WORLD-BEATING ENVIRONMENT REIMAGINING YORK OUR COLLECTION THE ART OF NEW GALLERIES MATTERS AND MANCHESTER GOES DIGITAL INNOVATION RETURN TO CONTENTS PAGE RAILWAY HERITAGE RAILWAY HERITAGE LOCOMOTIVE LEGEND Steam traction inspector Jim Smith Mallard made a special appearance in front stands proudly between LNER’s Azuma, of a delighted audience to mark the start of on the left platform, and railway legend a new passenger service along the east coast Mallard, at York station Railway history was made last summer in 30 years. Mallard pulled up alongside The event delighted the crowds who the museum,’ said David Horne, managing the museum’s most-loved attractions, is a light broke through the clouds, Mallard was when the world-famous locomotives Azuma in a historic line-up that had gathered to see these era-defining director of LNER. ‘Having such a legendary static exhibit in the Great Hall, surrounded able to emerge from the museum – not Mallard and Flying Scotsman joined captured the speed and style of high- vehicles, and also secured widespread locomotive from LNER’s proud history by other rail vehicles. Moving it required under its own power, but with wheels and LNER's latest train Azuma to mark speed rail travel through the ages. media coverage, enabling LNER to alongside our new Azuma helped to create a a series of careful shunts to manoeuvre pistons in motion to delight the crowds. the start of passenger services on celebrate its history and announce a truly momentous occasion as we look to the other engines aside. The success of the the East Coast Main Line. The special After a short opening ceremony, the new era of high-speed travel. future of rail travel on the LNER route.’ event hung in the balance, as specialist The event allowed us to show our collection event began when No. 4468 Mallard, special Azuma service travelled north contractors were called upon to test the to a wider audience, and demonstrated the the world steam record holder and to Darlington where passengers were ‘We worked very closely with the Behind the successful event was a period locomotive’s fitness to run – a failure at value of maintaining strong links with the thoroughbred locomotive, left the treated to a second rare glimpse of a team at the National Railway Museum of intense preparation that saw LNER any point would have called an immediate rail industry. It also highlighted our ability National Railway Museum to go on renowned engine, when Azuma stood to give Mallard a very rare and and colleagues from the National Railway halt to proceedings. However, on the day, as to tell stories about rail engineering from display at York station for the first time alongside No. 60103, Flying Scotsman. memorable public appearance outside Museum working together. Mallard, one of a heavy rain shower cleared and the early the past, present and future. RETURN TO CONTENTS PAGE WELCOME FROM OUR CHAIR ‘Today, we stand on the cusp of the OUR FIVE WORLD-BEATING MUSEUMS graphene age, with applications in Science Museum, London everything from de-icing of aircraft National Railway Museum, York Science and Industry Museum, Manchester Below Dame Mary Archer, wings to life-saving medicine. The story National Science and Media Museum, Bradford chair of the Science of those pioneers is told here at the Locomotion, Shildon Museum Group, beside Waterloo Station (1967) Science and Industry Museum – and by Terence Cuneo, in the it is one of the countless tales of SUPPORT OUR MUSEUMS National Railway Museum Mancunian pioneers’ Visit sciencemuseum.org.uk/about-us/support-us or for corporate membership and patrons see page 62 Boris Johnson makes his maiden speech as prime minister FORCE at the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester ANNUAL REVIEW ONLINE sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/about-us/annual-review ‘I look forward to seeing how the Manchester Science Festival and the Science Museum’s exhibition about FOR carbon capture spark discussion about how to protect our fragile planet’ Sir David Attenborough at the launch of the United Nations Climate Change Conference at the Science Museum CHANGE ‘Oh yes! Now this is it. This is my sort of place, this. Just look at the size of these engines. The National Railway In the midst of testing times, the Science Museum Group Museum is a shrine to British is even more committed to its global message and engineering – from the golden age ambitious work, says our chair Dame Mary Archer of steam to the modern day’ David Jason, actor and presenter SCIENCE MUSEUM GROUP The Science Museum Group’s focus on a joined a group of schoolchildren to for scientific innovation and ANNUAL REVIEW 2019–20 global, rather than a national, perspective plant native hazel, wild cherry, rowan unprecedented change all over the has never been more relevant as the world and crabapple trees to mark the Group’s world. Now, with Greater Manchester’s © 2020 The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum ‘These galleries really testify to this tackles a pandemic. We publish our latest climate-focused public programme. vision of becoming carbon neutral by city’s and the UK’s contribution to Edited by Kate Quill Annual Review when there is greater 2038, the city is uniquely placed to with generous input from staff across the Group awareness than ever of the vital role of These are in addition to the 43,000 native influence future progress across the and its many bloggers science, technology and industry’ science in helping us to understand, treat trees that the Group has already planted globe once again. Mark Carney, former Bank of England governor, Designed by Steve Lancefield and protect against infectious diseases. over the past decade at our National Collections Centre in Wiltshire, where we At our National Railway Museum in at the Science and Industry Museum Project managers: Katie Dowler and Madeleine Hart In that spirit, in February the Science also host an external solar farm, which York, the use of natural materials and Main photography from Group resources: Museum was delighted to host the launch feeds up to 50MW of electricity into the sustainable architecture was Science and Industry Museum of both the UK Year of Climate Action and national grid at any one time. emphasised in a competition to help ‘We cannot underestimate the National Science and Media Museum National Railway Museum/Pictorial Collection the UN’s 26th Climate Change Conference. transform the museum into the cultural potential of Sound and Vision to Science & Society Picture Library We have committed to planting a further anchor for York Central. This will be one Science Museum Library and Archives The naturalist Sir David Attenborough and 1,000 native locally sourced trees every of the largest city-centre brownfield impact our communities, both Science Museum Photographic Studio economically and emotionally’ Daily Herald Archive/National Science and Media Museum the UK and Italian prime ministers chose us year until 2030. regeneration projects in Europe because the Science Museum Group is a (see page 16). Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, on new With thanks for additional photographs by: prominent scientific voice in engaging its But planting trees, even millions of them, Kasim Asim, Isidora Bojovic, Bradford Heritage Recording Unit, Stephen galleries at the National Science and Media Museum Baxter, Anna Bridson, Crest Photography, Mark Dolby, Drew Forysth, audience of more than five million people is not enough to mitigate global climate There is much talk of this being a Mary Freeman, Wang Fuchun, Andy Garbutt, Noah Goodrich, Charlotte with the biggest threat to our planet – change. That is why carbon capture and year of climate action, but we need Graham, Nabeelah Hafeez, Kat Harrison Dibbits, Jody Hartley, Jennie Hills, global climate change. As Sir David told us: storage are the focus of a new temporary to think in the long term. The Group’s Kris Humphreys, Jason Hynes, Rameez Khawaja, Jody Kingzett, Jason ‘This unique collaboration between Lock, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Barry MacDonald, Andrew Parsons/No 10 ‘The moment of climate crisis is with us and exhibition at the Science Museum, Sustainability Strategy (see page 20) Downing Street, Patrick Marks, Plastiques Photography Limited, our planet needs us all to act now.’ and why climate change will be the theme means we are committed to act each and GCHQ and the Science Museum is a Lynn Patrick, Kevin Percival, Sam Potts, Science & Society Picture of our biggest event, the Manchester every year to further curb our carbon Library, Ben Shread, Tim Smith, Mariana Yanez, Kira Zumkley great way to mark our centenary’ At the launch, Sir David, Sir Ian Blatchford, Science Festival. emissions. To help us in this vital work, Printed by Go Agency, using sustainable paper – Edixion Offset, which director and chief executive of the Science I am delighted to welcome the Group’s Jeremy Fleming, director of GCHQ, at the launch ® is Environmentally friendly – ECF pulp, FSC certified, and EU Eco label. Museum Group, and Darren Moorcroft, As the birthplace of the Industrial new trustees Peter Hendy, Hannah Fry of Top Secret at the Science Museum Green Star rating – 4, ISO 9001 & ISO 1401 chief executive of the Woodland Trust, Revolution, Manchester was the catalyst and Jo Foster (see page 64). Cover image Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Sir David Attenborough discuss climate change with children at the Science Museum. Photography Dame Mary Archer is patron of the National Energy Foundation, president of the UK Solar Energy Society and a companion of the Energy Institute. by Jody Kingzett Back image A Quiet Afternoon in the Cloud Cuckoo Valley by Rowland Emett, from the SMG Collection. Photography by Jennie Hills She has written and contributed to various volumes of work concerning solar energy utilisation.