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National Museums Liverpool Blog - Happy Anniversary to the World Museum!

 Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy Anniversary to the World Museum!


Thursday 31 December 09

Black and white photo of old museum interior.The museum before it was bombed in the Second World War.

I know I'm a day early, but 2010 will mean a pretty important anniversary for us here at National Museums Liverpool. It will be the 150th Anniversary of William Brown handing over the keys for what was then the Liverpool museum, which we now all know and love as the World Museum.

To mark this anniversary we’re going to be featuring a year-long series of World Museum-related stories on this blog. There'll be a story a week, with a mix of historical and contemporary pieces. We want to let you know all about the museum’s history but also give you a few behind the scenes peeks at the people, stories and events that make (and have made) this such a special museum.

To give you a taste of how the museum first came about, I can tell you that on 8 March 1853 the museum opened for the first time on Slater Street in Liverpool. It was then called the 'Derby Museum of the Borough of Liverpool' in honour of the Earl of Derby’s bequest of over 20,000 natural history specimens. We still have amazing specimens at the museum, ranging from an Arctic Fox to many beautiful butterflies.

You can also read a detailed document we have put together; 'Liverpool’s museum: the first 150 years', which has archive information and images relating to important highlights in the museum's history. You can read and download this here.

We'd also like you to get involved by sending us your memories of the World Museum from both past and present. If you have a specific date that sticks in your mind, then all the better. You can submit your memories as a comment at the bottom of this post.

So all that remains is for me to wish you a Happy New Year and to invite you to come along and visit our fab, free museum in 2010!


Posted by Lisa | 31/12/2009 10:44   | Comments [2]

Monday, April 19, 2010 2:46:40 PM
I remember as a child in the late 60s and early seventies there used to be a victorian street
and in the basement there was trains and horse drawn carriages an old ford anglia
where have they all gone
can you let me know
Liz
Monday, April 19, 2010 3:01:57 PM
Hi Liz,

Thanks for sharing your memories with us about the World Museum!

We no longer have the Victorian street at the World Museum, but the Ford Anglia is currently in store and will be on display in the new Museum of Liverpool when it opens in 2011.

You can see information about the Ford Anglia here: http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol/collections/transport/fordanglia.aspx

There are more details about what will be featured in the Museum of Liverpool here: http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol/galleries/

Thanks,

Lisa
Lisa Web Team

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