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3rd September 2026
What is it? An ophthalmoscope is a handheld medical instrument used by healthcare professionals to look inside the eye. It allows them to examine the retina, optic disc, and vitreous humour. This is the clear, gel-like substance filling the…
13th August 2026
Origins of NALGO NALGO, the National and Local Government Officers’ Association, was a prominent British trade union founded in 1905. It began as an association of local municipal guilds (professional network/trade union for public sector and local council employees)….
30th July 2026
Mourning brooches are wearable tokens of grief. While modern Western sensibilities might find this practice grim, from the 17th to the early 20th centuries, it was a highly respected custom and a highly profitable industry. The evolution of mourning…
16th July 2026
Our Long-case clock Our L object is an inlaid mahogany long-case clock made by John Fernly in Trowbridge, Wiltshire circa 1775. This clock is an eight-day movement type (we shall explain that further in the article) with anchor escapement…
1st July 2026
West of England Festival of Textiles, WEFT, is our biennial exhibition celebrating local and regional artists, makers and businesses inspired by textiles. WEFT 2026-EXPLORE See the structure. Feel the texture. React to the fabric. Explore a landscape of unusual…
18th June 2026
The Kings Arms, Silver Street painting by W W Wheatley Within our collection we have a series of over 30 illustrations and watercolours by the artist W W Wheatley. Before we dive in to the background of the artist,…
21st May 2026
Illuminated Origins: From Practicality to Prayer In the early days of the written word, scrolls were the standard. However, as the codex (the ancestor of the modern book) took over around the 2nd century, scribes needed a way to…
19th May 2026
We will be having some new fire alarms installed in our main stairwell on Tuesday 9th June and access to the museum will be via the lift only. We apologies for any inconvenience caused….
