Collection: Culture Coventry Trust

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  Trust Overview

  Collections are a tangible link between the past, present and future. Museums, Archives and local history centres create a sense of pride for the residents of the city creating safe spaces to learn, create and belong. They balance the interests of a wide spectrum of people by safeguarding collections and making sure that they are well managed, sustainable and accessible. The key purpose of the Coventry City Council Collection is to help the people of Coventry and visitors to the city to explore and celebrate the creativity and cultural heritage of all its communities.

  The Trust’s collections of more than 230,000 objects and artefacts are at the heart of the organisation and play a central role to the activities undertaken by the museums, such as Exhibitions and Events, Learning and Engagement, Corporate Hire, Marketing and Promotion. They are its unique selling point and its ‘raison d-etre’. Appropriate care and management of the collections underpin every aspect of museum activity and are essential to maximise their full potential.

  Coventry Transport Museum

  The Transport Museum opened in 1980’s when the road transport collection out grew its then home, the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum. The museum is dedicated to collecting and exhibiting the products of a city that changed the transport world and focuses on the skills and innovation of its people; the majority of the collection is Coventry-built or has a strong connection with the city.

  The museum aims to educate and inspire visitors through the history and development of vehicle manufacturing in Coventry over the last 150-years: highlighting Coventry’s transport heritage and its central place in the British car industry. The museum has 14 exhibition spaces that tell the stories of the people that lived and worked in the city through the road transport vehicles they produced.

  The founding collection began with large cycle deposits and quickly began to include a vast array of motor vehicles. As the full story of Coventry’s manufacturing past began to grow through the collections a shift in focus began to move away from technical and general Road Transport to a core collections relating directly to Coventry.

  In June 2015, a £9.5 million redevelopment of Coventry Transport Museum was completed, which has transformed 13 of its 14 exhibition spaces, including a new permanent World Land Speed Record Exhibition. The redevelopment also included the creation of expanded and redeveloped learning spaces and conference spaces, a temporary exhibition gallery, plus a new front entrance and retail site. Coventry Transport Museum’s internationally recognised and Designated Collection has been redisplayed within a radically redefined and redesigned layout.

  The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum

  The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum is named after Sir Alfred Herbert, a local industrialist who founded what was at one time the world’s largest machine tool making company. In 1938, Sir Alfred donated £100,000 to the City of Coventry to pay for the construction of an Art Gallery and Museum. Building work had started in 1939 but by the end of the war Coventry lay in ruins and work on the gallery was put on hold, although the basement was converted to a temporary art gallery in 1949. In 1954 Sir Alfred was finally able to lay the foundation stone of the new building, but sadly did not live to see its completion which finally opened on 9th March 1960.

  The Herbert collections reflect the rich cultural heritage of Coventry, exploring the history of the people, places and events that constitute the city today. It has significant archaeology, social and industrial history, natural sciences and visual art collections.

  The site also contains Coventry City archives collections; which includes a large photographic collection and oral history recordings.

  A £20 million transformation and extension were completed in October 2008, jointly funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund Renaissance West Midlands, the Department for Culture Media and Sport, Wolfson Foundation Fund, Advantage West Midlands, English Heritage and Coventry City Council.

  The Lunt Roman Fort

  The Lunt Roman Fort was established in AD 60 is located in Baginton, about 3 miles from Coventry City centre. The Lunt Roman Fort was originally built in response to the Boudican Revolt but was only occupied for 20 years.

  Archaeological exploration of the site began in the 1930s and by the 1960s it was decided to partially reconstruct the Fort. The Royal Engineers rebuilt the Eastern Gateway, the Gyrus and one of the granaries, before it was opened to the public in the 1970s.

  Since the 1970s, a wealth of artefacts has been uncovered including bronze and iron work, pieces of armour and pottery and an extremely rare finial bowl. It is the only partially reconstructed wooden fort in Britain today. It is also home to the Gyrus, the only known horse training ring in the Roman Empire.

  Coventry City Archives

  Coventry Archives moved to the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in 2008 when the resources of Coventry Record Office and the local studies collection held at Central Library were brought together under one roof.

  It houses a wide range of primary and secondary source material providing insights into the history of the city and its citizens from medieval times – the earliest record is dated 1182 – to the present day.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: Not known

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  Coventry Transport Museum

  The collection was granted designation status in 1998 elevating the collections status to be of national significance.

  All of the museum collections listed below are managed by Coventry Transport Museum and comprise the following subject areas:

  Vehicles

  The Motor Car collection of approximately 212 motor cars ranges from one of the earliest built Coventry cars of 1897, to one of the last of the Peugeot 206 cars to leave the Ryton Factory production line in December 2006. 90% of the vehicles were made in Coventry or have a very strong Coventry connection. There are a small number of vehicles without a direct Coventry connection that were collected before a tightening of the museum’s collecting policy or are significant vehicles which tell the wider story of the British Motor Industry.

  The commercial vehicle collection of 46 items, including buses, lorries, vans, tractors, military vehicles and emergency vehicles, illustrates the involvement of Coventry companies in the manufacture of such vehicles and their everyday use in the city.

  Motorcycles

  The Motorcycle collections consists of 120 motorcycles ranging from early tri-cycles to the modern Triumph models and also includes bikes from around the world.

  Cycles

  This collection of over 400 items is one of the most significant collections of cycles in the country. It spans the period from 1818 to the present. It strongly reflects the involvement of the city in the manufacture of cycles in the latter half of the nineteenth century and the first quarter of the twentieth century. The collection also contains a number of more up to date cycles, sports and trade cycles.

  Transport Objects

  This collection comprises an unidentified number of items directly related to vehicles i.e. head lamps, radiator grills, engine parts, wheels, saddles etc. It also contains items related to the use of vehicles i.e. club badges, petrol pumps, garage equipment, street furniture, competition trophies etc.

  Technical Collection

  The technical collection comprises of 10,000 technical manuals, etc.

  Running Collection

  There are 15 cycles, motorcycles and vehicles that are used for educational, outreach and promotional activities. These vehicles are maintained in an operational condition so they can be seen at events, shows and promotional activities.

  The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum

  All of the museum collections listed below are managed by Herbert Art Gallery & Museum and comprise the following subject areas:

  Social and Industrial History

  The Social History collection currently contains approximately 35,000 items, relating to the history of the city and the lives of its people, including the city’s industrial history. The most significant sections of the collection are:

  Aero industry – The manufacture of aircraft, aero engines and other components was a significant industry in the twentieth century. The collection includes nine engines, one prototype missile and some smaller components, testing equipment, photographs and ephemera. The total number of items is around 200 items.

  Civic and political items – These relate to the government of the city and number approximately 200 items, including banners. Related to this are items under a Peace and Reconciliation theme.

  Contemporary collecting from communities – A number of projects in recent years have meant the Herbert now has a significant collection of items relating to minority communities in the city. This includes items relating to culture, social and working life and immigration. There are also a significant number of photographs and oral / video history recordings attached to this collection. Although this collection is small, it is growing in size.

  Costume – This collection of approximately 8000 items spans some 400 years, but its particular strength is nineteenth and early twentieth century women’s costume. This charts the main changes in women’s fashion during this period.

  Domestic life – This includes a collection of radios, televisions and sewing machines, many made in Coventry, as well as domestic cleaning and cooking items. The collection numbers approximately 500 items.

  Education – These are mainly schools equipment and learning material

  Electrical Industries – The manufacture of electrical consumer goods and telecommunications equipment was another significant industry in the twentieth century. The collection includes around 20 good examples of early radios and televisions made in Coventry, together with around 250 photographs and ephemera.

  Ephemera – This collection relates to all aspects of personal, domestic, community and working life and numbers approximately 3000 items.

  George Eliot – The collection consists of approximately 30 items relating to Eliot and the time she spent living in Coventry, including her circle of friends and contacts, which influenced her intellectual development. These include costume, furniture and personal items. There are also a number of paintings and drawings which are catalogued under the visual arts collection.

  Godiva Story – Approximately 300 items relating to the Godiva story, both the legend and the procession. This includes ephemera, costume and many items bearing imagery of Godiva and the associated stories.

  Machine Tool Industry – The machine tool industry was a major industry in Coventry throughout the twentieth century. Alfred Herbert Ltd was reputed to be the largest machine tool manufacturer in the world. The collection consists of around 12 machine tools; 200 photographs; 600 items of ephemera including machine tool catalogues and operator’s handbooks; and around 200 engineering hand tools and gauges.

  Numismatics – This includes a strong collection of local trade tokens and totals approx. 1500 items.

  Other working life – The Herbert has small collections relating to other industries and to other manufacturing and working life. These include office equipment, art metalwork, coal mining, the chemical and artificial fibre industries, retail, public transport, blacksmithing and leather work. This collection numbers around 1500 items.

  Ribbon Weaving – This collection relates to Coventry’s ribbon and other narrow fabrics industry. The industry began at the end of the seventeenth century and was Coventry’s main industry until 1860. It continued to be an important industry after that and some production still takes place today. The collection consists of around 250 sample books; several thousand individual ribbons; around 1500 silk pictures and bookmarks (including one of the largest collections of Stevengraphs in the world); a nineteenth century jacquard loom and about 30 examples of weaving machinery and equipment). There are also around 200 items of ephemera and around 100 photographs.

  Toys and Games – This collection of approximately 1000 items includes a strong collection of nineteenth century dolls and a wide range of toys including popular favourites such as Lego, toy trains, Action Man and a space hopper. The collection comes more up to date with a range of toys from the 1990s and early 2000s.

  Watchmaking – Watch making was Coventry’s second industry for much of the nineteenth century and for a few years was its main industry. The collection consists of around 140 pocket watches, around 30 clocks and around 300 individual watch-making tools and equipment. The highlights include two clocks made in the late seventeenth century by Samuel Watson, several prestigious watches and the contents of a watchcase-making workshop. There are also around 50 photographs and ephemera.

  World War Two items – Coventry suffered a number of bombing raids in World War 2. The worst of these was the ‘Blitz’ of 14th November 1940 during which the Cathedral was destroyed. The collection of approximately 500 items reflects the experiences of ordinary people on the Home Front during the War. It includes an Anderson air raid shelter, gas masks, ration books, Civil Defence uniforms, medals, utility furniture and much more.

  Archaeology

  This collection mainly relates to archaeological material and associated documentation from excavated sites within Coventry and on Coventry City Council owned land nearby, i.e. The Lunt Roman Fort, Baginton and Coombe Abby. Acquisition of this material is subject to procedural guidelines laid out in ‘Depositing Archaeological Archives’ (internal document, 2017). The following categories comprise in total around 15,000 accessioned objects.

  Prehistoric – This collection includes hand axes, arrowheads, hammers, microliths and cores, some of which are as old as the Palaeolithic period. There are also ceramics from the Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age.

  Roman – This collection consists mainly of the material excavated from the Lunt Roman Fort at Baginton and dates from 60 to 80 AD. A small number of Roman objects and archaeology have also been recovered from the city and date between the first and the fourth centuries AD. However, most items are recovered from post-Roman stratigraphy. Material includes ceramics, military bronzes, coins and personal objects.

  Anglo-Saxon – The collection comprises excavated material from the sixth century cemetery at Baginton and a quantity of late Saxon ceramic finds from various city centre sites. A small number of Viking-related objects are also included. From the Benedictine Priory, there is a small collection of late Saxon glazed wall tiles that are of national significance. An archaeological archive also exists for the Anglo-Saxon site at Ryton-on-Dunsmore which lies outside the city boundary. Its inclusion in The Herbert collections relates to the fact that the site was excavated by an amateur society with strong Coventry connections.

  Medieval – At its peak in the late fourteenth and in the fifteenth century, Coventry was the fourth largest city in Britain outside London and the most important in the Midlands. The wool and cloth trades, markets and religious activity led to the growth of Coventry as a commercial hub. The collections include pottery, tiles, coins, painted window glass and building materials. A significant leather collection contains shoes, boots, a mask, a book cover, and archery equipment. There is also a collection of over one thousand architectural stones from the destroyed site of the Benedictine Priory, with the finely painted Apocalypse stones being of particular note. This is a particularly rich collection, which provides evidence for the city during what is considered to have been its ‘golden age’, and is the subject of a current Designation application.

  Post Medieval – This collection comprises personal objects, building materials and ceramics from the Tudor period through to the nineteenth century. Some of this material overlaps with the social history collection.

  Foreign Archaeology – Antiquarians who had strong links to Coventry contributed to many of the items in this collection. There is archaeological material from Egypt, Cyprus and Italy and also some representation of Aztec, African and Aboriginal cultures. Objects include pottery lamps, Egyptian funerary figures (‘ushabties’), stone tools and jewellery.

  The Shelton Collection – From the 1930s until his death in 1958, J.B. Shelton OBE collected objects associated with Coventry’s past. His small museum formed the basis of current archaeology collections. The collection includes a wide range of items including a notable fourteenth century vessel – the Coventry Face Jug.

  Bulk finds – In addition to the small finds collections described above, there is also a large quantity of material from excavations from sites in Coventry dating back to the mid-twentieth century. This collection is currently being assessed for with a view to improving how it is stored and the information associated with it. Parts of the collection will also be considered for rationalisation.

  Natural Sciences

  The collection currently holds nearly 200,000 specimens in the following categories:

  Bird eggs – There are about 13, 000 specimens. This collection is the ninth largest of its kind in Britain. Most breeding British species are represented and there are also a smaller number of exotic species. The Ground, Beddall-Smith and Belgrove collections are important and have significant supporting documentation.

  Fossils – There are about 4,000 specimens of mainly regional origin, particularly for the Carboniferous and Jurassic periods. There are very few large items and little dinosaur material. Of note are polished fossil wood specimens, an aurochs skull, an ichthyosaur head and jaw, and a cycad.

  Insects – There are over 150,000 specimens. All British insect families are represented, with particularly significant collections of Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera and Lepidoptera. Some type specimens are present in the Daltry and Saunt collections (mainly Hymenoptera: Parasitica). The majority of insect material is British in origin and much has been collected from the Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Somerset, Staffordshire and Warwickshire with many Red Data Book species present, some of which are now extinct in the UK. The exotic insect collection includes the Greenwood collection bequeathed in 1990 which comprises about 10, 000 butterfly specimens.

  Molluscs – There are about 21,000 shells, mostly marine and originating from the indo-pacific regions. British terrestrial and freshwater shells are particularly well documented and there is a significant collection of freshwater pearl mussels from the USA.

  Rocks and minerals – There are 1,300 specimens with a good variety of ‘species’. Notable are a large polished Labradorite specimen, Landscape Limestone from the Cotham area, Green Fluorite from Weardale, a large dolomite specimen, large examples of septarian nodules and a specimen representing 100^th of the Barwell Meteorite (412g in weight) which fell in Leicestershire in 1965.

  Skeletal – This is a varied but small collection which includes Moa leg bones, skulls of Rhino (black and white and horns), Indian Elephant, Tiger, Hyena, Dolphins and a good selection of British mammals and some birds.

  Taxidermy (uncased)

  Birds: There are about 1,000 specimens, mostly British. The more notable species include the UK’s eleventh Northern Oriole specimen and other local rarities like hoopoe, storm petrel, bittern and red-necked grebe. A small quantity of exotic material includes Kiwis.

  Mammals: There are about 200 specimens, mostly British. Most of the British smaller mammals are represented but there are no marine mammals and Muntjac is the only deer species present. Otters, pine marten and coypu are also represented.

  Taxidermy (cased) – A small collection but includes some important material. There are some large glass case presentations of fish produced by the Spicer Company, examples of Roland Ward (Peregrines) and one, possibly two Hutchings (of Aberystwyth) presentation cases.

  Miscellaneous – Material includes wasp nests, corals, spirit-preservation material, freeze-dried plant material (invertebrate galls), seedpods, insect pests and examples of the damage they cause, sediment samples and models. A fine microscope slide collection in an old wooden cabinet appears to be Victorian. Also included in this category is a large selection of items seized by Customs & Excise at Gatwick airports and other terminals into the UK. These include leopard and serval (African wild cat) skins, ivory accessories, skin handbags and briefcases and carved hippo and elephant tusks.

  Visual Art

  British Life & Landscape Collection – This collection, consisting of approximately 150 works, is particularly distinctive and significant to the Herbert and was the focus for the collecting activities of the first Art Director in the 1950s and 1960s. Of particular importance are works by Stanley Spencer and LS Lowry.

  Modern and Contemporary Art Collection – Approximately 500 works of which The Iliffe Collection of Graham Sutherland’s studies for Coventry Cathedral tapestry are particularly important. Also notable are works by David Bomberg, William Roberts, John Piper, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Susan Hiller, Cornelia Parker and Mona Hatoum.

  Pre-1900 artworks collection – This collection includes items acquired by the City Council before the opening of the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum. There are approximately 700 works, including European Old Master paintings, portraits, views of the city, sculptures, prints, British and non-British Still-life, Landscape, Seascape, History and Genre paintings, Asian artistic crafts, civic gifts from other cities and work by local artists. This collection contains many of the greatest treasures held at The Herbert, such as ‘Bacchus and Ariadne’, (1677) by Luca Giordano.

  Figure Drawings Collection – There are approximately 150 works. Drawings by Fuseli, Henry Moore and Richard Hamilton are particularly important.

  Topographical views – There are approximately 2,000 works, the majority of which are of Coventry. There is also a collection of approximately 200 Watercolours of Warwickshire collection.

  Works by Local Artists – The Herbert has a collection of approximately 2,500 works by local artists, including artists who were born, trained or lived in Coventry.

  Peace and Reconciliation collection – The Herbert has a significant collection of art works on the themes of conflict, peace and reconciliation, many of which have been acquired within the last few years. This reflects the experiences of Coventry and Coventry people, including the Blitz, as well as national and international events.

  Godiva collection – The Herbert has a collection of approximately 60 art works which represent the story of Lady Godiva, including paintings, sculpture, prints, and drawings. It includes some items of international significance: of note are paintings by Collier and Landseer.

  Crafts Collections – There are approximately 250 works that include ceramics and bronzes from China, Korea, Japan, the Middle East, and also studio and folk ceramics.

  The Lunt Roman Fort

  The collections listed below are managed by the team of curators based at the Herbert and comprise the following subject areas:

  Archaeology

  This collection consists mainly of the material excavated from the Lunt Roman Fort at Baginton and dates from 60 to 80 AD. A small number of Roman objects and archaeology have also been recovered from the city and date between the first and the fourth centuries AD. However, most items are recovered from post-Roman stratigraphy. Material includes ceramics, military bronzes, coins and personal objects.

  Coventry City Archives

  The City Council through Culture Coventry recognises its responsibility, in acquiring additions to its archive collections, to ensure that care of collections, documentation arrangements and use of collections will meet the requirements of British Standard 5454, the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967, the Manorial and Tithe Documents Rules and the Parochial Registers and Record Measures. The City Council also recognises through the Trust its statutory responsibilities in relation to archives which are derived from the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967, the Local Government (Records) Act 1962, the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964, and the Local Government Act 1972. The City Council through the Trust is obliged under the Local Government Act 1972 ‘to make proper arrangements with respect to any documents which belong to or are in the custody of the council or any of its officers’.

  The Coventry Archives and Research Centre hold a unique richness of original archive material, charting the history of Coventry. Highlights include:

  • Medieval Borough archive 1182-1555
  • Coventry city council records including development, education, and leisure 1890s-2010s
  • Audio Visual collection 1920s-1990s
  • Private accessions 1920s-current including the Rolls Royce Heritage Trust ref PA1716
  • Building plans and regulations 1910s-2000s
  • Manufacturing records relating to Coventry based companies, including a large archive of Rootes material including company record, marketing material and photography archive.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date:

  Licence: CC BY-NC