Tuesday, 6 September 2016

#11 of 20 star objects - Henry de Bohun ‘maquette’



A bronze statue of Henry resides in the House of Lords, along with other Bishops and barons that are associated with the sealing of this great charter. His head- quarters were in Trowbridge- making this town one of only 2 in the South West that can claim to have their very own Magna Carta baron! This plaster ‘maquette’ was used as the mould from which his bronze statue was cast and Trowbridge Museum has been lucky enough to secure its loan from Canterbury Museums Service. 


Plaster 'maquette' on the way to Trowbridge Museum

Wednesday, 31 August 2016

#10 of 20 star objects - Trilox Invalid Carriage

In 2013 the Friends of Trowbridge Museum put a call out, looking for someone 'who has a reasonable understanding of simple bicycle technology, who would like to take this on as a restoration project' after finding a Trilox 'Invalid Carriage' on Ebay. It consisted of a seat, two hand cranked chain driven front wheels and a back steered tiller wheel. Amazingly, a bicycle pump and a full tool pouch were still attached. Long standing member of the friends, and wood spoiler Bob Hallam took on the project, and the carriage can now been seen in the Museum. 


The Trilox Carriage before restoration








Tuesday, 16 August 2016

#9 of 20 star objects - Aplins Chemist

Aplins chemist was a family run business which lasted for over 100 years. Orginally established in 1790 as 'W H Haywood' chemist and dentist practised from The Limes, where the Town Hall now stands. He died in  1888 and the business was taken over by John Henry Aplin, then only 22.
Aplins chemist sign in Trowbridge Museum

Tuesday, 26 April 2016

#8 of 20 star objects - George Crabbe Display


Again, like the Taylors shop post, rather than focus on just one object, this post will look at an exhibit in the Museum as a whole.
This time, just a small case that could be missed if you were busying yourself with the mouse hunt, or distracted by the workings of our Victorian machinery. That’s not to say that it should be missed, as the man behind it has been admired by many over the years.



sketch of George Crabbe