100 Years and Counting!

2023 marks the centenary of the Wakefield Museums & Castles collection. We have been collecting objects and telling stories for 100 years!

We are celebrating our centenary throughout 2023 and into 2024 with new displays, digital content and events. 

We're launching the celebrations with a new Online Exhibition showcasing 100 objects that represent our 100 years of collecting. Click here to explore! 

But first, let's go back to the the very beginning...

10 July 1923 - Our first official objects 

The first ever entry in our accession books (the early handwritten records of all objects entering the collection) was on 10 July 1923. It was for 'One Mahogany Cabinet' containing 'Mosses' and 'Lichens', as well as 'Three Madonna Pictures from Board' 'and 14 cases of Birds'. 

An eclectic selection that paved the way for the 100 years of wonderful and weird objects to come!

The first ever entry in our accession books on 10 July 1923

The mahogany cabinet in question, our first ever officially accessioned object

Wakefield's first civic museum and art gallery

The doors of Wakefield’s first civic museum and art gallery opened at Holmfield House in Thornes Park in 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.

More on the first Wakefield Museum

Holmfield House, circa 1940s.

Visitors to a photography exhibition at Holmfield House in the 1930s - we do things a bit differently today!

From then - to now

Since then, our collection has grown and grown! We’ve opened new museums and moved between different sites. 

In 1934, Wakefield Corporation opened a dedicated art gallery on Wentworth Terrace. It was open until 2009. Today, the fine art collection is managed and cared for by The Hepworth Wakefield. 

In 1956 Wakefield Museum left Holmfield House for the former Mechanics Institute on Wood Street, where 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!

The beautiful art nouveau building housing Pontefract Museum

Pontefract and Castleford

In 1974 Wakefield Council began caring for and developing the collections from Pontefract Museum and Castleford Library. 

Pontefract Museum moved to our current home in the former Carnegie Library in 1978. We’re very proud to continue to care for the beautiful art nouveau building. 

In 2013, we opened Castleford Forum Library & Museum, sharing the history of the town’s origins as Roman Lagentium, its proud industrial past and present, as well as changing displays produced with our local communities.

From 1 to over 100,000 objects

We now look after over 112,000 objects that tell the story of our district from the distant past to the present day. We programme exhibitions and displays at Castleford, Pontefract and Wakefield Museums, Pontefract Castle Visitor Centre and our Museum Hubs across the district. 

Any objects that are not currently on display are cared for at our Museum Store, ready for future exhibitions and research. 

Online Exhibition - 100 Years of Collecting

We're launching the celebrations with a new Online Exhibition showcasing 100 objects that represent our 100 years of collecting. Click here to explore!

Check back on our blog over the coming weeks and months for more about our centenary, and object highlights compiled by our team and volunteers! 

You can also follow the project on social media with the hashtag #WMC100.

Play your cards right

The 'Twixmas' period is the perfect time for having fun with family, when many of us dig out the packs of cards and challenge each other to a game. So we thought we'd have a root in our Toys and Games collection for some ideas to pass the winter evenings. From traditional trick-taking and trumps, to more obscure offerings, we found some real aces.

We are all familiar with the humble playing card thanks to a long tradition dating back to the 14^th century when playing cards first arrived in Europe. They most probably came to the West via India and Egypt from China, where they were likely invented along with the pioneering of paper and printing. Originally lavishly hand illustrated, playing cards were the preserve of the rich until advances in printing technology made them cheaper and more readily available to the masses. The backs of cards were left blank until the 19^th century. They were first decorated to avoid cheating by marking cards but manufacturers soon saw the advertising potential. Playing cards are often now produced as promotion items like this pack advertising Wakefield based brewery, Beverleys.

Playing cards advertising Beverleys Beers, John Waddington Ltd, c. 1950s - 1970s

The four suits we are so familiar with in Britain today originate from France. The global popularity of whist and bridge meant the Anglo-French suitmarks became the international standard, although national variations remain.

Trump indicator used in whist. Whoever played the highest scoring clubs card would have won the trick in this round. 

The tabs on this whist marker lift up to indicate the score. The large tabs are for points scored in the round and the smaller tabs for number of rounds won. This is an exquisite example of a Shibayama marker exported from Japan- it is lacquered and inlaid with precious stones like mother of pearl.

Bridge set in Bakelite case, Seaforth, 1930s - 1950s

There are countless games to be played with a standard 52 card deck, whether single player or for teams or large groups. But we have also found a variety of other card decks in the collection, some educational and some a little more frivolous.

Counties of England, Jacques & Sons 

Counties of England is a geographical variation on Happy Families. Players compete to complete a county by collecting all the appropriate town cards. The winner collected the most counties. Of course, the real victor is whoever collects Yorkshire!

Beat Your Neighbour is a catch and collect game- the aim is to claim all your opponents’ cards. Without looking at their hand, each player turns over a card in turn. If someone plays a Put card, the next player has to surrender that number of cards. If they do not turn over a Put card themselves, the previous player claims the pile. There are many varieties of Beat Your Neighbours card, each with different themed illustrations.

Snip Snap, Stanfield Holdings, 1970s

Snip-Snap is a matching game with a difference. It was designed to help the British adapt to the new decimal currency system introduced in 1971. Players won cards by being the first to spot pairs. They would shout ‘Snip’ for a matching pair of decimal coins or ‘Snap’ for two identical old currency cards. When a pre-decimal card is matched with its new currency equivalent, players must declare, ‘Snip-Snap!’ whilst being careful not to call an incorrect pair and be forced to forfeit a card to each of their opponents.

Pit, John Waddington Ltd

Pit is a trading game mimicking a corn exchange. The cards represent different crops (9 cards for each of the 7 grains) and players vie to be the first to complete a full set. Players trade cards with each other, declaring the number of cards they wish to swap but not revealing the commodity. The traders all shout out their offers at once resulting in a high energy, high volume competition. Each complete set has a different points value and the victorious trader is the first to reach 500 points.

Muggins, R&S, early 20th century

There are no winners as such in this game - rather the objective is not to be the Muggins, the last player left holding any cards. There are four packs of cards numbered 1-25 that are shuffled and shared out by the dealer. The aim is to reunite the cards into their four groups. Each player takes it in turns to discard as many cards as they can but cards must be played in numerical order, either ascending from 1 or descending from 25. If you don't have the next number in the sequence, you must instead accept a card into your hand from each of your opponents.

Muggins promises 'roars of laughter'. As a nation, we have been enjoying card games for centuries. Which is your favourite?  Let us know what you've been playing these holidays in the comments and over on social media.

If you'd like more inspiration for games to enjoy this Christmas, check out Old Fashioned Fun and don't forget you can browse our Toys and Games collection online. 

Heritage Open Days: Behind the scenes at the museum store

The Wakefield Museums & Castles collection contains more than 111,000 objects that tell the story of our district from the distant past to the present day. Today, we can only display a small proportion of the collection at any one time. But even if they're not on show, all the objects are kept safe for future use. To celebrate Heritage Open Days 2020, we thought we'd give you a sneak peek behind the scenes at the museum store, sharing some highlights of the collection and how we care for them.

A century of collecting

Our collection has been in development for over a century and continues to grow today. The first museum in Pontefract was established by volunteers at Pontefract Castle in the 19th century. In Wakefield, Holmfield House in Clarence Park opened its doors as the city's first museum and art gallery in 1923. And by the 1930s, objects were also being collected in Castleford, originally by the local library. 

Pontefract's first museum opened at the castle on 29th April 1892 with 256 objects.

Visitors enjoying an exhibition at Holmfield House, 1930s

In 2020, our social history and archaeology collections are a treasure trove of fascinating stories that form the basis of our main museum galleries, our special exhibitions, and many displays in our communities across the district. We regularly update our displays to showcase as many different objects as possible. Those that are not currently on display are looked after at the museum store.

From the very small...

This tiny pig shaped Stanhope viewer contains six early 20th century images of Castleford and measures just 16 x 21 x 10mm!

Demonstration of viewing the images in the pig Stanhope viewer

... to the very large! 

Dennis Big Four fire engine

The engine was used by the City of Wakefield fire bridge, 1935-1954, before being acquired by the museum in 1968.

And the very old...

Ancient Egyptian clay mould for jewellery manufacture, c. 1200-1400 BC

... to the very new.

Child's Peppa Pig bowl and cup set, 2018

All shapes and sizes

In the collections store, we organise objects according to a variety of criteria, including size, shape, material or theme. This makes the best use of our space, allows us to meet the varied conservation needs of different kinds of objects, and helps us to find things more easily. Our objects are packed using inert materials that won't cause their condition to deteriorate and will help protect them from dust and dirt, changes to the environment, or damage by movement and vibration.

Here's a whistle stop tour!

These archive boxes contain our photographic and ephemera (paper based) collections, organised by theme.

Ephemera is kept flat in conservation grade polyester sleeves and supported by acid free cardboard.

A selection of typewriters in one of our small social history aisles

Most small social history objects are wrapped in acid free tissue and boxed.

These drawers contain some of our large plastics collection. Plastic requires specialised care and, unlike other objects, these need air circulation and so are not stored in sealed boxes. We store plastics according to their type (e.g. PVC) and they are supported on inert Plastazote. 

Storing suitable objects on wall mounted wire mesh allows us to save shelf space for bulkier items.

More than you can shake a walking stick at

The right tool for the job

Our large social history racking includes our furniture collection.

Our archaeology aisles contain many thousands of finds from local excavations.

Larger archaeology such as stonework is kept on wooden pallets on stronger shelving, which can support heavy objects. 

Like these cannon balls!

Hive of activity

As well as our weird and wonderful objects, there's often a few members of the collections team to be found at the store - our natural habitat! This is where we add new objects to the collection and prepare for exhibitions, amongst many other tasks.

Every object is given a unique identification number on our collections database. After a new acquisition has been accepted into the collection, we create a record that tells us what it is and what it looks like, how and when we acquired it, and what's special or interesting about it. During the object's lifetime in the collection, its record is updated to document when it is exhibited or used, any change in its condition or any conservation work, or if we find out any new information about it. 

Once we have catalogued the object, it will be marked with its unique number. We use materials that won't damage the object and write the label somewhere where we can find it but that won't be visible on display. All labelling is semi-permanent - we don't want the number to come off so that we can't match it to its record but we also don't want to permanently change the object's appearance.

Cataloguing kit

After labelling, the object goes for photography. Good images help us to identify objects in future and keep a track of their condition. It also means that we can share our collections online - whether in our searchable databases, on our social media, or here on this blog!

A new acquisition ready for its close up!

Finally, the object is carefully packed and put away, making sure to record the location on its catalogue record so that we can find it in future, for example if we want to include it in an exhibition.

When we're choosing objects for exhibitions, we need to check their condition to make sure that it won't cause them any damage. Sometimes, we need to send items for conservation before we can display them. 

We often use the space at store to practise our exhibition layouts and test what will fit in our cases and which arrangements look best. 

We hope you've enjoyed this special Heritage Open Days glimpse into our store. For more behind the scenes content and collections stories, stay tuned to the blog and our social media. 

And if this has whet your appetite, you'll find some of our collections available to browse online.

Visit our Heritage Open Days: Hidden Histories of Wakefield Museums & Castles page for more from our weird and wonderful collections and sites.

Pontefract Allsorts: How liquorice got its roots in Pontefract

Liquorice - whether you love or hate the taste, there's no denying the plant has long been synonymous with Pontefract. But how did a middle Eastern herb become embedded in our town's history? Where did liquorice originate from? We've had a root through our liquorice collection and dug up some treasures. 

Liquorice was probably first brought to Pontefract either by medieval knights returning to the castle from the Crusades, or by the Dominican monks who settled at the neighbouring priory. Pontefract proved to be fertile ground for liquorice, the plant's long roots thriving in the deep loamy local soil. 

Liquorice fields in the Nevison area

Liquorice growing and harvesting in the Friarwood area

A spoonful of sugar

Prized at first for its medicinal properties, liquorice began to be grown across the area. The sap was extracted from the root and used to treat coughs and stomach complaints. By the 1700s, there were liquorice garths springing up all around and even the castle yard was being cultivated. Local chemists, the Dunhill family, rented the land there and used the castle cellars to store their harvested roots. 

It is George Dunhill who is credited with first adding sugar to liquorice to transform the medicine into the sweet delicacy we still know today. He is believed to have pioneered the production and marketing of the now iconic Pontefract Cake as a commercial confectionery.

Handstamp for marking Pontefract Cakes, Dunhills Ltd, early 20th century

A worker stamping Pontefract Cakes at W. R. Wilkinson & Co. Ltd, 1950s

And so Pontefract became inextricably linked with liquorice. By the 1900s, treats made in one of Pontefract's many factories were enjoyed by those with a sweet tooth all around the world. At the industry's height there were 13 factories in the town. The rival companies all produced a wide array of different liquorice variations: 

Ewbanks

From 1887 Ewbanks' production was based at the Eagle Liquorice Works in Friarwood. The factory was surrounded by orchards. During the Second World War, Eagle Works suffered bad bomb damage and some production moved to other local companies.

 

Ewbanks advert from 1927

Reads: Make them laugh or cry - Liquorice Funny faces, 1/2D each. Ewbanks Ltd Pontefract.

Hillaby's

John Hillaby established his Lion Liquorice Works, a four storey steam-powered factory, in 1850. The company grew its own crops and by 1893 had become the largest producer in the world. In 1925 they achieved a further claim to fame, producing the liquorice boot eaten by Charlie Chaplin in the film, Goldrush.

 

Hillaby's delivery van outside the factory, 1930s

The van has the 'Hillaby's Pontefract Cakes' logo on its side, and a uniformed worker is loading large boxes of Hillaby's Promfret Cakes into the van. In the background there is a horse-drawn cart being led away from the van. Has this just delivered the cakes fresh from the factory behind?

J. H. Addingley & Sons

Baghill Refinery was a three storey building boasting steam-powered machinery, offices, a warehouse and packing room, and mechanics and joinery shops.

 

Addingley's sweet tin from the early 20th Century

The tin is painted with the red Addingley's logo and a picture of a crown with the word 'Imperial'. It reads 'Liquorice Confectionary, Baghill Refinery, Pontefract, England'. There are also some yellow flowers.

W. R. Wilkinson & Co.

Originally started in 1884 at a malt kiln in Southgate, Wilkinson's expanded several times. First, to the Britannia Works on Skinner Lane and then again in 1925 to a 'garden factory' in Monkhill. Here, employees enjoyed workers' housing, tennis courts and allotments, as well as outings to the seaside.

Workers packing sweets at the Wilkinson's factory, mid-20th century

All of the workers are women, dressed in long overcoats and white caps covering their tied-up hair. One of the workers, a young woman, is looking towards the photographer and smiling. All of the workers are weighing out the sweets before packing them into identical boxes. Each has a lot of boxes in front of her!

Wilkinson's specimen carton, early 20th century

The carton shows a drawing of the Wilkinson's Liquorice factory, a large rectangular building with big rectangular windows. In front of the factory, a male and a female worker are playing tennis on a perfect grass tennis pitch. There are also flower beds and benches, where other workers are reading the newspaper and having a chat. The sides of the carton read 'Wilkinson's Liquorice All-Sorts' and 'Manufcatured by Wilkinson & Co Ltd, Pontefract, England'

Robinson & Wordsworth

Founded in 1871, the company was based at Victoria Works. In 1893, the recently expanded factory welcomed the curator of Kew Museum, who visited to research liquorice cultivation. Robinson & Wordsworth also had a display at the Kew Botanic Gardens.

 

 A Robinson &Wordsworth's sweet tin from the early 20th century
The tin is pale green, with the words 'Robinson & Wordsworth's, wholesome & reliable, liquorice confectionary, Pontefract' on it. In the middle is a cartoon of a castle with the words 'castle brand', referring to Pontefract Castle.

'Spanish'

Eventually, Pontefract's prolific business began to exhaust the local crops. With supplies struggling to keep up with demand, the firms instead imported liquorice from Turkey and Spain. Liquorice is still affectionately known as Spanish by locals. By the end of the 19th century, most of Pontefract's liquorice fields were gone, although it continued to grow at Stump Cross until the mid 20th century. 

Liquorice growing near Stump Cross Lane in 1960s

Wooden spade for harvesting liquorice root

Liquorice legacy

Over time, Pontefract's confectioners began to close, merge with one another, or be acquired by their larger rivals. Today, there are two producers remaining in the town. The German giant, Haribo, arrived in Pontefract in the 1970s when they first acquired a stake in Dunhills Ltd, the original pioneer of the Pontefract Cake. Tangerine Confectionery's roots in the town can be traced back to W. R. Wilkinson & Co.

Pontefract Museum's liquorice displays, including scales used by liquorice growers in the early 20th century

Wakefield Museums & Castles are very privileged to care for our large liquorice collection. We proudly display a selection of highlights at Pontefract Museum but there is even more to enjoy on our online catalogue - why not have a root around today yourself? Or get your teeth into our liquorice inspired jigsaw: 

35Dunhills Pontefract Cakes