Local authority museum located in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
Mansfield Museum
The Mansfield Museum is a local authority museum in Nottinghamshire run by Mansfield District Council. Originally called the "Tin Tabernacle", the Museum was given to the town of Mansfield by the wealthy collector and natural historian, William Edward Baily in 1903. On his death he donated his collection and the building to house it. The following year the Museum was opened to the public on its current site on Leeming Street. Other prominent local people also added to the collection, including naturalist Joseph Whitaker and artist Albert Sorby Buxton.
The current building replaced the deteriorating "Tin Tabernacle" in 1938 and a fourth gallery was added in the 1960s. The arcade gallery was opened by the Sarah, Duchess of York in 1989.[citation needed]
Collections
The museum, with a focus on natural history,[1] is known for being family friendly.[2][3]
Made in Mansfield
The Museum arcade holds an exhibition on eight of the more well-known industries that built Mansfield's reputation for manufacturing. The gallery features artefacts, photos, film and audio relating to the major, past and present employers of the town: Metal Box, Shoe Co, Mansfield Brewery, Barrs Soft Drinks, hosiery, precision engineering, mining, foundries and quarrying.
Albert Sorby Buxton
The museum holds the watercolour pictures of Mansfield painted by artist Albert Sorby Buxton. The pictures highlight buildings in Mansfield that no longer exist and views that have long since disappeared.[4]
