Dumfries Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura |
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Exterior view of the Camera Obscura
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Victorian and modern |
| Town or city | Dumfries |
| Country | Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°03′55″N 3°36′53″W / 55.0652°N 3.6146°W |
| Renovated | 2011 |
Welcome to the Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura! This amazing place is in Dumfries, Scotland. It's the biggest museum in the area. You can explore history from ancient times right up to today. Guess what? It also has the world's oldest working Camera Obscura! Entry to the museum is free. There's a small charge to try out the Camera Obscura.
Contents
What Can You See at the Museum?
The museum has tons of cool stuff! Its collections cover everything about the local area. You can learn about nature, ancient human history, and even how people used to dress. There are also old photos and interesting things found by archaeologists.
Cool Things to Discover
Here are some special items you can find:
- A cast of the skull of Robert the Bruce. He was a famous Scottish king! You can also see some of his leg and foot bones.
- A Bronze Age burial site. This includes the remains of a 35-year-old man from the beaker people.
- A big collection of ancient stone crosses. These are from Roman and Celtic times. They were often used as grave markers.
- A copy of the very first bicycle! It was designed by Kirkpatrick Macmillan.
- Amazing old photos from Dr Werner Kissling.
- Personal items that belonged to Thomas Carlyle. He was a famous writer.
- Fossil tracks from ancient reptiles! These were found in local Permian sandstone. You can even see tracks from Corncockle Quarry.
A Look Back: The Museum's History
The building where the museum is now started as a four-storey windmill. It was built in 1798 on Corbelly Hill. This was the highest spot in Maxwelltown.
From Windmill to Observatory
In 1834, the Dumfries and Maxwellton Astronomical Society bought the windmill. They spent two years turning the tower into an Observatory. With help from polar explorer Sir John Ross, they bought a telescope. The observatory was finished in 1836. Sadly, they missed seeing Halley's Comet that year. But it was used as an observatory until 1872.
The Museum Grows
The main part of the museum was built in 1862. It held all the collections of a new group called the Dumfries and Galloway Natural History & Antiquarian Society. In 1981, the museum got a big upgrade. They added a new gallery, a shop, a research room, and offices. In 2011, the outside of the old windmill tower was made new again.
Experience the Camera Obscura
The camera obscura at Dumfries Museum is super special! It's the oldest one in the world that still works. It has been running non-stop since 1836.
How It Works
The camera obscura is at the very top of the old windmill tower. It gives you a full 360-degree view of everything around the museum. The image is projected onto a special table below. You can operate it using a simple rope! To keep this amazing instrument safe, it only runs during the summer. It also needs clear weather to work best. For thirty years, the museum's photo expert was Werner Kissling. He gave his photos to the museum when he passed away.
