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Mermen To Polar Bears - Museum Of Curiosities Tours North East
By Alastair Smith
14/03/2005
Part monkey, part fish, this fella is Victorian in origin and normally resides at the Museum of Hartlepool.
Shoppers in Redcar will soon be greeted with the unfamiliar sight of a merman on their high street as Hartlepool Museums Service opens the doors to its Curiosity Shop.
Part monkey, part fish, the unusual creature is just one object from a weird and wonderful collection, which will be set up in a series of empty shops across the region, beginning with Redcar on Saturday March 19 2005.
Curiosities, including a furry fish, a polar bear and the world's smallest cat and dog, will be on display as the museum moves from Redcar to Stockton, Hartlepool, Darlington and Middlesbrough.
Image: shows an old style gas mask being worn by a person who is also wearing a steel helmet
A more familiar sight, but one of the many items that will be on show at the Curiosity Shop.
"The Curiosity Shop is like a bizarre blend of Changing Rooms and Antiques Roadshow," explained Mark Simmons, Audience Development Manager for Hartlepool Arts and Museums.
"We take an empty shop in a town centre and in less than two weeks turn it into an exciting place where you can see some of the unusual and wonderful objects from our local museum."
Led by Hartlepool Museums Service, the project is a partnership between 12 of the region’s museums and galleries including Kirkleatham Museum, RNLI Zetland Lifeboat Museum, Billingham Art Gallery, Green Dragon Yard Museum, Preston Hall Museum, Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, Hartlepool Art Gallery and the Museum of Hartlepool, Guisborough Museum, the Ironstone Mining Museum, the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum, and the Dorman Museum.
"Our aim is to help people find out about all the fun things they can see and do at their local museum," said Mark Simmons.
Image: shows the curiosity shop logo.
Coming to a high street near you - if you live in the Hartlepool area that is.
The mobile institution celebrates the tradition of ‘cabinets of curiosity’ - collections of rare and unusual items, often assembled by nobility and wealthy merchants in the 18th and 19th centuries though the practice of collecting natural history specimens began among doctors and pharmacists in the 16th century.
A desire to display these collections to the public led to the birth of museums as we know them today.
The Curiosity Ship is funded by Renaissance in the Regions, a Government-funded scheme to create new ways for people to enjoy their local museums.
Image: shows a photo of a train model in a lightbulb.
You've heard of a ship in a bottle, but what about a train in a light bulb?
Admission to the Curiosity Shop is free and it's open in Redcar at 74, High Street six days a week from 10.00am to 5.00pm until Saturday April 23 2005. From there it will move on to Stockton Town Centre (May 9 – June 18), Hartlepool Town Centre (July 4 – August 31), Darlington Town Centre (to be confirmed) and Middlesbrough Town Centre (to be confirmed).
Alastair Smith is the 24 Hour Museum Renaissance Student Writer in the North East region. Renaissance is the groundbreaking initiative to transform England's regional museums, led by MLA, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
Kirkleatham Museum
Kirkleatham, Redcar, TS10 5NW, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, England
Open: April-September
Tues-Sun 1000-1700
Bank holiday Mon Open
October-March 1000-1600
Closed: Mon except Bank Holidays.
Christmas through to New Year.
Billingham Art Gallery, Stockton On Tees
Queensway, Billingham, Stockton On Tees, TS23 2LN, Cleveland, England
Open: The gallery is open Monday to Saturday 10:00am to 4:30pm.
Last Admission 4:15pm.
Closed: Closed Sunday and bank holidays
Green Dragon Museum
Green Dragon Museum, Theatre Yard, Off Silver St, Stockton On Tees, TS18 1JZ, Cleveland, England
Open: Monday to Saturday - 9am to 5.00 pm
Closed: Bank Holidays
Preston Hall Museum
Yarm Road, Stockton On Tees, TS18 3RN, Cleveland, England
Open: Daily 1000-1730
Head of Steam - Darlington Railway Museum
Head of Steam - Darlington Railway Museum, North Road Station, Darlington, DL3 6ST, Durham, England
Open: April - September
Tues - Sun 10.00 - 16.00
October - March
Tues - Sun 11.00 - 15.30
Closed Mondays except for Bank Holidays.
Closed: Christmas Day, Boxing Day and January 1st
Hartlepool Art Gallery
Church Square, Hartlepool, TS24 7EQ, Cleveland, England
Open: Tues-Sat 1000-1730
Sun 1400-1700
Closed Mon
The Museum of Hartlepool
Jackson's Docks, Maritime Avenue, Hartlepool, TS24 0XZ, Cleveland, England
Open: Daily 1000-1700
Guisborough Museum
Sunnyfield House, 36 Westgate, Guisborough, TS14 6BA, Cleveland, England
Open: April-October
Thurs Sat 1000-1600
November-March Closed
Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum
Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum, Deepdale, Skinningrove, TS13 4AP, Cleveland, England
Open: Open Daily: 1st April until 31st October, 1pm until 5pm (Last admissions at 3:45pm).
Please note: As the museum relies on volunteers to open, it may be necessary to call us on 01287 642877 to confirm that we are open before travelling a long distance.
Closed: Closed: 1st November until 31st March except for school visits and special bookings.
Captain Cook Birthplace Museum
Stewart Park, Marton, Middlesbrough, TS7 8AT, North Yorkshire, England
Open: Mar- October Tues-Sun 1000-1730
Nov - Feb Tues - Sun 0900 -1600
Last admission 45mins before closing.
Closed: Every Monday
24-28 December
1 January
3-7 January for annual maintenance
Dorman Museum, Middlesbrough
Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, TS5 6LA, England
Open: March - October Tues-Sun 1000-1730
November- February Tues-Sun 9.00-16.30
Closed: Monday
Christmas Day
Boxing day
New Years Day
Closed 3-7 January for annual maintenance
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