Collection: Bewdley Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection overview (Cornucopia)

  Fine Art Collection

  The fine art collection was transferred from Kidderminster Museum and Art Gallery when it closed in 1990. It includes views of Kidderminster; sketches by J.Knox Ferguson and some oils and watercolours by Lavenstein.

  Subjects

  Watercolours; Paintings; Fine Art; Drawings; Western European

  Ethnography Collection

  The collection was transferred from Kidderminster Museum and Art gallery, which closed in 1990. It includes material from Japan and South America, and the Weston Collection of Oriental Carvings.

  Subjects

  Sculpture; People (society); Southern and Central America; Ethnography; Southeast Asian; People

  Social History Collection

  The forest trades collection includes material on charcoal burning, basket making, besom making, and barrel making. The social history collections are rich in all aspects of the life and work of the area. Local trades are particularly well represented, and include charcoal burning, basket making, besom making, and barrel making.

  Subjects

  Agriculture; Wood; Social History; Metal working; Forestry

  Science and Industry Collection

  The rope making collection is based on the material collected from the Lowes Ropeworks. It is maintained in working condition and demonstrations are given. The collection of locally-used machinery includes a Pickles horizontal flat bed saw of about 1890, a Tangye oil engine of the 1920s and a hydraulic ram made by Eastons in the 1870s. The museum’s own brass foundry allows for regular demonstrations of brass founding to be given. Collection of material related to the Kidderminster carpet industry which covers most aspects, but not at the depth that might be expected. The collection contains important exhibits relating to local industries, many of them in working order. Items from the Lowes Ropeworks, machinery made by Pickles, Tangye and Eastons, and the museum’s own working brass foundry are amongst the most popular exhibits. There is a collection of material related to the Kidderminster carpet industry.

  Subjects

  Industry and commerce; Textile manufacture; Science and Industry; Mechanical engineering; Manufacturing

  Costume and Textile Collection

  The collections relate essentially to the trades and industries of the Bewdley area.

  Subjects

  Costume and Textile

  Decorative and Applied Art Collection

  The collections relate essentially to the trades and industries of the Bewdley area.

  Subjects

  Decorative and Applied Arts

  Maritime Collection

  The collections relate essentially to the trades and industries of the Bewdley area.

  Subjects

  Maritime (cargo); Maritime (delete); Maritime

  Medicine Collection

  The collections relate essentially to the trades and industries of the Bewdley area

  Subjects

  Medicine; Health

  Numismatics Collection

  The collections relate essentially to the trades and industries of the Bewdley area.

  Subjects

  Coins and Medals; Numismatics

  Personalia Collection

  The collections relate essentially to the trades and industries of the Bewdley area.

  Subjects

  People (society); Personalia; People

  Transport Collection

  The collections relate essentially to the trades and industries of the Bewdley area.

  Subjects

  Transport

  Archaeology Collection

  Archaeology.

  Biology Collection

  Biology.

  Geology Collection

  The collection consists mainly of Permian fossils transferred from Kidderminster Museum and Art Gallery, which closed in 1990.

  Subjects

  Fossils; Geology

  Arms and Armour Collection

  Arms and Armour.

  Subjects

  Armour; Weapons; Arms and Armour

  Oral History Collection

  The oral history archive is a strong element of the collection.

  Subjects

  Oral history

  Agriculture Collection

  Farm machinery and equipment The agriculture collections include a good group of farm machinery and equipment from local sources.

  Subjects

  Food processing; Agriculture

  Archives Collection

  The collection consists largely of letters and ledgers Largely letters and ledgers.

  Subjects

  Documents (historic); Documents (commercial); Archives; Documents (personal)

  Photographic Collection

  A significant record of life in the area. The photographic archive is an important aspect of the collections and provides useful evidence of the history of life and work in the area.

  Subjects

  Photographic equipment; Photography

  Source: Cornucopia

  Date: Not known, but before 2015

  Licence: CC BY-NC