A Visit to Museum and Art Swindon – by Rebecca Davies. First impressions of the new Museum and Art Swindon now located in the civic offices on Euclid Street.
Introduction
I haven’t blogged for a while as these days I am very busy. I have found my dream job. Unfortunately it is 500 miles away. I am working for the Scottish Crannog Centre, I did want a job in a museum, but this is an up and coming heritage centre.
It is probable that this will be my last winter in Wiltshire. I must write a valedictory. (And it is interesting I have found a Wiltshire connection where I am. This could be my next article).
Of course, this won’t stop me from writing on Wiltshire a bit more. Aside from the fact that I have so many projects on these days, many concerning my work. But anyway, to the point, Museum and Art Swindon is now open. It opened up early this summer so of course I had to visit.
The Building
The new museum is in the Grade II listed, brick-built, Art Deco Civic offices, on Euclid Street. So, a bit more central than Apsley house on Bath Road, Old Town.
The gardens at the civic offices feature a pergola, contemporary with the building and included in the listing.
The building is of an `8` plan with two open courtyards. One has been well kept up, and the other is a bit more neglected. They are not accessible to the public and are designed to look down into.
And, here’s what it is like from the back.
Swindon has several other Art Deco buildings and structures. Of particular note are the theatre bowl in Town Gardens and the diving platform at Coate Water.
The museum is located on the first floor of the civic offices – accessed either by this fetching staircase or the newly-installed lift.
Observe that the original interior is still intact. But I do not know if this nice parquet floor is original; it fits though.
What I saw in the museum
The layout is pretty simple (and there is nothing wrong with that) with a chronological arrangement along the corridor. The exhibits are in the office rooms opposite. It’s an effective use of the layout.
So, it starts with prehistory (everything from Dinosaura to Iron Age – to be tidy) and ends with the present day. I particularly liked Bruce the fundraising dogs collecting box, medals and solid silver collar.
Note that Bruce the Collecting dog was something of a legend in Swindon. Find out more about him here: https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/11627136.the-canine-fund-raiser-that-became-the-talk-of-the-town-and-further-afield/
Along the corridor it’s contextualised with a timeline on one side and maps on the other. (I love maps.) These maps are well reproduced. In particular the one of the north-east of the famed Andrews and Drury map of Wiltshire.
And of course there is a gift shop. A lot of the merchandise is dinosaura based, with not much museums or local merchandise. Though there are some rather nice things, such as the tea towel print of Desmond Morriss Girl selling Flowers, and Alfred Wallis Ship Amid Tall Waves.
This is Swindon Museum and Art Gallery of course, so the other end is devoted to paintings. A subject I will admit I am no expert on. So, I reserve no comment on that.*
*What’s shown here is the Elizabeth Frink exhibition
What I didn’t see
A crocodile! A Crocodile! (OK, it’s a Gharial…) I did ask after her and I was told she is being restored.*
*Born Again Swindonian here. The gharial is restored and is returning to the museum at length – but in a case this time to the prevent the stealing of teeth and claws etc.
More about the gharial here:
I did though see a stuffed rat but none of the stuffed animals that I recall – though I think they were a touch shabby.
There were the Roman burial remains from Northview, in Purton. But not the section of pavement from Pavenhill – also in Purton.
There is almost nothing on the railway, but of course that is the remit of Steam Museum. They do though have a section on the trams.
Living in Scotland I have noticed that, though very keen on heritage there is a certain disdain for Industrial history there. (At the moment, fashions in heritage change, of course, and a lot of the industrial technology was invented and developed in Scotland). To see Swindon without the railway is an interestingly different view.
The website
This is a modern museum and it has a good website. It has a simple design and is and easy to navigate – some are not!
I work for the Scottish Crannog Centre, and I must say their website is half-hearted. But of course, this is a very different sort of museum; one that it is vital to go and see in person. It’s a hands-on museum – though there is a collection. And they are planning on upgrading the museum space to make room for hosting touring exhibitions.
Museum websites are so often very much dependent on having staff/volunteers who can design them.*
*NB: this is not the case with Swindon Museum and Art
In conclusion
I am so glad to see a town museum in Swindon again. As I said in my article on the old museum I myself am rather conservative when it comes to museums; I like ones with lots of artefacts to ogle. It is a bit new feeling at the moment but I am sure it will become familiar to all us Swindonians.
Swindon Museum and Art Gallery; Explore Art, History and Culture (museumartswindon.com) – (Accessed 11th October 2024).
Swindon Civic Offices; Swindon Civic Offices, South Swindon – 1467731 | Historic England (Accessed 11th October 2024).
Scottish Crannog Centre; Home – The Scottish Crannog Centre(Accessed 11th October 2024).
On the topic of dinosaura:
