Collection: Bridport Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection overview (Cornucopia)

  Photographic Collection

  This large collection predominantly features local views, people and activities and falls into seven separate collections, two of which were made by local newspaper photographers.

  Subjects

  Photographic equipment

  Science and Industry Collection

  Bridport achieved international fame as a manufacturing centre for rope, twine and net. The rope, twine and net collection is a strength of this museum. The first surviving written record of the industry occurs in the 1211 pipe roll of William Malet, sheriff of Dorset and Somerset. The wealth of the town was founded on this industry with which most of the population was involved. The one surviving firm is Gundry plc. The collection includes two net-making machines; two rope/twine jacks; a balling machine; a yarn press; two skirders; tools; braiding needles; samples of rope, twine and net; hackles; a twine cart of 1908; and other implements. Archive material supports this collection.

  Subjects

  Science and Industry; Manufacturing

  Biology Collection

  The most notable collection is that bequeathed in 1946 by the Rev A B Hutton, former rector of Loders. It comprises 250 cases of birds and mammals, including foreign specimens. There are also local herbaria; birds eggs; lepidoptera; and one collection of foreign shells.

  Subjects

  Biology

  Decorative and Applied Art Collection

  This collection comprises: a small collection of bottles, come of local origin such as from Cornick’s Jam Factory; a small number of ceramic items, several of which are commemorative; a few items of furniture; and one stone clock casting by a local stone mason.

  Subjects

  Decorative and Applied Arts

  Geology Collection

  The majority of geology specimens are local, from the area between Lyme Regis and Burton Bradstock. There is the Hansford collection of fossils from Morcombelake and Charmouth by Barney Hansford. A recent addition is a fossil of Sauro-Rhynchus discovered in 1990 at West Bay.

  Subjects

  Geology

  Archaeology Collection

  There is a small collection of archaeology, the main aspects of which relate to material from two Roman sites. The James Ralls collection was excavated at Waddon Hill between 1876 and 1886 and includes Roman military artefacts. The Tolley collection derives from Webster’s excavations at Waddon Hill between 1959 and 1969. It includes a bronze bust of Mercury; a bronze bull; a leather scabbard; brooches; intaglios; dice; needles; military artefacts; glass vessels; and pottery vessels.

  Subjects

  Archaeology

  Social History Collection

  Social history items in the collection include agricultural material relating to the dairy; arable farming; stock farming and rural crafts and include; a plough; a milking stool; butter churns; sieves; ladles; skimmers; a seed fiddle; rakes; hoes; scythes; calf muzzles; horse and ox shoes; threshers; shears; thatching tools; and milling tools. There is a small collection of objects relating to Bridport’s commercial life including trade bills, paper bags and other packaging; and products sold. Dr Giles Roberts (1766-1834) was a local apothecary. There is a significant collection relating to him, his successor apothecaries, then pharmacists, and his apothecary shop, his medicines and the Methodist Church. The collection includes oil paintings; ceramic medicine jars; books; magazines; correspondence; documents; personal possessions; and an iron ‘old man on a horse’ which stood on the roof of the apothecary shop (and is presumed to have been on the roof of the George Inn which preceded it on the site).

  Subjects

  Social History

  Fine Art Collection

  The collection includes oil paintings and works of art on paper. Local artists represented include: Alfred Percy Codd (1957-1941); Alfred Earnest Champ (c.1868-1928); Francis Henry Newbery (1851-1946); Henry Walton; F E Tighe; A Hodder; George Biles; and Eric Bray. The Codd collection comprises watercolours and sketches by Codd including a series of copies of Turner watercolours; and 19th and 20th century pictures collected by Codd during travels in England and on the continent. There are four oil paintings and one watercolour by Francis Henry Newbery; five oil paintings and ten watercolours by Arthur Champ; seven oil paintings of the Marshwood Vale by Henry Walton; one oil painting and several watercolours and pen and ink drawings by Eric Bray.

  Subjects

  Fine Art

  Costume and Textile Collection

  The costume collection ranges in date from an 18th century hand-painted silk gown from Paris to a 1970s wedding dress purchased in Fenwick’s and worn in 1974 by a local woman. It is chiefly female attire, but includes some male dress such as uniform and agricultural clothing; household linens; and embroideries. The highlights of the collection are an Edwardian tea gown; a Worth gown and accessories worn at a court presentation by a local woman in 1930; a National Fire Service jacket worn by Edward Reynolds, the first Captain of the Bridport Fire Brigade in 1896; and a mayoral robe designed and worn by Edward Reynolds in 1919. There is a good range of accessories including footwear; bags; fans; parasols; gloves; glove stretchers; headwear; hatpins; and spectacles. There is some jewellery and a variety of decorative ornaments including stamp holders and card cases. The small lace collection is not local. There are also dolls in costume from both Britain and abroad. The Rev Dr Donald Omand, former rector of Chideock (d.1971) gave his collection of dolls collected over a number of years from circus folk. The collection includes a fabric sailor doll from clown Grock, wooden figures, terracotta figures, Peggy Nisbet dolls, and other commercially manufactured dolls.

  Subjects

  Costume and Textile

  Numismatics Collection

  The highlight of the small coin collection is a William I Bridport penny.

  Subjects

  Numismatics

  Medals Collection

  There is a small collection of military and commemorative medals.

  Subjects

  Medals

  Arms and Armour Collection

  This small collection consists of firearms including duelling pistols, a rifle, a fowling weapon and a starting cannon.

  Subjects

  Arms and Armour

  Archives Collection

  The collection includes documents relating to local families, commercial firms and local organisations and comprises deeds; mortgages; contracts; marriage settlements; invoices; minute books; etc. Also 19th century newspapers; broadsheets; programmes; paper souvenirs and other ephemera. There is a large number of Ordnance Survey maps 1820s-1960s. There is a large archive of the Reynolds family dating to between the 1860s and the 1950s and comprising personal and official correspondence; ledgers; diaries; and other archival material. Some of this material has been placed on deposit at the Dorset County Record Office.

  Subjects

  Archives

  Source: Cornucopia

  Date: Not known, but before 2015

  Licence: CC BY-NC