Biscuit recipe of the week: Rich Traveller biscuits
Welcome to our series of biscuit recipes to inspire you to take part in the Biscuit Bake-off at the MERL Village Fete on May 31st! At the recent launch of the Biscuit Bake-off, University student Deiniol Pritchard experimented with a Huntley & Palmers recipe for ‘University Rusks’, which everyone at the special Todder Time event […]
My Favourite Object #6: 'Check Rein' and Blacksmithing Tools
This post was written by Christina Avramakis, Project Assistant for our Sense of Place project. My role at MERL has been to accession and catalogue new objects coming into the Museum, and so I have been very lucky to get up close and personal with many interesting objects and stories. For this reason, it was difficult to […]
Student Spotlight #4: Joseph Arch hand casts
Maria Rabbani is a 2nd year Archaeology student at the University of Reading. The objects which I have chosen are the white plaster casts of Joseph Arch’s right and left hand. The length of the casts is 18cm and their breadth (across the knuckles) is 12cm. His hands look small and delicate, which may be […]
Student Spotlight #3: Lave Net
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Student Spotlight #2: Man Traps
Henrik Yau is a second year Archaeology student at the University of Reading, who chose to research our Man Traps because they caught his eye, because they looked dangerous and he had no prior knowledge of them. I’ve always loved going to museums. Looking at vast collection of objects always excited me as a child, […]
Student Spotlight #1: Veterinary Medicine Box
This is the first in a series of blog posts focusing on particular objects, researched by University of Reading Archaeology students as part of their course. Kelly van Doorn is a second year BA Archaeology and Ancient History student at the University of Reading. On completion of her degree, she hopes to take up a master’s […]
Focus on Collections #4: Tools & Trade History Society Library
written by Tony Waldis, the Librarian of the Tools and Trades History Society (TATHS) Library, a special collection kept at MERL for use by visitors and readers. This collection reflects the encompassing knowledge of rural craft and industry kept at MERL, and which we hope to continue to pass down through our displays, outreach and events […]
Picture(s) of the month #8: Eric Guy's working horses
I noticed earlier this month that the Royal Mail has just issued a Working Horses stamp set featuring “six contemporary photographs of Working Horses performing therapeutic, ceremonial, environmental, draught and police duties” They’re beautiful stamps which immediately brought to mind the stunning photographs by Eric Guy in the MERL collections. Eric Guy (1892-1966) was a commercial photographer based in Basingstoke […]
Pictures of the month #7 – Floods in Berkshire
Photographic Assistant, Caroline Benson has selected 2 particularly topical images from our collections this month… The subject of this month’s photographs will seem all too familiar to many people living by the Thames. They show the floods of November 1895 in the riverside village of Pangbourne in Berkshire. Small boats & punts can be seen […]
Pictures of the month #6 – Canal life
Photographic Assistant, Caroline Benson has resisted the temptation to select a festive image this month, instead sharing images she discovered whilst preparing materials for an education session last month… The photographs this month are from a collection depicting canals & canal life. The two I have chosen were amongst a selection used by Philippa Heath, […]