History & Heritage

Dig deep for history and heritage happenings, collections and news. Listings from thousands of museums, archives and heritage sites plus features and favourite links.

A close-up photo of an ornate chair

Simon Martin's Louis Ghost Chair installation premieres at The Holburne Museum in Bath

Installation artist Simon Martin's latest short film, Louis Ghost Chair, uses the original design of the Louis XV chair as a starting point before looking at its modern reinterpretations.

An image of a black and white painting of people sitting talking

Poetry and paintings unite for Shakespeare in Art at the Laing Gallery in Newcastle

Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice and As you Like it are among the inspirations for an exquisite exhibition marking 175 years of Newcastle's Theatre Royal.

A photograph of a black cube surrounded by iron filings that look like people

Hajj: journeys to the heart of Islam at the British Museum

Hajj is the only one of the five pillars of Islam that is closed to non-Muslims, but a major new exhibition at the British Museum - the first dedicated just to the Hajj - gives an insight into the journey and the experience.

A photo of a large ancient ship on a river

SS Robin to reopen to public in time for the London 2012 Olympics

The world's oldest complete steamship will become a heritage site, training centre for the public and symbol of regeneration in London in time for the Olympics.

A photo of groups of young people sitting around tables writing

Fourteen groups share £100,000 in Clore Foundation's Poetry and Literature Awards

The cultural charity announces a new round of grants boosting groups across the country working to inspire young people through literature and poetry.

A black and white photo of a footballer holding a trophy aloft in triumph

Herbert appeals to public for footage capturing joy of Coventry City's 1987 FA Cup win

Organisers of an exhibition celebrating the 25th anniversary of Coventry's FA Cup win are asking the public to send in footage of the day itself and the celebrations which followed.

A photo of a figure walking through the snow in a winter-battered forest

Ori Gersht: This Storm is What we Call Progress at the Imperial War Museum London

In his first major solo show in the UK, Israeli-born, London-based artist Ori Gersht presents films and photography exploring the personal and visual scars of war.

An image of a logo saying Silver 70s

The FA Cup, Connect 4, Wombles and Bee Gees star in Silver 70s at Leeds City Museum

Travel back in time as Leeds celebrates the decade of the Raleigh Chopper, David Bowie, the Silver Jubilee and an FA Cup win for Leeds United.

A photo of a person jumping over rocks

In Pictures: Andy Day's Parkour pictures at Public

In a new exhibition at The Public at West Bromwich, photographer Andy Day takes a panoramic look at the spectacular sport of Parkour, the Paris-spawned phenomenon in which runners navigate urban......

an artwork showing small pieces of filings swirling around a central monolith

Hajj: The British Museum journeys to the heart of Islam

The world's first exhibition on Hajj - the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca - has opened at the British Museum with a wealth of rare artefacts and treasures.

A photo of the back of two boys on bicycles at sunset

An Anne Frank rose to be planted at Manchester Jewish Museum for Holocaust Memorial Day

A look at some of the events and exhibitions being held across the country from today for Holocaust Memorial Day 2012, including a new display in Manchester.

An image of a computer animation of Roman soldiers looking over a sea

Red House Museum in Christchurch to host Forgotten Roman Emperor and Together shows

Screens tell the dastardly stories of late 3rd century Roman Britain, accompanied by works from an award-winning local wood sculpture and ethereal painting duo.

A photo of a model of a ship in a window

Grandson of drifter behind Scottish Fisheries Museum flagship builds copy 110 years on

William Forbes, the man who built the Reaper and launched it from the now-disused Sandhaven yard 110 years ago, has presented a scale model to the Fife museum.

A photo of various advertising signs from the 1920s

Bygone adverts prove So Near and yet so Far at the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro

Guinness for vitality, Oxo for strength, cigarettes for a sore throat and tonic wine for your nerves - a show of 1920s adverts in Cornwall makes some entertaining claims.

A photo of a tall museum under a blue sky full of birds

Arts Council announces 16 museum groups to win major funding for three years

Relief, delight and disappointment across the country as the Arts Council announces the 16 organisations who will earn £60 million in Renaissance funding between now and 2015, succeeding the......

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