A new exhibition in Keswick Museum’s free Community Gallery reveals hidden treasures from the museum’s collection.

In early 2023 the museum team were delighted to start their ‘Opening the Store Door: Uncovering Keswick’s Hidden Treasures’ project, generously funded by Arts Council England and the Friends of Keswick Museum.

The museum’s 125^th anniversary was the perfect time to inventory its entire collection, ensuring that every object was included on its digital catalogue, with an accurate description and up-to-date location information. As a result, the museum is now able to share even more of the treasures with the public.

After hiring an Assistant Curator, Joseph Massey, to oversee the project, the museum put out a call for interested volunteers. They now include retired museum professionals and long-standing Keswick Museum volunteers to recent university graduates looking for work experience. All have brought their unique knowledge and skills to the project.

Joseph commented:

“Beginning the inventory was daunting, as we had to go through every storeroom and check every shelf and box to see what we would find. It was also very exciting as we never knew what would turn up next - John Ruskin’s mineral collection, Robert Southey’s death mask, cupboards full of stuffed birds – our collection is full of surprises!”

The museum has a range of different opportunities and roles for people interested in becoming a volunteer. Anyone wishing to find out more should get in touch with Caroline at the museum on 017687 73263.

The free exhibition about the project opens today in the free-to-enter Community Gallery and runs through until the middle of February.