site at Littlehay Grange, Ockbrook; an aureus of Carausius from the Ashbourne area; the collection of early-medieval and medieval Derby mint coins; the excavation archives from medieval Derby at Full St and the Magistrates Court; the pottery from excavations at Burley Hill medieval kiln site; the Time Team excavation archive from Codnor Castle, including a gold noble of Henry V; medieval tiles from Dale Abbey; excavation archives from deserted medieval villages at Church Wilne, Barton Blount and Thurvaston; excavation archives from Melbourne Castle, Duffield Castle, medieval kilns at King Street, Duffield and Ticknall, and the Stanley Grange medieval smelting site, a 14^th century hoard of coins from City Rd, Derby; a 17^th century hoard of coin clippings from Alderwasley; and a discrete group of 18^th century semi-/complete pots from St Mary’s Bridge, Derby.

  The collection is particularly strong in material from the Bronze Age, Roman and Early Medieval (Anglo Saxon and Viking) periods, but has little displayable Iron Age medieval and post-medieval material.

  Over the last 30 to 40 years metal detectorists have been recovering archaeological objects from Derbyshire, as in the rest of the country, and through this the Museum is beginning to build up a collection of Treasure finds from the local area.

  Non-local British archaeological material

  After the acquisition of the Bateman Collection by Sheffield Museum in 1893, Derby Museum had little opportunity to form a significant collection of non-local Derbyshire antiquities. There is a small number of important non-local Derbyshire specimens, including flints from Creswell Crags (1877, 1921 and 1933) (of national importance and part of a larger collection of material dispersed among several museums); Bronze Age pottery from Stanton Moor (1926); excavation archives from Green Low, Aldwark (1968) and Melandra Castle (1977); surface collections of flint artefacts from north Derbyshire by Cooper (1976), Lomas (1978) and Radford (1995). In the latter case, Derby Museum was specified in the donor’s bequest.

  There are a small number of specimens from other parts of the British Isles. Type collections of flints from Kent, Sussex and Hampshire acquired from the British Museum in the 1910s formed the core of the early collection. 100 coins from the 14^th century Tutbury hoard were acquired in 1930.

  Ceramics and Decorative Art

  Ceramics

  The ceramics collection contains porcelain from the two Derby factories, Derby Porcelain (1748-1848) and the King Street Factory (1849-1935). It also contains representative collections from the Derby Crown factory, later Royal Crown Derby (1875 – present), Pinxton Porcelain, Abbeydale and Lynton.

  The collection also encompasses related material including pattern books, models, figure parts, moulds, artwork, documents and other material associated with the factories, workmen and porcelain artists.

  Within the collection are also significant representational collections of Derbyshire and local salt glazed stoneware, and pottery from local factories including Cockpit Hill, Brampton, Denby and Langley Mill, with examples from other Derbyshire factories used for comparative purposes. There are also pieces of work within the collection both on display and in the reserve collection of modern artists which continue the story of the Derby ceramics industry. There are other ceramic objects that are considered Archaeology, Industrial and Social History material, owing to the crossover between disciplines.

  The ceramics gallery at the Museum and Art Gallery was redisplayed in 2012-2013 and currently has 735 items on display. Approximately half the gallery is made up of material from the Nottingham Road factory, with smaller displays devoted to Pinxton, Royal Crown Derby, Cockpit Hill, several Art Pottery factories and selected studio potters. There is a large reserve collection of ceramics, which the museum aims to make more available for study by academics, collectors and researchers. There is also potential for display in specific porcelain special exhibitions, such as the recent Langley Mill exhibition, and as part of the redevelopment of the Silk Mill and the theme of ‘Making’.

  Derby Museums holds the largest collection of Derby manufactured porcelain to be found in any national, international or private collection The collection comprises approximately 11,200 pieces of porcelain, related documents and ephemera, models, moulds and figure parts dating from the earliest period around 1750 to the late 20^th century. Alongside the Derby Local Studies Library, who hold a large collection of related documents, Derby Museums is the only institution in the world where the output, working practises and people of Derby Porcelain can be studied and appreciated.

  Decorative Arts: Stonework

  The Museum has representative collections of locally manufactured pieces of Ashford Black Marble, Blue John and Derbyshire fluorspars, gypsum and alabaster. The aim of these small but significant collections is to demonstrate unique locally produced and manufactured goods. New acquisitions are made where they would add a significant new dimension to the collection, and where they fit with the aims of a specific project.

  The collection is likely to see use as part of both the Enlightenment and Making narratives pursued by Derby Museums, as well as for partnership working with holders of similar collections in the area. There have been no significant additions to this collection within the last five years.

  Decorative Arts: Glass

  The collection includes a small collection of less than 500 items. There are other glass objects that are considered Social History material, and some considered Archaeology, owing to the crossover between disciplines. One of the strengths of Derby Museum’s decorative art glassware is a good collection of drinking glasses – these are mainly conical ale glasses with decorative stems, dating from the mid-18^th to the mid-20^th centuries.

  The collection covers most methods of working and finishing glass vessels. Most of the pieces are blown, either hand blown or mould blown, but there are a small number of pressed pieces made by significant and well known firms such as Sowerby and Davidsons. Fashions and styles are also fairly well covered. Many of the Victorian coloured items are very representative of the period.

  By its nature it is not a local collection; Derby was never a glass working centre. The majority of the pieces are English, a few European, and a couple Irish. A few of the pieces have a local connection.

  Although the collection was not built with an aim in mind, it is illustrative of the developments in glass working and styles and forms of drinking glasses. As visual arts objects some of these are quite beautiful.

  Decorative Arts: Furniture

  The collection contains examples of furniture used in period room settings at Pickford’s House Museum (1770 onwards), and as part of the ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie Room’ at the Museum and Art Gallery, which commemorates the 1745 rebellion.

  It is not intended to be a comprehensive furniture collection, but to form part of the above-mentioned displays, and has been acquired specifically for that purpose. A number of specimens are on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum and from private collections. There are few items made in Derby of historic significance.

  There have been no significant recent additions to this collection.

  Costume and Textiles

  As of 2014 the collection includes over 7,500 items classified as costume, around 6% of the documented collection. The initial aim of the collection was to build up a representative collection of English dress and textiles from the 18^th century onwards, but this has evolved over time to have a more local focus on Derby and the surrounding area. Most of this collection is made up of personal clothing of children and adults from the Derby area from the 1700s to the beginning of the 21^st century. There is a strong emphasis on women’s fashion within the collection.

  Particular strengths of the collection include examples of the work of a number of local clothing manufacturers and designers, including man-made fibres from British Celanese, samples from Derbyshire textile manufacturers. The collection also contains 1920s and 1930s costume once belonging to Lady Curzon of Kedleston Hall and the Stanton collection of 19^th century costume from Snelston Hall.

  In addition to costume, the collection includes household textiles, textile crafts and embroidery, including examples of the work of the local textile artist Rebecca Crompton.

  Fine Art

  Derby Museums currently hold 4,500 items that may be classified by the term ‘fine art’, which in October 2014 represented approximately 3.5% of the total catalogued collection. Though now considered outmoded by many quarters, the term remains a useful, although by no means exclusive way, of distinguishing the collection from that of its related counterpart, ‘decorative art’.

  The collection includes representative examples of a range of traditional visual art forms, including painting, drawing, print making, and sculpture, and photography, which in turn cover many different subjects, media, and techniques of production.

  Broadly speaking, the collection covers British art, extending from the 18^th century through to the present day, with a small selection of works by national or internationally renowned artists, such as Benjamin West (1738-1820), or John Singer Sergent (1856-1925). However, particular focus is given to works that exhibit a local connection, whether through subject matter (for example, local topographical art), or artist (an artist may be linked to the local area by birth, domicile, education or employment/studio practice).

  Works within the latter, local category cover a wide range of techniques of production and subject-matter, by artists from Derby and Derbyshire, ranging from Thomas Smith of Derby (approximately 1724-1767) to any living artist whose work is considered of sufficient quality and importance to justify representation and preservation.

  Most significantly, Derby Museums’ hold the world’s largest, and most representative collection of paintings, drawings, prints, and ephemera relating to Joseph Wright, ARA (1734-1797), Designated by the then Museums, Libraries, and Archives Council in 2011 as a collection of national significance. Full public access to the museums’ archive of over 300 drawings by Wright, alongside manuscripts and secondary resource material, was recently made possible through the establishment of a dedicated Joseph Wright Study Room, enabled by a grant from Arts Council England’s Designation Development Fund. This development complements a wider commitment to raising the profile and accessibility of the artist’s work, which currently includes the display of 35 of the museums’ total 38 oil paintings by Wright.

  Further areas of note include a superb collection of paintings and drawings by Ernest Townsend (1880-1944), many of which depict Derby locations and people during the inter-war years. Some of these paintings are included among Alfred Goodey’s collection of nearly 600 paintings and drawings of ‘Old Derby’, which were donated to the Museum between 1936 and 1945. Largely topographical, these paintings range from the early 18^th century to the mid twentieth century, and provide a fascinating account of the physical and social development of Derby and Derbyshire during the period.

  The fine art collection also includes a modest assembly of sculpture, and includes work by Ronald Pope (1920-1997), and David Payne (1843-1894). More recent, small scale, acquisitions have attempted to begin to address a collection gap in the form of contemporary fine art photography, in accordance with the local emphasis outlined above.

  STEM and Working Life

  Derby Museums’ science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and Working Life collection represents the range of local manufacturing and extractive industries with a particularly strong emphasis on railway technology, general engineering and clay-working industries. As of 2014, there were 11,537 objects classified on the museum database as ‘Industrial History’, representing 8.87% of the total, catalogued collection. The size of many industrial items means that the Industrial collection forms around 25% by volume of collection. There is some crossover with the social history collections concerning working life and the social movements related to employment. There is also material from the local textile industry contained within the costume and textiles collections.

  One principle area of the STEM and Working Life collection are the railway engineering and Midland Railway collections. These collections are comprised of locomotives and rolling stock, including the nationally significant British Pullman carriage bodies, presently on a renewable five year loan to the Midland Railway Centre at Butterley, Derbyshire. Much of the related archive and ephemera collection has been made publicly accessible through the Midland Railway Study Centre at the Silk Mill, opened in 2005. Railway model-making is also represented through the 7mm gauge Midland Railway collection.

  There is considerable material relating to engineering and supporting industries in Derby across several specialisms including iron founding, pattern making, light and heavy engineering, brick making, horological material, mining equipment and scientific equipment. Significant sub-collections include the Derby-made Qualcast lawnmowers, working stationary steam, a large collection of locally-made bricks, and clocks from John Whitehurst and Smith of Derby.

  The collection’s importance to the Silk Mill as the southern gateway to the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site is established by material relating to the textile industries of Derby and its environs, including the Erewash Valley. Themes covered include the spinning of cotton and silk, narrow tapes weaving, handframe and machine knitting and the development of man-made fibres.

  There are limited collections relating to transport industries, most notably consisting of car and aero-engine production material from Rolls-Royce, including objects on loan from the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust. There are also buses in storage in Uttoxeter and a Derby-built motorcycle, the Silk 700s.

  Supporting collections of photographs, drawings and ephemera are also present. A large proportion of this collection relates to Stanton Ironworks and International Combustion of Derby.

  Military History

  The Military History collection contains the following sub-collections.

  9th/12th Royal Lancers Collection

  The 9^th/12^th Royal Lancers Museum is a separate Accredited Museum with a service agreement with Derby Museums Trust to provide display, storage and curatorial services. The collection covers the 9^th Light Dragoons, the 12^th Light Dragoons, the 9^th Dragoons, the 12^th Dragoons, the 9^th Lancers, the 12^th Lancers and the 9^th/12^th Lancers. The collections also include material relating to the 24th and 27th Lancers during the Second World War. The 9^th/12^th Royal Lancers Museum is covered by its own Acquisition and Disposal Policy as required by ACE. Collection is undertaken by the Curator of the 9^th/12^th Lancers Museum on behalf of the Trustees and by the Trustees themselves. The 9^th/12^th Royal Lancers Museum has a small purchase grant to buy items from auctions and dealers, but relies on donations. It particularly pursues ‘modern’ and current-issue items with the assistance of the serving Regiment.

  Derbyshire Yeomanry and Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry

  This small sub-collection is almost exclusively the property of Derby City Council (approximately 2500 objects including photography and medals), but it does include some items on loan from the Leicestershire Derbyshire Yeomanry Trustees and Old Comrades Association (about 220 items).

  Derbyshire Infantry and Sherwood Foresters

  These collections consist of items relating to the 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment, Infantry and Rifle Volunteers, Militia, and the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 14th and 16th Battalions of the Sherwood Foresters and the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters. Collections are mostly the property of Derby City Council although items on display in the Soldiers Story gallery are on loan from the Museum of Mercian Regiment (WFR Collection) Trustees. In 2007, the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment were amalgamated with two other infantry regiments to form the Mercian Regiment. Derby Museums does not hold any items relating to the Mercian Regiment, which is now the County Infantry regiment. However we would consider borrowing some items relating to the Mercian Regiment for display in the Soldiers Story Gallery to update our displays to show the current Regiment’s recent achievements.

  General British Army, Naval and Air Force

  Within Derby City Council’s military collections there are items and medals relating to the military service of local men and women who served with corps or non-local regiments (such as the Royal Medical Corps, the Royal Engineers and other regiments) as well as the Royal Navy, Merchant Navy and Royal Air Force (and antecedent organisations). Most items in this category should be passed, with the owner’s permission to the relevant regimental or national museum where appropriate and offers of new material treated similarly. Non-accessioned material of this category should be passed to the appropriate museum immediately UNLESS it can be demonstrated that the object has strong local significance (such as a local hero).

  Foreign Military

  There are items in the collection that relate to ‘foreign military’ such as uniform items, weapons and other souvenirs and relics, including the Cunnington collection of First World War related items. These are primarily the result of Derbyshire Yeomanry or Sherwood Foresters soldiers bringing items back from the First and Second World Wars (probably from Prisoners of War or from the dead), though some material now relating to the ‘modern’ post-Second World War Malaya (1950s), Northern Ireland (1970s and 1980s) Former Yugoslavia (1990s), Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts is also in the collection.

  First and Second World War Home Front

  There are a number of items relating to the ‘Home Front’ of both World Wars, including items concerning rationing, air-raids and bombing, gas-masks and ARP. There are particularly significant collections of signs, paper ephemera (posters and documents) and items relating to the Home Guard. These are all items for which there is considerable contemporary interest

  Firearms

  Derby Museums have a collection of approximately 120 firearms. Advice on the care of these and similar explosive based weapons is provided by the 9^th/12th Lancers curator due to particular legal requirements ensuring that they are dealt with safely, carefully and with sensitivity.

  They are mainly associated with the Derbyshire Yeomanry, the Sherwood Foresters and its antecedent regiments. There is a representative collection of locally-manufactured or retailed civilian firearms (shotguns and handguns). A small number of firearms in the collection were originally used in crime and given to the Museum by the police.

  There are a small number of objects, particularly relating to the manufacture of firearms that are considered Social History material, owing to the crossover between disciplines.

  Uniformed Services

  This collection contains material relating to the police and law enforcement, Red Cross (and Ambulance service), Fire Brigade (AFS and Fire Brigade), and modern era (nuclear) Civil Defence. Recent acquisitions include a number of items from the old County Borough of Derby police force.

  Natural Sciences

  The Natural Sciences collection covers biological and earth sciences specimens from all disciplines. These are divided into the three major disciplines of botany, zoology and geology. It is estimated that around 75,000 individual specimens are contained within these three disciplines, although only many of these are not recorded as individual specimens on the Accessions Register but as components of larger collections. The Natural Sciences collections are currently being researched, documented and redisplayed as part of the DM Nature project.

  The Museum had also long maintained a biological records centre to record biological data from Derby and Derbyshire. In the absence of a dedicated Natural Sciences curator, this work is now undertaken by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and forms part of the National Biodiversity Network. The data can now be accessed through the NBN Gateway (data.nbn.org.uk).

  Botany

  The botanical collection consists of around 10,000 plant specimens of predominantly Derbyshire origin. The bulk of the botanical collection is a vascular plant herbarium of approximately 8,500 pressed specimens and arranged by the Dandy classification system. It includes collections of important 19^th century botanists such as J. Whittaker, W.R. Linton and W.H. Painter, as well as the modern day collections of R. Smith and Dr A. Wilmot.

  Much work has been done over the last decade to catalogue specimens and computerise data held within the collection. As a whole, the botanical collections aim to reflect the botanical composition of the area for scientific and educational purposes. They are also a useful reference source for conservationists and provide support for current plant recording activities.

  Future uses of the collection include displays within the redeveloped nature gallery at the Museum and Art Gallery and the more widespread use of the collection and its associated data through partnerships with academic institutions, volunteers and special interest groups.

  Zoology

  The zoological collections contain specimens from all over the world with a bias towards birds, mammals and insect.

  Invertebrates

  The entomological collections consist of approximately 50,000 specimens of insects and related orders in varying states of preservation. Some specimens are been lost as a result of an Anthrenus verbascii infestation within an area of the insect store. Non-British material is a prevalent feature of this collection, particularly among the Coleoptera. There are specimens of international importance in the collection are the Bragg collection of Phasmid type specimens and type specimens of South American, Indian and Far Eastern coleoptera from the collection donated by Mapp. The collection also contains large numbers of Lepidoptera, notably the locally significant collection of Heywood, one of the founders of the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Entomological Society (DaNES). An assessment of the significance of individual groups and specimens contained within the entomology collection has been partially completed.

  A number of other animal groups are represented by a small number of specimens, such as Echinoderms, Corals and Crustracea. Significant among the non-entomological invertebrate collections are the Grimwood-Taylor collection of British and non-British Mollusca; and a collection of shells acquired during James Cook’s voyages to the Pacific.

  Vertebrates

  The vertebrate collections contain approximately 5,000 specimens, mostly birds and mammals. Most specimens and most are mounted in life-like poses and are either cased or uncased. The collection is in varying states of preservation with some specimens no longer of displayable quality. The collection contains a number of examples specimens acquired from prominent local collectors, such as the Mosley collection of cased birds obtained following the closure of Burton-on-Trent Museum). There are also examples of the work of prominent local taxidermists, including Hutchinson and Cook. The collection also includes a limited number of skeletal remains, bird egg collections and study skins.

  The scientific data associated with the vertebrate collection varies but the collection can be broadly described as being representative of British wildlife, especially that of Derby and Derbyshire. The collection also contains a number of non-British specimens and includes examples of extinct species.

  Although there have been few additions to the zoological collection in recent years, it has seen continued use as part of education programmes and exhibitions. Work has been done documenting vertebrate specimens in preparation for the Enlightenment! exhibition. Entomological specimens are also exhibited at the DaNES annual exhibition. A considerable amount of zoological material is to be used in the redeveloped nature gallery. It is envisaged that the partnerships with academic institutions and specialist groups will lead to greater access to the collection for research and other forms of public engagement.

  Geology

  The geological collections are split between petrology (1,500 specimens), palaeontology (4,500 specimens) and mineralogy (2,500 specimens). The palaeontology collection shows a bias towards Derbyshire specimens of the Carboniferous and Quaternary periods. There is little locality data for much of the collection and documentation is poor.

  There are some small significant collections within the geological collections. These are:

  A set of type specimen fossils from Chrome Hill, complete with a catalogue and documentation.

  The Nellie Kirkham Collection of specimens from Derbyshire mines

  A collection of marbles and building stones comprised of donations from the 1920s and later additions. This collection forms a good record of architectural petrology within the city.

  There is a good general collection of Derbyshire minerals and an extensive collection of minerals from around the world. These are mostly good quality specimens but require further research to gauge their significance.

  The palaeontology collection includes ichthyosaur and plesiosaur remains which are of potential research interest. There are also cave deposits and animal remains from important local sites of scientific interest, including Creswell Crags, Thor’s Cave and Hoe Grange. One of the most notable single specimens is the ‘Allenton Hippo’, the remains of which date from the Ipswichian Interglacial. Other large faunal remains from the Boulton Moor area are also in the collection.

  The collection contains a small number of historically important items relating to Derbyshire geology, including White Watson tablets, and tools and materials for Ashford Black Marble inlaying. Worked ornamental items of Ashford Black Marble, Blue John and Chellaston Alabaster are included in the Decorative Arts collection.

  Photography

  The photographic collection consists of over 7500 individually catalogued items, including prints, postcards, negatives, photograph albums and carte-de-visites. This figure masks the real extent of the photographic collection because of the number of uncatalogued or bulk accessioned items relating to the history of local companies, most notably Stanton Ironworks and the railway industry.

  Much of the photography collection is of local topographical subjects and is used to illustrate life in Derby in support of other disciplines. For this reason the bulk of the photographic collection is considered to be part of the STEM and Working Life, and Social History collections.

  The most significant items are original photographs, glass plate negatives and lantern slides by Richard Keene (1825-1894), founder of the Derby Photographic Society and a noted photographer of Derbyshire landscapes; portraits by W.W. Winters, Derby’s earliest purpose built photographic studio; and examples of early photography techniques dating from the 1850s and 1860s.

  Many of the images in the collection are available to view online as part of the Picture the Past partnership between libraries and museums in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (www.picturethepast.org.uk).

  Social History

  The collection contains a large and varied collection of social history items connected with community life, home life and personal life in Derby. This category formerly included objects related to working life but these have now been reassigned to the STEM and Working life category to reflect the responsibilities of the Curator of Making. Most of the objects within the social history collection are related to life in Derby over the past three centuries. There are a number of sub-collections of note.

  There is a growing collection of items of artistic, social and scientific interest relating to Derby during the 18^th century Midlands Enlightenment. Some of this material has been acquired recently as part of the HLF-funded Collecting Cultures project Enlightenment! Derbyshire Setting the Pace in the 18^th Century in partnership with Buxton Museum and Art Gallery and Belper North Mill. Internationally important items include Erasmus Darwin’s microscope, John Flamsteed’s ‘Atlas Coelestis’ and John Whitehurst’s ‘Inquiry into the Original State and Formation of the Earth’. There are also important items relating to events of national importance which occurred locally, including Prince Charles Edward Stuart’s ring and the execution block used to behead the Pentrich rebels in 1817. There is also a small collection of items relating to Captain R.F. Scott’s British Antarctic Expedition given to the museum by George Clarke Simpson, meteorologist on the Terra Nova.

  A part of the collection which is of national importance is the collection of over 1200 toy theatres and associated material donated by Frank Bradley in 1977. The collection includes toy theatres, scenery, figures and playbooks and is one of the most comprehensive collections of toy theatres in the world. The toy theatre collection forms part of a larger collection of 3500 items relating to childhood toys and games, many of which have little local provenance in terms of manufacture but can be used as supporting material and to indicate national trends.

  A further strength of the social history collection is a collection of approximately 400 radios, televisions and music players dating from the early and mid-twentieth century. Little of this material is of local manufacture but is a regionally important collection of audio and visual technology.

  Other areas of the social history collection are comprised of paper ephemera relating to local individuals and businesses, a large collection of bottles of local manufacture, furniture, architectural features and the contents of Cope and Taylor’s chemist shop, acquired when the business closed in 1972.

  Community organisations, such as the Co-operative movement and local Friendly Societies, are well represented by paper ephemera. There is also some material relating to local Christian and Jewish organisations, although contemporary religion is generally under represented within the collection.

  There is a significant collection of social history numismatics mainly consisting of:

  coins of national issue and recent date (approximately 1750 onwards), early Derbyshire banknotes, with a printing plate, Derbyshire trade tokens, token money of local industries or businesses (such as pub checks and bus tokens), other ‘paranumismatica’, or money-like items (such as ration books and credit cards), commemorative medals of both local and national issue relating to non-military events, and foreign coins and coin weights. Its strengths lie in the examples of local banknotes and trade tokens, together with the locally-issued commemorative medals.

  The Museum has a good collection of new stamps and First Day Covers up to c.1997, and, based around the local Walton Bequest of 1934, a first rate Empire and world collection.

  Other aspects of the social history collection include more generic items, including personal grooming items, food packaging, cooking utensils and photography equipment.

  World Cultures and Non-British Archaeology

  Derby Museums’ World Cultures collection consists of approximately 1400 objects, approximately 200 of which are on loan from East Staffordshire District Council, and a further 500 classified as Foreign Archaeology. The collection was audited in 2005 but very few objects have been added to the collection since the loan from East Staffordshire District Council in 1981. At the start of 2014, there were 1,277 objects classified on the museum database as world cultures and ethnography, representing 1% of the total catalogued collection.

  African, particularly West African, material makes up a significant proportion of the objects in the main World Cultures collection, partly due to a policy in the 1940s of exchanging other material for African specimens. The material culture of Oceania is also well represented and the collection includes small numbers of objects from China, India, Japan and the Americas. It is worth noting that some of the best examples in the collection are among the objects on loan from East Staffordshire.

  The Foreign Archaeology includes flint and stone tools from Denmark, Egypt, France, North America and India; Iron Age metalwork from France; cuneiform tablets and pottery from Greece Cyprus and Egypt (the latter includes material from Beni Hasan and is part of a larger collection of excavated material dispersed among several museums). The collection also includes the Egyptian mummies, which were among Derby Museums’ earliest acquisitions.

  The strengths of the collection lie primarily in its diversity, with some of the African material being of relevance to communities within Derby. Its principal weakness is its relatively poor documentation, mainly in respect of its origin and collection rather than its acquisition by the Museum.

  With the exception of the 1981 loan of material from East Staffs, there have been very few additions to this collection since the late 1970s. The most recent acquisitions have been two Islamic items acquired as part of the Devotion exhibition and various items identified during the 2005 audit

  The World Cultures and Foreign Archaeology collections place Derby Museums’ collections in a global context and many aspects of these collections relate to communities living in Derby. This material also has relevance to the history of collecting and Derby Museums as an institution.

  Human Remains

  Derby Museums policy on human remains is outlined in detail in its Human Remains Policy (2013, revised 2014). The policy covers the care and management of the collection, and outlines the terms under which access is granted. The collection includes human remains in the following categories:

  Archaeological

  This refers to human remains acquired as a result of archaeological excavations. It forms the largest single group of human remains within the collection and consists mainly of specimens from within the city and the wider county. Notable examples are remains from the Roman cemetery excavated at Derby Racecourse and Bronze Age cremations from Stanton Moor.

  Ethnographic/World Cultures

  Ethnographic remains are classified as non-British human remains acquired because they were deemed to be of scientific or cultural value. In practice there is some overlap between this group and the other categories but in line with the Museum Ethnographers’ Group Guidelines on Management of Human Remains (1991, revised 1994) they have been highlighted as a distinct category in recognition of the fact that they may be subject to concerns not applicable to other human remains. These include acquisition as the result of unequal relationships, cultural sensitivity and the legacy of different curatorial practices being applied to human remains from western and non-western societies.

  Significant holdings in this area include two Egyptian mummies on display at the Museum and Art Gallery, and skeletal remains from South America and New Zealand.

  Natural Sciences

  This group comprises human remains acquired primarily as anatomical or natural history specimens, including skeletal remains and other medical specimens.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2019

  Licence: CC BY-NC