Collection: East Surrey Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The collection was originally set up by Friends of the museum who donated a lot from private holdings during the years immediately after the museum was opened.

  In the 1970’s and possibly before, local archaeologists who were members of the Bourne Society (a large local history society) undertook archaeological digs (pre PPG16 in 1990) resulting in a large number of artefacts being discovered. Before the museum was opened one of the main concerns of the Bourne Society was where these finds would be housed. With the opening of the museum these were then acquired and accessioned into the collection.

  The museum acquired a collection of just over 3,000 postcards which cost £15,000 in tranches between 2006 and 2013.  It also received, in 1982, from the estate of James Batley a set of Hassel watercolour paintings.

  The museum received a number of artefacts from the Warlingham Museum when it closed.

  Donations from the public over the years since the museum was set up have been the only principal and very important source of additions to the collection since. These have been eclectic – often of household material (“bygones”) from the early 20th century and before, rather than strictly of local source. This has changed in the last ten years and collecting is now more strictly tested as to whether it meets the local source/connection criteria.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2023

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The collections contain approximately 9,500 items relevant to the local area. They fall in to the following categories (very approximate numbers):

  Geology and Palaeontology (5%)

  Archaeology (10%)

  Drawings and watercolours (2%)

  Textiles (costumes and accessories etc) (5%)

  Decorative art (2%)

  Militaria (2%)

  Social history (12%)

  Working life (6%)

  Archival Material (55%)

  Less than 1% is loan material.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2023

  Licence: CC BY-NC