Ambrotype Photographs
Ambrotype is a type of early photography that was popular in the 1850s and 60s. Some lovely examples of Ambrotype photographs can be found in the collection at Preston Park Museum and Grounds.
Blog
Keep up to date with all the latest blog posts from Tees Valley Museums.
Jack Taylor Cycles
Jack Taylor and his brothers, Ken and Norman, were cycling enthusiasts who took their passion for cycling to a new level, becoming makers of bicycles which were not only popular in Stockton but also around the world.
The Mellanby Brothers Part II
The Mellanby Collection tells the stories of two brothers, Robert William Mellanby and Fredrick Henry Mellanby, who both served during the Second World War.
Ralph Spark and Sons
Ralph Spark and Sons was one of the best-known bakery and café chains in the Tees Valley, and while the company is no longer in business, its legacy lives on in the Art Deco-style Daylight Bakery which still stands in Stockton.
The Mellanby Brothers – Part I
The Mellanby Collection tells the stories of two brothers, Robert William Mellanby and Fredrick Henry Mellanby, who both served during the Second World War. The Collection consists of official war documents, letters, uniform and personal photographs and is now kept at Kirkleatham Museum and Grounds.
Sir Edmund Backhouse
Born into a Darlington Quaker family, Sir Edmund Backhouse led a controversial life as an openly gay man in China during the turn of the 20th century.
Chatting with Cherry Valentine
RuPaul's Drag Race has launched the world of Drag onto the main stage and given the LGBTQ+ community an international platform. This year sees the launch of RuPaul's Drag Race UK series two, where in December it was announced we have a Darlington Drag Queen on the show! Cherry Valentine kindly chatted with us for LGBTQ+ History Month, and we got to ask her some of our burning questions!
J. F. Smith and Co.
Preston Park Museum’s Victorian Sweet Shop, J. F. Smith and Co., is named after the confectioner, James Fothergill Smith, and his works were once based in Green Dragon Yard in Stockton.
The Price of Fashion
Arsenic green was used in paint, wallpaper and textiles. Here we are looking into this deadly substance and its use in fashions, plus its deadly consequences.
Mandall and Co.’s Licoricine
Edward Mandall, a chemist living in Stockton, created Licoricine in the 1870s. It was a cold medicine which claimed to relieve the symptoms of asthma, bronchitis and other ailments.
Christmas Gifts in World War One
Over one hundred years ago, small acts of goodwill were made by children to soldiers serving in the First World War and were recognised by a charity called the Overseas Club.
Head Wrightson and Co.
Head Wrightson was one of the first iron and steel making firms in the Cleveland area to come about in the period of industrialisation in the 1850s.