Collection: Ceredigion Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  Ceredigion Museum is part of Ceredigion County Council.

  Ceredigion Museum was established in 1971 under the aegis of the Cardiganshire Antiquarian Society, and was run by a committee that included representatives of all the local authorities in Cardiganshire. It was financed by contributions from those local authorities and the Welsh Church Fund. A Museums officer was appointed in 1972. The object has always been to collect items depicting the life of people in Cardiganshire (Ceredigion) throughout the ages.

  In 1972, Aberystwyth Borough Council provided a rent-free, pleasant Regency house, No 14 Vulcan Street. The museum moved to The Coliseum, Terrace Road in 1983, which now houses the main collection and displays. There are displays at Cardigan, New Quay, Lampeter, Tregaron and Borth. Two Ceredigion Museum sites, the Tudor Hall ‘Y Neuadd,’ the earliest known example of a ‘chimneyed’ house in Ceredigion, and the 19th Century ‘Llanon Cottage,’ a rare example of a typical two-roomed 19th century Ceredigion cottage, with a straw rope underthatch,’ are in the village of Llanon.

  This policy applies to all the museum collections owned by Ceredigion County Council. Ceredigion Library and Ceredigion Archives also collect some of the categories of items that Ceredigion Museum collects: these will be consulted when items of mutual interest are considered for acquisition.

  Ceredigion Museum has a collection of about 65,000 items mostly collected from the County of Ceredigion. The majority of specimens are domestic and craft items that were made or commonly used in the County between about 1850 and 1950. The majority of specimens are donations. About 2% of the collection are items which have been accepted on loan. About 22% of the collection has been purchased.

  The collections include objects transferred to Ceredigion Museum by the National Museum of Wales from R.J. Thomas’ (Tre’r Ddol) collection (1974 items) and the Treen collection given to Ceredigion Museum by the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth (333 items).

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2018

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  Designated Collections

  Agriculture (about 3,500)

  Ceredigion Museum has a comprehensive collection of agricultural tools and equipment except the very large items. The Geller Jones (of Cardigan) collection of agricultural equipment, including large items such as tractors and hay lifts, was acquired by the National Trust and is now stored at Llanerchaeron, near Aberaeron.

  Archaeology (about 330 specimens)

  Ceredigion Museum collects and borrows archaeological objects from the county. Nearly all the known archaeological items from Ceredigion are in Ceredigion Museum except for those in the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff.

  The Dyfed Archaeological Trust and other official excavators generally offer archaeological finds discovered during the course of excavation within Ceredigion to Ceredigion Museum provided the owner agrees. Original site records including notebooks and photographs are deposited with the Royal Commission for Ancient and Historic Monuments.

  Books and Documents (about 5,000 specimens)

  Ceredigion Museum has a collection of books and documents, some of which relate to the collection.

  Coins, Tokens and Banknotes (about 1000 specimens)

  Ceredigion Museum has a collection of coins that were in common currency in Britain from Mediaeval times to the present. It also has a collection of local bank notes and coins minted in Ceredigion during the Civil War.

  Costume and Fabrics (about 3,500 specimens)

  Ceredigion Museum has a good collection of costume, mostly women’s best wear but including ‘traditional’ Welsh costume. The collection also includes Welsh tapestry, uniforms, accessories, particularly shawls, shoes, hats and handbags, quilts and blankets.

  Crafts, Trades and Industries (about 2,000 items)

  Ceredigion Museum has a good collection of tools of most craftspeople who worked in Ceredigion, particularly carpenter’s, wheelwrights, cobbler’s and blacksmith’s tools. Many of sets of tools came from one source. A number lead miner’s tools and equipment and tools and items made or purchased by seamen are in the collection.

  Firearms (43 specimens)

  Ceredigion Museum has a Museums’ firearms and shot gun licence and has been allowed to keep a small collection of historic guns in secure conditions under the relevant regulations.

  Geology Specimens (about 60 Specimens)

  Ceredigion Museum has a small collection of geological specimens which illustrate the geology of the county: most of these are on display.

  Maps and Charts (about 250 specimens)

  These are maps of the County and charts that were used by local sailors.

  Medals and Medallions (about 250 specimens)

  Ceredigion Museum has a collection of medals and medallions which relate to local events or local celebrations of national events (coronations, centenaries etc.) and military medals awarded to people with local associations.

  Natural History Specimens (about 100 specimens)

  The Museum has a small collection of animals and birds that were mounted by local taxidermists, (mostly the work of the Hutchings family of Aberystwyth). There is a small collection of birds’ eggs, some of which were confiscated from illegal private collections by the police and transferred to the museum.

  Pictures and Prints (about 1820 specimens)

  Ceredigion Museum has a collection of prints and pictures (drawings, watercolours, oil paintings etc) of Ceredigion subjects.

  Photographs (about 20,000 specimens)

  The Museum has a large collection of photographs of Ceredigion subjects, all of which are fully indexed on computer and digitally scanned. It also has some copies of photographs and pictures of Ceredigion subjects that are in private and public collections.

  Social History (about 25,000 items)

  Most of Ceredigion Museum’s collection comprises social history objects (including furniture), and it is now thought that the museum has at least one good example of most types of domestic items commonly made or used in Ceredigion between 1850 and 1950. There are several collections of house contents, including ephemera, popular ornaments and mass-produced items.

  Non-Designated collections

  Handling material

  The Museum has developed a reputation of making good-quality collections available for use in educational sessions, reminiscence sessions and public events, and we make a clear attempt to do so wherever possible, we recognise that some material is not robust enough to withstand regular use. To encourage the fullest access to collections for public enjoyment and benefit, we acquire small numbers of objects that are used in ways that would not be appropriate for accessioned material. These are not accessioned in order for them to be usable in the fullest range of educational sessions and public events.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2018

  Licence: CC BY-NC