The Museum Collections: An Overview
Carisbrooke Castle Museum was founded by Princess Beatrice in 1898 as a museum of local history. 'It is my earnest hope and desire,' she said, 'that with the help and co-operation of others, I may be able to form a full collection of objects of historical interest connected with the Island.'
The museum collections still reflect Princess Beatrice's aspiration. They all have some connection with the history of the Isle of Wight. However, most of the archaeological and pre-1500 material has been passed to the care of the Isle of Wight Council, owing to pressure on space.
The Museum Displays
Some of the museum displays are permanent or semi-permanent, while others are changed regularly.
Part of the permanent display focuses on the history of the castle. Exhibits include a large model of the castle in 1377, objects recovered from castle excavations, a crossbow and crossbow bolts, cannon, Civil War armour and personal possessions of King Charles I.
Other permanent displays relate to other aspects of Island history. They include a chamber organ of 1602, Elizabethan-style furniture, the turret clock from East Cowes Castle, and personal possessions of Tennyson.
Other exhibitions are changed regularly. They feature items from the museum's collections and illustrate aspects of the Island's past.
Some of the more important local and social history collections in the museum:
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Clothing
Victorian and 20th-century women's dresses and underwear
Victorian and later babies' clothes
Men's civil and military uniforms
Ecclesiastical vestments
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Footwear
Shoes and boots, mainly 1920s - 1970s
Related items from Jolliffe's shoe shop, Cowes
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Isle of Wight lace
Examples of embroidered net, probably made at the Newport lace factory
Isle of Wight lace pattern book
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Isle of Wight pottery
Examples of art pottery made at the Gunville Pottery, 1920s - 1930s
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St Dominic's collection
Ecclesiastical vestments and liturgical objects from St Dominic's Priory, Carisbrooke
Examples of embroidery and illumination
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Isle of Wight Rifles collection
Uniforms, documents, newspaper cuttings, challenge cups and pictures, relating to the Island's volunteer battalion
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Household (cleaning) items
Mostly small items, Victorian and later, including irons and vacuum cleaners
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Toys
Victorian and later dolls, Victorian dolls' house
Board and card games, jigsaw puzzles
Other toys and games
Children's books
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Lighting
Items relating to household lighting, including rushlight- and candle-holders, lanterns, gas-lights and electric light-bulbs
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Pictorial collections
Watercolour and oil paintings of local subjects,
including work by JMW Turner and John Nixon.
Engraved views of the island.
Photographs of local subjects, including the
Milne Collection.
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Material relating to Carisbrooke Castle
Selected objects from excavations (on loan from English Heritage); other medieval material; Civil War material; material relating to later periods in the castle's history.
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Other material
The museum collections comprise a wide variety of other local and social history material, including musical instruments, furniture, jewellery, weapons, coins, writing equipment, seals, keys, clocks and watches, small agricultural items, smuggling equipment, World War II material, and items relating to particular people (nb King Charles I, Tennyson).
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