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Exhibition Opening Weekend 2025

Exciting things have been happening at the Museum over the winter as we prepare to welcome visitors from 15th February. The opening weekend will be a big milestone for us…

Our roof replacement Part 5

We’re excited to report that the roof and skylight over Gallery 1 has been repaired and is fully watertight.  The printed banner that once hung over the front of the…

Preparing for our roof replacement Part 4

There has been more visible progress this week. The scaffolding build for phase 1 is now complete including the temporary roof covering which will allow works to continue in most…

Preparing for our roof replacement Part 3

This week the scaffolders and our Maintenance Officer have begun preparations for the temporary roof covering that will sit above the worksite. This is to ensure that work can continue…

Important Notice for Schools: Disruptions to School Visits Due to Roof Repair Project

Dear Teachers and Educators,   We want to inform you that our museum is undergoing essential roof repairs as part of the MEND Roof Project, which will be taking place…

Hello from the new CEO

Say hello to Sarah Corn, the new Chief Executive Officer of the Powell-Cotton Trust, who began in post in late April 2024. "I have worked in the museum sector for…

Collection preparations for the roof works

Earlier this year, the Powell-Cotton Trust was awarded funds from the UK Government via Arts Council England to make major and necessary repairs to our leaky roof.  This means that…

Preparing for our roof replacement Part 2

We're excited to start this work as when complete, it will ensure our collection is protected for future generations. This is great news for the Museum but it will have…

Preparing for our roof replacement Part 1

We are undertaking a significant project to improve the condition of our museum building to protect our collections for future generations. This is really exciting news for the museum but…

Museum Receives £1.1m from DCMS MEND fund

The Powell-Cotton Museum has been awarded a grant of £1.1 million from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport MEND fund, which is administered by Arts Council England. This funding…

What's On at Powell-Cotton Museum

Visit us by attending one of our special events and open days, partnering with local and national organisations, projects and schemes. We’re listing new events regularly. Find out more…

What’s On
The museum refurbishment works have revealed another clue to those who helped make the museum!
Whilst stripping wallpaper in Gallery 1 (the largest diorama gallery), the decorator noticed a pencil print on the paper. We think it reads:

"G.A. Smith P.H. [paper hanger?] June 15th 1936"

Do you know who G.A Smith is? Can we make a connection with the past through the signature he left? Share this post and help us solve the puzzle.

#behindthescenes #museummakers #museummystery #signature #heritage  #MuseumRefurbishment #HistoricalClue #MuseumHistory

The museum refurbishment works have revealed another clue to those who helped make the museum!
Whilst stripping wallpaper in Gallery 1 (the largest diorama gallery), the decorator noticed a pencil print on the paper. We think it reads:

"G.A. Smith P.H. [paper hanger?] June 15th 1936"

Do you know who G.A Smith is? Can we make a connection with the past through the signature he left? Share this post and help us solve the puzzle.

#behindthescenes #museummakers #museummystery #signature #heritage #MuseumRefurbishment #HistoricalClue #MuseumHistory
...

Welcome back to another day in the life with Museum Team Member, Daiz! 

Today Daiz shares that their day included helping to move a huge taxidermy elephant's head, pest trapping, moving specimens into the big freezer to kill potential pests and a spot of curtain repairing! What does a typical workday involve for you?

 #MuseumLife #BehindTheScenes #MuseumTeam #Taxidermy #CuratorialWork

Welcome back to another day in the life with Museum Team Member, Daiz!

Today Daiz shares that their day included helping to move a huge taxidermy elephant`s head, pest trapping, moving specimens into the big freezer to kill potential pests and a spot of curtain repairing! What does a typical workday involve for you?

#MuseumLife #BehindTheScenes #MuseumTeam #Taxidermy #CuratorialWork
...

Progress and Developments in Collections Management

On Tuesday, 3rd December, two of our Collections team visited Canterbury Cathedral to meet with their Archives team. They use the same Collections Management System (CMS) we’ve recently adopted. It was a fantastic opportunity to see how they manage their diverse collections—objects, library materials, and archives—and gain insights into how this powerful system works in practice.

Highlights of the day included:

- A tour of the Cathedral’s archives and library.
- Exploring the awe-inspiring Cathedral itself.
- Valuable discussions about best practices, potential challenges, and handy tips.

This CMS is a major upgrade from spreadsheets, enabling us to more effectively catalogue, care for, and share our collections. Eventually, we will have an online catalogue that can be accessed worldwide. It’s a long-term project (years in the making!), but learning from others makes the process less daunting and more inspiring.

In a time of challenges across the sector, collaboration and knowledge-sharing are more important than ever. A big thank you to the team at Canterbury Cathedral for their hospitality and insights!

Canterbury Cathedral Visit Kent Museums Association #BestPractices
#CollectionsManagement #MuseumLife #BehindTheScenes #Collaboration

Progress and Developments in Collections Management

On Tuesday, 3rd December, two of our Collections team visited Canterbury Cathedral to meet with their Archives team. They use the same Collections Management System (CMS) we’ve recently adopted. It was a fantastic opportunity to see how they manage their diverse collections—objects, library materials, and archives—and gain insights into how this powerful system works in practice.

Highlights of the day included:

- A tour of the Cathedral’s archives and library.
- Exploring the awe-inspiring Cathedral itself.
- Valuable discussions about best practices, potential challenges, and handy tips.

This CMS is a major upgrade from spreadsheets, enabling us to more effectively catalogue, care for, and share our collections. Eventually, we will have an online catalogue that can be accessed worldwide. It’s a long-term project (years in the making!), but learning from others makes the process less daunting and more inspiring.

In a time of challenges across the sector, collaboration and knowledge-sharing are more important than ever. A big thank you to the team at Canterbury Cathedral for their hospitality and insights!

Canterbury Cathedral Visit Kent Museums Association #BestPractices
#CollectionsManagement #MuseumLife #BehindTheScenes #Collaboration
...

Join us for a day in the life with Museum Team Member, Daiz, as they show you the kind of work they do behind the scenes. 

Kids in MuseumsVisit Thanet- Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate
#museumwork #museumjobs #behindthescenes #dayinthelife

Join us for a day in the life with Museum Team Member, Daiz, as they show you the kind of work they do behind the scenes.

Kids in MuseumsVisit Thanet- Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate
#museumwork #museumjobs #behindthescenes #dayinthelife
...

This week our artist in residence @juliaellenlancaster_ceramics, has been working with local groups as part of the exciting community outreach initiative - The Sunshine Project. 

Here we can see Julia teaching the group how to make leaf imprints into the clay as they prepare sculptures for the Spring into the Museum Tree Trail. Look out for the faces in the trees as you discover the trees of #Quexgardens during our Spring into the Museum event next month! 

#Behindthescenes #ReimaginingtheMuseum #QuexGardens #Sunshineproject #Learning #thanetcommunity 

@visitkent @visitthanet @kentattractions

The Sunshine Project is in receipt of a grant from AIM Connected Communities. AIM Connected Communities is funded by the DCMS Know Your Neighbourhood Fund through Arts Council England.
@Aimuseums, @dcmsgovuk and @aceagrams

https://aim-museums.co.uk/connected-communities-marketing-guidelines/

This week our artist in residence @juliaellenlancaster_ceramics, has been working with local groups as part of the exciting community outreach initiative - The Sunshine Project.

Here we can see Julia teaching the group how to make leaf imprints into the clay as they prepare sculptures for the Spring into the Museum Tree Trail. Look out for the faces in the trees as you discover the trees of #Quexgardens during our Spring into the Museum event next month!

#Behindthescenes #ReimaginingtheMuseum #QuexGardens #Sunshineproject #Learning #thanetcommunity

@visitkent @visitthanet @kentattractions

The Sunshine Project is in receipt of a grant from AIM Connected Communities. AIM Connected Communities is funded by the DCMS Know Your Neighbourhood Fund through Arts Council England.
@Aimuseums, @dcmsgovuk and @aceagrams

https://aim-museums.co.uk/connected-communities-marketing-guidelines/
...

Museum Discovery! 

This book is called ‘Catriona’ by Robert Louis Stevenson...

Our archivist, Hazel, picked it up to inspect it for any conservation needs and opened it to discover what appears to be a self-portrait of Percy Powell Cotton inside the front cover! 

What a lovely surprise. (And now we’re wondering if he sketched in any other books!)

#museumdiscovery #powellcottonmuseum #museumkent #visitthanet #FromtheArchives #behindthescenes

Museum Discovery!

This book is called ‘Catriona’ by Robert Louis Stevenson...

Our archivist, Hazel, picked it up to inspect it for any conservation needs and opened it to discover what appears to be a self-portrait of Percy Powell Cotton inside the front cover!

What a lovely surprise. (And now we’re wondering if he sketched in any other books!)

#museumdiscovery #powellcottonmuseum #museumkent #visitthanet #FromtheArchives #behindthescenes
...

A photograph from the archives...Percy Powell-Cotton enjoying the winter snow in Quex Gardens. 

#museumskent #powellcottonmuseum #quexhouseandgardens #visitkent #reimaginingthemuseum #fromthearchives #behindthescenes

A photograph from the archives...Percy Powell-Cotton enjoying the winter snow in Quex Gardens.

#museumskent #powellcottonmuseum #quexhouseandgardens #visitkent #reimaginingthemuseum #fromthearchives #behindthescenes
...

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas...
With Season's Greetings from all the staff and volunteers!

See you all on New Year's Day!

#visitkent #visitthanet #powellcottonmuseum #kentmuseums #seasonsgreetings #thingstodokent #quexgardens #behindthescenes #learning #reimaginingthemuseum

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas...
With Season`s Greetings from all the staff and volunteers!

See you all on New Year`s Day!

#visitkent #visitthanet #powellcottonmuseum #kentmuseums #seasonsgreetings #thingstodokent #quexgardens #behindthescenes #learning #reimaginingthemuseum
...

Come to the @beautifulsouthtourismawards with us! 

Looking back on a wonderful evening celebrating the finest offerings in Kent's tourism industry - and of course our very own Emily taking home a Bronze award in the Unsung Heroes category! 

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners and thank you again to @beautifulsouthtourismawards for a wonderful evening!

@visitthanet
@visitkent 
@bestkentattractions

#BSTA23 #visitkent #reimaginingthemuseum #kentmuseums #unsungheroes #behindthescenes #awardwinning #thanet #kent

Come to the @beautifulsouthtourismawards with us!

Looking back on a wonderful evening celebrating the finest offerings in Kent`s tourism industry - and of course our very own Emily taking home a Bronze award in the Unsung Heroes category!

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners and thank you again to @beautifulsouthtourismawards for a wonderful evening!

@visitthanet
@visitkent
@bestkentattractions

#BSTA23 #visitkent #reimaginingthemuseum #kentmuseums #unsungheroes #behindthescenes #awardwinning #thanet #kent
...