The doors of Wakefield’s first civic museum and art gallery opened at Holmfield House in Thornes Park in 1923.
It was formally opened on 10 October 1923 by the Mayor, Councillor Harold H. Holdsworth.
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| Holmfield House in the 1940s |
In his speech, the Mayor hoped the museum would inspire civic pride at the city’s long history.
He said it would be a place of both education and recreation, somewhere that the people of Wakefield could go to escape the hustle of city life.
Guests at the opening were served tea in the refreshments room and treated to performances from an instrumental quartet. The museum was specially decorated for the occasion with floral displays, including orchids.
The first curator, Harold Parkin, had gathered a small but impressive collection for display. It included bullets and cannon balls found at Sandal Castle, Ancient Roman coins, and a night watchman’s Waits badge. There were also donations and loans of furniture, paintings and armour.
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| Formal invitation to the opening of Wakefield Museum on 10 October 1923 |
Guests at the opening were served tea in the refreshments room and treated to performances from an instrumental quartet. The museum was specially decorated for the occasion with floral displays, including orchids.
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| Programme for the Formal Opening of Wakefield Museum & Art Gallery on 10 October 1923 |
The first curator, Harold Parkin, had gathered a small but impressive collection for display. It included bullets and cannon balls found at Sandal Castle, Ancient Roman coins, and a night watchman’s Waits badge. There were also donations and loans of furniture, paintings and armour.
Visitors enjoyed displays of archaeology, Egyptology, natural history, social history and art - and, of course, the all-important tearooms!
The museum was described by the Wakefield Express as “a great step forward in our civic life”.
The Holmfield House museum proved very popular and by 1934 was attracting over 40,000 visitors a year.
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| Visitors to a photography exhibition at Holmfield House in the 1930s - we do things a bit differently today! |
The museum was described by the Wakefield Express as “a great step forward in our civic life”.
The Holmfield House museum proved very popular and by 1934 was attracting over 40,000 visitors a year.
By 1956, Wakefield Museum left Holmfield House for the former Mechanics Institute on Wood Street. The displays included popular recreated room scenes from history.
In 2012, we moved to the city’s newest civic building, Wakefield One, where you can find us today!
Amongst many other things, the uniforms worn by our brilliant Visitor Experience Assistants have changed significantly over time!
This drawing shows the inspiration behind the uniform from the 1930s:
And here's Visitor Experience Assistant Jade today (also showcasing our new What's On for Families Guide!):
What memories do you have of visiting the Wakefield Museums of past and present? Let us know in the comments.
Join us for a free talk about 100 Years of Wakefield Museums and Castles on Wednesday 11 October
Online Exhibition '100 Years of Collecting' - looking at our history through 100 objects
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