Portsmouth City Museum
Museum Road
Portsmouth
Hampshire
PO1 2LJ
England
Website
education@portsmouthmuseums.co.uk
Telephone
023 9282 7261
Fax
023 9287 5276
The City is the museum of and for the people of Portsmouth. There are temporary exhibition galleries, which have a frequently changing parade of fascinating shows on a wide range of subjects.
The City Museum is dedicated to local history and fine and decorative art. 'The Story of Portsmouth' displays room settings showing life in Portsmouth from the 17th century to the 1950s using modern audio-visual techniques. Experience the different lifestyles of the Victorian working poor in the 'Dockyard Workers Cottage' and the affluent 'Victorian Parlour'. A 1930s kitchen with everything including the kitchen sink! A 1930s 'Art Deco' dining room and a 1950s front room complete with flying ducks on the wall and early television showing "Listen With Mother".
The 'Portsmouth at Play' exhibition looks at all aspects of leisure pursuits from the Victorian period to the 1970s. "What the Butler Saw" machines on the pier, a "Pennyfarthing" cycle and film archives from the 1930s and 1960s.
Our special exhibition ‘A Study in Sherlock’ looks at the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the context of Victorian and Edwardian England, his strong relationship with Portsmouth (where he wrote the first 2 Sherlock Holmes stories) and the creation and phenomenon that is Sherlock Holmes.
Narrated by Stephen Fry, the exhibition includes the opportunity to watch a new Sherlock Holmes mystery, become one of the Bakers Street Irregulars, listen to some of the stories and act them out using hand-puppets.
'Football in the City: A space in the heart of Portsmouth’ is a permanent new and exciting interactive gallery space devoted to the 'beautiful game'. Currently on display are rare items such as both footballs from the 1939 and 2008 FA Cup Finals.
Venue Type:
Museum, Gallery
Local History, Arthur Conan Doyle, Story of Portsmouth, Portsmouth at Play, No Place Like Pompey
Collection details
Archaeology, Costume and Textiles, Decorative and Applied Art, Fine Art, Natural Sciences, Social History, Maritime, Literature
No Place Like Pompey
What makes Portsmouth unique?
Is it one particular place, the city’s geography, its past or its people? A new exhibition at the City Museum looks at some of the things that make "Pompey” special. These include the fact that most of Portsmouth lies on an island, the city’s links with the dockyard and the Royal Navy, and the fortifications that made Portsmouth one of the most heavily defended areas in the country.
“Pompey” is a local name for the city of Portsmouth. There are many stories about where the name came from, but the true origin is not certain.
Suitable for
- Any age
Where
Portsmouth City Museum
Teddy Bear Story
The Teddy Bear Story, which features bears from the unrivalled collections at London’s V&A Museum of Childhood, will be on show in the free entry Portsmouth City Museum from Saturday, 16th March until Sunday, 15th September.
This major exhibition showcases nearly 150 teddy bears, including many rare and diverse examples of the toy, as well as teddies from picture books, films and television programmes and teddy bear merchandise. It explores the history of the teddy bear from the first designs based on real animals to modern character and designer bears, and from the earliest manufacturers in Europe and the USA to production on a world-wide scale. There’s also a special Three Bears’ play house and activity area for families to enjoy.
Bears have featured in folk and fairy tales for centuries but the first teddy bear toy was designed in 1902. Although a relative newcomer, it has enjoyed phenomenal success world-wide, holding a unique and important place in the childhood memories of many people. Arguably, the teddy bear is the most popular and universally loved toy in the world.
This engaging exhibition will also look at the materials and designs used to make teddy bears, and how social and economic change and safety concerns have influenced how these cuddly companions are made.
For further information about the Teddy Bear Story call 023 9282 7261 or visit www.portsmouthmuseums.co.uk. Portsmouth City Museum, Museum Road, Portsmouth PO1 2LJ, is open Tuesday – Sunday (closed Monday apart from Bank holidays), 10am - 5pm
admission
Suitable for
- Family friendly
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