At Wollaton Hall we like to bring part of the museum home to you, with information and activities linked to our collection and sites.
What are our museums?
Museums are full of fascinating and beautiful objects that tell us about the past, people’s lives, our world and different cultures.
These objects (called our collection) can give us an insight into our history – telling stories about people’s places in the world and their impact on it.
Inside Wollaton Hall is the Nottingham Natural History Museum, which contains a large collection, ranging from fossils, minerals, plants and eggs to invertebrates, shells (molluscs) and taxidermy vertebrates, as well as ‘spirit’ preserved animals and rare specimens from across the globe.
Amongst the collection is a giraffe, George the Gorilla and a range of birds, making them interesting places to learn about Natural History today.
For a sneak peek of a few popular items:
Ammonite fossil, Wollaton Hall
Blue morpho butterfly, Wollaton Hall
Caption: Malachite mineral, Wollaton Hall
Caption: Conch shell, Wollaton Hall
To find out more about the Natural History Collections, click here. If you are interested to find out more about the Natural History Museum, it has its’ very own Twitter channel too, suitably named George the Gorilla.
Similarly in the courtyard building in Wollaton Park, there is a Nottingham Industrial Museum, which highlights rich local heritage with lace making and transport through the ages. Its exhibits include the impressive Basford Beam Engine.
With these two museums full of collections, they are both something to look forward to visiting when we reopen.
For now it’s time to get creative…
Make your own Museum of Me
While we’re all indoors, why not have a go at creating and curating your own museum? You could transform your house into a display of your very own collection!
Step 1 – Collect
Have a look around your house – if you created a museum about you or your family, what objects might you put in?
Find at least five objects that you think say something about who you are. These objects could be something important to you, something you like, or something that shows the kind of things you do. If you are not sure, ask someone else in your family what objects they might pick and why.
Here are a few themes you could use to help you pick:
- All about me
- My favourite belongings
- Things that make me laugh
- My collection of…
Step 2 – Display
Now you have collected your objects, you can think of a way to display them! Here are some ways we display objects in the museum:
Caption: Hung on a wall
Caption: On shelves and in cases
Caption: An open display on a table
Step 3 – Share your story
In the museum we often put a little bit of writing next to each object to tell people all about it and helps us explain why the object is important. We call this bit of writing an “object label”.
Could you add an object label to your objects?
Use them to tell us what they are and why they are important.
Here’s a sample pic to give a little inspiration – a teddy bear, a note and a couple of artistic creations are significant because they show a close connection with family, and a purse and bracelet represents an interest in fashion. Both the creative elements and the fashion elements suggest a creative side of the person that made this collection.
Enjoy making your collection truly reflect you, and share with your friends and family.
We would love to see your museum collection too. Remember to photograph and share them with us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter by tagging #WollatonHall.
