Colchester Museum Report 1938 to 1954
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ESSEX SOCIETY FOR ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY (Founded as the Essex Archaeological Society in 1852) Digitisation Project COLCHESTER MUSEUM REPORTS FOR THE YEARS ENDING 31 MARCH 1938 TO 31 MARCH 1954 2014 ESAH REF: C0938954 Borough of Colchester REPORT OF COLCHESTER AND ESSEX MUSEUM FOR THE PERIOD APRIL 1st, 1937 TO MARCH 31st, 1944 Committee and Officers, 1937 1944. THE RI GHT WoRSHIPFUL THE iVIAYOR or CoLCHESTER. Alderman Sir W . GuRNEY BEN HAM, F.S.A.,F.R.I-liST.S., C. C., J.P., Chairman, 1937-43. A lderman SAM BLOMF lELD, ChaimW17, 1943-44. P. G. LAYER, E q., F.S.A., Deputy-Chairma11, 1937-41. DuNCAN W. CLARK, Esq., F .R.l .B.A., Dep1,.ty-Chairman, 1941-44. Aldermen A, ALEX BLAXILL (1937, 1940 -44), S. BLOMFIELD, G. \V. B . l-IAZELL, c. J . JOLLY (1939). Councillors G. C. BENHA~·I, W. CHAPPELL (1938-9) , Rev. F. E. MACDONALD DocKER (1937), W . W . PEARCE (193 7-8), E . J. iVIARKHAM (1940-44), W. H. SHEPHARD (1937-40), C . c. 8MALLWOOD (1942-44). The following are not m embers of the Town Council, but represettt the E s se :~ A rchceolog·ical Society:- T .he Rev. G. M . BE;);TON, F .S.A., Mr. D UNCA1 W. CLA RK (19H-44), Dr. E. P. DICK!N (1937-43), Mr. P.. G. L AYER, F.S.A. (1937-41), Rev . C anon G. I-I. Rendall , D.D., D .Litt., G. RrcKworio ( 1943 -44 ): C URATOR: M . R. HULL, M .A. ASSISTANT CURATOR : H. w. P OULTER. ASSISTANT: E . J. R UDSDALE. ATTENDANTS: H. BL:TCHER, C. H . CHAPMAK, G . B. I-lARD lNG , V. PARKE, I-I. A . Sco·n. Borough of Colchester (OBVERSE OF BOROUGH SEAL, 15th CENTURY). REPORT OF THE Museum and Muniment Committee For the period April I st, 1937, to March 31st, 1944. Price : ONE SHILLING AND SIXPENCE. H .M . Queen Mary at Holly Trees Museum. Photo by lhe Chairma n, C r. E.]. Nlarkham. «:olcbe~ttr anb ~~~ex jlflu~eum. }L{eport for t~e perioll april lfJt, 1937 to JMan~ 31fJt, 1944. To the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Colchester. Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen. We beg to present our Report on the Colchester and Essex Museum for the period April 1st, 1937 to March 31st, 1944. At the outbreak of war a report, which would have covered the years 1937 to 1939 was almo3t in the printer's hands. Expectation of heavy and indiscriminate bombing gave first priority to the immediate removal of our most valuable exhibits to safe storage. A task of no less importance was the necessity for the Curator, who might be called away for service, or who might become a casualty, to make complete written records of all his knowedge of the many excavations which he had conducted since 1926, the many sites visited and observations made throughout the Borough, and especially of the ten years' work of the Colchester Excavation Committee on the Sheepen site.· Though much of thi3 was already written, much remained to be added. The urgent priority of this lengthy and technical work necessitated the po3tponement of the report. The most valuable exhibits were packed away in the sub-crypt in the Castle, where they were judged to be safe from anything except a direct hit. The two Roman Tombstones and the Sphinx were laid face downwards on a bed of sand in the Castle quadrangle and banked over with sandbags. The illuminated MSS. and other books were placed in the Muniment Room. As only a small part of the collections could thus be protected it was decided to leave the remainder in position and to keep the Museums open, especially in view of the large nu.mber of troops to be expected in the town. This, of course, meant the risk of great loss by bombing. In view of the importance of the Museum the Committee £ecured the exemption of the Curator from military service, but throughout the whole period he served with the Royal Observer Corps. Deapite depletion of staff the Museum has not only remained open, to the great gratification of countless overseas visitors, but extended its hours to open on Sunday afternoons for the benefit of the troop3, the Attendants giving their time as a war-service. 4 Unfortunately they soon had a further call. The introduction of fire-watching, difficult for all, was specially so for us, owing to the large buildings and exceptionally small staff. We pass over these difficulties, for they were all surmounted in the end, with a word of praise for the punctuality and ungrumbling service of the Attendants, and thanks for the fire-party which was provided each night at the Castle by the Borough Engineer's Department. The Museums were singularly fortunate in escaping war-damage. There is only one incident to report. On the night of December lOth, 1943, the first of a stick of four bombs dropped in the Castle Park, missed the Castle by inches and buried itself only a few feet from the North wall, without exploding. Blast from the other three broke most of the glass in the north face of the Holly Trees. The Castle was undamaged. The Museums were closed for a week while the unexploded bomb was removed. No damage was done to exhibits, though some were jarred, and in Holly Trees a large stoneware bowl, from the top of a case, was found standing intact in the middle of the floor. The Roman vaults were equipped as air-raid shelters, the Attend ants acting as shelter-wardens and opening the Castle doors if the alert sounded after closing hours. The passage through the wall at the north end was re-opened and used as an emergency exit. During the war the Museum has performed its normal functions despite reduction of staff and other difficulties. The position was eased by a remarkable falling off in the number of gifts, discoveries by excavation, and outside enquiries. On the other hand the number of visitors has varied greatly, being strongly influenced by movements of troops, growing restrictions on travel, especially when this became a prohibited area, and finally by the arrival of the American Eighth Army Air Force. Despite some low periods the average has been high. The number of visitors to the Castle Museum was as follows:- 1938, 20,863; 1939, 69,226; 1940, 86,059; 1941, 94,352; 1942, 129,432; 1943, 118,413; 1944, 132,939; Total, 651,284. This gives an annual average of 93,040. During the war the Committee has used the Castle quadrangle for exhibitions, beginning with Art Exhibitions, chiefly supplied by the Committee for Adult Education and the (former) Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts, for whose co-operation we are very grateful. Inevitably we were soon asked to accommodate exhi bitions in support of the "war-efforts," some of which were hardly in keeping with the building or the purposes of the Museum. This aspect has passed and in future only exhibitions of a character com patible with the activities of the Museum will be allowed. But we have learned much in these years, especially how useful a space we have available and how well a good exhibition is appreciated and patronised. Several Service units or groups staged- exhibitions of their work and handicrafts. All were very good and one was opened by the 5 Princess Royal. An outstanding exhibit was that of the R.A.F. bombing of Germany, which was crowded out. Re-arrangement of exhibits has been made only where necessary, for all materials for mounting, labelling, etc. have been unprocurable. As a result many labels have become shabby, especially those not protected by glass. When things become normal there will be a great deal to do in this respect, as also in the interior decorations of both Museums. The most outstanding public event of the period was the visit to the Castle and Holly Trees Museums of Her Majesty Queen Mary on June 13th, 1938. She spent about an hour and a half on her tour, evincing the greatest interest in all the exhibits. Before leaving Her Majesty signed the Visitors' Book. Our losses by death have been exceptionally heavy. In February, 1941 we lost Mr. P. G. Laver, F.S.A., who had represented the Essex Archaeological Society on the Committee from May, 1897, and had been Deputy Chairman since March, 1927. The Museum has had no more enthusiastic and able supporter, and the Council has placed an inscribed tablet in the Castle recording his work, and that of his father, Alderman H. Laver, in this connection. Since then, though not strictly within the period of this report, we have lost Alderman Sir Wm. Gurney Benham, F.S.A., who retired from the Council in October, 1943 and died in May, 1944. A tablet has also been erected recording his outstanding services to the Museum. He was a member of Committee for over 43 years, and was Chairman for 25 years. We recall with gratitude that he was mainly instrumental in securing the J oslin Collection of Roman remains for the Town, and that the vast expansion of the Museum under his direction has seen the opening of Holly Trees as a Museum of "Bygones" and the roofing of the Castle quadrangles. We have also lost a number of good members of Committee; Alderman G. W. B. Hazell; Councillors W. W. Townsend, W. H. Shephard and C. C Smallwood; and, representing the Essex Archaeo logical Society, Dr.