Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery
Encyclopedia
Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery houses the historical and art collections of the city of Peterborough
in the United Kingdom
.
Its building was acquired and donated to the Peterborough Natural History, Scientific and Archaeological Society in 1931 and the art gallery was added in 1939. The building dates from 1816 and was originally a private house. In 1856 the Priestgate mansion was sold to Earl Fitzwilliam
, who allowed it to be used as the city's first hospital, the Peterborough Infirmary from 1857 until the opening of the War Memorial Hospital
in 1928.. In 1968, the museum was presented to the city of Peterborough by the Peterborough Museum Society.
Peterborough Museum has a collection of some 227,000 objects, including local archaeology and social history ranging from the products of the Roman
pottery industry to a collection of marine fossil remains of international importance from the Jurassic
period.
The museum also contains the original manuscripts of John Clare
, the "Northamptonshire Peasant Poet" as he was commonly known in his own time and the Norman Cross collection of items made by French prisoners of war. These prisoners were kept at Norman Cross
on the outskirts of Peterborough from 1797 to 1814, in what is believed to be the world's first purpose built prisoner of war camp. The art collection contains a variety of paintings, prints and drawings dating from the 17th century to the present day.
The museum is closed until February 2012 for redevelopment.
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Its building was acquired and donated to the Peterborough Natural History, Scientific and Archaeological Society in 1931 and the art gallery was added in 1939. The building dates from 1816 and was originally a private house. In 1856 the Priestgate mansion was sold to Earl Fitzwilliam
Charles Wentworth-FitzWilliam, 5th Earl FitzWilliam
Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 5th Earl Fitzwilliam KG was a British nobleman. He was three times President of the Royal Statistical Society ....
, who allowed it to be used as the city's first hospital, the Peterborough Infirmary from 1857 until the opening of the War Memorial Hospital
Peterborough District Hospital
Peterborough District Hospital in the United Kingdom was the acute general district hospital serving the city of Peterborough and north Cambridgeshire, areas of east Northamptonshire and Rutland...
in 1928.. In 1968, the museum was presented to the city of Peterborough by the Peterborough Museum Society.
Peterborough Museum has a collection of some 227,000 objects, including local archaeology and social history ranging from the products of the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
pottery industry to a collection of marine fossil remains of international importance from the Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
period.
The museum also contains the original manuscripts of John Clare
John Clare
John Clare was an English poet, born the son of a farm labourer who came to be known for his celebratory representations of the English countryside and his lamentation of its disruption. His poetry underwent a major re-evaluation in the late 20th century and he is often now considered to be among...
, the "Northamptonshire Peasant Poet" as he was commonly known in his own time and the Norman Cross collection of items made by French prisoners of war. These prisoners were kept at Norman Cross
Norman Cross
Norman Cross lies near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Traditionally in Huntingdonshire, it gave its name to a hundred and, from 1894 to 1974, Norman Cross Rural District....
on the outskirts of Peterborough from 1797 to 1814, in what is believed to be the world's first purpose built prisoner of war camp. The art collection contains a variety of paintings, prints and drawings dating from the 17th century to the present day.
The museum is closed until February 2012 for redevelopment.