Shortly before Christmas last year, a trained geologist in our team was cleaning up a piece of old amber in the school loan collections. To his surprise, he discovered several invertebrates trapped inside the amber, including a spider and a … Continued
Effective Collections is a scheme run by the Museums Association which awards funding to museum projects that will help increase access to stored collections and get more objects seen by the public. Over the past two years we have been … Continued
The Brighton and Hove International Exhibition opened on Monday 20 October 1889 in Hove on a site bounded by Holland Road, Rochester Gardens, Cromwell Road and the eastern boundary of the Sussex Cricket Ground. Covering three acres, it was constructed … Continued
The Big Butterfly Count is a nationwide survey aimed at helping to assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and 10,000 people took part, counting 210,000 butterflies and day-flying moths across the nation. Butterflies react quickly … Continued
Midsummer’s Eve usually relates to European celebrations that accompany the Summer Solstice, either on the actual solstice or between June 21 and June 24, depending on the culture. The celebration predates Christianity and is thought to be related to ancient … Continued
Countryside 2011 takes place from the 28th May to the 12th June. To celebrate we take a look at some of the species on display at the Booth Museum. The stoat has had an unfortunate relationship with man over the … Continued
I was born not far from the Booth Museum of Natural History in 1943 and lived over a large garage in Preston Road, Brighton until I was about 10 years old. My first school, called Preston Primary (although an Infant … Continued
… Gerald Legg, Keeper of Natural Sciences Of exploration, empire, butterflies and beer Having worked at the Booth Museum of Natural History for more years than I like to admit to I have had the unique opportunity and privilege to work … Continued
By the time the Booth Museum was built in 1874 Brighton had three established taxidermy companies and the Museum has examples from all three in its collections. The history of taxidermy is told, in part, through the exhibition ‘Life in … Continued
Prolific collector During his lifetime Thomas Parkin assembled a large and significant collection of eggs. The collection was, in the majority, purchased, chiefly from the Stevens Auction Rooms in Covent Garden. Parkin’s collection along with all of his catalogues and … Continued
Solicitor, Author, Museum owner, Collector. The Booth Museum biographical archive has numerous items relating to Frederick William Lucas. These include nine original photographs of his Rottingdean Museum, his original hand written catalogue, a photographic portrait of him and a letter … Continued
The centenary of International Women’s Day falls on the 8th of March. The theme for this year’s event is Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women. With this in mind, we take … Continued
To mark the Centenary of International Women’s Day on the 8th of March, we learn more about pioneering Brighton woman, Dr Helen Boyle. Helen Boyle (1869-1957) was Brighton’s first woman GP and transformed the lives of working-class women in the … Continued
. . . Carolynne – documentation volunteer I have recently been fortunate enough to volunteer at the Royal Pavilion & Museums with the Knowledge & Information team. I was tasked with archiving a timeline of past exhibitions at Hove Museum … Continued
With the Brighton Science Festival (13th February – 6th March) in full swing, we take a moment to discover more about scientific instruments at the Booth Museum. The microscope collection of the Booth Museum of Natural History in Brighton includes … Continued
This year’s Brighton Science Festival started on 13 February. To mark the occasion, we learn more about a lively episode at an earlier similar event. In 1932, Brighton was leading the way in the scientific world by hosting an exhibition of … Continued
The nineteenth century was an age of science and industry, and one where individual inventors could transform the world. These enterprising pioneers are still ritually recalled alongside their inventions: Marconi and radio, Bell and the telephone, Benz and the motorcar. … Continued
One of the most famous figures in Sussex history is the doctor and geologist Gideon Algernon Mantell (1790-1852). He was born and bred in Lewes, and from an early age developed an interest and passion for the many different types … Continued
It is the 27th October, 1886. Alone in her room, Mary Burchett takes a photograph of herself using a remote device to operate the camera. When she develops the image on paper, she finds that her face is obscured by … Continued
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