Will Catlin's Pierrots
Will Catlin’s Pierrots were a well-known sight on the north-east coast, performing on the beaches and their own open-air theatre in Scarborough.
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Tees Valley Green Museums
To celebrate Earth Day on 22 April we’re sharing a selection of environmental collections from Tees Valley Museums.
We’re proud of our environmental work across our venues including our ‘Go Green’ activities, such as the recycling of nitrile gloves used by the collections and curatorial teams and using Dispa (a recyclable material) rather than traditional foam board for exhibition labels. We also have a green working group made up of colleagues across the different museums.
For this blog we have asked collections colleagues in our partner museums which objects or areas of work they’d like to highlight in this blog.
Dinsdale Railway Station. Image courtesy of Hopetown Darlington
Hopetown Darlington have been looking for ways to be more sustainable, and one example of this is the Station Garden, which was built in 2019 by reusing materials the museum had on site.
The station garden was built with inspiration from the history of station garden competitions held across the country. One of these gardens is Dinsdale Station, which is close to Durham Tees Valley airport.
To build their garden the museum repurposed wooden panels from an old summer house and re-used large washed-out paint tubs and buckets for plant pots. They also collect rainwater to use in the garden where possible. In 2019 The garden won a gold award from Northumbria in Bloom and the museum is currently working on expanding this garden, working with communities across Tees Valley, to encourage the growing of food.
Museum of Hartlepool’s Fossil Plants and Herbarium Collection
Fossil Plant examples found at Blackhall Colliery. Image courtesy of Museum of Hartlepool.
Found in Blackhall colliery, Hartlepool have some great examples of fossil plants in their collection. These well-preserved leaves and stems show the variety of local plants from hundreds of millions of years ago. They may never have been uncovered if it wasn’t for mining, as they were found in the coal seams, but mining also contributes to climate change, producing fossil fuels.
The fossil plants could possibly have been from the Carboniferous period, around 358.9 to 298.9 million years ago. This period took its name from the large underground coal deposits which date it and during this time there would have been a lot of swampy forests, with trees and ferns, that would have removed large amounts of carbon dioxide from the air.
Other fossils found suggest that some animal species would have been much larger during the Carboniferous period, due to the higher levels of oxygen. Changes in climate to a much drier and more seasonal weather led to the extinction of some plant and animal species, whilst others grew smaller.
Herbarium specimens. Image courtesy of Museum of Hartlepool.
The museum also has an impressive Herbarium collection which was thought to have been a donation in the late 1800s, originally as part of a book. Here you can see ‘Trifolium Pratense’ commonly known as red clover, it is often found in meadows, and grasslands.
Meadows are open habitats for herbs, grasses and non-woody plants. They play an important role in biodiversity, supporting a large variety of plant and animal life, as well as carbon storage.
Preston Park Museum & Grounds’ biodegradable shopping bag
'Nuclear Power No Thanks' Biodegradable Bag. Image courtesy of Preston Park Museum & Grounds.
Plastic is a material that became popular in the mid-20th century, due to the fact it can be easily shaped, making it a useful material to make a variety of things from. During World War II, plastics like nylon and polystyrene became crucial for military equipment and supplies, and by the 1950s and 1960s, the production of plastics surged, becoming integral to consumer goods, packaging, and textiles.
Invented in 1959 by Swedish Engineer, Sten Gustaf Thulin. Plastic bags were made to replace paper bags. They were thought to be stronger and more durable than previously used paper bags, as well as better for the environment, as the production of paper bags added to mass deforestation.
During the 1970s and 1980s people began to discuss their concerns over the environmental impact of plastic, and as a result recycling programmes and biodegradable plastics were created. This work has developed further over time, encouraging people to ditch single use plastics.
What is the environmental impact of plastic?
Did you know. Plastic shopping bags can take hundreds of years to decompose? Some plastics can even take thousands of years. In contrast, biodegradable bags can take between 3 and 24 months to decompose.
The production and disposal of plastics contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Plastics in the ocean pose a threat to marine animals, which can ingest or become entangled in plastic debris. Microplastics have even been found in human bodies, causing health concerns.
Marine Biology at the Dorman Museum
Horse Mussel, image courtesy of the Dorman Museum.
Horse Mussels
Horse mussels are found in deeper waters. They form beds that become home to a variety of creatures including fish and shellfish.
There are rising concerns over Horse mussel beds in the UK, as they have become potentially threatened by several climate issues, including the rising temperature of seawater.
Did you know that Horse mussels can grow up to 10 inches long?
Pearl Shell, image courtesy of the Dorman Museum.
Fresh Water Pearl Mussels
Freshwater pearl mussels are very rare, only existing in a few river systems in the UK. They spend their adult lives anchored to the riverbed, improving the quality of the water for other species, making them very important.
An early label given to these molluscs in the museum collection might suggest that this mussel was common, ‘often found in the river Esk’ they’re however, listed as endangered and protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.
What threats do they face?
Mussels such as this one have been heavily harvested over time despite only very occasionally producing a pearl. This has resulted in many mussels being killed, impacting the population.
Len Tabner artwork at Kirkleatham Museum
Len Tabner, 'Rubbish and what have you dumped back of Nelson St and side of Zetland Hotel Cargo Fleet works beyond' courtesy of Kirkleatham Museum.
Len Tabner is a Painter, draughtsman and printmaker, born at South Bank, near Middlesbrough. His artwork titled ‘Rubbish and what have you dumped back of Nelson St and side of Zetland Hotel Cargo Fleet works beyond’ has been highlighted by Kirkleatham Museum for this blog. Tabner’s art is typically produced outside, in all weather, depicting surrounding landscape.
Waste disposal is a big environmental topic, the improper disposal of rubbish can be harmful to the environment, as well as people’s health. It can also end up in our sea’s and be dangerous for marine life.
Tees Valley Museums have also been working with local schools to discuss the impact litter can have on our local wildlife, using the River Tees to explore pollution and encourage students to think before littering. Artworks created have been displayed at both Kirkleatham Museum and Preston Park Museum and Grounds.
Recycling The River Tees Display at Preston Park Museum & Grounds.
Tees Valley Museums continue to work on forward-thinking exhibitions that incorporate environmental themes, thinking about how we can ‘go green’ by using our collections and spaces to advocate with the public for the environment, as well as making specific improvements to our museum sites and practices.
