Quirky Kettering

 



 First posted: 6th December 2016
 In Reviews
I’ve recently started my Resilience Syndicate internship with Culture Syndicates and for nine months I will be undertaking a placement with Kettering Museum. On my walk around the museum I saw some really quirky and interesting objects.
​Mummified cat: Said to ward away evil spirits, mummified cats were kept in between walls of houses! Potentially, not something that is common practice today but fascinating to look at.

Boots that conquered Everest: during the quest of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953 to conquer the mountain, these special high altitude boots were invented by The British Boot, Shoe & Allied Trade Research Association of Kettering. Perhaps the boots were the reason behind the success of the expedition?

Wooly rhinoceros: Sadly, this animal has been extinct for 10,000 years but you can see the remains of one right here at the museum. You can also compare it to the modern day rhinoceros, elephant and an Ichthyosaur.

Agatha Christie: This collection of objects has been temporarily loaned to the museum and shows the life and works of the famous author including a copy of her bust. You’ll have to be quick though, this amazing story leaves the museum 14th January 2017.

I do hope you visit Kettering to see these quirky and interesting objects and maybe I’ll see you there too!
By Siân Fox, Resilience Syndicate Intern at Kettering Museum

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome Jane Seaman, Projects and Evaluation Officer

Image
We finally manage to catch up with the recently-joined Jane Seaman as part of our Routes Into Heritage series, who has been busy ensuring we have a fruitful and exciting 2022 ahead of us.  Image credit: Jane, on a visit to St Peter's church Jane joined Culture Syndicates in December 2021 as Projects and Evaluation Officer. She has had a varied career including running her own business producing life-size realistic models and props for museums, Professional Development Manager for the Museums Association and, in more recent years, working on audience development and evaluation. Over the last fifteen years Jane has concentrated on working with clients to deliver their National Lottery Heritage Fund projects through evaluation and detailed analysis, enabling them to monitor project progress and reach a successful outcome.  Jane is now working with the Culture Syndicates team to deliver their current projects and bid for new contracts. We have really enjoyed having her on the team so f
Read more

Introducing: Yanqiu Autumn Dai, Strategic Advisor to the Culture Syndicates Board

Image
  Autumn is a highly qualified and experienced heritage researcher, practitioner, and consultant based in China. Educated at the University of California, she graduated with a BA in Art History and International Relations Global Business (IRGB) before completing her MSc in Visual Material and Museum Anthropology at the University of Oxford before embarking on a successful career in heritage and the arts around the world. She has worked in Los Angeles, Singapore, Hong Kong as well as the U.K. for art market consultancies and diverse museums and galleries around the world. A particular highlight is her recent. work to help establish the new Grand Canal Museum in Hangzhou. Autumn is very well connected to the international art market and Chinese cultural investors and her expertise lies in applying anthropological research tools and qualitative methodologies to improve marketplace studies in the arts and cultural sectors, and to provide market solutions and strategies for organisations. S
Read more

April Reading List

Image
This month we are musing on the theme of wellbeing, taking inspiration from Stress Awareness Month and World Health Day. It is a little shorter this month as we try to catch up with the start of Spring and find new directions. Meditations Marcus Aurelius  "Let not future things disturb thee, for thou wilt come to them, if it shall be necessary, having with thee the same reason which now thou usest for present things." on worry & anxiety This collection of writings from Aurelius, once Emperor of Rome, the book is more accurately titled "To Himself" and is a random collection of short Stoic reflections on things like life, friendship, and enduring hardship. It's quite a small book and is ideal to pick during your commute, lunch break, or bedtime. On Solitude Michel de Montaigne "When I dance, I dance; when I sleep, I sleep; yes, and when I walk alone in a beautiful orchard, if my thoughts drift to far-off matters for some part of the time for some other p
Read more