Interesting Nucleus to Town Collection

  Now that the nucleus of what promises to be a good collection has been attained, the Hall Committee of the Rushden Urban Council are taking what some may consider a bold step in their decision to open the town’s museum immediately.  Nevertheless we think, and many will agree, that this is a sound step to take, for although a number of useful loans and gifts have been made, it is felt that when they are definitely on show an incentive will be given to other townspeople to loan articles of interest.

  The actual ceremony is arranged for Boxing Day at 2 p.m., when the museum will be declared open by Mr. G. W. Coles, J.P., chairman of the Hall Committee, and Mr. John Spencer, J.P., will preside, in the absence of the chairman of the Council, Mr. J. Roe, J.P., who will be away from the town.

  During the past week the present exhibits have been arranged in one of the rooms fronting the terrace, and they have been displayed to advantage.

  Prominent in the museum is the very fine geological collection which has been kindly loaned by Mr. W. W. Rial, and this, with other articles, has been displayed in three specially constructed glass-topped cases.

  An old dagger, found by the brook at Wymington, is also on view, and with other articles which have been loaned by the Northampton Museum Committee are replicas of the world’s most famous diamonds.  They are not originals!

  The valued assistance of the Northampton Museum Committee and their Curator, Mr. Brown, has been much appreciated by the Hall Committee.  They have loaned several articles, and it is anticipated that in a few months’ time these will be exchanged for others.

  The Committee, it may be mentioned, have further developments of this kind in view, so that it need not be thought that one visit to the museum will suffice; some of the exhibits will be changed periodically.

  Special mention should be made of the pictures.  There is a handsome Russian winter scene, a duplicate of the large framed picture of Queen Victoria’s jubilee celebration in Westminster Abbey, which hangs in the entrance to the Free Library, but the painting which will probably cause considerable discussion is one of Rushden Church dated 1875, though the scene is probably still earlier.  It is not easy to distinguish the point from which the picture was painted.

  Announcements of the loans or gifts to the museum have been made in the “Echo and Argus” from time to time, but there are a number of articles which have been added recently, and which will repay inspection.

  Although at present confined to one room, the Committee will welcome further exhibits, which can be loaned or given.  There is plenty of room for the museum to expand, and it is to be hoped that now a start has been made those who can will show their appreciation of the work which has already been done.

The Rushden Echo and Argus, 30^th December, 1932

Rushden Museum Opened - Boxing Day Ceremony
Town as “Residential Centre”

  Rushden Hall Museum, on which a descriptive article appeared in last week’s issue of the “Echo and Argus,” was formally opened to the public on Monday afternoon, by Councillor G. W. Coles, J.P., chairman of the Parks, Baths, and Hall Committee of the Rushden Urban Council.

Outside the Hall

  Others present included Councillors C. W. Horrell, C.A., A. Wilmott, J. Hornsby, and J. T. Richardson, with Mr. H. Lack (Rates Clerk), and Mr. F. S. F. Piper (Sanitary Inspector).

  Mr. Spencer said his recollections of Rushden went back for nearly half a century to the time when Rushden was a comparatively small village without proper streets, pavement or roads; no proper sanitary arrangements, without a good water supply and with no recreation ground or Council buildings.  At that time they had the Green, and very little else.

  Since then Rushden had developed by leaps and bounds, and to-day they had the best sewerage system, water supply, roads and pavements.  They also had recreation grounds where young and old could have pleasure, and last, but not least, they had quite recently secured the wonderful Hall and grounds.  They hoped that the spirit which had been at work – the spirit of progress – would still continue.

“The Day”

  Mr. Spencer added that Mr. Coles had done a lot of work in connection with the development of the Hall.  The Council had decided not to be in a hurry in developing the estate, but schemes would be formulated whereby the Hall would be made useful, not only for the present generation, but for those to come.

  Mr. Coles said to-day was for him a great one to which he had been looking forward for a considerable time.

  When they were fortunate enough to secure the Hall and grounds he felt so lifted up that he made this statement:- “Up to now Rushden has been a purely industrial town, but acquiring the grounds has given it a much higher tone and improved it from an industrial centre to a residential centre.”  He did not know a town in the county that had a better park.

  “It was felt that we should make some good use of a large Hall of this character,” continued Mr. Coles, “and there is no better use that I can think of than as a museum and art gallery.

  “In answering our appeals for articles of local and national interest our Rushden friends have been exceedingly kind, and I think you will agree that we have made an excellent start.  It is a small collection, but we are not done yet, and we hope to make use of other rooms for a similar purpose.”

Aid From Northampton

  Mr. Coles appealed to the townspeople to give or lend further exhibits, and expressed the hope that the museum would prove an attraction to Rushden and district people.  He hoped that even the juveniles would make use of it, because there was always an educational value attached to a museum.

  They were greatly indebted to Mr. Brown, the curator of the Northampton Museums, who had placed his great experience at their disposal and had also been good enough to send over a few exhibits from Northampton and to promise that they could call upon his museum for further loans.

  Before declaring the museum open Mr. Coles thanked Councillors Spencer and Wilmott, who, with himself had formed a sub-committee and gone heart and soul into the matter.

  Proposing a vote of thanks to the opener, Mr. Wilmott, in one of his humorous speeches, said Mr. Coles had sacrificed much time in what had been a rather tedious job.  After expressing his confidence that the public would appreciate “the little museum,” Mr. Wilmott mentioned that articles for exhibition could be borrowed from the British Museum and South Kensington Museum.

  Mr. Horrell seconded and the ceremony then ended.

  The visitors then inspected the museum.  Candles were lighted in a Venetian glass candelabra, and throughout the afternoon members of the Council were explaining the exhibits to interested questioners.