Tenby Museum and Art Gallery facts for kids
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| Established | 1878 |
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| Location | Castle Hill, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name | Tenby Museum |
| Designated | 19 March 1951 |
| Reference no. | 26353 |
The Tenby Museum and Art Gallery is a really interesting place to visit in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, South West Wales. It's the oldest museum in Wales that isn't run by the government! It first opened its doors way back in 1878.
Inside, you'll find amazing collections about the local area. These include cool rocks and fossils (geology), plants and animals (biology), old tools and items from the past (archaeology), and things related to the sea (maritime artifacts). Since 1976, the museum has also shown art and crafts. You can see works by famous Welsh artists like Augustus and Gwen John. The museum building itself is quite old and special, known as a Grade II listed building.
Contents
How the Museum Started
The idea for the museum began in January 1878. A group of people who wanted to create a museum met at Charles Allen's home in Tenby. This group included Edward Laws, Dr. Frederick Dyser, Rev. George Huntington, and others.
They really wanted to find a home for a collection of valuable rocks and fossils. These belonged to a man named Rev. Gilbert N. Smith, who was an amateur archaeologist and geologist. The town of Tenby bought his collection for £100. This collection was going to be the main part of the new museum. They also planned to add other natural history items and science books.
The group wanted these collections to stay in Tenby for everyone to enjoy. They decided the museum would only collect things connected to the local area. This rule has been followed ever since!
The old National school building on Castle Hill was empty because a new school had been built. In February 1878, the Tenby Town Council agreed to let the museum group rent the old school. They rented it for a very small amount: just one shilling per year! The council didn't want to pay for anything else. So, the museum's founders had to pay for all the repairs and running costs themselves.
The founders quickly got a quote for the repairs. A local builder named Lewis John estimated it would cost £44 12s 11d. He fixed the roof, gutters, windows, doors, and stairs. He also did some plastering and redecorating. Everyone was very happy with his work. They even bought some display cases for the exhibits.
It was clear that they needed money from the community to make the museum a success. Edward Laws sent out 200 letters to people in the town. These letters explained what the museum hoped to achieve and how much money was needed. Soon, donations started coming in. E. J. Reed, who was a Member of Parliament, gave £100! He wrote that he was very happy about the museum being set up in Tenby. Many others also supported the idea.
Museum History Highlights
On June 17, 1976, a new art gallery called the Wilfred Harrison Art Gallery officially opened. Later, in 1995, the New Art Gallery was also opened at Tenby Museum.
In the 1900s, the museum became connected with the National Museum and Galleries of Wales. It also started getting more recognition and help from other museum groups.
The museum even won some national awards in the 1990s! It received the Prince of Wales Award in 1993. In 1996, it won the Shoestring Award. This award goes to the UK museum that achieves the most with the least money. In 2000, the museum won more awards for its excellent staff training.
On July 31, 2003, Prince Charles (who is now King Charles III) visited the Tenby Museum and Art Gallery. He came to celebrate the museum's 125th birthday!
Important People Connected to the Museum
Many interesting people have helped the Tenby Museum over the years:
- William Lyons (1776–1849): He lived in Tenby in the early 1800s. He collected and studied natural history specimens. His daughters later gave his amazing shell collection to the museum in 1878.
- Dr. Frederick Daniel Dyster (1810–1893): He was one of the museum's founders. He loved marine biology and was friends with T. H. Huxley, a famous scientist. Dr. Dyster gave many science books to the museum's library.
- Charles Allen (1807–1884): The very first meeting to discuss starting the museum was held at his home. Charles Allen was from a well-known family in Pembrokeshire. He was also the Mayor of Tenby twice.
- Edward Laws (1837–1913): He was the main person who pushed for the museum to be created. He became the first Hon. Secretary for the museum's leaders. Edward Laws was an amateur historian and archaeologist. He wrote several books about local history.
- Professor George Rolleston (1829–1881): He was a professor at Oxford and helped start the teaching of Zoology. He dug for old artifacts with Edward Laws near Tenby in 1877. The next year, he was invited to open the Tenby Local Museum on July 26.
- Edward Rawdon Bingham Power (1811–1896): He retired to Tenby after working in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He was also the Mayor of Tenby in 1872. He regularly attended museum meetings and strongly supported its goals.
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum has many cool exhibits! You can learn about local history, the geology of the area, and archaeology. There are also sections about the maritime history of the coast and even piracy!
The New Gallery often changes its exhibits. It shows modern art and crafts made using different materials. The museum also has a permanent art collection. This includes works by famous Welsh artists like Gwen and Augustus John, Kyffin Williams, John Piper, Nina Hamnett, and others.
