Ipswich Museum facts for kids
Ipswich Museum is a museum in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It's on High Street and shows off culture, history, and nature. For a long time, it was the most important museum in Suffolk. It held collections from both East and West Suffolk before they joined up in 1974.
The museum first opened in 1846 and focused on natural history. It moved to its current High Street building in 1881. Around 1895, a big 16th-century house called Christchurch Mansion was given to the town. This house became a second museum location. It focused on art and decorative items. Both places are part of the same museum system. In 2007, the Ipswich museum service joined with the one in Colchester, Essex. They now form Colchester + Ipswich Museums. This museum is one of Ipswich's main attractions.
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History of Ipswich Museum
Starting the Museum (1846–1853)
The museum started in 1846 and opened in December 1847. It was on Museum Street in Ipswich. Its main goal was to teach working-class people about natural history. From 1847 to 1853, a committee ran it for people who supported it. They also had open evenings for the public.
The first President was William Kirby, a scientist who studied insects. He was also a founding member of the Linnean Society. Bishop Stanley of Norwich was the first Patron and spoke at the opening. Dr. William Barnard Clarke was the first Curator. David Wooster took over from him in 1850.
George Ransome, a member of the Quaker Ransome family, started this project. The Ransome engineering company helped Ipswich become a rich industrial town. People from all political groups worked together to make society better through the museum. Over sixty famous scientists supported the museum as honorary members.
Professor Henslow's Time (1850–1861)
During these early years, the museum became well-known across the country. This was thanks to its second President, Professor John Stevens Henslow (1850–61). He was Charles Darwin's teacher at Cambridge University. In 1851, the British Association for the Advancement of Science met in Ipswich. Prince Albert, a royal, visited the museum and loved it. He then became its official Patron.
The natural history exhibits were set up before Darwin's book, The Origin of Species, was published. They showed how different parts of nature were connected. Many honorary members who visited the museum were key figures in the scientific changes happening then. These included William Jackson Hooker, William Yarrell, William Buckland, and John Gould.
Other honorary members gave important talks. Professor George Biddell Airy gave the first popular talks on astronomy. Professors John Stevens Henslow, Adam Sedgwick, Richard Owen, Edward Forbes, and Sir Charles Lyell gave talks on geology. Many other scientists also gave lectures. Thomas Herbert Maguire created drawings of the museum's honorary members.
The Town Takes Over the Museum (1853)
In late 1852, the museum faced money problems. The town held a vote, and people strongly supported helping the museum. They decided to use a public tax allowed by the Public Libraries Act 1850 to support it. The museum's collections were officially given to the Corporation. They kept the museum in its original building.
Under the new management, more people could visit the museum. Henslow stayed President and kept adding to the collections until 1861. George Knights became the new curator in 1853 after David Wooster left.
After Henslow died in 1861, George Knights continued to look after the collections. He did this until his own death in 1872.
Dr. John Ellor Taylor's Time (1872–1893)
George Knights was followed by Dr. John Ellor Taylor (1837–1895). He was a botanist (plant scientist) and geologist (rock and earth scientist). With help from Edward Packard, Taylor created amazing collections of local geology. Sir Ray Lankester thought they were the best in the country.
Dr. Taylor also edited a popular science magazine called "Hardwicke's Science Gossip Magazine". He was a leader of the Ipswich Science Gossip Society. He gave many free lectures to working-class people. Audiences could be as large as 500! He also toured Australia giving talks in 1885. He wrote popular books like 'Half-Hours at the Seaside'. His work greatly helped educate the public in Ipswich.
The New Museum Opens (1881)
By 1880, the museum's collections and activities had grown a lot. It was decided to build a new place for both the museum and the Schools of Art and Science. People in Suffolk helped pay for this project. The main supporter was the museum's President, Sir Richard Wallace. He created the famous art collection at Hertford House.
Under Taylor's leadership, the museum moved in 1881. The old 1846 building later became a dance hall. The new museum had a large hall with balconies. It also had the original display cases and the lion case. More parts were added between 1890 and 1900. These included an art gallery and new rooms for the schools. Mrs Margaret Ogilvie helped pay off the museum's debt. She did this because she appreciated Taylor's work.
Frank Woolnough's Time (1893–1920)
Dr. Taylor died in 1895. His friend Frank Woolnough (1845–1930) became the Curator from 1893 to 1920. In 1895, Christchurch Mansion, a Tudor house, was given to the town. It became the art and local history part of the museum. Woolnough worked hard to improve both museum departments and the schools. He was also active in the Museums Association.
Prehistoric archaeology was very important in Suffolk. It was at Hoxne in the 1790s that John Frere found human-made tools with bones of extinct animals. This helped people realize that humans had been around for a very long time. The Prehistoric Society of East Anglia started in 1908. It was based at Norwich and Ipswich Museums.
Nina Frances Layard (1853–1935) also greatly developed archaeology in Ipswich. She was one of the first women to join the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1920–21. She also became the first woman President of the Prehistoric Society. She worked with Ipswich Museum for a long time and gave most of her collections to it.
An important addition during this time was a collection of stuffed British birds. The Ogilvie family gave them to the museum in 1918. These birds were collected in Suffolk and Scotland. This large collection is still on display and in good condition. Woolnough also got gorillas shot by Paul du Chaillu. He also acquired a stuffed giraffe and a large rhino. This rhino is known as 'Gladys' or 'Rosie' by Ipswich schoolchildren. He also filled the old lion case with African animals. Another notable item was a collection of Western Australian aboriginal items.
Guy Maynard's Time (1920–1952)
Frank Woolnough was followed by Guy Maynard (1877–1966). He was curator from 1920 to 1953. Maynard was a leader of the Prehistoric Society from 1921–1936. Maynard and James Reid Moir worked together on archaeology for the museum. They dug up sites in different parts of Suffolk.
Museum assistants Harold Spencer and Francis Simpson became experts in geology and natural history. They helped create different departments for the museum. They also published their work with local nature societies.
Reid Moir became President after Lankester until he died in 1944. He built up collections of tools from many sites. He was highly respected by other scientists. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1937.
Guy Maynard continued Woolnough's work in art and local history. After a special art show in 1928, they started collecting items. These items showed the Suffolk connections of artists like Thomas Gainsborough and John Constable. Maynard saved old wooden buildings in Ipswich. He also updated museum records and took photos of Ipswich. He greatly expanded the collections of local items.
After 1934, the museum's archaeology work focused on Basil Brown (1888–1977). He and Guy Maynard first explored a Roman villa in Suffolk for three years. In 1938 and 1939, the museum let Brown work on the Sutton Hoo mounds for Mrs Pretty. In the second year, he made an amazing discovery: a ship and its treasure in Mound 1. This find was so important that a national team took over the dig.
During World War II, Guy Maynard had to pack up the most valuable collections. He moved them to a safe place. After the war, he put them back. When Reid Moir died in 1944, Sir Charles Sherrington became President. Basil Brown kept working until the 1960s. He helped build the county's record of important historical sites.
Past Honorary Presidents of Ipswich Museum
- The Revd. William Kirby, 1847–50
- The Revd. Professor John Stevens Henslow, 1850–1861
- Charles Austin of Brandeston Hall, 1861–1874
- Sir Richard Wallace, Bt of Sudbourne Hall, 1874–1890
- Sterling Westhorp
- Edward Packard senr., 1895–1899
- Sir Ray Lankester, 1901–1921
- James Reid Moir, F.R.S., 1921–1944
- Sir Charles Sherrington, 1944–1952
- Anna Airy
- John Gathorne-Hardy, 4th Earl of Cranbrook.
No new Presidents have been appointed since the mid-1970s.
How the Museum is Organized Now
After World War II, many curators managed the museum. These included Norman Smedley, Patricia Butler, Alf Hatton, Sara Muldoon, and Tim Heyburn. The museum changed its staff and roles over time. This depended on what was most important and how much money was available.
In 1974, the two counties of East and West Suffolk joined together. The new Suffolk County Council then took over practical archaeology. This council also keeps records of historical sites. The museum's old links with the Ipswich Art School and Library Service also ended. These services moved to the County Council. The honorary role of President was stopped in the 1970s.
Joining with Colchester Museum Service (2007)
On April 1, 2007, the Ipswich Borough Council Museums Service joined with the Colchester Borough Council museum service. This was the first big change since the public vote in 1853. Peter Berridge became the curator. The staff moved to work for Colchester.
However, the museum building and its collections still belong to Ipswich. Ipswich Borough Council pays for half of the funding. Ipswich Museum is still part of Colchester + Ipswich Museums (CIMS).
CIMS has curators and officers in Ipswich to look after Ipswich Museum. They also care for Christchurch Mansion and Ipswich Art Gallery. These teams work alongside the Visitors Services team. The Exhibitions and Business Support teams work in both towns. A special committee of councillors from both Ipswich and Colchester councils oversees the museum service.
Museum Collections
The Ipswich Hoard was found near Belstead in 1968. The original items are now in the British Museum. However, there are copies of these gold necklaces in Ipswich Museum.
