Collection: Poole Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  Poole Museum and Arts Service was created in 1974, under the local authority of the Borough of Poole. The Service assumed responsibility for the collections from Poole’s first public museum, located in Mount Street. The building for the Mount Street museum, which opened in 1890, had been provided for the people of Poole by John J. Norton, a local timber merchant. Early collections predominately comprised natural history, world cultures, archaeology, social history, decorative art and fine art. It is believed some material had been transferred to the museum from the old Library and that specimens may have been collected by members of the Literary and Scientific Institute. From 1890 to 1974, the museum collections were expanded in a generally undefined manner.

  Since 1974, Poole Museum has sought to predominately acquire material of local significance that reflects and represents the social, cultural and economic life of Poole. Collecting has been undertaken in the fields of social history (domestic, maritime, trade and industry), fine art, decorative art, archaeology, photography, documents, ephemera and books. Further acquisitions have included non-local material that provide context to the wider collection. Significant acquisitions in recent years include a nationally important Iron Age log boat, material from the 16th century Studland Bay and 17^th century Swash Channel shipwrecks and objects from the Poole Pottery Museum sale in 2004.

  Following a local authority restructure, Poole Museum and Arts Service ceased to exist in 2019. Poole Museum is now governed by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2021

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  Social History

  A wide range of material, of both local and non-local provenance, relating to domestic life (including childhood), social life and trade & industry. The latter group includes the contents of a local pharmacy and a local pub. Larger items include furniture, shop fittings and architectural fixtures. A quantity of architectural fixtures, including fireplaces, were collected during a period of redevelopment of Poole’s Old Town.

  Maritime History

  Maritime material includes a significant number of ship models, a small number of full-sized craft, ship figureheads and a range of objects related to shipbuilding, sail making and navigation. Several acquisitions were made in this area during the establishment of Poole’s Maritime Museum in 1977 and the subsequent years it was open.

  Fine Art

  Includes paintings, prints and drawings of local and non-local subject matter. The collection’s stronger elements are local topographical scenes from the early 19^th century onwards, Georgian portraits and maritime art (including 19^th century ship portraits). Includes a significant number of works by maritime artist Bernard F Gribble. Since the 1980s, attempts have been made to better represent some of Poole’s more prominent visiting and resident artists, such as Henry Lamb and Augustus John.

  Ceramics & Decorative Art

  A large ceramics collection, predominately the products of Poole Pottery and Carter & Co. A large proportion of the collection, as well as Poole Pottery archival material (on deposit at the Dorset History Centre), was acquired from the sale of the Poole Pottery Museum collection in 2004. Also included are products of other local potteries, such as the Crown Dorset Pottery, as well as other commemorative and non-local wares. Some Oriental ceramics from the 17^th and 18^th centuries, possibly associated to local Newfoundland merchant families. A small amount of other decorative arts material.

  Archaeology

  A large collection predominantly consisting of the archaeological archives for excavations in Poole and the surrounding area, a large proportion of which were carried out by the former Poole Museum Service Archaeological Unit during the 1970s-90s. Strengths include a large quantity of material from the Foundry site (a 15^th century boatyard), locally excavated Medieval and Post-Medieval pottery and Roman material, in particular finds from the Lake Roman fortress (an early fortress from the time of Vespasian and the only one in the country not to have been built on). The collection also includes a small number of chance/individual finds, both local and non-local, some of which originate from the early museum collections. The museum additionally holds a number of archaeological archives deposited by external archaeology contractors.

  Maritime Archaeology

  In addition to land-sourced material, the collection includes significant maritime archaeology. This comprises an Iron Age log boat and the small finds, armaments and timbers from the 16^th century Studland Bay shipwreck and the 17^th century Swash Channel shipwreck.

  Documents and Ephemera

  A large collection of documents and ephemera relating to local industry and commerce, governance, transport, military and domestic life. Also includes non-local ephemera, as well as a collection of maps (local and non-local), architectural plans and designs.

  Photography

  A large collection of mostly local subjects in various photographic formats. There is a strong representation of 19^th and 20^th century local scenes and portraits. Includes a small amount of audio-visual material.

  Costume & Textiles

  The costume and textiles collection comprises mainly women’s and children’s costume and accessory items from the late 19^th-mid 20^th centuries, including a large quantity of late 19^th– early 20^th century christening and baby’s dresses. Other items include uniforms and needlework items, such as samplers and embroideries.

  Natural History

  A large collection of life science and earth science specimens. Life science material includes taxidermy, skeletal material, botanical specimens, spirit/bottled specimens, marine specimens (including a large collection of shells) and cased invertebrates. Earth science material includes fossils and rock and mineral specimens. Most of the material is non-local, although there is a small number of items of local origin among the taxidermy and geological specimens.

  World Cultures

  Non-British material including objects collected by Poole residents from travels overseas. Collection items principally originate from Africa and Asia, with a small number of objects from the Pacific, America and Europe.

  Numismatics

  A collection of some 1400 coins and tokens, including British and foreign coins from the 18^th-20^th centuries, local and non-local trade tokens and commemorative coins and medals.

  Books and Periodicals

  A collection of books and periodicals, mostly of historical, topographical and maritime subject matter, both local and non-local. Includes books from the Mathews Collection (bequeathed by E.F.J. Mathews, a local historian).

  Learning and Handling Collection

  A quantity of non-accessioned material used as a resource for handling and learning purposes, on site and through outreach activities. Most is incorporated in a series of themed loan boxes managed by the museum learning team. Objects in this collection have been sourced from the core museum collections, donations and through purchase.

  Local History Research and Reference Material

  The museum holds a sizeable collection of non-accessioned primary and secondary material that is used as a reference resource for local history research, both by members of the public and staff. This includes books, documents, newspapers, maps, ephemera and oral-history recordings.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2021

  Licence: CC BY-NC