Blog

The Printing Press

Preston Park Museum’s collection of printing press equipment carries with it a rich history of printing. This history spans as far back as ancient China and leads up to our present-day use of typing.

Dorman Long and Newport Bridge

The Tees Valley during its industrial heyday was home to many iron and steel-making companies. One of the most successful and recognisable was Dorman Long and Co. It was in the 1920s when the company began to specialise in building bridges and they constructed one of the most recognisable bridges in Middlesbrough - Newport Bridge.

Katherine Maria Pease

Katherine Maria Pease Routledge was a Darlington born archaeologist and explorer best known for her ground-breaking work on Easter Island in the early 19th Century.

The River Tees

It is the River which the Tees Valley is named after, and it has seen much change in both its industrial importance and the wildlife which lives in it.

Robert Robinson’s Diaries

Held in the collection at Head of Steam - Darlington Railway Museum are three hand written diaries belonging to early railway engineer, Robert Robinson.

Chick Henderson

After finding a Joe Loss and his Band record we were inspired to learn more about Hartlepool's Chick Henderson. Although not a well known name today, that wasn't the case in the 1930s.

Little Works of Art

In the archive collection at Preston Park Museum and Grounds, we found these little autograph albums filled to the brim with sketches, jokes, poems and advice. Here we take a closer look at these little works of art.

Women, Munitions and Football in Darlington

In this article we take a look at women’s football and how it found fame during the First World War.

Stafford Pottery

Between the 1820s and early 1900s, Stafford Pottery in Stockton created high quality ceramic wares. But their business practices brought them a touch of notoriety.

The Transit of Venus

The aim of Captain Cook's first voyage was to witness the Transit of Venus across the Sun in 1769. At the same time Captain Cook observed the Transit in Tahiti, a local North Yorkshire gentleman did the same from England.

William Thomas Stead

William Thomas Stead was editor of the Northern Echo Newspaper in Darlington, and he pioneered new journalism techniques. He tackled many taboo subjects, such as prostitution, slums, poverty, politics and military intervention.

For Better or Worse

The 1800s saw the commercial birth of the 'Quack Doctor' who took advantage of the many diseases sweeping the country and decimating the population. However if the diseases didn’t kill you, what you took to cure it might well have finished you off...

Inspired by the medical collection at Preston Park Museum and Grounds we investigate these so called 'cure-alls'.