Collection: The Green Howards Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The collection consists of material relating to the Green Howards, an infantry regiment, also known as the 19th Regiment of Foot, The Alexandra Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regiment and The Yorkshire Regiment during the period 1688 – 2006.

  Key personalities within the regiment first began collecting material in the late 19th century, collecting silver, medals and writing histories. In 1911 the first published list of collections is included as an appendix in ‘A History of the Service of the 19th Regiment 1688-1911’. By 1922 a museum opens at the regimental depot in Richmond.

  The collection grows throughout the 1930s (particularly medals, items collected during WW1 and uniforms) resulting in the first museum catalogue published 1936 totally 1245 items. By 1938 the collection has grown to proportions which enable it to be opened to the public.

  When the depot closed the museum found a new home in Trinity Church, positioned in the centre of Richmond’s marketplace. The new museum opened in 1973 and the celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023. During the 1990s the museum acquired its first digital collections database and continues to use Modes Complete.

  When the regiment amalgamated to form the Yorkshire Regiment in 2006 it was agreed that each of the three antecedent regimental museums (York Army Museum, The Green Howards Museum and the Duke of Wellington’s collection at the Bankfield Museum in Halifax) would take responsibility for collecting material from the battalion that had an historic link with a particular museum. In the case of the Green Howards, that was the 2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards).

  As a result of the 2012 Defence Review the Yorkshire Regiment was reduced from three to two regular battalions and one territorial battalion. Following this decision the Yorkshire Regiment merged the three existing regular Battalions into two regular battalions and at the same time removed antecedent titles. As the new battalions had no direct connection to a particular museum it was agreed that from August 2013 the Yorkshire Regiment Trust would own all objects collected in relation to the Yorkshire Regiment. The three antecedent Regimental museums would work with the Yorkshire Regiment to manage the collection, documentation, preservation and exhibiting of material. The regiment has since been renamed The Royal Yorkshire Regiment (2023) and the collection is held at the York Army Museum.

  In 2013-2014 the museum closed for a full refurbishment, including installation of new galleries, high quality display cases, interactives and a special exhibition space. The museum’s medal room, now containing approximately 4500 medals and 18 Victoria Crosses, was untouched during the redevelopment so underwent a refit during 2019.

  In 2024, the collection catalogue lists approximately 40,000 items including 20,000 photographs.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The current collection is broken down into categories including archive, art, books, weaponry, medals, objects, silver and uniform.

  Archives & Books

  Museum archives consist of official documentation and personal letters over the history of the regiment, the earliest document dated 1689. The archives also contain documentation of the history and development of the museum. A small amount is on display with the majority in storage to support research activities. The book collection, consisting of primary source bound books and secondary source published material is also available to researchers.

  Audio-visual collections, including cassette tapes, video tapes and CDs as well as born digital recordings created by the museum in recent years. These consist mainly of individual interviews with soldiers.

  Art

  A collection of oil paintings are displayed in the Normanby Room with the remainder of this sub-collection in storage. The majority of the items on display are commissioned, traditional portraits while many of the recent donations to this collection have been created by soldiers.

  Medal

  The medal collection forms the core of the museum collections. Approximately 4500 medals, including 14 of the 18 Victoria Crosses and 2 of the 3 George Crosses awarded to members of the regiment can be found on display in the medal room.

  Object

  One of the largest sub-collections within the museum consisting of memorabilia, personal equipment and items. The majority is placed in storage and is used for special exhibitions, articles and research. It includes a further sub-category of ‘furniture’: a collection of Robert Thompson, otherwise known as the ‘mouseman’, furniture can be found in the Normanby Room. Dating from the 1930s onwards, the collection has been in continuous use over its 90 years history and continues to be used in museum events.

  Photographs

  Approximately half of the catalogues on the museum’s collection management system are photographs, both loose and contained in albums. The majority of the loose photographs are digitised, while albums are currently catalogued to album level.

  Silver

  A collection of regimental silver, used in the Mess or as sporting trophies can be found in the Normanby Room. Many were commissioned by members of the regiment to mark specific events such as marriages, promotions or retirement.

  Uniform

  A collection of approximately 2500 wearable items (catalogued to individual item level), worn by regular, milita, volunteer and territorial battalions. This includes headdress and personal equipment dating 1780-2014. The collections include a subcategory of ‘badges’, a collection of regular, militia and volunteer badges, buckles and buttons dating 1750-2006.

  Weaponry

  The museum houses a collection of firearms and edged weapons from across the 300 year regimental history. The majority are in storage, with approximately ¼ of the museum’s firearms on display including a Spandau 08 Maxim machine gun captured at Contalmaison on 10th July 1916.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC