Countryside Forum: gathering stories
In her latest Activity Plan update, Phillippa Heath (Audience Development Project Manager), describes the fascinating conversations the team have been having (and are set to have) with farmers and individuals with different connections to the countryside, across the UK. One of our ambitions for the Museum of English Rural Life’s redevelopment is to draw out […]
Community projects: how to get involved
An update on some of the exciting projects and plans we’re working as part of our redevelopment project – and details of how you can get involved, by Phillippa Heath, Audience Development Manager. In addition to the Museum’s physical redevelopment we have also been developing our work with our diverse audiences. As well as our existing visitors, we are […]
Reading Readers – Alex Bowmer
For this month’s Reading Readers blog, PhD student Alex Bowmer gives us an insight into how the MERL archives and object collections are playing a part into his research of livestock health. As a collaborative doctoral awarded PhD candidate, I split my time between King’s College London and here at The Museum of English Rural Life. […]
Discovering the Landscape: World Landscape Architecture Month (#WLAM2016)
April is World Landscape Architecture Month (#WLAM2016): an international celebration of landscape architecture. Read on to find out more about #WLAM2016 and how you can get involved. Established by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the purpose of World Landscape Architecture Month is to celebrate landscape architecture in our public spaces. The aim is to highlight how the […]
The 'Lost Modernist': Michael O'Connell
Written by Adam Koszary, Project Officer. We’re asking you to help us decide which of our two wall hangings to display in the new Museum. Both were displayed at the 1951 Festival of Britain as part of a wider series exploring the British countryside, and have not been on public display for over 60 years. […]
Chalk or cheese? Choosing a wall hanging
Written by Adam Koszary, Project Officer. Here at the MERL we have a problem. We need to decide which of our two enormous, beautifully decorated wall hangings to display, and we’d like your help. The wall hangings are two of seven which were originally displayed at the 1951 Festival of Britain, and were made by the ‘lost […]
An Interview with: Nitisha (Part 2: Conservation)
Following last week’s interview with Nitisha about her work in the Special Collections archives, this week Whitney talks to her about her first role in conservation here at MERL. 1. What made you get involved with conservation? I started volunteering with Fred the Conservator here in the Conservation studio because I wanted to explore conservation. I […]
Explore Your Archive: People Stories – Eve Balfour
The last of our People Stories, written by The Abbey School students, looks at the life of Lady Eve Balfour, co-founder of the Soil Association Lady Evelyn Balfour was born on the 16th July 1898. After studying agriculture at Reading University she went on to write The Living Soil and then co-founded The Soil Association in […]
MERL at Tractor World Show
Written by Caroline Gould, Deputy University Archivist MERL was invited to the Spring Tractor World Show which took place weekend by the group creating the 80th anniversary display of Ransomes MG crawlers and implements. The display, formed of around 35 Ransomes, won best in show! MERL was keen to attend to promote the archives that are held at the Museum. […]
Reading Readers – Hilary Matthews
This month, University of Reading PhD student Hilary Matthews tells us about her research into livestock portraiture of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. As a Reading University PhD student, I am looking at how the paintings and prints of livestock in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century functioned within the society that produced them. […]