Plymouth daily lives documented up close at City Museum

Visitors to a brand new exhibition at Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery can help document and pack objects, write labels and identify mystery items within the collection.

‘Stories from the Stores’ is a collection intended to show the continuing development of life in and around Plymouth right up to the present day. It includes a huge variety of items relating to peoples’ daily lives and features over 5,000 objects, from fragments of buildings, televisions, radios and gas cookers to marbles and make-up. 

On display until the end of Saturday 24 August the exhibition is part of a wider project that will see Museum staff carry out the largest review of the social history collection they’ve ever done.

Over the last few months, thanks to funding support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England and Plymouth City Council, staff have been auditing the collection, as well as improving its documentation and storage.

The ‘Stories from the Stores’ exhibition is an opportunity for members of the public to see the collection up close and get involved in determining how it could develop. Comments received throughout the exhibition will help us undertake a review of the collection.

Visitors will be able to see the curators and conservation staff at work in the gallery. They will also be able to write their own labels for some of the objects and give their opinion on what they think the Museum and Art Gallery should be adding to its social history collection in the future.

The Museum is running a special celebratory event called ‘Share a Story Day’ on Saturday 29 June from 10am to 4pm (last entries at 3.30pm). Attendees will be able to help document and pack objects, write labels and identify mystery items, share their stories, memories and opinions. Admission is free and there is no need to book. People are welcome to come along for as little or as long as they like. This is a great opportunity for parents and grandparents to share their memories of 20th century life with children and grandkids.

During the summer holidays there will also be a related drop-in activity session called ‘Sketch and Colour’ on Wednesday 7 August. The free session will run from 10.30am to 1pm (last entries at 12.30pm) and attendees will use the objects in the exhibition as a starting point to sketch and colour to their heart’s content!

Bookable ‘Curator’s Curiosity Box’ workshops will also be on offer on Thursday 29 August from 10.30am to 12pm and 1.30pm to 3pm. The workshops, which are suitable for children aged 8 and over, will give attendees the chance to be the curator of their own curiosities and memories box. Admission is £2.50 per child and advance booking and payment are essential at the Museum’s Welcome Desk.

‘Stories from the Stores’ will be on display at Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery until the end of Saturday 24 August. Exhibition opening hours are 10am to 5.30pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 5pm Saturday. The exhibition is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Admission is free. More information is available from Plymouth museum or 01752 304774.