Grosvenor Museum celebrates West Cheshire Museums’ collections

Chester’s Grosvenor Museum will be staging a year-long series of ‘Object of the Month’ talks starting from 3rd March.

The free talks are aimed at attracting a lunch-time audience between 1-1.30pm in the museum’s historic lecture theatre, located within the museum at 27 Grosvenor Street, Chester. The talks will give a fascinating insight into the unfolding work of West Cheshire Museum’s three curators and Archaeology Officer – much of whose work in preserving the history of West Cheshire and the collections of its four museums takes place ‘behind the scenes’. Booking is not required. For further information go to westcheshiremuseums.co.uk 

3 March - Enamelled Glass by Julie Edwards, Archaeology Officer 

This talk will explore the delicate pieces of 16th century glass from the Chester Amphitheatre project, explaining why they are so historically significant that they were lent to the Musée du Louvre in Paris. 

14 April, Gold and Garnet Ring by Liz Montgomery, Senior Curator, West Cheshire Museums 

April’s Object of the Month talk will focus on an exquisite medieval gold and garnet ring that was found during excavations in Chester city in an unexpected place. It will be a star attraction of the Grosvenor Museum’s ‘Medieval Chester Retold’ Exhibition starting on 23 April. 

12 May, Coronation Handbag by Liz Montgomery, Senior Curator, West Cheshire Museums 

In advance of the country’s historic Platinum Jubilee in June, Liz will explore the excitement and pride felt by the people of Chester for the Queen’s Coronation in 1952. This story will be told through one special object – a Coronation Handbag. 

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council said: “West Cheshire Museums does a hugely important job in not just preserving the history of our area but bringing the collections of all four of its museums to life. Their work involves maintaining the collections, staging exhibitions and educating school groups. However, an unseen, but vital, part of their work is to research and bring to life stories and objects from the museums’ archive collections. West Cheshire museum staff are enthusiastic and creative and I know their year-long talks, starting with these first three talks will be not only informative and interesting but spark interest in the on-going story of our museums’ collection.”  

Pictured - Grosvenor Museums’ 16^th century enamelled glass.