Maria McKinney’s Sire. is an innovative exploration of selective breeding and genetics in contemporary cattle farming. The series consists of nine large-scale photographic portraits, taken at an Irish stud farm, that depict bulls wearing eccentric, multi-coloured sculptures mounted on their backs. A ‘sire’ is a male parent of an animal. The exhibition is on display […]

Explore children’s playgrounds, their history and how we design for play in this online exhibition. The 2019 FOLAR symposium coincides with the 90th anniversary of the Landscape Institute, the archive of which is held at The MERL. The images in this exhibition include drawings and designs created by eminent British Landscape Architects, members of the Landscape […]

The Museum of English Rural Life at the University of Reading has one of the most significant collections of British basketry in the UK, with over 620 baskets, basketwork objects and basketmaking tools. The Stakeholders project encouraged knowledge and skills sharing between established and up-and-coming basket makers. Each of the participants was commissioned to make […]

We might have romantic notions about country life being beneficial for wellbeing and sometimes this is the case. However, life in the village and on the land can also be characterised by stress and heartache. In this online exhibition you will find just a few examples of different ways in which rural practices impact on physical and […]