Whitstable Museum and Gallery
{{Short description|Heritage centre in Whitstable, Kent, UK}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox museum
|name =Whitstable Museum
|native_name =
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|image = Whitstable Museum by Pam Fray 002.jpg
|caption = Museum entrance
|alt =
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|established = {{Start date|1985}}
|dissolved =
|location = 5A Oxford Street, Whitstable, Kent CT5 1DB, United Kingdom
|type = heritage centre; seafaring traditions museum
|collection = Diving, oyster trade, shipbuilding trade, Peter Cushing, steam locomotive
|visitors =
|director =
|president =
|curator = Whitstable Volunteers
|publictransit = Rail: Whitstable railway station
Buses: National Express, Stagecoach
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|website = {{URL|1=http://www.whitstablemuseum.org}}
}}
Whitstable Museum is a heritage centre in Whitstable, Kent, with Invicta, one of the world's oldest steam engines, the history of the local oyster trade and historical diving equipment.
History
The present museum was established in 1985.Information from museum spokesperson{{Cite web|title=March 2014 – The Whitstable Society|url=https://www.whitstablesociety.info/2014/03/|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-03}}{{Cite web|title=Visual Arts Data Service|url=https://vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=88576|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-05-03}} The museum received the Nautiek Award, for services to diving history, in 2001; the first time the award had been given to a UK establishment.{{cite web|url=http://www.culture24.org.uk/se000215|work=Culture 24|title=Whitstable Museum & Gallery|accessdate=3 February 2010}} In 2015, the museum was reopened following a refurbishment, part-funded by a £15,000 grant from Arts Council England.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-33287454|title=Museum to reopen amid transfer delays|date=2015-06-28|access-date=2019-10-10|language=en-GB}}
The building's small doorway opens up into a large hall of displays.{{cite web|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1693920|work=Geograph|last=Fray|first=Pam|date=5 February 2010|title=TR1066 : Inside Whitstable Museum|accessdate=6 February 2010}} In 1881, the Ancient Order of Foresters bought the building, and inscribed "Foresters' Hall" over the door.{{cite web|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1693913|work=Geograph|last=Fray|first=Pam|date=5 February 2010|title=TR1066 : Entrance to Whitstable Museum and Art Gallery, Oxford Street|accessdate=6 February 2010}}
Exhibits
The museum has collections and displays on themes of the natural world, local oyster trade, early diving and the actor, Peter Cushing, who lived locally, as well as displays on the 1953 floods, shipwrecks and maritime archaeology. The collections are held under the following headings: social history, science and technology, maritime, land transport, fine art, decorative and applied art, archives and archaeology.{{cite web|url=http://www.aboutbritain.com/WhitstableMuseum.htm|work=AboutBritain.com|date=1999–2010|title=Whitstable Museum & Art Gallery|accessdate=3 February 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.modellskipper.de/Archive/Museen/Dokumente/Grossbritanien/Whitstable_Museum_Gallery.htm|work=modellskipper.de|date=2000–2010|title=Whitstable Museum & Gallery|accessdate=3 February 2010}}{{dead link|date=October 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://people.pwf.cam.ac.uk/mhe1000/museums.htm#WWW|work=Maritime and Naval Museums in Britain and Ireland|last=Evans|first=H.|author2=Janet West |year=2009|title=Whitstable Museum and Gallery|accessdate=3 February 2010}}
The museum displays the unique 1830 steam locomotive Invicta, which operated on the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway, and Whitstable's first horse-drawn fire pump, which required twenty-six volunteers to operate. In 1867, the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society donated it to the town.{{cite web|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1693924|work=Geograph|last=Fray|first=Pam|date=5 February 2010|title=TR1066: Whitstable's first fire engine|accessdate=6 February 2010}} The diving display shows standard diving dress with Siebe Gorman helmet and the traditional red bonnet to protect the head against the helmet (see image below). The museum also contains relics from the East Indiaman Hindostan, which wrecked at Margate in January 1803.
In 2010, the BBC chose the pudding pan pots from Whitstable Museum as objects illustrating the history of Kent as part of the A History of the World in 100 Objects project.{{cite web|url=http://www.kentonline.co.uk/times_guardian/news/2010/january/22/anchor_part_of_kent_history.aspx|work=Kent Messenger: Kent Online|date=22 January 2010|title=Blue Town anchor plays a part in Kent's history|accessdate=21 February 2010}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/a-ndhydOTDyvfZZ-GzW8pw|work=BBC: A History of the World|year=2010|title=Roman shipwreck pots used for puddings|accessdate=21 February 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.yourcanterbury.co.uk/kent-news/Kent_s-10-objects-that-tell-the-story-of-history-newsinkent32267.aspx|work=YourCanterbury.co.uk|date=31 January 2010|title=Kent's 10 objects that tell the story of history|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228032857/http://www.yourcanterbury.co.uk/kent-news/Kent_s-10-objects-that-tell-the-story-of-history-newsinkent32267.aspx|archivedate=28 February 2010|accessdate=24 October 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.canterbury.gov.uk/main.cfm?objectid=4999|work=Canterbury City Council Online|date=18 January 2010|title=Roman pots play their role in world history|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130103944/http://canterbury.gov.uk/main.cfm?objectid=4999|archivedate=30 November 2010|accessdate=24 October 2016}}
Image:Whitstable Museum by Pam Fray 001.jpg|Museum entrance
Image:Whitstable Museum by Pam Fray 003.jpg|Display hall, looking towards entrance
Image:Whitstable Museum by Pam Fray 004.jpg|Display hall, looking from entrance
Image:Whitstable Museum by Pam Fray 005.jpg|1867 fire pump
Image:Whitstable Museum by Pam Fray 006.jpg|Courtyard garden
Image:Whitstable Museum by Pam Fray 007.jpg|Diving display
Image:Close-up of the beach, Seasalter - geograph.org.uk - 145829.jpg|Slipper limpets, blamed for the previous decline of the Whitstable oyster trade{{cite web|url=http://www.glaucus.org.uk/oyster2.htm|work=British Marine Life Study Society|last=Lilley|first=Jane|title=The Oyster and the Slipper Limpet|accessdate=3 February 2010}}
Image:Landingoftheoyster2008.jpg|Modern oyster fishing at Whitstable, 2007
Gallery
Events
=Exhibitions=
There are about six exhibitions per year: some local, some which have toured nationally, and some with associated public events.{{cite web|url=http://ns.cccds.co.uk/main.cfm?objectid=893 |work=Canterbury City Council Online |year=2009 |title=Exhibitions and Events (for Whitstable Museum) |accessdate=3 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823111305/http://ns.cccds.co.uk/main.cfm?objectid=893 |archivedate=23 August 2011 |df=dmy-all }} In 2001, there was a special exhibition about art and water.{{cite web|url=http://ns.cccds.co.uk/authority/main.cfm?objectid=2576|work=Canterbury City Council Online|date=17 September 2001|title=Double vision at Whitstable museum|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823110633/http://ns.cccds.co.uk/authority/main.cfm?objectid=2576|archivedate=23 August 2011|accessdate=24 October 2016}} In March 2002, there was an exhibition in which visitors could handle historic diving equipment and watch films about diving.{{cite web|url=http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/newsarchive.aspx?articleid=2802|work=Kent Online|date=25 February 2002|title=Chance to get insight into history of diving|accessdate=21 February 2010}} There was a 2009−2010 exhibition on the last oyster yawl, Favourite, and a Girl Guides exhibition in 2010. The museum takes part in the annual Whitstable Oyster Festival by hosting interactive exhibitions.{{cite web|url=http://www.whitstableoysterfestival.com/tag/museum/ |work=Whitstable Oyster Festival |year=2010 |title=What's On |accessdate=3 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090715034858/http://www.whitstableoysterfestival.com/tag/museum/ |archivedate=15 July 2009 |df=dmy-all }} In September 2009, the museum had a World War II frontline exhibition.{{cite web|url=http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentish_gazette/news/2009/september/9/the_forgotten_frontline.aspx|work=Kentish Gazette|date=8 September 2009|title=Kent's exhibition to explore the Forgotten Frontline of World War II|accessdate=21 February 2010}}
Educational space
The museum re-allocated some of its space for education in 2009 on its frontage with Oxford Street.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/news/canterburys-roman-museum-could-fall-victim-to-the-credit-crunch-1892883.html |work=The Independent|last=Eyb|first=Lynette|date=8 February 2010|title=Canterbury's Roman Museum could fall victim to the credit crunch|publisher=Independent News and Media Limited|accessdate=8 February 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www2.canterbury.gov.uk/committee/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=114&MId=6363&Ver=4|work=Canterbury City Council Online|last=Finch|first=Graham|date=2008–2010|title=Agenda: Executive Thursday, 21st January, 2010 6.30 pm|publisher=Canterbury City Council|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008021033/http://www2.canterbury.gov.uk/committee/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=114&MId=6363&Ver=4|archivedate=8 October 2011|accessdate=24 October 2016|location=Canterbury}} In the event the Council voted in favour of this proposal.{{cite web|url=http://www2.canterbury.gov.uk/committee/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=138&MId=6350&Ver=4|work=Canterbury City Council Online|last=Finch|first=Graham|date=19 February 2010|title=Agenda Council Thursday, 18th February, 2010 7.00 pm|publisher=CCC|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008021534/http://www2.canterbury.gov.uk/committee/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=138&MId=6350&Ver=4|archivedate=8 October 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://canterbury2010.wordpress.com/about/|title=Canterbury Museums & Hall|date=April 2010|work=City of Canterbury budget 2010−2011|accessdate=22 April 2010}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Whitstable Museum}}
- [https://www.whitstablemuseum.org: Whitstable Museum web page]
{{Coord|51|21|22|N|1|01|28|E|type:landmark_region:GB|display=title|name=Whitstable Museum and Gallery}}
{{UnderwaterDiving|state=collapsed}}
{{Museums in Kent}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Museums in the City of Canterbury
Category:Museums established in 1985
Category:Maritime museums in England
Category:Local museums in Kent
Category:Art museums and galleries in Kent