Technology Museums in the United Kingdom

Abstract

TECHNOLOGY MUSEUMS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM ALEXANDER HAYWARD A wide range of museums and related organizations preserve and present Britain’s technological heritage. It is not possible here to men­ tion all of them, let alone to give each the attention it might merit. Instead, I will examine in some detail those undertakings that illus­ trate various approaches to museum provision and operation. The largest museum in Britain concerned with technological mate­ rial is the National Museum of Science and Industry, consisting of the Science Museum in London and its outstations: the National Mu­ seum of Photography, Film, and Television in Bradford and the Na­ tional Railway Museum in York. The Science Museum was founded in 1857, and because of its long history has been able to amass large collections relating to power technology, transport, communications, and manufacturing, all of which combine to serve as a prime taxo­ nomic record of industrialization in the United Kingdom.1 Recent collecting has concentrated on significant post-1960 material. To­ gether with gallery updates and redisplays, new permanent galleries, and “Technology Futures” exhibits, this is improving the representa­ tion of modern science, technology, and medicine throughout the museum. The National Museum of Science and Industry is classified as a “national” museum. Such museums by definition receive the bulk of their funding from central government and hold collections of na­ tional and international significance. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, unlike England, have museums of their “national” cultures: the National Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh, the National Mu­ seum of Wales in Cardiff, and the Ulster Museum in Belfast. They do not specialize in the areas of science, technology, and medicine on the same scale as the National Museum of Science and Industry but do consider them as part of the whole range of subjects that constitute Mr. Hayward is external affairs coordinator for the Science Museum. He is cur­ rently researching the British airplane engine industry during World War I. 'For an overview of the history of the National Museum of Science and Industry and its key exhibits, see N. Cossons, ed., Making of the Modem World (London, 1992).© 1996 by the Society for the History of Technology. All rights reserved. 0040-165X/96/3701-0006$01.00 138 Technology Museums in the United Kingdom 139 natural and human history. In addition, the national museums in Scotland and Wales incorporate smaller museums that focus on vari­ ous aspects of technology, such as the Museum of Flight at North Berwick, and the Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum in Cardiff. In Northern Ireland, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum at Holywood is concerned with the transport heritage of the province. England does have other “national” museums whose collections relate to the history of technology. These include the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Imperial War Museum, and the National Mari­ time Museum in London, and the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. Their holdings reflect some of the variety of applications of technology and present it within interestingly different contexts such as art and design, and military and economic history. There are many other museums organized on a regional or local basis that complement the national collections of science and technol­ ogy. The funding of all these museums is quite involved. Those funded by local government tend to be long established, generalist in approach (although sometimes with branch museums of technol­ ogy), and based in towns or cities. The majority of recently established museums focus on a particular site or subject area and are often constituted as independent educational charitable trusts. These aim to generate as much of their own income as possible. The best have adopted innovative and entrepreneurial methods of operation that have helped enliven the museum scene generally. Nonetheless, these independent museums are frequently supported to a considerable extent by local and central government grant aid. Major technology collections are located in historic manufacturing centers such as Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham, Bristol, Glas­ gow, and Leeds. The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester had its origins in the late 1960s, when objects demonstrating the industrial history of northwest England were assembled in a museum on the campus of the University of Manchester Institute of Science...