It has been a busy and exciting month at the Cambridge Museum of Technology as the Museum's redevelopment project progresses.
About the project
What has happened recently
The design of the flexible gallery and learning space has taken shape! Our designers, Richard Fowler Associates, have developed the plans for the new permanent displays on local companies Pye and Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company. The displays will showcase parts of our collection and items from the Pye History Trust that have never been shown before. They will tell the stories of the companies, their innovative products, and the people who made them. The designers have also been working on signage, graphics, and interpretation for the whole site.
The Collections Committee has met and has finalised the interpretative themes across the museum. They are currently preparing detailed lists of individual objects, in consultation with other subject specialists, which will feed into the designs.
The heritage No. 4 boiler is close to being ready for inspection. The Boiler Committee have cleaned and descaled it (internally and externally), checked the fittings, and removed some of the brickwork to enable easier access to the steam drum. The boiler inspector will provide us with a comprehensive list of work required for its refurbishment, so that the Museum can run the historic steam engines again!
The Museum has received a grant from SHARE Museums East to support a detailed review of the collections. The review will help the Museum better understand and care for its collections, which means they can be used for displays, learning, and research more effectively in the redeveloped Museum.
The Museum has been looking into temporary offices and storage solutions. During construction, the Museum's staff will have to work off-site, and similarly, lots of the collections will have to be stored off-site. A permanent display storage facility for the Museum was cost engineered out of the project, so staff and volunteers are also investigating options for storing collections and equipment post-redevelopment. If you have ideas or can offer support or facilities, please get in touch.
Meanwhile... The Museum is still open to the public on Sundays 2pm - 5pm. We have also held events, such as a reading from The Wind in the Willows and a Classic and Vintage Motorcycle Day, and participated in several external events.
We still need your help!
Although the project has started, we still need to raise more money for parts of the project not covered by the Heritage Lottery Fund, as well as meet ongoing costs while the Museum is closed for the redevelopment. Even a small donation will help us successfully complete the project.
You can donate by cheque payable to Cambridge Museum of Technology, through our Charity Choice page, or through JustGiving. You can also collect free donations for the project every time you shop online with Easy Fundraising. Any amount you are able to give will help us complete the project. Thank you!
