Ruskin Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 31 August 1901 |
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The Ruskin Museum is a small local museum in Coniston, Cumbria, northern England.
It was established in 1901 by W. G. Collingwood, an artist and antiquarian who had worked as secretary to art critic John Ruskin. The museum is both a memorial to Ruskin and a local museum covering the history and heritage of Coniston Water and the Lake District.
The museum is a registered charity in England & Wales, constituted as The Coniston Institute and Ruskin Museum.
Collections & exhibits
Its collections include material on the copper and slate mines of the region, geology, lace making, farming, and writer Arthur Ransome.
A larger collection is devoted to the life and work of John Ruskin.
A specialist collection covers the achievements of Donald Campbell, who died while attempting a new water speed record on Coniston Water. In December 2006, his daughter Gina Campbell donated the salvaged remains of Bluebird K7 to the Ruskin Museum on behalf of the whole Campbell family.
There is now uncertainty about the future of the boat, partly due to the conflicting desires of both parties: The Bluebird Project wishes to be able to exhibit it on water periodically, as a working racing speedboat, and the museum, in contrast, wishes to keep it as a permanent exhibit as per the wishes of the 2006 deed of gift. The original recovered material is now the property of the museum while the restored and replaced parts of the boat remain under the control of The Bluebird Project who retain ownership ownership of their materials.
In the grounds of the museum stands 'Riverdale', an extensive collection of over sixty miniature structures including houses, bridges and farm buildings which were hand-made by local builder John Usher (1940-1993). Based on local vernacular architecture, the slate and stone structures were removed from Usher's former home Brow Head after his death, with the largest collection being rehomed at the museum in 1999.
