Exhibitions

Revealed Roots // Concealed Connections

May 18th 2021 to February 6th 2022

Dogs, ships and football! A story of Rotherham told by the people who live here

‘Revealed Roots // Concealed Connections’ explores our collections through the personal stories of our Visitor Services team at the museum. This is the first time we have created an exhibition which puts the passions and voices of our front-line team centre stage to share their own personal connections with our archives and objects.

To reveal their stories, Angie and Zahid from the Visitor Services team and Dean from the Walker Café have worked with Leeds based contemporary artist Pippa Hale. Together they have been on a journey of discovery, delving into the museum stores with the Collections team to uncover connections to their personal interests and develop funny, quirky and creative ways to share their stories with you.

This exhibition is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Logos required – Arts Council

But is it Art?

The original drawing room of the Walker family has been lovingly redecorated and adorned with an eclectic range of paintings from the Rotherham Collection’s Fine Art store. Showcasing a range of styles and mediums the collection consists of oil paintings, watercolours, drawings, prints and sculpture and spans from the Walker family, who built and lived in this house to large collections of seascapes and landscapes from local benefactor Edward Nightingale.

This is the first time that many of these artworks have been on display at the museum as we continue to develop and grow the collection asking the people of Rotherham what they would like to see in the collections and sharing behind the scenes conservation that preserves these objects and stories for future generations.

The Suitcase

September 3rd to November 21st 2021

Created by Shaheen Shah, a visual artist, Zanib Rasool MBE, a writer and poet, and Mariam Shah, an oral historian, make up the Zanib Collective, ‘The Suitcase’ marks the monumental life change of the first generation of Pakistani women who came to Rotherham in the 1960s. It tells their stories through the memories they carried with them in hearts and luggage and captures the sight, smell, and feel of the Pakistani home through stories, poetry, visual images and video.

The Suitcases is part of the Our World Esmee Fairbairn Collections Fund project.

Logos required

The Walker Kitchen

The recently refurbished, original Walker family kitchen, represents the heart of every home including ours. Now a space for discussion, events, and reflection, you can relax with family and friends, take part in creative activities, or just take time out in one of the comfortable chairs and catch up with our latest films and online activities.

This space will become home to our new Nelson’s Cub Club for families and under 5s from September 2021. Until then bring your little ones and watch our Nelson’s Cub Club films throughout the summer season as well as films from our heritage sites and community programmes.

Around the World in 210 years - York and Lancaster Regimental Collection and Archive

This exhibition in the York and Lancaster Regimental Collection & Archive gallery explores international connections of the regiment which reaches across the globe. These connections are explored through both conflict and peace time taking in 6 continents and 42 countries and spanning more than two centuries the soldiers left their mark as both friend and foe.

This exhibition includes stories of war and the role of the Yorkshire 7 Lancaster Regiment in these conflicts, where they were stationed, what they fought for and questions these conquests through a modern lens. However, the regiment wasn’t always engaged in war and throughout its long history toured the world making friendships and bonds that stretch for thousands of miles. Learn about the Friendship Books that the soldiers made, read their stories of camaraderie, companionship, and support. Inspired by these personal and important stories of friendship and care you can make your own Friendship Book in our new Community Gallery ready to share with your loved ones.

The exhibition continues in the Rotherham Archives search room where the stories of local families tracing their history and heritage through the regiment will be on display alongside the collection that brings these stories to life.

Permanent Spaces

Take a tour of Rotherham as you’ve never seen it before, told through our eclectic and surprising collection from pottery to taxidermy, geology and paintings.

Meet our ‘unicorn’ Ghost – a scanachrome print on an aluminium lightbox, by Turner Prize-winning contemporary artist Mark Wallinger, on loan from the Kirkland Collection thanks to the generosity of businessman and art collector Jack Kirkland, with support from Museums Sheffield.

Explore early Rotherham from its geological foundations to the English Civil War, taking in the Pre-historic, Roman and Medieval periods, before stepping outside to visit a real-life fort in ruins. Come and see our world-renowned Rockingham pottery collection, made locally in Swinton and marvel at the workmanship that created the enormous ornate Rhino vase, incredibly made in one piece! Its sister vase is part of London’s V&A Museum Collection.

For animal lovers we have a diverse menagerie for the proud South African Cape Lion Nelson, to the two bodied kitten, beautiful Butterfly rooms and even mummified Egyptian animals.