Collection: Reading Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection overview (Cornucopia)

  Local and Social History

  The social history collections have a wide range of objects, ephemera and images that tell the story of Reading since the 1700s. The Huntley and Palmers collection explores the history of Reading’s world famous biscuit maker. The textile collection consists of costume and costume accessories, some working clothes and banners with Reading links. There is an extensive collection of images and ephemera from Reading and the surrounding area. These mostly date from the late 19th century and 20th century. The Museum is continuing to collect images and ephemera that reflect the lives of Reading people today. Since 1995 the Museum has been collecting audio recordings of Reading people’s life stories and experiences. The most usual item is the unique full-size Victorian replica of Bayeux Tapestry. Working life

  Subjects

  Industry and Commerce; Working; Domestic

  Social History Collection

  The fishing collection includes reels, creels, rods, bait kettles and commemorative items. The remainder of the collection is designed to present the cottage as it might have been in Walton’s time. The furniture and furnishings of the cottage include material in a number of media, assembled to present the cottage as it might have been during Walton’s occupancy. The fishing collection is a particular strength.

  Subjects

  Metalwork; Fishing (amateur); Furniture; Social History; People (literary); People; Western European

  Natural Science

  There are many named collections and in total 207,000 biological specimens and 200,000 geological specimens.

  Fish

  The collection consists of mounted fish and fishing flies. The small collection reflects Walton’s interest in fishing.

  Subjects

  Fish; Biology

  Silchester Collection

  Objects illustrating everyday life in a typical British Roman town. The Silchester Collection consists of a wealth of items from the Roman town of Calleva, near Silchester, in Hampshire. Most were found during the Society of Antiquaries’ excavations which uncovered the area within the town walls between 1890 and 1909. Finds from modern excavations at the site are now deposited with Hampshire County Museums and Archives Service.

  Subjects

  Romans; Historic interest; Local History; Epigraphy; Regional importance; Archaeological interest; Archaeological sites; Archaeological objects; Archaeology (settlement); Artistic interest; Archaeological excavations

  Ancient Egyptian, Sudanese and Near Eastern Collection

  The museum holds 700 ancient Egyptian, Sudanese and Near Eastern objects. Classes of objects represented in the collection include: amulets; basketry/ropes; canopic jars (lids only); coffins; faience figures; faience vessels; flints; food/plant materials; glass vessels; jewellery; metal figures; metal vessels; animal remains (mummies); papyri; pottery; Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figures; relief sculpture; sarcophagi; scarabs/sealings; shabtis; cosmetic palettes; stelae (stone); stone figures; stone vessels; textiles/leather; toilet articles; tools/weapons; wooden figures. Objects are known to have come from the following locations in Egypt (with the name of the excavator/sponsor and year of excavation given where possible): Abydos (including Petrie – Egypt Exploration Fund, 1902-1903); Amarna; Badari (Brunton – British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1922-1925); Cairo; Koptos (Petrie, 1893-1894); Dendereh (Petrie and Mace – Egypt Exploration Fund, 1897-1898); Derr; Fayum; Harageh (probably Engelbach – British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1913-1914); Hu (Petrie and Mace – British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1898-1899); Kafr Ammar (Mackay and Petrie with the British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1911-1912); Kharnos (location uncertain); Rubaiyyat (possibly Grenfell and Hunt – Egypt Exploration Fund, 1901); Lahun; Memphis (probably including Petrie – British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1908; Petrie, 1916?); Naqada; Qasr el-Banat (probably Grenfell et al. – Egypt Exploration Fund, 1898-1899); Qasr Ibrim (probably Emery – Egypt Exploration Society, 1961); Riqqeh (Engelbach et al. – British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1912-1913); Saft el-Henna (Duncan et al. – British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1906); Tarkhan (Petrie et al. – British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1911-1913); Thebes; Karnak; Luxor; Qurna; Ramesseum. Objects are known to have come from the following location in Sudan(with the name of the sponsor given): Buhen (probably Egypt Exploration Society). Objects are known to have come from the following locations in the Near East (with the name of the excavator/sponsor and year of excavation given where possible): Tell el-‘Ajjul (Petrie – British School of Archaeology in Egypt); Tell Fara (Petrie – British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1927-1930).

  Subjects

  Antiquities; Ancient civilizations; Egyptian history; Antiquity; Archaeological sites; Archaeological objects; Egyptology; Archaeological excavations

  Archives Collection

  The small archive focuses on Isaac Walton material. The archive collection includes several editions of “The Compleat Angler”, including a first edition, a library of fishing publications and scrap books on the history of the cottage.

  Subjects

  Archives; Documents (personal)

  Source: Cornucopia

  Date: Not known, but before 2015

  Licence: CC BY-NC