Royal Albert Memorial Museum
Encyclopedia
Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) on Queen Street, Exeter
, Devon
, England
is the largest museum in the city.
, an appeal fund was launched in 1861 and the first phases of the building were completed by 1868. The Devon and Exeter Albert Memorial, as it was originally known, provided an integrated museum, art gallery, library, reading room, school of art and school of science in the manner long advocated by Prince Albert.
In 1899 York Wing was opened by the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George V and Queen Mary, and at the same time the title of Royal Albert Memorial was granted.
The building has changed little since then although the city library moved out of the Museum in 1930, the school of science ultimately developed into the University of Exeter
and the school of art is now the University of Plymouth
's Faculty of Art & Education. The Museum then gradually expanded to fill the whole building.
RAMM is now a hub museum under the government's Renaissance Programme.
The many donors who contributed to the collection are too numerous to list but include Kent Kingdon (an upholsterer and interior designer), Sir Harry Veitch
(owner of the famous horticultural firm Veitch and Sons
) and John Lane
(founder of the famous publishing firm The Bodley Head
). http://www.devonmuseums.net/component/option,com_mumancontent/task,view/sectionid,35/catid,299/
. http://www.caradocdoy.co.uk/veitch_nursery
The Heritage Lottery Fund has contributed nearly £10million to Exeter City Council's £15million redevelopment project that will allow RAMM to grow and develop to meet 21st Century needs. It includes a purpose-built off-site collections store, a complete redisplay of the collections, an extension and a new entrance from the gardens at the rear.
While the main museum building is closed, the museum is running a small gallery in Exeter Central Library, as well as opening St Nicholas Priory to the public and schools.
There is a full programme of events and exhibitions running whilst the redevelopment project takes place.
Other funding is from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Renaissance.
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
is the largest museum in the city.
History
Initially proposed by Sir Stafford Northcote as a practical memorial to Prince AlbertPrince Albert
Prince Albert was the husband and consort of Queen Victoria.Prince Albert may also refer to:-Royalty:*Prince Albert Edward or Edward VII of the United Kingdom , son of Albert and Victoria...
, an appeal fund was launched in 1861 and the first phases of the building were completed by 1868. The Devon and Exeter Albert Memorial, as it was originally known, provided an integrated museum, art gallery, library, reading room, school of art and school of science in the manner long advocated by Prince Albert.
In 1899 York Wing was opened by the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George V and Queen Mary, and at the same time the title of Royal Albert Memorial was granted.
The building has changed little since then although the city library moved out of the Museum in 1930, the school of science ultimately developed into the University of Exeter
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
and the school of art is now the University of Plymouth
University of Plymouth
Plymouth University is the largest university in the South West of England, with over 30,000 students and is 9th largest in the United Kingdom by total number of students . It has almost 3,000 staff...
's Faculty of Art & Education. The Museum then gradually expanded to fill the whole building.
RAMM is now a hub museum under the government's Renaissance Programme.
Collections
Archeology, Coins and Medals, Costume and Textiles, Decorative and Applied Art, Fine Art, Natural Sciences, World Cultures, 1.5 million objects in total. Present collecting focuses largely on objects of local interest.Fine Art
The Museum's fine art collection comprises over 7,000 objects in an eclectic mix of paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture, representing important British artists and celebrating the museum's location in the South West.The many donors who contributed to the collection are too numerous to list but include Kent Kingdon (an upholsterer and interior designer), Sir Harry Veitch
Harry Veitch
Sir Harry James Veitch was an eminent English horticulturist in the nineteenth century, who was the head of the family nursery business, James Veitch & Sons, based in Chelsea, London...
(owner of the famous horticultural firm Veitch and Sons
Veitch Nurseries
The Veitch Nurseries were the largest group of family-run plant nurseries in Europe during the 19th century. Started by John Veitch sometime before 1808, the original nursery grew substantially over several decades and was eventually split into two separate businesses - based at Chelsea and...
) and John Lane
John Lane (publisher)
-Biography:Originally from Devon, where he was born into a farming family, Lane moved to London already in his teens. While working as a clerk at the Railway Clearing House, he acquired knowledge as an autodidact....
(founder of the famous publishing firm The Bodley Head
The Bodley Head
The Bodley Head is an English publishing house, founded in 1887 and existing as an independent entity until the 1970s. The name has been used as an imprint of Random House Children's Books since 1987...
). http://www.devonmuseums.net/component/option,com_mumancontent/task,view/sectionid,35/catid,299/
Veitch Memorial Lecture
At the end of every July, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum holds a plant-orientated lecture in memory of Sir Harry VeitchHarry Veitch
Sir Harry James Veitch was an eminent English horticulturist in the nineteenth century, who was the head of the family nursery business, James Veitch & Sons, based in Chelsea, London...
. http://www.caradocdoy.co.uk/veitch_nursery
Redevelopment
The building is closed to the public from 1 December 2007 until 2011 for redevelopment.The Heritage Lottery Fund has contributed nearly £10million to Exeter City Council's £15million redevelopment project that will allow RAMM to grow and develop to meet 21st Century needs. It includes a purpose-built off-site collections store, a complete redisplay of the collections, an extension and a new entrance from the gardens at the rear.
While the main museum building is closed, the museum is running a small gallery in Exeter Central Library, as well as opening St Nicholas Priory to the public and schools.
There is a full programme of events and exhibitions running whilst the redevelopment project takes place.
Funding
The Museum and Art Gallery is owned and partly funded by Exeter City Council.Other funding is from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Renaissance.