Reading Museum (run by the Reading Museum Service) is a museum of the history of the town of

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spell ...

, in the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

county of

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Ber ...

, and the surrounding area. It is accommodated within

Reading Town Hall Reading Town Hall is the town hall of Reading, Berkshire, England. The town hall was built in several phases between 1786 and 1897, although the principal facade was designed by Alfred Waterhouse in 1875. Situated close to the site of Reading Ab ...

, and contains galleries describing the history of Reading and its related industries, a gallery of artefacts discovered during the excavations of

Calleva Atrebatum Calleva Atrebatum ("Calleva of the Atrebates") was an Iron Age oppidum, the capital of the Atrebates tribe. It then became a walled town in the Roman province of Britannia, at a major crossroads of the roads of southern Britain. The modern villa ...

(Silchester Roman Town), a copy of the Bayeux Tapestry, finds relating to

Reading Abbey Reading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It was founded by Henry I in 1121 "for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of King William, my father, and of King William, m ...

and an art collection.

History of the museum

was built in several phases between 1786 and 1897, although the principal facade was designed by

Alfred Waterhouse Alfred Waterhouse (19 July 1830 – 22 August 1905) was an English architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, although he designed using other architectural styles as well. He is perhaps best known ...

in 1875. In 1879, the foundation stone was laid for a new wing containing a

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...

and museum, and the museum duly opened in 1883. The museum displayed a large eclectic collection from the late

Horatio Bland Horatio Bland (1802) was a merchant and collector of artefacts from around the world. He set up a private museum in Berkshire and his collection founded Reading Museum in 1882. Childhood Bland was born in about 1802 at Bonavista, Trinity Ba ...

. Three art galleries were added in further extension in 1897. In 1975, the civic offices moved out of the Town Hall to

Reading Civic Centre Reading Civic Centre was a civic centre in the town of Reading, itself in the English county of Berkshire. The centre dated from the mid-1970s. History Prior to the 16th century, civic administration for the town of Reading was situated in the ...

. They were followed in 1985 by the

Reading Central Library Reading Central Library is a public library in the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. History From 1882, the main library was in Reading Town Hall. However, as early as World War I complaints were being made there was insu ...

which left only the museum and the concert hall in use. After some debate, plans to demolish the Town Hall and replace it with a new cultural centre were abandoned, and in 1986 refurbishment of the building started. The museum was closed for renewal in 1989, reopening in stages from 1993 (the ''Reading: People & Place'' gallery) to 2000.

Principal galleries

Story of Reading Gallery

This documents Reading's history, from its origins as a

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

settlement in the 6th century up to today, with a mixture of oral history presentations, interactive displays and a mix of real objects from the period. There is an emphasis on

The Silchester Gallery

The gallery features many archaeological finds from the excavations conducted at the nearby

(Silchester Roman Town) together with explanatory models and other information on life in the Roman town. This includes the bronze

Silchester eagle The Silchester eagle is a Roman bronze casting dating from the first or second century CE, uncovered in 1866 at Calleva Atrebatum in Silchester, Hampshire, England. It was purchased in 1980 by Reading Museum in Berkshire where it remains on displ ...

that was immortalised by

Rosemary Sutcliff Rosemary Sutcliff (14 December 1920 – 23 July 1992) was an English novelist best known for children's books, especially historical fiction and retellings of myths and legends. Although she was primarily a children's author, some of her novel ...

in her children's book ''

The Eagle of the Ninth ''The Eagle of the Ninth'' is a historical adventure novel for children written by Rosemary Sutcliff and published in 1954. The story is set in Roman Britain in the 2nd century AD, after the building of Hadrian's Wall. Plot Discharged because ...

'', first published in 1954. The Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum was excavated in the 1860s, unearthing a diversity of finds including jewellery, fine glass and pottery, sculpture, mosaics, iron tools and coins. Many items found during the excavation are displayed in the gallery. Items of particular note include the Silchester eagle, the Silchester Horse and the damaged head of Seraphis. A model of the Roman town is also on display.

Atrium

This space provides seating around a Roman pavement mosaic from the Silchester site, where a 4th-century Christian church is thought to have existed. On the wall are displays of two large mosaics from Silchester. The mosaics are juxtaposed with ceramics of

Alan Caiger-Smith Alan Caiger-Smith MBE (8 February 1930 – 21 February 2020) was a British ceramicist, studio potter and writer on pottery. Life and work Caiger-Smith was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He studied at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts ...

produced at his Aldermaston Pottery.

The Bayeux Gallery

Reading Museum's Bayeux Tapestry Gallery exhibits an accurate replica of the Bayeux Tapestry, made by 35 women of the

Leek Embroidery Society Leek Embroidery Society (also known as The Leek Society, or The Society) was established in 1879 in Leek, Staffordshire. It was known for producing both domestic and ecclesiastical embroidery work, which was granted prestigious awards for its fin ...

in 1885. The tapestry is the only known full size woven copy of the original tapestry in existence. The tapestry is 70 metres long and depicts the events of the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conq ...

of England by

William, Duke of Normandy William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...

in 1066. This includes the preamble to conflict, followed by the preparations for war and decisive Norman victory in the

Battle of Hastings The Battle of Hastings nrf, Batâle dé Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, beginning the Norman Conque ...

. Information boards around the exhibit offer a translation of the original Medieval Latin, while providing the visitor with a historical description of the conquest. The final section of the Tapestry, which included William's coronation at

Winchester cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...

, was lost before the copy was made. The events have a local significance to Reading, for King William's youngest son

Henry I Henry I may refer to: 876–1366 * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry I the Long, Margrave of the N ...

founded

in 1121 and was later buried there in 1136. The exhibit is complemented by information on the history of

migration and

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

raids in the local area.

The Green Space

The Gallery explains the geology and natural history of the Reading area through a large display of specimens. Exploring the history of the Reading area from 400 million years ago to the present day, it explains what was in the area before people existed and how Reading's landscape and environment have developed and been influenced by human activity since the

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with ...

.The Green Space Gallery - Museum of Reading website
/ref> The Gallery also shows the animals and plants living in the Reading area today. Highlights in the display include a complete

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...

dog skeleton discovered and excavated at Blewburton hillfort; and a royal red deer stag which was donated to the Museum by

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother ...

from the royal herd at

Windsor Great Park Windsor Great Park is a Royal Park of , including a deer park, to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. It is adjacent to the private Home Park, which is nearer the castle. The park was, for ma ...

Huntley & Palmers Gallery

This gallery reveals the history of the biscuit-making industry that was once one of the mainstays of the Reading economy, with special emphasis on the

Huntley and Palmers Huntley & Palmers is a British company of biscuit makers originally based in Reading, Berkshire. Formed by Joseph Huntley in 1822, the company became one of the world's first global brands (chiefly led by George Palmer who joined in 1841) and ra ...

company, Reading's world famous biscuit makers. The display charts how Huntley & Palmers pioneered the mass production of biscuits and explains why Reading became known as the 'Biscuit Town'.The Huntley and Palmers Gallery - Museum of Reading website
/ref> The display shows what factory life was like for Huntley & Palmers' thousands of employees explained through oral recordings, photographs and historic film, including the earliest surviving film of a British factory in action. Highlights of the display include about 300 decorative biscuit tins as well as advertising material and other artefacts; an African thumb piano crafted from a Huntley & Palmers biscuit tin; a biscuit supplied to Captain Scott's final Antarctic expedition, and an example of the rude ‘

Kate Greenaway Catherine Greenaway (17 March 18466 November 1901) was an English Victorian artist and writer, known for her children's book illustrations. She received her education in graphic design and art between 1858 and 1871 from the Finsbury School o ...

’ biscuit tin that continues to embarrass the company today.

The Windows Gallery

This Gallery is named The Windows Gallery as it is a 'window' on the Museum's wide collection of sculpture and decorative art, ranging from Romanesque stones from the 12th-century from

to modern pieces by

Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor, generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a uniqu ...

and

Epstein The surname Epstein ( yi, עפּשטײן, Epshteyn) is one of the oldest Ashkenazi Jewish family names. It is probably derived from the German town of Eppstein, in Hesse; the place-name was probably derived from Gaulish ''apa'' ("water", in the sen ...

. Originally, this section of the Museum housed the Reading School of Art and as such was designed to be well-lit by natural daylight from the windows on either side. Highlights of the collection include: 12th century Romanesque capitals from Reading Abbey; sculpture by

, Epstein and Gibbings, and Delftware plates and other ceramics.

The Sir John Madejski Art Gallery

This is a recreation of the museum's original

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

art gallery and houses changing exhibitions of artworks. It is named after John Madejski, the chairman of

Reading F.C. Reading Football Club ( ) is a professional football club based in Reading, Berkshire, England. The team play in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. The club is managed by Paul Ince. Reading are nicknamed ...

The Exhibition Gallery

This space is designed to house changing exhibitions, both from the museum's collection and external sources. As an example, in late 2004, the gallery contained an exhibition on the history of the

Reading Festival The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...

Access

The museum is free to visit. As of February 2020, it is open from 10:00 to 16:00 on Tuesday to Friday, 10.00 to 17.00 on Saturdays, and closed all day Monday and Sunday, with exceptions for holidays.

Charitable

Reading Foundation for Art was set up in 1974 with the ambition of building an art collection to enrich the lives of the local residents and enhance the cultural fabric of Reading and the surrounding areas. It now has a collection of over 150 works on permanent loan to Reading Museum and is a registered charity.

References

External links

* {{authority control r Museums established in 1883 Museums in Reading, Berkshire Art museums and galleries in Berkshire Museums of ancient Rome in the United Kingdom Alfred Waterhouse buildings

1883 establishments in England