24-758: Dorman Museum is a local and social history museum on the town centre side of Albert Park , Linthorpe in Middlesbrough , North Yorkshire, England . It is one of two museums operated by the local borough council , along with the Captain Cook birthplace in Stewart Park . As of May 2024 the museum remains closed for renovations. The museum was founded by Sir Arthur Dorman of the Dorman Long engineering company in honour of his son George Lockwood Dorman, who died of enteric fever at Kroonstad in
48-423: A Victorian style tearoom on the ground floor, named Dresser's Tea Room. The original collection included items such as a stuffed and mounted eagle owl in the act of taking a hare; a stuffed lion in a " rampant " pose; and many birds' eggs, butterflies, and insects preserved under glass and in drawers, with covers over the glass to avoid the effects of light on the specimens. One particular specimen case contained
72-640: A library of journals and photographs by Frank Elgee during his excavations. Principally at the Bronze Age hillfort at Eston Nab and burial grounds at Loose Howe, also, a dug-out canoe recovered from the Tees 8-foot (2.4 m)deep in 1926 is on view. A green plaque dedicated to Elgee – curator between 1923 and 1932 – graces the entrance. Replicas of the Roseberry Topping Bronze Age hoard, bronze axe- and spear-heads and
96-399: A model, at least 100 times normal size, of a human head louse . At about the same time, the museum possessed a fossil of an ichthyosaur . There was also a stuffed ribbonfish , a few metres in length. One of the first contributors to the museum was Henry Bolckow , founder of Middlesbrough's largest ironworks, Bolckow Vaughan , who paid for some stuffed birds in 1874. Christopher Dresser
120-581: A public park. An agreement drawn up between Bolckow and the Council in 1865 specified that the park be called Albert Park and that £3,000 be spent on laying it out. Work commenced in 1865 to a design by William Barratt, using trees and shrubs from his nursery in Wakefield. The park was completed at a cost of £30,000. Albert Park was officially opened by Prince Arthur of Connaught later Duke of Connaught (seventh child of Queen Victoria ) on 11 August 1868,
144-438: A side window, allowing to seeing the bees at work. The museum has archived materials related to the wider collections. The ephemera collection spans the booming period of Middlesbrough and is wide-ranging, consisting of commercial printed materials such as posters, invoices, letterheads , and newspaper cuttings relating to Middlesbrough events and people. 20th Century Woman – Examining the major social and political changes of
168-498: A £3.5 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund topped up by money from Middlesbrough Council and Northumbrian Water Environmental Trust. Features such as the tower clock, war memorial walls, bandstand, fountain, South African war memorial, sundial and West Lodge were restored. The bandstand was a reproduction of the original park bandstand. A new visitor centre was created and there was considerable improvement to
192-598: The Bretby Art Pottery and Ault Pottery because of their connections with the Linthorpe Pottery. There is also a collection of 19th-century Japanese figures or okimono , possibly carved from walrus ivory. A fossil (natural history) and a geological collection of rocks and minerals exists. This collection consists of about 3,500 prints, glass negatives and carte de visite , plus 2,190 lantern slides. There are approximately 16,000 objects in
216-656: The Green Flag Award by the Civic Trust . The town's first mayor and MP , Henry Bolckow , first proposed the idea of a public park for the residents of Middlesbrough, dubbed the 'People's Park' in its conception. Bolckow was particularly conscious of the need to provide a "green lung" to ease the plight of the burgeoning industrial population of a town which was granted its charter of incorporation in 1853. In 1864, Bolckow bought land off Linthorpe Road and presented it to Middlesbrough Borough Council for use as
240-466: The Second Boer War . At its official opening on 1 July 1904, the museum's theme was the natural sciences . Since then, galleries of the local Linthorpe Art Pottery , work by Victorian industrial designer Christopher Dresser , and Middlesbrough's history have eclipsed this early theme. Remnants of the original Victorian and Edwardian collection of taxidermied, plinth-mounted animals are in
264-503: The 20th century including shoes, hats and accessories. There is also a small collection of uniforms, including military, childrenswear, under garments, sportswear and men's suits, and an additional collection of 130 items, mostly Victorian. 340 items, mostly consisting of pieces from the Middlesbrough Pottery with some examples from other regional potteries and glass manufacturers. There is a small collection of pieces from
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#1732780720231288-478: The Nelson Room; various taxidermied exotic birds in their original cases with decorative painted backgrounds and colourful and large birds' eggs. The Dorman Museum has eight permanent display galleries and a changing temporary exhibition spaces on the ground floor. Small exhibitions also take place within the ground floor corridor. Access to the upper floor is by the main staircase or lift. The museum also has
312-511: The collection expands. The mostpart was bought from one collector – further helped by the Art Fund and the V&;A 's Purchase Grant Fund. The Linthorpe Art Pottery gallery covers the pottery's success, sources and lasting inspirations – by no means limited to ceramics. The museum runs an education and activity programme covering these vibrant and dynamic collections. The museum has
336-461: The extent and detail of the Lordship of Acklam Estates. 54°33′52″N 1°14′27″W / 54.5644°N 1.2409°W / 54.5644; -1.2409 Albert Park, Middlesbrough Albert Park is an open access, free public park, located in Middlesbrough , in the borough of Middlesbrough and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire , England . The park has been granted
360-511: The lake. New facilities such as boathouse, roller rink, and teenage play area were built. On 16 May 2007, a statue was unveiled at the park which depicts Brian Clough at the start of his football career. The 7 ft-tall bronze figure, sculpted by Vivien Mallock , shows a 24-year-old Clough with his boots slung over his shoulder striding towards Ayresome Park , Middlesbrough's former ground, on his way to training. A grade II listed sundial, designed and constructed by John Smith of Stockton,
384-575: The last century and how they have shaped the lives of women in Middlesbrough. Earth in Space – A look at how our planet has become and continues to be affected by cosmic, geological and biological forces. Four Corners – The origins of the museum's collections and the persons behind the objects. Natural sciences, ethnography and archaeology are shown together according to their countries of origin. H 2 O – A stimulating discovery space based around
408-595: The mould of a large axe head itself, ideal for making more axes from, are in a display case. 1,900 items including commemorative medallions, badges and banknotes as well as coins and military medals. Collections include the Yearby hoard of 16th- and 17th-century coins, the Thorpe Thewles hoard of Henry II and Henry III silver pennies and the Middridge hoard of Edward I coins. 2,400 items of women's fashions from
432-463: The park being named after his father Prince Albert . Less than ten years after the park was opened, Middlesbrough Football Club was formed by players of Middlesbrough Cricket Club . For two years it was the club's first ground, the football club's exit was due to damage to parts of the Park by players and supporters. Albert Park underwent a major refurbishment, completed in 2005 with the support of
456-583: The social history collections. The museum started to collect everyday objects in the 1930s, recognising that society was rapidly changing and old ways of life disappearing. The museum's collection of around 1,500 artefacts from different world cultures has its origins in the colonial era. Sir Alfred Pease, in addition to his hunting trophies, also gave a collection of beadwork from North-East Africa. George Lockwood Dorman within his brief life had managed to collect ethnographical items from abroad, including Australia, New Zealand, Oceania – and South Africa when he
480-792: The theme of water with lots to handle and explore. Linthorpe Art Pottery – A small pottery in late 19th-century Middlesbrough produced some of the most collectible art pottery, which became so popular that even Princess Alexandra purchased a turquoise Linthorpe Art Pottery vase. Much of the output was designed or influenced by Christopher Dresser and in its short 10-year life the pottery produced over 2000 different mould shapes, as well as winning two bronze medals and one gold medal at several national and international exhibitions. The Nelson Room – A 19th-century collection of mounted birds and eggs amassed by renowned local ornithologist Thomas Hudson Nelson who wrote The Birds of Yorkshire (1907), and has been maintained in its original Edwardian setting since it
504-552: Was a pivotal figure in the Aesthetic Movement and deeply involved in the Linthorpe Art Pottery less than a mile from the museum which after the closure thus has the primary Dresser collection. This was backed by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant leading to the 2014-refurbished gallery. It showcases 160 works produced directly from his designs, as well as those produced by others influenced by his work, and
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#1732780720231528-528: Was bequeathed by Nelson's wife in 1918. Town in Time – The town of Middlesbrough was granted a charter in 1853 but its history stretches back thousands of years. Town in Time features two galleries crammed with artefacts and stories about the town and its people. Lordship of Acklam Plan – Hanging in the double height space of the new Dorman Museum extension is a remarkable and unique historic plan. Measuring around 13 feet square this plan, painted on sailcloth, shows
552-568: Was donated by H. W. F. Bolckow in 1879. The sundial allows people within the park itself to read the time in the UK, New York City and Melbourne . The central fountain in Albert Park, was originally presented by Joseph Pease in 1869. It underwent substantial renovation and was switched back on Friday 2 April 2004. A cannon captured by British forces after the Siege of Sevastopol
576-457: Was stationed there during the Boer War. These items formed an important part of the museum's founding collections. These still represent the major part of the museum's holdings, numbering in excess of 150,000 specimens. The bulk of the collections are made up of invertebrates, especially molluscs and insects. A popular seasonal item was a beehive in an acrylic glass case with an exit through
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