Blog / Collections

The Food Journey

by Rhian Rowson, curator of Natural Sciences Earlier this year, we hosted a thought provoking, multi-sensory event called The Food Journey. The Food Journey examined the roots and routes of a range of common foods. Combining performance, sound, touch…

Collecting Bristol’s history: New acquisitions 2019

by Amber Druce, curator of history “Where does it all come from?” is one of the questions we get asked the most whilst showing people round our museums. In the history department, we get messages almost every day offering us objects. Most c…

The Uncomfortable Truths project

by Claire Simmons, Engagement Officer for young people Many object labels in museums do not tell the full story. This project seeks to uncover uncomfortable truths behind museum objects – how they were collected, what they represent and the diffic…

Documenting the British Empire and Commonwealth Collection

by Frances Davies, Documentation Assistant There’s always plenty of behind-the-scenes work happening at the museum. Collections staff are often to be found busy beavering away in stores ensuring our objects are correctly documented and cared for. This is…

Blaise Museum – staff favourites

There’s a real range of objects on display at Blaise Castle House Museum – including toys, dolls houses, paintings, kitchenware, and costume. Museum staff share some of their favourites.

Creating Deadly Doris

By Tony Hitchcock, model maker Doris the Pliosaurus, ferocious star of our recent temporary exhibition, now has a new long-term home in the back hall at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery thanks to visitor support and funding from our Friends’ Group &…

Evidence of Making

By Trevor Coombs, Documentation Assistant On January 9, 1961, the American artist Robert Morris entered his studio in New York and made a nine-and-three-quarter inch square box out of walnut wood. During the three and a half hours it took for him to cons…

Dolls made by a freed (manumitted) woman in Grenada

by Sue Giles, senior curator for World Cultures In 2012, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery and Bristol Archives took on the collections of the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum (BECM). There are some real gems in the collection, and we are slow…