Olivia King: Artist in Residence at York Art Gallery
My name is Olivia and I am a third year York St John student and resident artists at York Art Gallery as part of the exhibition Making a Masterpiece: Bouts and Beyond.
Blog
The Photography of Tempest Anderson – By Stuart Ogilvy, Assistant Curator of Natural Science Collections & Curatorial Services
Since July 2017 volunteers have been helping to digitise a Tempest Anderson collection of glass slides, ranging from the 1880s to 1913 (so some have become a bit grubby!). Tempest Anderson travelled the world studying and photographing volcanoes, but he also took photos of anything that interested him. There are spectacular pictures of glaciers (European Alps), geysers ( …
Redisplaying the York Automaton Clock – By Daniela Corda
Over summer 2018, Matthew Read, Director, Bowes Centre, and I were commissioned to condition survey, part disassemble, pack for transportation, and reassemble an eighteenth-century automaton clock on behalf of York Museums Trust. Originally assembled during the 1780s, this highly ornate Automaton Clock was most likely designed for the export market and – although unsigned – has long been …
The Overton Hoard: A Severan Hoard from North Yorkshire – By Emily Tilley, Curatorial Assistant, Roman Archaeology
In 2016 a hoard of 37 Roman silver denarii and fragments of a drinking vessel was found in Overton, a village just outside York. The discovery was reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) and declared Treasure. It is recorded on the PAS Database as YORYM-BE3F22. The Overton Hoard was acquired by York Museums Trust in …
Buried Treasure: New Acquisitions to the Archaeology Collection of the Yorkshire Museum – By Adam Parker, Assistant Curator of Archaeology
One of the main methods which the Yorkshire Museum uses to acquire new objects is through the Treasure Act. Any object found in England that is more than 300 years old and more than 10% by weight of a precious metal is classed as ‘Treasure’ and is therefore the property of the crown. The Portable Antiquities Scheme …
York Castle’s Forgotten Reign of Terror – By Charles Patmore, York Castle Museum Volunteer
York Castle was a grim prison for many political or religious dissenters. Victims included the Knights Templar, Catholics who resisted the Reformation, Jacobite followers of Bonnie Prince Charlie, and the Luddites, Peterloo protesters and Chartists of the 19th century – to name a few. Some were gaoled in the old Castle buildings and others in the 18 …
New Rules for York Castle Museum? By Sarah Mortimer, Assistant Curator of Social History Learning (Formal)
After a visit to York Castle Museum, Lindhead Primary School sent us some lovely leaflets they had made about the museum. We liked them so much, we thought we’d share some snippets from them. In their leaflets, the children included some useful information about the Castle Museum’s exhibitions and facilities (the information below …
Weird Christmas! By Rachael Bowers, Assistant Curator of History
When searching through the York Castle Museum’s collection of beautiful Christmas objects, Assistant Curator of History Rachael Bowers came across the more unusual aspects of Christmas past… We are fortunate at York Castle Museum to have a large collection of beautiful Christmas decorations and cards. Many of these are now decorating the period rooms …
Concealed Shoes in the York Castle Museum Collection
Dr M Faye Prior, Assistant Curator of Costume and Textiles at York Castle Museum, has been busy auditing the museum’s collection of men’s and children’s shoes. In this blog post, she shares a few of her discoveries: shoes that were used as protection against evil spirits. When renovating old houses, workers often …
A Revealing Item from the York Castle Museum Costume Collection – by Dr M Faye Prior, Collections Facilitator
As part of World Menstrual Hygiene Day (28 May), discover the fascinating history of a rare item in our costume collection at York Castle Museum. Collections Facilitator, Dr M Faye Prior, tells us more in this blog entry. Until quite recently it wasn’t considered acceptable to discuss menstruation in public, and in many places it …
Latest News
- New Exhibition: Chariots, Treasure and Power: Secrets of the Melsonby Hoard
- Enjoy York Art Gallery in February Half-Term 2026 with workshops and crafting activities for the whole family.
- Enjoy a Viking takeover at the Yorkshire Museum February Half-Term 2026
- Travel back in time this February Half-Term to a Victorian coaching inn with new immersive display, food tasting and family crafts at York Castle Museum.
- What’s On at York Castle Museum, York Art Gallery, and the Yorkshire Museum: February Half Term 2026
