Letter: Reply To Museum Survey, But Please Make These Points

Published on: 15 Apr, 2014
Updated on: 15 Apr, 2014

Name and address supplied

Dear Editor,

I hope people will complete Guildford Museum’s online survey, but I am alarmed that there is no mention of archaeology anywhere; and am afraid that the current museum management will use this as an excuse to downgrade the archaeology displays.

There is also no mention of the needlework collection, but I don’t know whether that is significant. If you agree with me that this is a bad thing I would be very grateful if you could fill in the questionnaire adding something about archaeology in sections 6 and 7.

The museum collection was started by the Surrey Archaeological Society (SAS) in 1854 and the museum itself in 1898. There has been a close and harmonious relationship between the borough council and the society since 1898 until recent years.

The borough took over the running of the museum in the 1930s and looks after its own collections and the society’s. The SAS collection was naturally from all over Surrey, and many of the borough’s collections are from outside the present day district council area, but the current museum management seems obsessed with local authority divisions and gives the impression of being unwilling to house material from outside Guildford borough.

This is a huge mistake, which will dumb-down the museum. Guildford is the county town of Surrey, and its museum should reflect the history of the county as a whole: no-one else is in a position to do this.

If you would like some guidance I suggest that you write in the ‘other’ box at the send of section 6 something like:

I would like to see permanent exhibitions of Surrey archaeology (and needlework).

I would like larger displays of the archaeology of Surrey.

I would like temporary exhibitions of archaeology alongside the permanent displays.

I would like more on the medieval archaeology of Guildford and Surrey.

Section 7 gives you a chance to mention other events/activities you would like to see. For this, you might say:

The importance of Guildford as the county town should be emphasised.

The history of Surrey should be displayed.

The current plans to re-develop the museum will severely cut down the amount of display space in the building, and the storage. I believe this is a backwards step.

I hope Guildford Museum publicises its survey to as many interested people and groups as possible. All local history societies should be contacted asking them to encourage their members to fill in the questionnaire.

Responses to Letter: Reply To Museum Survey, But Please Make These Points

Bernard Parke Reply

April 16, 2014 at 10:48 am

May I say that I endorse the contents of this letter.

We were promised a new museum as far back as the seventies but nothing was ever done.