Object of the Month: Puzzle Jug
Puzzle jugs were a popular item in the 18th and 19th centuries – though the earliest example dates from 1300 AD – and were often found in homes and taverns as a drinking game. Throughout history, taverns and pubs have been a popular meeting place, and beer was often safer
Object of the Month: Curlew
This wonderful bird is the focus of our summer exhibition the ‘Cry of the Curlew’. Curlews There are eight different species of curlew! Two male adult Eurasian curlews and four chicks assembled by taxidermists. Currently on display at the ‘Cry of the Curlew’ exhibition at Kendal Museum. The Eurasian curlew,
Object of the month: “Susan Foster – Weaver” sign
In our final celebration for Women’s History Month in March we installed a recent addition to the collection. We’re proud to display a beautiful local craftwork in our entryway. The beautifully illustrated ceramic sign measures 51x81cm and was a recognizable landmark for many of Kendal’s residents during its many years
Object of the month: Valentine card, Puzzle Purse
For February’s Object of the Month, we have decided to search our collections for love tokens inspired by Valentine’s Day. Let’s look back at one of the more popular traditions. The Valentine Puzzle Purse was a popular method of spreading messages of love and romance. The oldest known printed Valentine
Object of the month: Lost Species.
For November’s object of the month, we have decided to bring to light not just one artifact from our collection, but a whole group. On our social media, we have been posting about some of our extinct species specimens for Remembrance Day for Lost Species day on the 30th of
Object of the Month: Lithophone
Lithophone expert Mike Adcock visited the museum recently and gave these beautiful instruments a tune. About lithophones A lithophone looks like a xylophone but it is made out of stone, rather than wood. ‘Lithos’ meaning stone in Greek, and ‘phone’ being voice or sound. Kendal Museum has two of these
Object of the Month: Knitting Sticks
Our object of the month for the month of September is our collection of Knitting Sticks. These objects were used to speed up the knitting process, allowing for up to three or four needles to be used at once. They also enabled knitting to be done both standing and whilst
Object of the Month: Puff Adder
For this Object of the Month, we have chosen the Puff Adder! Puff Adders can be found in Africa, as well as the southern Arabian Peninsula (countries like Yemen and Oman). Their Latin name is ‘Bitis arietans’. Bitis is the name of the genus of vipers, and arietans means ‘striking
Object of the Month: Roman Face Jar
This is a rare example of a Roman coarse ware face jar. This jar is incised to create a bearded face. The fragments were found at Watercrook Roman fort near Kendal. Face pots were probably introduced into Britain by the Roman Army in the 1st century AD. The faces may
Object of the Month: John Gough
John Gough Bust In the corridor down to the Wildlife Gallery, Kendal museum has an imposing marble bust of the ‘Blind Philosopher’ of Wordsworth’s epic poem The Excursion. This handsome man was a Kendalian famous for his wide range of scientific interests. John Gough was born in 1757, the son