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Wikidata identifier:
Q23303983
Also known as:
Amgueddfa Abertyleri a'r Cylch
Instance of:
local museum; independent museum
Museum/collection status:
Accredited Museum
Persistent shareable link for this record:
https://museumdata.uk/museums/q23303983/

Collection-level records:

  • Collection history (Collection development policy)

    Abertillery and District Museum was opened in a room in Abertillery library building in 1972 following the establishment of Abertillery & District Museum Society in 1964 and the associated development of the museum collection which commenced with the discovery by a founder member of a Bronze Age palstave. In 1996 the museum was obliged to move out of the Library building and established a temporary base in part of the ground floor of the Metropole building in the town centre. In 1999 Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council made the whole of the ground floor of the Metropole building available to the Museum Society under the terms of a 25 year lease (which has been renewed) at a peppercorn rent. National Lottery grants subsequently covered the larger part of the cost of a design for the display and storage of the collections and the implementation of that design. The Society has always focussed on the acquisition of items of relevance to the history of the local area or items associated with local persons.

    Source: Collection development policy

    Date: 2022

    Licence: CC BY-NC

  • Collection overview (Collection development policy)

    The existing collection consists of a wide range of social and industrial history artefacts and a small geological collection. The museum also holds written records pertaining to the District and County and a photographic archive. The main elements of the collection fall under the following headings:

    • Bronze Age palstave
    • Roman pottery shards
    • Farming e.g. tools and household objects
    • Industrial e.g. items from the local tin works, iron works and coal and ironstone mining industries
    • Transport items relating to railways, tramroads, canals, horse-drawn and motorised vehicles
    • Military e.g. uniforms, weapons, medals, civil defence items, written records
    • Education e.g. classroom items and teaching aids
    • Religion e.g. bibles, awards, stained glass, literature
    • Commercial e.g. shop items, signs, literature
    • Domestic e.g. kitchen utensils, domestic products and equipment
    • Toys e.g. prams, dolls, games, models
    • Art e.g. paintings, drawings
    • Geology – small collection of rocks and fossils
    • Leisure e.g. sport, trophies, cameras, photographs
    • Research material – small body of research by members and students
    • Maps e.g. Ordnance Survey and mining maps (mostly photocopies)
    • Clothing
    • Miscellany e.g. cards
    • Photographs
    • Written records and memorabilia and newspapers

    The collection has been mainly acquired by gift and on occasion it may hold items on short term loan for the purposes of a temporary exhibition.

    Source: Collection development policy

    Date: 2022

    Licence: CC BY-NC

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