Thursday, February 26, 2015

Cooking up a treat at Wakefield Museum

Wakefield Museum has just opened a new child-sized 1950s inspired kitchen:


We have also added new displays around the kitchen with 1950s objects from the collection. This display shows the cabinet that inspired the design of the kitchen units and features some of the objects that appear in the kitchen cupboard graphics.





There is also a display of 1950s toys.


A photograph of street in Wakefield taken in the 1950s forms the view from the window.  


To celebrate the new kitchen we threw a party, taking tips from a 1950s party planning magazine in the museum collection.


Dr Annie Gray cooked up a buffet using recipes from the magazine. Delights included tinned pineapple and Marmite sandwiches; prawns in aspic; 'dunkers' and teen-age hot dogs! Here she is getting some assistance decorating a cake with glacĂ© cherries and angelica with her assistant for the evening!


They were very proud of their creations...



Visit the kitchen to play or just to reminisce about family memories.  The Kitchen is in Wakefield Museum's 'Front Room' area and is free to visit.


Monday, February 16, 2015

The Iron Age is coming to Castleford Forum Museum!

Castleford goes back to the Iron Age for a special event on Saturday 21st February.
The perfect end for the half-term holidays!

Castleford Museum has a very important Iron Age display - the Ferry Fryston chariot - and this event will allow visitors to see the chariot in a new way.

The Iron Age chariot on display in the museum
The Ferry Fryston chariot was found in 2003 during improvements to the A1 (M) by the Highways Agency. It dates back to 200BC and was buried with the remains of a man estimated to have been in his 30s or 40s, from Scotland or Scandinavia. It is one of the most significant finds of its kind. 20 chariots have been found from this period, but this is one of only two to not have been dismantled before they were buried.

 Click here for more information about the chariot.

For this free event, we will also be showing a half-size replica of the chariot, which really brings this important archaeological find to life.


The half-scale replica of the Iron Age chariot will be on display

The event will be fun for all the family, with Iron Age inspired craft activities, storytelling and the opportunity to meet an Iron Age warrior! 

Have your face painted with woad patterns and be ready to go into battle!

Woad face-painting for warriors!






Saturday, February 14, 2015

We ♥ Valentines!

Happy Valentines day

We hope you have your hearts desire... if not here is a selection of 'hearts' from our collections

Half Penny, 1793



A half penny token to be used at Fieldings grocer and tea dealer, decorated with a heart motif.

Playbill, 1824



A playbill for the Wakefield Theatre.

Hair-tidy



A home made hair-tidy, decorated with pearls and ribbon.

Brooch, late Victorian



The heart is made of cornelian.

Bracelet




A bracelet made of five strips of horse hair linked  with bands of gold.  In 2004 a visitor from South Africa identified the material as elephant's tail - 'Much too thick to be horsehair'.

Strap-end, 1450 - 1485



A decorative end of a belt, found at Sandal Castle

Brooch, 1920s



A brooch made from plastic

Pin cushion, 1914 - 1918



Decorated pin cushion with Yorks and Lancs Regimental emblems.  Visit Wakefield Museum to see a selection of First World War objects, in the Great War Trail.

Bracket, c.16th Century 




16th Century timber bracket with a heart shaped design.

Dunderdale dish, 1800 - 1810


A creamware dish, hand painted.  This matches a supper service in the collection of 4 dishes with the same design.  It was made by Castleford pottery Dunderdale and Co. Visit Castleford Museum to see a display of Castleford pottery.

Lovehearts, Victorian





Ashtrays, 1936 - 1959


Ashtrays made by Bagley & co.  Visit Pontefract Museum to see a display on Bagley's glass.



Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Many Happy Returns!

Many Happy Returns of this day to Mr Richard Lowndes Salmon!

This lovely cup in our collection was given to a Mr Richard Lowndes Salmon - (presumably for his birthday) 240 years ago today!



Rev Richard Lowndes Salmon was vicar of Sandbach in Cheshire.

This sort of named cup is not uncommon - see this blog post from March 2012 to see other (more local ones) from our collection.