Further information
Collections
This year was a busy one for the curators at the Yorkshire Museum, developing the final designs and interpretation of the new Roman, Medieval and Science galleries. After the opening the team reacted to visitor feedback to improve the offer within the museum.
The history team at York Castle Museum researched and undertook the re-display of the Terry's sweetshop in Kirkgate. The new shop displays Terry's as a high class retailer, displaying more items from the collection, highlighting Terry's background as a chemist, and explores the traditional trade of the skilled confectioner. It also provides wider physical access, has new products for sale and includes greater interaction between staff and visitors.
Work has been underway on research for the major William Etty exhibition by Dr Sarah Burnage, who featured on Channel 4 discussing the artist with Howard Jacobson. We have also, along with the University of York, been awarded funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) for a three year collaborative doctorate to work on William Etty.
We were also pleased to secure a prestigious Monument Fellowship to further the work on our costume and textile collection. Dr Mary Brooks, a nationally renowned textile expert, has been working alongside our staff to improve their knowledge and understanding of the collections, and this has proved to be so successful that it has been extended.
Much work has been done in improving the storage of the collections especially Natural History which are now stored in our off site store and consequently much more accessible for researchers. We have also successfully relocated the objects in the hutments behind York Art Gallery, using some of the larger objects such as the Roman sarcophagi as focal points in the gardens.
Works in the permanent Collection were conserved for display in the refurbished Burton Gallery, funded by The Friends of York Art Gallery, a private sponsor, and the Woodmansterne Art Conservation Awards. This included two stained glass portraits by York stained glass artist William Peckitt (1731-1795) conserved by York Glaziers Trust.
Conservation of our iconic 7.5 metre type specimen ichthyosaur was also completed this year and returned to display after 20 years in store. This work was made possible by a grant of £20,000 from the MLA/PRISM fund, with the painstaking work to clean and stabilise the specimen taking over a year.