Special thanks to Peter Savage, Collections and Handling Collections volunteer, for giving us an insight into taking down the museum at Fulham Palace this Winter/Spring.
With the launch of the new museum approaching, the race is on to clear the existing space and choose the exhibits that will be on display from the end of May. Renata and I have been helping Antia Dona, Conservation Assistant at Fulham Palace, to go through the various collections and prepare for the move.
On a remarkably warm day in February we got a sharp reminder of more typical winter temperatures when we ventured forth into the very chilly storage room. What treasures would we discover? We already knew about the wonderful collection of period costumes but what about all those mysterious objects wrapped in tissue paper or bubblewrap. Well, we found lots of framed portraits of various bishops and paintings or photos of the Palace but also interesting finds from archaeological excavations ranging from centuries old pottery sherds to a 20th century plastic toy pistol. We rearranged things and hung some of the pictures on wall racks to free up some space on the shelves.
Back in the mercifully milder museum room, we removed some exhibits from the display cases and transferred them to the store room or kept them out for further consideration as to their eventual destination. Ancient agricultural implements hinted at Fulham’s rural past and Roman artefacts showed how the site was occupied two thousand years ago.
There is still much to do but I for one am looking forward to seeing how the new museum will be able to re-tell the story of the Palace using 21st century techniques and provide visitors with a fascinating experience.
Peter Savage,
Collections Assistant and Handling Collections Assistant Volunteer