Frome Museum facts for kids
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| Location | North Parade, Frome, Somerset, England |
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| Collection size | approximately 23,000 items |
The Frome Museum is in the town of Frome, Somerset, England. It's a great place to learn about the local history of Frome. The museum has a very special collection of items from the bronze foundry of J.W.Singer.
Contents
What You Can See at Frome Museum
The museum has two main rooms where things are displayed, plus a library. You can see many cool objects from local industries, old maps, and photographs.
Frome's Past Industries
The museum shows off items that tell the story of Frome and its surrounding areas. You can learn how the town grew over time.
- Printing Works: There's a special display about the Butler and Tanner printing company. You can even see an old printing press!
- Ironworks: Another display has photos, diagrams, and tools from James Fussel's Ironworks in Mells.
- Cockey Lamps: Look out for an interesting lamp made by Edward Cockey. It has a cool art nouveau style. More than 60 of these lamps can still be seen around Frome today.
- Other Local History: You'll also find items from Bussman Cooper (later Beswicks) and the old fire engine from Marston House. There are displays about local blacksmiths and even a recreated Chemist's Shop from Bath Street.
- Costumes: The museum also has a collection of Victorian and later costumes.
The Famous Singers Foundry
One of the most important parts of the museum is about Messrs J.W.Singer & Sons Ltd. This local company made amazing metal artworks.
How Singers Started
John Webb Singer was born in Frome. He started his foundry in 1851. At first, his company made brass decorations for churches. They became very well-known because of the Oxford Movement within the Church of England. This movement created a big demand for church ornaments.
Making Big Statues
Over time, Singers became experts at making large statues. They sent these statues all over the world!
- General Gordon: One of their first big statues was a copy of General Gordon riding a camel.
- Boudica: They also cast the famous bronze statue of Boudica. She is shown with her daughters in her war chariot. This statue was ordered by Prince Albert and created by Thomas Thornycroft. It wasn't actually cast in bronze until 1902, long after Thornycroft had passed away. Today, you can see it next to Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament in London.
- Lady Justice: The statue of Lady Justice on top of the dome of the Old Bailey was sculpted by F. W. Pomeroy and cast by Singers.
- Alfred the Great: Singers also made the statue of Alfred the Great that stands in Winchester.
The Museum Building
The building where Frome Museum is located is quite special itself!
Building History
It's an Italianate style building, which means it looks like buildings from Italy. It was built in 1865 for John Sinkins. It was originally a Literary and Scientific Institute. The architect was J Hine, and the builders were Carr and Pickford.
Listed Building Status
The building is a Grade II listed building. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected. The conservation work on the building was done by Chedburn Dudley, working with the Frome Historic Building Preservation Trust.
