Portland Museum
Portland Museum is a local museum of early 20th century origin, located at the southern end of the hamlet of Wakeham. It was established by Dr. Marie Stopes, who continued her association with it until her death in 1958. The museum is housed in two 17th century thatched cottages, which have been Grade II Listed since January 1951. Portland Museum is a member of the Dorset Museums Association.
Portland Museum's exhibitions are based on four key themes to represent Portland; the history of Portland stone, the Jurassic Coast, shipwrecks around Portland and the Royal Navy, and famous people associated with the island. The island's rich archaeology is covered with items dating from the Stone Age onwards.
Between 2003-09, the museum received an average of approximately 5,200 visitors a year. The museum has limited opening times at Easter, and is open every day during the summer (May–September), before reducing to limited opening times until November, when the museum closes until the next Easter.
History
Creation and opening of Portland Museum (1926-31)
Prior to the establishment of Portland Museum, a small museum of the same name had opened on the island in 1882. Created by E. J. Laker and friends, it generated much interest upon opening, with the Dorset County Chronicle commenting: "Those who have not yet seen the beautiful collection ought to do so at once". The museum, however, proved to be short-lived.
Portland's next museum was founded by the doctor and pioneer of birth control Marie Stopes, who had purchased the Old Higher Lighthouse at Portland Bill for use as a summer residence in 1923. Three years later, in 1926, she purchased two small, derelict thatched cottages in Wakeham, Avice's Cottage and No. 217, from Mr. Abe Sansom, with the aim of forming a museum for the island. She soon revealed her intention to generate public interest, have the cottages restored and transformed, then hand them over to the Portland Urban District Council. A meeting by the council followed in August that year, where it was agreed that the council would take ownership of the museum once it was established. They also suggested that the surrounding open land should be purchased to allow for future expansion.
The monies required for the restoration and conversion of the cottages was raised by public subscription. The fundraising was successful and after the restoration was completed, the museum began accepting historical items. An attempted handover to the council in 1931 failed as the Public Libraries Act of 1919 prevented them from being responsible for a museum. Instead, the council appealed to Dorset County Council, who had the power to take ownership of the museum. In addition to the two cottages, Dr. Stopes also followed the council's advice and purchased the open land around the museum. She had originally intended to hand over the land to the council within ten years if expansion was required, but opted to also transfer the land with the two cottages in 1931 on the condition that it was used as an extension of the museum or for some educational use such as a library.
A well-attended meeting of the Portland Urban District Council in July 1931 noted that the local people had recorded their "gratitude and thanks to Dr. Stopes for the great interest she has taken in promoting the scheme - and for purchasing the freehold of Avice's Cottage and adjoining premises, and presenting same free of cost to the inhabitants". Dorset County Council accepted ownership of the museum in August 1931 on the understanding that the running costs were borne by Portland, and the museum opened in August 1932.
Museum makeover (2008-)
In April 2008, management of Portland Museum was transferred from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council to the newly-formed Portland Museum Trust. The museum then saw a major makeover from 2009 onwards, which included the renewal and updating of displays and exhibitions. In 2012, the independent Portland Island Museum Supporters group was established to support the museum by money raised through subscriptions and the holding of fundraising events. The group is now known as Friends of Portland Museum.
Features
Avice's Cottage and No. 217 form Portland Museum, both of which date back to the 17th century. Avice's Cottage was built by B. Moore in 1640, while No. 217 was greatly modified in the early 19th century. Both cottages retain thatched roofs, which were once a common characteristic of many of the island's old properties. In 1974, work began on a large extension of the museum, eastwards of Avice's Cottage, to provide more exhibition space, and this new section was opened in April 1976.
Avice's Cottage is named as such for its role as the home of three generations of "Avices" in Thomas Hardy's 1897 novel The Well-Beloved. In the novel, Hardy wrote: "...the cottage, with its quaint and massive stone features of two or three centuries' antiquity, was capable even now of longer resistance to the rasp of Time than ordinary new erections". No. 217 is often referred to as the Marie Stopes Cottage.
The 1970s extension features the museum entrance and gift shop, along with exhibition space which includes the Portland Gallery, an area containing archaeological finds and other items. Avice's Cottage is used as the Stone Room, which covers Portland stone. The Marie Stopes Cottage features the "Victorian Corner", which displays objects found in a Victorian parlour, along with the wedding dress of a Portland girl. On the upper level of the cottage, the Maritime Room covers Portland's shipwrecks and the Royal Navy at Portland Harbour. The room has a range of artefacts, including items recovered from various shipwrecks.
The museum garden has a collection of local fossils, ammonites, fossilised trees and local masonry and artefacts, including the casing of a World War II bomb found on Portland in 1995, and the windshaft and sail arms of one of Portland's windmills.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page. The primary sources are in italics.
1) Dorset for You - Visitor numbers at selected attractions 2002-2012 - website page
2) Exploring Portland - Church Ope Cove and the Pennsylvania Castle Area - Geoff Kirby - website page
3) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Museum and Avice's Cottage - website page
4) Isle of Portland Official Guide - Portland Urban District Council - Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd, Chelternham and London - circa 1962 - page 17 - book
5) Kelly's Directory of Dorsetshire - Kelly's Directories Ltd - 1935 - directory
6) Portland: A Topographical and Historical Gazetteer - Roy Mackenzie - 1999 - page 30 - book
7) Portland Museum - Official Website - Home - website page
8) Portland Museum - Official Website - P.I.M.S: Portland Island Museum Supporters - website page
9) Portland Picture Archive - Marie Stopes on Portland - website page
10) The British Newspaper Archive - various contemporary newspaper articles - website page
11) Weymouth and Portland Borough Council - Official Website - Portland Museum - website page
Portland Museum's exhibitions are based on four key themes to represent Portland; the history of Portland stone, the Jurassic Coast, shipwrecks around Portland and the Royal Navy, and famous people associated with the island. The island's rich archaeology is covered with items dating from the Stone Age onwards.
Between 2003-09, the museum received an average of approximately 5,200 visitors a year. The museum has limited opening times at Easter, and is open every day during the summer (May–September), before reducing to limited opening times until November, when the museum closes until the next Easter.
History
Creation and opening of Portland Museum (1926-31)
Prior to the establishment of Portland Museum, a small museum of the same name had opened on the island in 1882. Created by E. J. Laker and friends, it generated much interest upon opening, with the Dorset County Chronicle commenting: "Those who have not yet seen the beautiful collection ought to do so at once". The museum, however, proved to be short-lived.
Portland's next museum was founded by the doctor and pioneer of birth control Marie Stopes, who had purchased the Old Higher Lighthouse at Portland Bill for use as a summer residence in 1923. Three years later, in 1926, she purchased two small, derelict thatched cottages in Wakeham, Avice's Cottage and No. 217, from Mr. Abe Sansom, with the aim of forming a museum for the island. She soon revealed her intention to generate public interest, have the cottages restored and transformed, then hand them over to the Portland Urban District Council. A meeting by the council followed in August that year, where it was agreed that the council would take ownership of the museum once it was established. They also suggested that the surrounding open land should be purchased to allow for future expansion.
The monies required for the restoration and conversion of the cottages was raised by public subscription. The fundraising was successful and after the restoration was completed, the museum began accepting historical items. An attempted handover to the council in 1931 failed as the Public Libraries Act of 1919 prevented them from being responsible for a museum. Instead, the council appealed to Dorset County Council, who had the power to take ownership of the museum. In addition to the two cottages, Dr. Stopes also followed the council's advice and purchased the open land around the museum. She had originally intended to hand over the land to the council within ten years if expansion was required, but opted to also transfer the land with the two cottages in 1931 on the condition that it was used as an extension of the museum or for some educational use such as a library.
A well-attended meeting of the Portland Urban District Council in July 1931 noted that the local people had recorded their "gratitude and thanks to Dr. Stopes for the great interest she has taken in promoting the scheme - and for purchasing the freehold of Avice's Cottage and adjoining premises, and presenting same free of cost to the inhabitants". Dorset County Council accepted ownership of the museum in August 1931 on the understanding that the running costs were borne by Portland, and the museum opened in August 1932.
Museum makeover (2008-)
In April 2008, management of Portland Museum was transferred from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council to the newly-formed Portland Museum Trust. The museum then saw a major makeover from 2009 onwards, which included the renewal and updating of displays and exhibitions. In 2012, the independent Portland Island Museum Supporters group was established to support the museum by money raised through subscriptions and the holding of fundraising events. The group is now known as Friends of Portland Museum.
Features
Avice's Cottage and No. 217 form Portland Museum, both of which date back to the 17th century. Avice's Cottage was built by B. Moore in 1640, while No. 217 was greatly modified in the early 19th century. Both cottages retain thatched roofs, which were once a common characteristic of many of the island's old properties. In 1974, work began on a large extension of the museum, eastwards of Avice's Cottage, to provide more exhibition space, and this new section was opened in April 1976.
Avice's Cottage is named as such for its role as the home of three generations of "Avices" in Thomas Hardy's 1897 novel The Well-Beloved. In the novel, Hardy wrote: "...the cottage, with its quaint and massive stone features of two or three centuries' antiquity, was capable even now of longer resistance to the rasp of Time than ordinary new erections". No. 217 is often referred to as the Marie Stopes Cottage.
The 1970s extension features the museum entrance and gift shop, along with exhibition space which includes the Portland Gallery, an area containing archaeological finds and other items. Avice's Cottage is used as the Stone Room, which covers Portland stone. The Marie Stopes Cottage features the "Victorian Corner", which displays objects found in a Victorian parlour, along with the wedding dress of a Portland girl. On the upper level of the cottage, the Maritime Room covers Portland's shipwrecks and the Royal Navy at Portland Harbour. The room has a range of artefacts, including items recovered from various shipwrecks.
The museum garden has a collection of local fossils, ammonites, fossilised trees and local masonry and artefacts, including the casing of a World War II bomb found on Portland in 1995, and the windshaft and sail arms of one of Portland's windmills.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page. The primary sources are in italics.
1) Dorset for You - Visitor numbers at selected attractions 2002-2012 - website page
2) Exploring Portland - Church Ope Cove and the Pennsylvania Castle Area - Geoff Kirby - website page
3) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Museum and Avice's Cottage - website page
4) Isle of Portland Official Guide - Portland Urban District Council - Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd, Chelternham and London - circa 1962 - page 17 - book
5) Kelly's Directory of Dorsetshire - Kelly's Directories Ltd - 1935 - directory
6) Portland: A Topographical and Historical Gazetteer - Roy Mackenzie - 1999 - page 30 - book
7) Portland Museum - Official Website - Home - website page
8) Portland Museum - Official Website - P.I.M.S: Portland Island Museum Supporters - website page
9) Portland Picture Archive - Marie Stopes on Portland - website page
10) The British Newspaper Archive - various contemporary newspaper articles - website page
11) Weymouth and Portland Borough Council - Official Website - Portland Museum - website page
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