In 2017, a hoard of hundreds of coins was found inside a piano in Shropshire. Investigations showed that the coins were hidden by a Saffron Walden resident in the early 20th century. The coins date from between 1847 and 1915. They were deliberately hidden inside a Broadway upright piano by a Saffron Walden resident… Read More »
February’s Object of the Month is a model great auk egg. It was chosen as Object of the Month by Sarah Kenyon, Natural Sciences Officer. This plaster cast of a great auk egg was made in 1856. It is a copy of an egg that belonged to John Hancock, whose collection founded the Great… Read More »
Preparing for the opening of the museum This is the third in a series of blog posts exploring the earliest years of Saffron Walden Museum and the society that established it. In this post, we examine the society’s preparations for the opening of Saffron Walden Museum. With thanks to Len Pole, who has been instrumental… Read More »
The Dunn Deal This is the second in a series of blog posts exploring the earliest years of Saffron Walden Museum and the society that established it. In this post, we explores the collecting of objects before the opening of the museum, including many animal skins and skeletons. With thanks to Len Pole, who has… Read More »
The foundation of Saffron Walden Natural History Society This is the first in a series of blog posts exploring the earliest years of Saffron Walden Museum and the society that established it. In this post, we delve into the earliest recorded meetings of the founders of the museum, including the creation of the Saffron Walden… Read More »
January’s Object of the Month is a metal box, said to have held salt. This curious metal box, decorated with two little mice, has been in the museum’s collections since 1898. It was probably made in the middle of the 19th century (about 1850-1870). We are not completely sure what the box was used… Read More »
Our #AtoZ series focused on sharing sides to the museum that some people may not have been aware of before. We went through the alphabet, using a letter a week, and shared something about the museum on Twitter – from our stores, our history, and our present. We’ve put together a gallery of all the items we… Read More »
Have you ever wondered what staff do when the museum is closed on a Monday? We’re busy behind the scenes, making sure our collections are documented and cared for. An important job to complete when the Museum is closed to visitors is routine cleaning of the museum’s permanent displays. Volunteers are helping curatorial staff to… Read More »
December’s Object of the Month is a pair of robins. The birds were chosen as Object of the Month by Sarah Kenyon, Natural Sciences Officer. This adult female robin has the familiar red face and breast feathers. It is a mounted, or stuffed, bird specimen that was given to the museum during the 1800s…. Read More »
Saffron is famous for being the world’s most expensive spice, with its distinctive aroma, rich honey-like flavour and trademark yellow hue. The history of Saffron is particularly relevant to Saffron Walden, which took its name from the spice. The spice Saffron comes from the flower of the saffron crocus (crocus sativus), and its name… Read More »
