The Bowes Swan will be delighting visitors with a daily performance from Monday December 1. © Bowes Museum
Visitors to the Bowes Museum will soon be able to enjoy one of the most remarkable museum objects in the North East as the museum’s famous mechanical swan goes back on public display.
The 235-year-old musical automaton, which has been stripped down and cleaned by horologist Matthew Read and his specialist team, will be delighting visitors with a daily performance from Monday December 1 2008.
Dating from around 1773, the remarkable swan automaton is the only one of its kind in the world. Possibly made for export to China, but never actually sold, it was toted around Europe as part of a sideshow before being bought by John and Joséphine Bowes in 1872.
“As a result of this project we know a lot more about the Swan than we did before, which is important as it enters a new chapter in its history,” said the Museum’s Director, Adrian Jenkins. “Of course, how many chapters the Swan has left in its life will depend on us and future generations, because it is we who determine the degree of pressure we put it under each time we crank up the ancient mechanism.”
With the latter in mind the Swan is to be played once a day at 2pm when it goes back on view.
“The Swan is a recognised icon of the Museum, like the Canaletto’s or the El Greco, that our visitors expect to see on show,” said Mr Jenkins. “This public conservation project, which has captured the public’s imagination, will enable the Swan to go back on display and to charm audiences with its performances once again.”
The Museum is currently planning a new Silver and Metals Gallery, which is due to open in Spring 2009, as part of a major redevelopment. The new gallery will act as an introduction to the Swan and feature enhanced interpretation, including an accompanying presentation about the conservation process.
A vast amount of previously unseen pieces will also be shown off to their best advantage and will include silver by Paul Storr and other leading makers, figurative bronzes, clocks and watches, and the Joseph collection of porcelain boxes formerly on loan to the Gilbert Collection at Somerset House.
