Natural Science Collections at Shrewsbury Museums Service

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Welcome to

Natural Science Collections

in West Midlands Museums and Botanical Gardens

Shrewsbury: Shrewsbury Museums Service

Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery (Rowley's House),

Barker Street,

Shrewsbury,

Shropshire

SY1 1QH

Contact: Peter Boyd, Collections Manager

Tel: 01743 361196

email: peterboyd@shrewsbury.gov.uk

Collections:

Geology - Some 5000 items including important collection of Shropshire minerals, rocks and fossils (about 68% fossils, 12% rocks and 10% minerals) including collections of Shropshire 19th century pioneer geologists plus non-local comparative material), books, periodicals and 107 geological microscope slides. Important Triassic Rhynchosaur reptile material.

Fossil bones of 'hand' of Rhynchosaur reptile about 220 million years old

Biology - Biological collections include about 18,000 botanical and zoological specimens; also books and other printed materials about them. The specimens vary from microscopic species preserved on microscope slides (botanical and zoological) to pressed plants (herbaria), shells, insects and mounted taxidermy specimens (mainly birds and mammals).

Microscope slide cabinet containing 19th century collection of geological, botanical and zoological slide preparations

The printed items include 18th and 19th century illustrated natural history books that are considered to be just as much museum items and part of the history of 'natural history' as the specimens.

Hand-coloured illustration of Dodo from Latham's History of Birds Vol 3. Pt 1. 1785

a) Botany - includes important collections of pressed British flowering plans, ferns and other non-flowering plants including about 5000 herbarium sheets comprising 'A Flora of Shropshire and North Wales' compiled by the Shropshire and North Wales Natural History and Antiquarian Society/Shropshire Archaeological and Natural History Society before 1885: botanical microscope slide material (150 slides); also ethnobotanical specimens.

Herbarium sheet of Stags-horn Clubmoss collected 1878

Recent plant material (e.g. carbonised grain) recovered from archaeological sites is included under 'Archaeology', other sub-fossil and fossil plant remains are included under 'Geology'.

b) Zoology - includes about 280 mounted taxidermy specimens and skeletal vertebrate- animal material including local and other British fish, birds and mammals; also Victorian cases of exotic birds and other non-British specimens including Great Auk; birds eggs, shells (about 8000), insects and 195 zoological microscope slide preparations.

Watercolour painting of Death's Head Hawk Moth by Katherine Plymley 1806

Recent skeletal material recovered from archaeological sites is included under 'Archaeology', other sub-fossil zoological remains (e.g. Giant Deer, Mammoth) and fossil animal remains are included under 'Geology'.

Access:

The Geology Gallery was redisplayed in about 1999. The Natural History Gallery (habitat displays) was closed in 2001 to provide new ceramics and picture store after the closure and sale of Clive House. Natural Science themes/elements have been introduced into Special Exhibitions and events. A refurbished gallery comprises modest multidisciplinary social history/natural science displays including our Great Auk. In the longer term, major redevelopment of Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery is planned in which Charles Darwin and Natural Sciences will feature prominently. This development will take start in the Shrewsbury Music Hall complex of buiildings on The Square in Shrewsbury after a new theatre (Theatre Severn) is completed by the river in early 2009.

The Darwin Country website at http://www.darwincountry.org (initially a Resource IT Challenge Fund Project) has provided improved access to natural science collections as well as other categories of collection. The website has about 13,000 images including hundreds of natural science interest. The site continues to grow.

Developments in 2008/2009:

Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council will cease to exist when it becomes part of a new Unitary Authority (Shropshire Council) in April 2009.

Shrewsbury Museums Service will merge with Shropshire County Council Museums Service to become a new Shropshire Museums Service in April 2009. This change to a Unitary Authority may involve cuts in curatorial staffing.

Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery (Rowley's House) will close to the public on 12 September 2008. Part of the museum will re-open in February 2009 for an exhibition to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin in Shrewsbury in 1809 and the 150th Anniversary of the publication of his book on The Origin of Species in 1859.

Only part of the museum will be open in Summer 2009 because of 'behind-the-scenes' work preparing for the new museum at the Music Hall due to open in 2011/2012.

In most cases, it will still be possible to make an appointment to examine particular items or collections during periods of closure except when the move to the new museum becomes imminent or is taking place.