Kingston Museum celebrates its centenary
Kingston Museum is one hundred years old in 2004, and will be celebrating throughout the year with a host of special events, activities and exhibitions.
The Museum, which adjoins Kingston Library, is a Grade II Listed Building. The Library was opened in May 1903 and the Museum followed just over a year later on 31st October 1904. Both buildings owe their existence to the generosity of Andrew Carnegie, Scottish American benefactor. The total cost of the library was £8,400 of which £2,000 was originally donated by Carnegie. A few days after he had formally opened the library, Carnegie wrote to Kingston donating the balance of the cost enabling the Borough to construct the Museum. The original letter survives in the Borough Archives.
Kingston Library in 1903 before the Museum was built
The opening of Kingston Library: the Mayor and Mayoress with Andrew Carnegie and civic guests
Designed by Alfred Cox, the Museum was opened by the Earl of Rosebery, High Steward of the Borough, in the presence of the Mayor Councillor H C Minnitt. The Mayor said the building would meet a need that had long been felt in Kingston, and the Surrey Comet commented that municipal progress has been very rapid of late in Kingston due to the completion of both buildings.
The use of the interior spaces has changed over the years--the beautiful stained glass windows came from the old Town Hall (now the Market House) in 1935. The present permanent displays were developed in the 1990s with a Heritage Lottery Grant, one of the first awarded to a local museum, and tell the special story of the Royal Borough through the ages. One gallery is devoted to the life and work of Kingston's own Eadweard Muybridge, internationally significant pioneer photographer of the moving image. He died just a few months before the Museum was opened and his centenary is being commemorated in 2004 as well.
Eadweard Muybridge's Zoopraxiscope for projecting moving images, left to the borough a few months before the Museum was completed.
Kingston Musuem entrance gallery in 1992 before refurbishment
The Museum Art Gallery was also restored to its former glory and provides an important space for a series of continually changing temporary touring and in-house exhibitions, many of national significance. Recently works by Gerald Scarfe have been exhibited, and touring exhibitions have been hired from the National Portrait Gallery and the Hayward Gallery. The Matisse Jazz exhibition last Summer was particularly popular.
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Guest speaker, Gyles Brandreth and John Hackett representing Russell-Cooke Solicitors, regular Museum sponsors, at the opening of an exhibition of circus paintings by Leger, a national touring exhibition from the Hayward Gallery.
Into the 21st century
The Museum Education Service is developing and is much in demand for school sessions, reminiscence workshops, talks and family events.
School art project run by the Museum: children are making paper sculpture figures based on Eadweard Muybridge's moving image photography. Their work will be on display in the Museum during our paper sculpture exhibition Rush on Them, 31st January to 27th March 2004.
We are always looking at ways of updating our galleries and services, and are working towards another lottery application soon, so please complete a gallery survey or a comment card when you visit us to help us plan for the future. You can also support us by joining our Friends Association for just £5 per year. Fill in the application form in our annual leaflet and/or send a cheque made out to 'The Friends of Kingston Museum & Heritage Service', c/o North Kingston Centre, Richmond Road, Kingston upon Thames KT2 5PE.