The Digital Media and Curatorship 2008 team has begun its work following a productive visit to Oakham.The main purpose of the visit was to meet with a group of people representing the town's two museum sites, Rutland County Museum and Oakham Castle.
Founded in 1969, Rutland County Museum & Visitor Centre occupies the site of a cavalry riding school. The main site was donated to the Council, and the Friends Society were instrumental in ensuring that the museum came into being.
I thought it would be a good idea to post a few photos to give an impression of the contexts surrounding the sites our project is associated with.
The museum has strong collections relating to agricultural history, and we were informed that enthusiasts travel from across the region to view its tractors. Terhi can be seen below standing beside one particularly intricate-looking contraption.
It also has a range of quirky items that help it to tell the story of the county of Rutland, for instance this game:
We were informed that the museum has circa 10,000 records in its database, and that approximately 10% of these are currently on display in the exhibitions. The main gallery is housed in an impressively-roofed hall and the building has added to this by developing adjacent buildings, such as the addition of the main entrance in the 1990s.
The museum's audience is mainly of an older demographic. We were informed that most visitors are Rutland residents, and that it is a popular meeting space for a number of local societies and other groups. Visitor figures are good in comparison to comparable nearby local authority museums in similar-sized towns.
Educational visits aren't particularly high, as there is no member of staff dedicated to providing programmes and services in this area. We were told that the frequency of visits by schools is influenced greatly by the availability of funding, and that a small amount can make a considerable difference.
Oakham Castle, on the other hand, is a very different site. An impressive building set in attractive surroundings, it houses a considerable collection of over-sized horse shoes. It is custom for any royal visitor or peer to present the city with one of these objects, and Oakham Castle's horse shoes range in age from the 1470s to 2005. There's even one that was presented by a certain Jeffrey Archer, but the project team would probably be wise to stray away from highlighting that one quite so much... !
This space is a popular venue for couples to tie the knot, and this generates a significant amount of income for the museums.
Oakham Castle is much more popular as a venue for tourists rather than being a haunt of the local residents.
I guess this would be a good place for everybody else to attach any photos they thought were particularly interesting/ revealing/ amusing!
Founded in 1969, Rutland County Museum & Visitor Centre occupies the site of a cavalry riding school. The main site was donated to the Council, and the Friends Society were instrumental in ensuring that the museum came into being.
I thought it would be a good idea to post a few photos to give an impression of the contexts surrounding the sites our project is associated with.
The museum has strong collections relating to agricultural history, and we were informed that enthusiasts travel from across the region to view its tractors. Terhi can be seen below standing beside one particularly intricate-looking contraption.
It also has a range of quirky items that help it to tell the story of the county of Rutland, for instance this game:
We were informed that the museum has circa 10,000 records in its database, and that approximately 10% of these are currently on display in the exhibitions. The main gallery is housed in an impressively-roofed hall and the building has added to this by developing adjacent buildings, such as the addition of the main entrance in the 1990s.The museum's audience is mainly of an older demographic. We were informed that most visitors are Rutland residents, and that it is a popular meeting space for a number of local societies and other groups. Visitor figures are good in comparison to comparable nearby local authority museums in similar-sized towns.
Educational visits aren't particularly high, as there is no member of staff dedicated to providing programmes and services in this area. We were told that the frequency of visits by schools is influenced greatly by the availability of funding, and that a small amount can make a considerable difference.
Oakham Castle, on the other hand, is a very different site. An impressive building set in attractive surroundings, it houses a considerable collection of over-sized horse shoes. It is custom for any royal visitor or peer to present the city with one of these objects, and Oakham Castle's horse shoes range in age from the 1470s to 2005. There's even one that was presented by a certain Jeffrey Archer, but the project team would probably be wise to stray away from highlighting that one quite so much... !
This space is a popular venue for couples to tie the knot, and this generates a significant amount of income for the museums.
Oakham Castle is much more popular as a venue for tourists rather than being a haunt of the local residents.
I guess this would be a good place for everybody else to attach any photos they thought were particularly interesting/ revealing/ amusing!
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